Bruce,
Am not sure 'panic now' is the ideal long term solution. I understand the need for "something" to be done, I don't agree that the restrictive business model being put forward for DK is the right something.
One thing I can't tell you with any degree of certainty (due to the ahem... commercial sensitivity of the figures) is why the £200k per game figure is so low... but I can hazard a guess. Costs for DK would be higher in any event, larger stadium, higher staffing costs etc, however there are the additional costs involved in the new arrangements also : the minimum £1M per year contribution to pay for the parking arrangements and enforcement and the like. You're also forgetting our Club's phenomenal ability to make a balls up of any commercial venture
As for the initial costs, well I think the days of our contribution being a meagre £78M are long gone... in the short to medium term climate it would be facile to suggest that the cross subsidy from a retail development will be near what was budgeted for, finance costs will be higher (interest rates may be low for safe bets, but I'd hate to think what our Corporate credit rating is, and I haven't got a D&B book to hand), and we'll be hoping to build at the same time as eveyone will be rushing to finish the Olympic Village.
While waiting for the golden goose, we'd do well not to saddle ourselves with a white elephant. At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, we need to make the very best of GP until we are in a strong position to decide what our next 100year home is to be; rather than jumping on any solution just because we currently happen to be in a weak position.
I agree that there is an awful lot more the club could do commercially to raise our income organically, and much of that can be done without worrying about matchday revenue at Goodison. Man Utd for instance earn more money from non-UK fans than they do from UK fans, so I think there is huge potential there both to grow and tap into our wider fan base considerably more than the club currently do.
I would certainly hope any new investor would bring with them commercial accumen, plus of course the motivation to turn a profit that perhaps BK in his role as benefactor failed to persue with the same vigour.
Any such organic strategy will take time though and that still leaves the peril of our short-term finances. I can't see Moyes getting much if any money this summer and there was enough debate last year about how long he'll stick around with no money etc. If we get to a situation where he has to sell to buy on a permanent basis, or indeed sell to survive as may be the case if we continue to lose money operationally.
'Tis a concern and whilst Kirby isn't an ideal solution by any stretch it may be the least worst option at the moment.
b)
