Everton to consider new stadium
Everton are looking at a site for a potential new stadium near Goodison Park, the club's board have revealed.
Chief executive Robert Elstone made the announcement at the club'sfirst General Meeting of shareholders in five years, held at Liverpool'sPhilharmonic Hall on Wednesday evening.
The club have beenin "constant dialogue" with Liverpool City Council - and city mayor JoeAnderson - over a move to a new ground, Elstone said.
He said: "One piece of land has been thoroughly investigated by the club."
Chairman Bill Kenwright, who was also at the meeting, confirmed that the site identified is "close" to Goodison Park.
Kenwrightadded: "We've had strenuous meetings with a very supportive JoeAnderson and the council. Last time we spoke, I think there were six orseven sites - now there are two or three, and there's one that I wouldlove. But again, it's down to the funding package."
Kenwrighttold the meeting he would prefer a move to a new home over agroundshare with Liverpool, but acknowledged that both were stilllong-term options.
"If we can take forward the [newstadium] idea we're looking at now, I think you [the supporters andshareholders] would be happier with that than sharing with the Reds," hesaid.
Everton's board have been looking at the possibilityof leaving Goodison Park for more than 15 years, as their atmospherichome is hemmed in by surrounding streets and houses, offering littlepotential for expansion.
They first went public with plansto leave Goodison Park in 1996, when then-chairman Peter Johnsonannounced an idea to build a new 60,000-capacity stadium.
Planswere drawn up for a 55,000-seater stadium at King's Dock, on the city'swaterfront, in 2001 - but were abandoned two years later as the clubcould not raise enough money to fund their share of the £155 millionproject.
The club then attempted to move forward on a £400million stadium in Kirkby, to which the club would have contributed £78million, but their plans were rejected by the UK government in 2009.
Theproposal caused controversy because it would have involved moving theclub out of Liverpool for the first time in their history.
Supporters from the campaign group 'Keep Everton In Our City' opted to oppose the plan, as did residents in Kirkby.
JohnDenham, the then-Communities Secretary, turned down the proposal -which would have included a Tesco supermarket and shops in addition to a50,000 capacity stadium - citing potential harmful effects on the localarea.
He stated that the move would have breachedgovernment shopping policy, which discourages major supermarket chainsfrom taking business away from town and city centres.
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