Everton have confirmed they will enter into fresh talks with
Liverpool City Council over a new stadium.
A date of January 11 has been set aside for the two sides to
meet following the Government rejection of a planning application
for a new stadium in nearby Kirkby.
The £400million development for a 50,000-seater stadium,
in partnership with Tesco, collapsed last month.
Liverpool City Council were one of the opponents to
Destination Kirkby but will send a high-ranking delegation to meet
with Everton in the New Year. Those talks were promised in the wake
of the Kirkby decision, and now Everton will want to see what new
venues for a stadium inside the city boundaries will be suggested
by the council.
It is considered that redeveloping the current Goodison Park
site is far too expensive. Everton's Head of PR Ian Ross said:
"Throughout the Destination Kirkby process, Liverpool City Council
always made it clear that if the project was to fail they would
step forward and seek to help us.
"As a consequence, a working group is to be formed and
meetings held to actively explore all the options and possibilities
which are open to Everton.
"Despite the disappointment of seeing our proposed move to
Kirkby collapse, we, as a club, remain convinced that a move to a
new home is not only the right way forwards but the only way
forwards.
"Of course, it does remain to be seen if the City Council can
provide us with the level of help and assistance which we will
require if we are to locate to any new stadium within the Liverpool
boundaries but we will enter these preliminary talks with a measure
of optimism."
City Council leader Warren Bradley, an Everton fan, added:
"We have got a meeting with Everton where we will put all our cards
on the table.
"I will be there as will be council chief executive Colin
Hilton and executive director of regeneration John Kelly. We want
to make sure that we can facilitate things for Everton."
