Football Quarter

[merlboo]

i'm pretty sure this is gonna be big news in the coming weeks lads


Liverpool FC and Everton FC fans' groups unite to promote city football quarter

Mar 13 2010 by David Randles, Liverpool Echo


LFC and EFC fans meet

LIVERPOOL and Everton fans have joined forces to campaign for a football quarter in north Liverpool.

Under the banner “Altogether Now”, supporters groups Keep Everton in Our City (KEIOC) and the Spirit of Shankly have cast aside their rivalries to promote a pioneering concept that would have benefits, not only for the two football clubs, but the surrounding Anfield and Walton areas.

An open letter has been sent to the city’s key decision making agencies to request the co-funding of a feasibility study to examine the idea.

The football quarter is intended to be a groundbreaking regeneration programme centred around Stanley Park which will stimulate a wide range of social and economic benefits to the area.

The move was officially announced on Friday at Anfield’s historic Sandon pub, exactly 118 years to the day since the split that resulted in the creation of two clubs in 1892.

Colin Fitzpatrick of KEIOC said: “An independent feasibility study into which the fans would have some input would demonstrate the need and viability of a programme that would kickstart regeneration in the north Liverpool community, maintain Liverpool’s position as a world centre for football excellence and provide opportunities for thousands of Liverpool people.”

Both clubs have seen plans for new stadiums stall in recent years, an issue highlighted in the letter that has also been sent to both Liverpool FC managing director, Christian Purlsow, and Everton FC chief executive Robert Elstone

Paul Rice of Spirit of Shankly said: “We are urging city leaders to explore the huge potential of this initiative.

“The lack of progress and failed schemes affecting both clubs over the last decade means critical action should be taken now if we are to secure a positive future for fans and the local community.”

The aims of “Altogether Now” include developing the football quarter into a centre of excellence for health and sports related studies while offering an opportunity to create a popular tourist destination within the city.

The initiative would also act as a catalyst for the regeneration of Walton and Anfield communities and provide jobs in line with the Mersey Partnerships target of increasing visitor spend in the region by 54% to £2bn by 2020.

Liverpool Labour leader, Joe Anderson, expressed his support for the proposal.

He said: “I think it’s an excellent idea. We’ve got a great opportunity, not only for the clubs, but also for health, education and to support the regeneration of the area.”

http://www.spiritofshankly.com/documents/altogether_now_letter.pdf

[merlboo]

http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/128369-everton-and-liverpool-fc-fans-unite-to-launch-football-quarter.html

Everton and Liverpool FC fans unite to launch football quarter

by Richard Buxton.

Published Sat 13 Mar 2010 15:40, Last updated: 2010-03-13

Supporters groups from both Liverpool and Everton have unveiled plans for a revolutionary football quarter in north Liverpool.

Keep Everton In Our City (KEIOC) and Spirit of Shankly (SOS) staged a press conference at the Sandon pub, 118 years to the day since their two clubs were created in 1892, to announce their plans to regenerate the Anfield and Walton area under the banner 'All Together Now'.

An open letter signed by both groups has been tabled to the chief executives of both clubs, local politicians, chancellors of John Moores and Liverpool University, and the North West Development Agency to request funding for a feasibility study.

If agreed by all relevant parties, the ground-breaking plans would see Goodison Park and Anfield redeveloped in addition to regenerating the surrounding areas and strengthening the city’s target of creating 14,000 jobs and attracting £2 billion in tourism per year by 2020.

Paul Rice, vice president of Spirit of Shankly, said: “We are urging city leaders to explore the huge potential of this initiative.

“The lack of progress and failed schemes affecting both clubs over the last decade means critical action should be taken now if we are to secure a positive future for fans and the local community.”

The focal point of the project would be a series of educational, leisure and community facilities based in and around Stanley Park. However one potential stumbling block is Liverpool's commitment to building a proposed 73,000 capacity stadium on the park.

Plans to construct a new home for the club, a few hundred yards from their current home, have been delayed due to debts of £237 million incurred through loans agreed by owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Anfield chief Christian Purslow is currently searching for a minimum of £100 million investment to reduce the deficit and has dismissed plans by insisting refurbishment "will not happen" due to a temporary loss of revenue.

Everton have held talks with KEIOC and chairman Dave Kelly has challenged Liverpool to follow suit in order to help aid the concept.

He said: "I actually challenge Liverpool Football Club to be as brave and as committed as Everton are and talk to SOS to see what all this fuss is about.

"Hopefully over the coming weeks and months the momentum will gather. We will continue to crank up the pressure on both clubs on this issue.

"There has got to be an understanding that is the beginning, not the end, and I believe that it is something big."

Local author Peter Lupson, whose book 'Across the Park' details the history of the two clubs, also called on the Reds’ managing director to at least consider all options

He said: "I think all people who hold responsible positions such as Christian Purslow have the duty to at least listen to other options because they may have missed something that could be of great benefit to them.

"I don't think it does any harm to listen and, having listened, ruled it out then at least you've considered all the options.

"The people spearheading this have made it clear that there are no losers in this, only winners. It will have a huge impact on improving the quality of life for the people of this area."

[Matt]

I think it's a great idea - regeneration in the city centre has taken off but not so much has been done in the surrounding areas. I think we need to see these types of improvement to encourage more tourism and businesses to the area.

Culturally as a city we have more to offer than Manchester yet we're perenially in danger of being overlooked when these big government schemes are announced e.g high speed rail links.

Don't know what it'd mean for the new LFC stadium although I don't see why it couldn't be part of the scheme, since I thought the stadium plans were supposed to incorporate a load of benefits for the area anyway.

[Imy]

Redevolop Anfield, i wonder how?

[merlboo]

Redevolop Anfield, i wonder how?

architects ideas that have been mooted and subsequently drawn up are a new main stand and a new anfield road end ... the roof on both stands could run continously and if enough funds are in place then a new roof could encompass the whole stadium [2 options there] .. initial capacity would touch 61,000 with scope to increase to 70,000 plus [ extending the centenary stand and filling in the corners ] its at the concept stage and needs the liverpool board to agree a feasibility study on such a project ... all the other big hitters in the city's top posts are certainly behind it , ie the council and opposition , john moores university ,various business leaders[the main protaginists are listed here http://www.spiritofshankly.com/docum...now_letter.pdf

Football Quarter



March 12th 1892 is a historic date in footballing folklore; it’s the momentous day that two footballing groups at odds split. Liverpool Football Club was established at Anfield three days later and Everton Football Club went across Stanley Park to Goodison Park ; an event which instigated over a century of banter and endless argument that has divided friends, families and loved ones and has influenced the very social fabric of the city.

On the 118th anniversary of this famous event, the supporters’ groups, Keeping Everton In Our City and the Spirit of Shankly, are so concerned for the future of their clubs that they have put aside their legendary rivalry and as one, under the banner of “All Together Now”, they call for the establishment of a Football Quarter around Stanley Park in the city of Liverpool, to uphold their football clubs at the highest level, for the benefit of the fans, the community and the city.

The park was established for the people and the two clubs have grown up either side of it and, together with it, form a great and historic sporting resource. The Football Quarter in and around the park will contain the two stadia together with educational, recreational, leisure and community facilities. It would be a centre of excellence for health and sports science and research and a genuine catalyst for the local regeneration of the Walton and Anfield communities. It would share a sustainable infrastructure based on improved parking, roads, rail connectivity and general public transport.

It would create a great draw and showcase for the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of anticipated visitors to the city. A tourist destination providing increased employment and visitor spend towards the city’s target of 14,000 jobs and £2bn a year by 2020.

An open letter to leaders in our city and the two football clubs requesting their assistance in commissioning a feasibility study, dated 12th March, has been issued. Click here to read it.

A selection of images from the press conference have been posted here courtesy of photographer John Johnson.

More details to follow soon.

http://www.spiritofshankly.com/football-quarter.html

[Imy]

Thanks for that, interesting very interesting.

Would the main problem in redeveloping Anfield be that at some point one possible two stands would not be able to hold any fans? Is this not one of the main reasons G&H have rejected the plans? not only would this mean less fans but thus less revenue for this period.

[Matt]

Yeah Imy I think Purslow or Ayre alluded to that in their recent SOS interviews.

[merlboo]

sorry i've not dropped in for a while , heres some of the latest on this

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/footballquarter/

feel free to sign

you can listen to some of the discussion last friday at JMU here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00rx7bf/b00rx79j/The_5_Live_Debate/

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/everton-and-liverpool-meet-for-stadium-talks

[shanks69]

i've no interest about a footballquarter i just want our own new stadium built.which if does get built there's no way any council will give the go ahead for any other buildings to be constructed on stanley park.

[merlboo]

i've no interest about a footballquarter i just want our own new stadium built.which if does get built there's no way any council will give the go ahead for any other buildings to be constructed on stanley park.

thats quite a narrow minded view to have that shanks ,apologies if that seems a bit blunt so lets run this by you... the new stadium as we're all aware has hit an impasse, and we could go around in circles all day as to the reasons why .... and whilst this continues then its only fair to look at the alternatives and the concept of a redevelopment of our spiritual home

ANFIELD

now to that end , if the regeneration of the whole of the north liverpool area encompasses that and that includes Goodison Park ,then the residents and small businesses of the area will massively ,massively benefit in what is one of the most deprived areas in the country ...

throw in a university led world class sports science complex where students from all over the globe can learn in the Park with the disused rail line being revamped for the infrastructure links

failed schemes and failed regimes have failed to deliver this white elephant
which masquerades on new shiny drawings every 12 months or so in the locally controlled press

embrace this initiative mate ,have a gander at the articles and check the sites out for yerself, its too good an opportunity to let pass

as someone mentioned earlier it seems like Purslow may have been marginalised , so we'll be in touch with this BA fella to run it by him

[merlboo]

Thanks for that, interesting very interesting.

Would the main problem in redeveloping Anfield be that at some point one possible two stands would not be able to hold any fans? Is this not one of the main reasons G&H have rejected the plans? not only would this mean less fans but thus less revenue for this period.

good points there imy

i was chatting to one of the architects who's done a presentation on the redevelopment of Anfield ,an esteemed gentleman Peter Mcgurk who's at the forefront of the proposal

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/peter-mcgurk/18/797/a6

he told me with us now being in the 21st century and technology as it is ... a rebuilding of each stand could be done with a large chunk of each structure being built whilst the existing stands were in operation [i.e behind the main stand and then above]

the construction could be done incrementally with loss of revenue minimised on matchdays and funding would to that end be needed in phases as opposed to a gargantuan figure which has always clouded the new stadium issue

firstly a feasibility study needs compiling with JM University already stating they'd be more than happy to assist with , this opportunity may not come around again so if you get a minute check out the links and sign the thingy if you like whats been put forward

thanks roy