Everton closing in on stadium deal

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone says the club are close to securing the funding required to build a new stadium.

The Toffees have been hunting for a site to build a new ground and replace the wonderful but ageing Goodison Park for more than 20 years .

However, such a project requires serious finance - something Everton simply haven’t had during that time.

The club abandoned plans to move to Kings Dock in 2003 after failing to come up with their £30m share of the funding.

Moves to Kirkby and Walton Hall Park have also fallen by the wayside in recent times, with the club at loggerheads with the local council as recently as 2015 over how any stadium project should be funded.

Thankfully the arrival of Farhad Moshiri has changed all that as his resources and contacts mean Everton should be able to find to cash to pay for such a sizeable project.

Bramley Moore Dock remains first choice for all concerned and the hope is an official announcement regarding the purchase of land from Peel Holdings will be confirmed soon.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ as part of their ‘Everton day’ coverage, Elstone suggested a deal was close:

“We’re confident now that essentially we’re moving towards a solution for the problem that’s remained with us throughout this which is how we’re going to afford it.

“It’s a big, big investment, where’s the money going to come from to build it? There’s a lot of work gone into that.

“We’re getting very close we hope to solving that problem.”

The feel good factor surrounding the club at the moment was reflected in the coverage on Sky Sports News HQ throughout the day.

When asked how he felt Everton’s season was progressing and the club’s hopes for the future, Elstone added:

“One thing Evertonians are is fiercely ambitious. Yes we’re happy with where we are and content with where we are but is it where we want to end up and where we want to be? Absolutely not.

“Everton fans, Everton Football Club want to push on. That burning ambition is inherent in everything we do. In our manager, in our chairman, and indeed in our new majority shareholder Mr Moshiri, ambition transcends the whole football club.

“So we are on a good run of form but this was punctuated by the disappointment of an FA Cup game.

“The FA Cup is something very special to Evertonians and I think we look at the latter rounds of the FA Cup and wish we were there.

“The league form is very, very good and clearly we’re heading in the right direction and the ambition remains to push on even higher right to the very top.”