March 17 – The long-running saga of Everton’s proposed move to a new stadium seems to be the closest it has been yet to coming to fruition.
The proposal to move to Liverpool’s unused northern docklands has been held up by negotiations between Liverpool City Council and developers Peel over the plans for a £5.5 billion waterfront development.
But with the city reportedly keen to progress a bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 (Durban, South Africa, have withdrawn leaving the games with no 2022 host), Liverpool will require a new stadium, bringing Everton’s requirements higher up the council agenda as a possible win-win solution.
Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson has repeatedly reassured Everton fans that an announcement about the club’s new stadium is on the way, most recently saying: “I’m still absolutely certain that there will be a new ground and it won’t be far off until the announcement.”
Spurs spat with Khan
But not all club-city partnerships run smoothly. London Mayor Sadiq Khan issued a statement that he was “fully behind Tottenham’s new stadium” after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy criticised local authority officials of taking “little interest” in the club’s £800 million development.
Levy is furious about what he perceives to be local delays to the infrastructure build around the new 61,000 capacity White Hart Lane.
Khan tried to offer some appeasement saying that he wanted as many world class sporting facilities in the capital as possible. “When Spurs is redeveloped it will not only improve the sport on offer but the area is going to be regenerated,” he said.
Khan appeared less reluctant to step into the dispute and help with regards to Haringey council who are the ultimate culprits in the slow infrastructure build. He said it was an issue between them and the club.
Aberdeen get cold shoulder
In Scotland Aberdeenshire councillors have knocked back Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen’s plans for a new stadium.
Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure committee objected to the plans for the £50 million stadium and training facilities plan which would have been built at Kingsford, close to the Aberdeen bypass.
The club say they haven’t given up on the plans to build a new stadium in the granite city.
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