From An Echo Journalist

[Louis]

I've already nailed my colours to the mast on this one by saying it'll be really bad for this city if Everton move to Kirkby.

Although most Reds I know disagree with me and can't wait to see the back of the Blues, there are still those who see the bigger picture.

 

One is someone called Retro Red who posts on the execllent Red All Over The Land forum.

I've cut and pasted it (stolen it?!) so anyone who hasn't seen it yet can read it for themselves.

 

He wrote: "Well I wasn't going to bother, but as someone with a longstanding involvement in the the regeneration of Everton and North Liverpool, I and the Liverpool (match going) supporters that I work with, drink with and (try to) play football with are wholly in favour of Everton moving to the Bestway site. My arl feller thinks we're c***s though!

 

"The stadium on the "trumpet" site would go some way to righting the hideous wrong done to the area when it was devastated to dig a fuckin big hole through to Wallasey.

 

"Do you think we'd be better off letting the area's second biggest business go to Kirkby? If it wasn't a football business and it wasn't in the north end, there'd be grants galore getting thrown at it just to keep it here, even short term (like Speke Garston).

"If Everton went, we'd be left right in the sh*t in north Liverpool, look at what's happened around Burnden Park, but that'd be OK cos some wooly Red can skit at some Welsh Blue and all would right with the world. F**k the scousers eh?

 

"Don't get me wrong, my heart says let them rot in Kirkby. The organisation I'm involved in only employs one Blue (who supports the Kirkby move!) and all bar one of the Management Committee are Reds. We've done nothing but rip shreds out of the Lidl club over the ground move. Our dream scenario would be Everton relegated in a boss local ground that we can play our five-a-side in every week and the influx of visitors to the area meaning that the new developments in Greatie have half a chance of surviving.

"But that's banter, football stick, having a laugh. Real life in the most deprived wards in Britain is about getting jobs, investment and facilities into the area. The reality is that bringing the stadium to the Bestway site would be the best thing to happen to Great Homer Street and Scottie Road in generations, possibly ever.

 

"Look at what the Anfield community's getting out of our proposals for the Plaza and the new Vernon Sangster. If we can get even a pale reflection of that for Greatie/Scottie it will transform the area.

"Imagine the 2018 World Cup, if their ground is by some fluke also up to the mark, Liverpool could host a group on its own - the place would be bouncing."

 

Superb that. As Retro points out, surely the needs of one of the most deprived parts of this city are more important than any bragging rights we reckon we'll be getting should the Blues up sticks to Kirkby?