"Destination Kirkby" Public Inquiry

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by Keayman

A bit of me was glad about the knock back, a bit of me thought well that's that then, more stagnation and probably falling behind the rest of the pack.

I don't seriously think people move to live within the shadow of a stadium. Maybe 10 mins away yes but nimby, what with 50 thousand people threading past their doors, litter, noise, parking problems, busy congestion - whether or not a massive new car park would be in situ - obviously not another selling point.

I know of at least a couple of people at Kings Dock who feel cheated about their peace and views being shattered (part of the inflated price they paid but didn't mind at that point)

As for fans no longer going. How many will be gained in the immediate areas of Kirkby, Aintree, Skem, Rainford, Melling, Fazakerley, St Helens etc - every cloud has a silver lining. The footy phone-ins have proved this when some have said, it wouldv'e meant I was only 10 mins from the ground if it'd gone ahead.

I would ask - if the stadium moved to Speke - would people still go? Many many miles further out but in that seemingly all important 'Liverpool city boundary' which both clubs were never built in anyway.

People tend to use whatever narratives suit their cause so whether its KEIOC or whatever was used by the pro-Kirkby lot. These are not eternal truths they're just position statements - a point to argue from in an attempt to convince others of the merits of a particular point of view.

So, for example, in order to answer the KEIOC charge people said the Kirkby is in Liverpool, too, and I guess in many ways it is part of Liverpool but it's also true to say that it isn't in Liverpool. It's important to see beyond the rhetoric to identify what is in the club's long term's interests. If 'Kirkby' was so right my guess is that there wouldn't have been such resistance to going there in the first place.

The end of 'Kirkby' means having to focus on the parlous state the club is in across the board and initially this will be dispiriting and 'Kirkby' might seem like a missed opportunity! Over time, I suspect it will be seen as a lucky escape.

I think those people who state that 'Kirkby is behind us' are right. The focus needs to be on what next rather than what might have been.

[John Williams]

Answered on other thread.

[Keayman]

Yes, my gut feeling is I can't help thinking it is a lucky escape even if what is better isn't exactly around the corner just yet. It helps that I believe things happen for a reason.

[Tom Hughes]

Originally Posted by Keayman

Yes, my gut feeling is I can't help thinking it is a lucky escape even if what is better isn't exactly around the corner just yet. It helps that I believe things happen for a reason.

The sense of relief coming out of the club is also very evident...... no reference whatsover to an appeal or anything remotely resembling a new application. This was sold to the club as a stadium for nothing with cross subsidies and grants etc covering costs. They then tied themselves into an exclusivity agreement based on this..... the reality was far removed with the retail enabling realising no more than £10m (probably much less than that even). The NWDA were infact contributing more, that's how much of a joke the stadium for nothing assertion became. As soon as the anouncement was made the club wasted no time in "closing the book". Now they will be able to perform a proper and thorough investigation of all the options.