Club Statement

[Dr Baxter]

They say history is written by the winners. I've spent a fair bit of time in East Germany, and there is a lot more nostalgia than people realise. By the end there was some criticism, but not enough to really want the system to end, or certainly not enough to want to emulate the west German system. Theres still a lot of resentment about that, and the west chauvinism still treats them as 2nd class citizens (and stole a lot of the assets of the east).

For the most part, the hardened protestors were seen as troublemakers by most ordinary people, and actually quite isolated from most of the population, who dont care enough either way. I'm not saying they were hugely pro Soviet either, but they werent vehemently anti.

In most of those countries, its hard to argue the Soviet collapse has been anything other than a disaster too. Womens rights erodes. Anti-semitism rife. Crime, corruption, gangsterism, people trafficking of young children etc. Mass poverty as well. You got none of those things previously.

It's not been an easy realisation for me. I was always (and to be fair remain) a very firm advocate of Trotskys analysis, but speaking to East Germans certainly made me shift my position. It wasnt a perfect society, but they got a lot right.

And yes, anti-fascism was a massive part of the school curriculum. I love going round East Germany and seeing the monuments and memories for those brave heroes who fought fascism.

And yet, isn't that type of nostalgia and the want to return to the "good old days" the very thing that has caused this war in the first place? Whatever you might call Russia now one thing is sure, Putin is an old school Communist reactionary who wants to turn back the clock for Ukraine and lots of other places he could get his hands on. Ask the East Germans if they'd like to get invaded by this lunatic. The Ukrainians know where the future lies, they are losing their lives for it. And, for all the faults of our way of life, it is as a liberal, western, free market democracy Ukraine wants to remain and will fight for that to admiration of the whole world.

 

[Gareth Gibson]

So all of football can breathe easily now that Everton and Chelsea have had to take the hit for incompetent politicians and war mongers.

That's just great. All those other peaceniks and human rights activists who own all the other PL clubs must be relieved their ranks have been expunged of Abramovic and Usmanov and their good names are not now coming into disrepute.

We are dead in the water as a top flight club. That stunt has killed us just as sure as night follows day.

You tend to have your finger on the pulse more than most so do you think we will now do a Nottingham Forest?

 

[Gareth Gibson]

Ha Ha Ha.

No (not yet anyway) but it's the end of the new stadium, it's the start of selling players to pay debts.

We are utterly finished. Dead man walking. No one is coming in here to buy us. No one.

We see screwed if that’s the case. I’ll be astonished if Goodison is still able to get its safety certificate in 3 years’ time.

 

[davek]

We see screwed if that’s the case. I’ll be astonished if Goodison is still able to get its safety certificate in 3 years’ time.

I'm not sure how it's managed to get them up to this point....probably only with the understanding the club are off to pastures new.

If that's put in mothballs then it could become a real issue. I'm half expecting the announcement of "safe" standing areas at Goodison. If that happens you know we'll be staying put for years to come.

 

[davek]

You tend to have your finger on the pulse more than most so do you think we will now do a Nottingham Forest?

We need a new owner fast. Even if Moshiri is spared from being sanctioned he's toxic by association and no one will do business with a man like that.

I could easily see Everton falling down the divisions in the coming seasons.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

We need a new owner fast. Even if Moshiri is spared from being sanctioned he's toxic by association and no one will do business with a man like that.

I could easily see Everton falling down the divisions in the coming seasons.

Weird that as I can see them winning the premier league.

 

[degsy]

We see screwed if that’s the case. I’ll be astonished if Goodison is still able to get its safety certificate in 3 years’ time.

Again with the Safety Cert. stuff, I'm not sure it has or needs one, if so it can't lose it.
@Tom Hughes (?)

 

[davek]

And yet, isn't that type of nostalgia and the want to return to the "good old days" the very thing that has caused this war in the first place? Whatever you might call Russia now one thing is sure, Putin is an old school Communist reactionary who wants to turn back the clock for Ukraine and lots of other places he could get his hands on. Ask the East Germans if they'd like to get invaded by this lunatic. The Ukrainians know where the future lies, they are losing their lives for it. And, for all the faults of our way of life, it is as a liberal, western, free market democracy Ukraine wants to remain and will fight for that to admiration of the whole world.

Completely naive.

 

[The binman chronicles]

Completely naive.

It's not. The people old enough to understand what living in a communist state would be what 50ish? To have actually been working more like 60. Over the next 20 to 30 years that generation will be gone and with it any links that look back misty eyed to that period.

 

[davek]

It's not. The people old enough to understand what living in a communist state would be what 50ish? To have actually been working more like 60. Over the next 20 to 30 years that generation will be gone and with it any links that look back misty eyed to that period.

He said that the cause of the war was a hankering for Stalinist rule. That's beyond daft.

Putin isn't interested in it. He's a strongman fabulously wealthy standing guard over a primitive gangster capitalist economy determined to secure its own territory from western nations eyeing up their mineral resources. The last thing Putin wants is order and control over people like him and those he controls the state for.

If Putin lived in the Soviet Union he'd have been put on a train to Siberia and made to break rocks for a decade then taken into the woods and shot in the back of the head.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Again with the Safety Cert. stuff, I'm not sure it has or needs one, if so it can't lose it.
@Tom Hughes (?)

The club does have a safety certificate for the stadium. As far as I'm aware there is no threat to that situation, as the current stadium and its management systems are fully compliant with all terms and conditions.

Of course older stands may have design/structural/material issues that require further scrutiny.... but there have never been any real enforced reductions in capacity in the all seated era. So, as far as I know there is no reasons to believe that this is about to change.

 

[greener]

The club does have a safety certificate for the stadium. As far as I'm aware there is no threat to that situation, as the current stadium and its management systems are fully compliant with all terms and conditions.

Of course older stands may have design/structural/material issues that require further scrutiny.... but there have never been any real enforced reductions in capacity in the all seated era. So, as far as I know there is no reasons to believe that this is about to change.

The real risk (in so many ways) is being relegated. Most clubs experiencing issues over safety certs are those who experience lower attendences after being in a lower league(s) and have aging infrastructure. The risk is to put resources into promotion rather than maintainence. Portsmouth are a good example with the current owners only this season doing enough to maintain the (reduced) capacity through work.

Nobody has factored this in for GP as it would be seen as wasted £££.

Everton must get the new ground built. Everton must stay up.

 

[Tom Hughes]

The real risk (in so many ways) is being relegated. Most clubs experiencing issues over safety certs are those who experience lower attendences after being in a lower league(s) and have aging infrastructure. The risk is to put resources into promotion rather than maintainence. Portsmouth are a good example with the current owners only this season doing enough to maintain the (reduced) capacity through work.

Nobody has factored this in for GP as it would be seen as wasted £££.

Everton must get the new ground built. Everton must stay up.

I don't think relegation is good for anyone regardless. If you think maintenance costs are expensive, what about several hundred millions of debt for building a whole new stadium only to be relegated? However, Goodison Park is in far better condition than Fratton Park...... and as far as I know is not threatened by losing it's safety certificate anytime soon..... just as it wasn't at the time of destination Kirkby.

 

[Toffeelover]

Even a Stalinist economy was worth preserving.

Now I know you are a Red.

 

[John from Bootle]

Liverpool winning the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup and beating us in the FA Cup final, with us having gone 2-0 up..
The ground going tits up and us getting relagated..

Now that’s proper Everton right there.

Except it absolutely isn't. More top flight games than anybody else, but yeah, of course that's proper Everton right there.

*rolls eyes*