BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Everton | Moyes backs Everton move

Everton manager David Moyes insists the club must push on with plans for a new stadium - despite renewed fears over their King's Dock scheme.

Fresh doubts have been cast over Everton's ambitious planned move to a 55,000-capacity arena.

The doubts centre around rumours of a rift between club owner Bill Kenwright and board member Paul Gregg, as well as problems with funding.

But Gregg, a key figure behind the entertainment and leisure side of the King's Dock scheme, has denied there are any problems and claims he has raised Everton's �30m stake in the project himself.

Everton's board will discuss the latest developments ahead of the club's annual general meeting on Thursday.

Moyes, in his first full season in charge at Goodison Park, wants the new stadium to go ahead to provide the cash for the club's playing future.

Bill Kenwright has ambitious plans

He said: "I think it would be important for the club to move. We could get more people in than we do now at Goodison Park.

"We can see that a lot of clubs are building bigger stadiums because they need more revenue to compete at the top level.

"But I believe it is all in good hands. Bill Kenwright and the board are the people who will do right by the club."

West Ham United v Everton

It now seems that Everton could be asked to go to the Mersey waterfront site initially as tenants, and buy their way back into the scheme on a "reverse mortgage."

Gregg said: "We have to generate �30m private sector funds and that has been done from sources other than Everton FC.

I think it would be important for the club to move because we could get more people in than we do now at Goodison Park

Everton manager David Moyes

"Everton will move into the stadium where the receipts will be such that they will then buy back their ownership of the stadium."

The proposal for Everton to become tenants will certainly concern fans and shareholders, who voted for the move in a referendum on the basis that the club would never be tenants.

Shareholders Association spokesman Kevin Nolan said: "The supporters voted to go to the King's Dock as owners, there was, and is, no other option.

"They voted to go there on the basis that we would own the stadium, even just 51%.

"We want a share of proceeds when Madonna or Bruce Springsteen or whoever, plays the King's Dock. If we don't own it we don't get that income.

"And if we don't get that income there's no point in moving there.

"We might as well develop Goodison Park or look for another site for a stadium."


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