Keith Wyness: Everton move is ‘going to happen’ after new development
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted the club are now “at the end of the road” in the development of the 52,888-seater new stadium.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed around £60million of work is left before the completion of the project at the end of this year.
Everton’s interim chief executive Colin Chong revealed in his programme notes last week that the club have finalised the funding of their new stadium.
He said the £200million loan from The Friedkin Group, who pulled out of a takeover deal last month, helped finalise the stadium funding.
Chong revealed the construction phase at Bramley-Moore Dock is nearing completion, with work now “concentrating on the many concourses, internal spaces and public realms”.
Everton will start the 2025-26 campaign in their new state-of-the-art home.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “We know there’s around £60million to pay for the stadium fit-out.
“It was right for the club to point out that the money Friedkin lent the club included that amount.
“In return, the security against that loan is the stadium. It wouldn’t make sense for the security to be an unfinished stadium, so it’s good news.
“We’re at the end of the road now, it’s going to happen.
“There were times along the road where it wasn’t as certain, there were some serious funding issues.
“At one point there was £300-400million to find.
“Moshiri went about things in the wrong way. There should have been a package in place from the start, and that is the normal way these projects are built.
“He learnt that world events can take over. He found out with the Ukraine war and interest rates that things change.