The background to this….

Two weeks ago the Cutter broke a story about an imminent take-over of Everton FC by an Indian Consortium. https://www.thedaisycutter.co.uk/2011/10/cutter-exclusive-new-everton-owners-announced-this-week/

Within the text is clear mention of a ‘complicated three-way transaction for a forty-acre land deal in the city’. We were aware right from the beginning that this involved the area of Halewood and, more pertinently, Finch Farm, Everton’s training complex.

We were asked very specifically by our source not to say where the area was and relented to our source’s request in the hope of gathering further information down the line by doing so.

I did however blab to my Everton supporting mate about this who promptly put it on an Everton forum from where all hell broke loose.

The reason that he did so was because he was highly dubious of the validity of the story based upon two key aspects –

1/ He, along with every other blue, has heard all of this before many times over. In fact they are heartily sick of hearing such rumours.

2/ Everton no longer own Finch Farm so, in that respect, the story didn’t tally.

The Cutter – previously aware of this fact – was also suspicious of this aspect but was swayed by the cast-iron reliability of our source and because Finch Farm is only a piece in the jigsaw here. Forty acres. The deal – should it go ahead – is far bigger than merely the training ground and will involve retail, business, and residential redevelopment. If true the Indian Consortium are looking to invest heavily in Liverpool the city so its perfectly reasonable to assume that such a commitment could also involve Everton Football Club too.

The Cutter promised to publish an apology should nothing occur within a certain time-scale. To be perfectly frank we have no experience of land deals – I’ve never worn a hardhat in my life – so such a complicated procedure (which we are led to believe involves not only the Consortium but a retail giant and the local council) could conceivably take a number of weeks, maybe even months.

In the event an important piece of this jigsaw was announced only hours after we published our apology. Finch Farm has been put up for sale.

During that week we replied to virtually every Twitter enquiry with the words ‘Look out for a land deal announced in the press very soon’.

So obviously when such news came out people were suddenly – and thankfully – more inclined to believe that we are not on the wind-up here. Most anyway. Some suggested, quite reasonably, that I am involved somehow with DTZ, the property consultancy appointed to sell the training ground. Not true. Until last week I had never heard these initials before and when asked would have guessed it was a crap rap act from X-Factor!

Does this signify that things have progressed to the stage where the person/s is no longer willing to jeapodise things? I certainly hope so.

I am perfectly happy to concede that I’m learning as I go with all of this. In effect an exclusive fell into my lap – a gift – and truthfully my initial reaction was ‘Can I capitalise upon this and make some money?’ Not in a snidey underhand way. Simply to not look a gifthorse in the mouth so to speak.

Within minutes I realised that I couldn’t so decided to go completely the other way – to basically inform Evertonians of this news and be as accommodating as I can be. Get some extra readers for the Cutter of course – I do this as a hobby but unless people read it it’s a pointless hobby – but also maybe get to know a few decent guys along the way. That has been the case via Twitter and its something I’m chuffed to bits with.

So what is the latest?….

The latest is alas nothing this end. Or at least the trail has gone cold. My source has gone to ground. Clammed up and isn’t saying a word.

Does this signify that things have progressed to the stage where the person/s is no longer willing to jeapodise things? Possibly. I certainly hope so.

I can say one thing for certain – if it’s fallen through the person/s would have informed me for sure.

I also know for sure that meetings have taken place about the purchase of Everton FC over the past fortnight. I also know that they know that I know. This is probably an extremely obvious point that won’t surprise anyone but people high up at the club read the forums. The Cutter, Grand Old Team, ToffeTalk, Blue Kipper and NSNO discussing this has not gone unnoticed.

Some blues on Twitter are telling me that there are rumours about Everton’s top brass holding talks in India last week.

This is encouraging. I heard – well, I know – that a meeting took place sometime between the 12^th-14^th October in the UK so its conceivable that follow-up talks then took place in India with – and this part is purely speculation on my behalf – the main protagonists from the Indian side. The consortium send over lawyers to deal with the pre-negotiations then Everton go to them for the more detailed negotiations.

I hope this is indeed the case.