Everton play their final game at Goodison Park but the stadium will become the home of Everton Women.
Simon Jordan has saluted The Friedkin Group (TFG) for saving Goodison Park from demolition and making it the new home of Everton Women.
But rather than knocking down Goodison, owners TFG have confirmed that Everton Women will play their home matches in the Women’s Super League at the historic venue. They will move from Walton Hall Park.
Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan sees a ‘lot of value’ in women’s football and believes that TFG do, having invested in AS Roman after their 2020 takeover. But Jordan feels that women’s football has to stand ‘on its own two feet’ rather than relying on subsidies from the men’s game.
What’s been said
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “The beneficiaries of this will be Everton Women. Friedkin has got a history of this. He has invested in women's football at Roma so he sees the value in this.
“I believe there's a lot of value in women's football. I don't believe there's a lot of value with Chelsea's valuation (of £200 million) but I've looked at the investment community and there is a lot of thought that if you strip a women's team from underneath and make it a standalone entity, there's a lot of growth and opportunity.
I don't know whether the commercialisation of the land has been prohibitive and they can't do much with it. But irrespective, isn't the main beneficiary the women's football team? Do we need to look any deeper than that?
You want to see the women's game grow and stand alone on its own two feet. If you build it, they will probably come if you price the tickets right at this stage of the evolution. They've given them a stadium to play in so there's not much the women's game can complain about. I genuinely don't believe, with no sexism attached at all, the men's game should subsidise the women's game. It should stand on its own merit. If you're given a stadium like Goodison Park then Everton as a club and Everton Women have the opportunity to use it as a differentiator.”
Angus Kinnear, who took up his role as Everton chief executive earlier this week, said: “This decision honours Everton’s rich history while looking firmly to the future. It reflects our commitment to women’s football and ensures that a beloved stadium continues to inspire the next generation of Blues.”
Dave Kelly, chair of Everton’s Fan Advisory Board, believes that the move is something that many Evertonians will get behind. “Goodison Park holds the most special place in the hearts of all Evertonians,” he said. “It has been a glorious home for the men’s team since 1892, and for it now to be transformed into a home for Everton Women is something I know many if not every Blue will support.”
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