Tesco boss and Everton fan Sir Terry Leahy is helping the Toffees to fund a new 50,000-seater stadium. Together with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright he has won the approval of Knowsley councillors for their joint £400m development in Kirby, five miles outside Liverpool. Tesco’s largesse amounts to more than £120m towards the £200m cost of the new stadium, but it has signed away any rights to own the stadium or the club itself. Tesco gets a 55,000 square metre store out of the deal.
Tesco boss and Everton fan Sir Terry Leahy is helping the Toffees to fund a new 50,000-seater stadium. Together with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright he has won the approval of Knowsley councillors for their joint £400m development in Kirby, five miles outside Liverpool. Tesco’s largesse amounts to more than £120m towards the £200m cost of the new stadium, but it has signed away any rights to own the stadium or the club itself. Tesco gets a 55,000 square metre store out of the deal. Neighbouring councils such as Liverpool want the Government to ‘call in’ the project which could delay it for up to a year and, according to the club, threaten its success. Not all Everton fans are happy about the move, but the green light for the stadium probably puts to an end the recent revival of speculation about a ground share with Liverpool.