Was Trawling WIKI for some Info of an amusing Nature and came across this Historical lesson. There are one or two parallels.
History[edit]
Before Goodison Park[edit]
John Houlding, former Everton Chairman and Anfield landowner
Main articles: Stanley Park, Liverpool and Anfield
Everton originally played on an open pitch in the south-east corner of the newly laid out Stanley Park, which is the site for the proposed new Liverpool F.C. stadium. The first official match took place in 1879. In 1882, a Mr J. Cruit donated land at Priory Road with the necessary facilities required for professional clubs. Cruit asked the club to leave his land after two years because the crowds became far too large and noisy.[2]
Everton moved to nearby Anfield, where proper covered stands were built. Everton played at Anfield from 1884 until 1892.[3] During this time the club turned professional and entered teams in the FA Cup.[4] They became founding members of the Football League and won their first championship at the ground in 1890–91.[5] Anfield's capacity grew to over 20,000 and the club hosted an international match between England and Ireland. During their time at Anfield, Everton became the first club to introduce goalnets to professional football.[6]
In the 1890s, a dispute about how the club was to be owned and run emerged with John Houlding, Anfield's majority owner and Everton's Chairman, at the forefront.[2] Houlding and the club's committee initially disagreed about the full purchase of the land at Anfield from minor land owner Mr Orrell and escalated into a principled disagreement of how the club was run. Two such disagreements included Houlding wanting Everton to sell only his brewery produce during an event and for the Everton players to use his public house The Sandon as changing room facilities.[7]
The most famous of the disagreements concerns the level of increased rent Everton were asked to pay. In 1889, Everton paid £100 to Houlding in rent and by the 1889–90 season he was charging Everton £250.[7] Everton had to pay for all work and stands. The dispute escalated to a rent of £370 per year being demanded. In the complicated lead up to the split in the club, the rent dispute is too simplistic to be singled out as the prime cause. The dispute was compounded by many minor disputed points.
The flashpoint was a covenant in the contract of land purchase by Houlding from Orrell causing further and deep friction. A strip of land at the Anfield ground bordering the adjacent land owned by Mr Orrell, could be used to provide a right of way access road for Orrell's landlocked vacant site. In early 1891 the club erected a stand on this now proposed roadway, which was also overlapping Orrell's land, unbeknown to the Everton F.C. Committee. In August 1891 Orrell announced intentions of developing his land next to the football ground and building an access road on the land owned by Houlding and occupied by Everton F.C.
Everton F.C. stated they knew nothing of the covenant, Houlding stated they did. This situation created great distrust and friction between Houlding and the Everton F.C. Committee. The rift and distrust between the committee and Houlding was on three levels, Houlding's personal business intentions, politically and morally. Nevertheless, the club faced a dilemma of having to destroy the new revenue generating stand or compensate Orrell.
Houlding's way around the problem was to propose a limited company with floatation of the club enabling the club to purchase Houlding's and Orrell's land outright, hoping to raise £12,000. Previous attempts to raise money from the community had failed miserably. This would have meant the club would need to find £6,000 in cash with an additional £4,875 mortgage. The Everton Committee initially accepted Houlding's proposal in principle, yet voted against it at a meeting.[8]
After much negotiating and brinkmanship on both sides Everton vacated Anfield, leaving Houlding with an empty stadium and no one to play in it. As a consequence, Houlding formed his own football club, Liverpool, to take up residence at the stadium.[7]
The clubs themselves have differing versions of events of why it occurred.
History[edit]
Before Goodison Park[edit]
John Houlding, former Everton Chairman and Anfield landowner
Main articles: Stanley Park, Liverpool and Anfield
Everton originally played on an open pitch in the south-east corner of the newly laid out Stanley Park, which is the site for the proposed new Liverpool F.C. stadium. The first official match took place in 1879. In 1882, a Mr J. Cruit donated land at Priory Road with the necessary facilities required for professional clubs. Cruit asked the club to leave his land after two years because the crowds became far too large and noisy.[2]
Everton moved to nearby Anfield, where proper covered stands were built. Everton played at Anfield from 1884 until 1892.[3] During this time the club turned professional and entered teams in the FA Cup.[4] They became founding members of the Football League and won their first championship at the ground in 1890–91.[5] Anfield's capacity grew to over 20,000 and the club hosted an international match between England and Ireland. During their time at Anfield, Everton became the first club to introduce goalnets to professional football.[6]
In the 1890s, a dispute about how the club was to be owned and run emerged with John Houlding, Anfield's majority owner and Everton's Chairman, at the forefront.[2] Houlding and the club's committee initially disagreed about the full purchase of the land at Anfield from minor land owner Mr Orrell and escalated into a principled disagreement of how the club was run. Two such disagreements included Houlding wanting Everton to sell only his brewery produce during an event and for the Everton players to use his public house The Sandon as changing room facilities.[7]
The most famous of the disagreements concerns the level of increased rent Everton were asked to pay. In 1889, Everton paid £100 to Houlding in rent and by the 1889–90 season he was charging Everton £250.[7] Everton had to pay for all work and stands. The dispute escalated to a rent of £370 per year being demanded. In the complicated lead up to the split in the club, the rent dispute is too simplistic to be singled out as the prime cause. The dispute was compounded by many minor disputed points.
The flashpoint was a covenant in the contract of land purchase by Houlding from Orrell causing further and deep friction. A strip of land at the Anfield ground bordering the adjacent land owned by Mr Orrell, could be used to provide a right of way access road for Orrell's landlocked vacant site. In early 1891 the club erected a stand on this now proposed roadway, which was also overlapping Orrell's land, unbeknown to the Everton F.C. Committee. In August 1891 Orrell announced intentions of developing his land next to the football ground and building an access road on the land owned by Houlding and occupied by Everton F.C.
Everton F.C. stated they knew nothing of the covenant, Houlding stated they did. This situation created great distrust and friction between Houlding and the Everton F.C. Committee. The rift and distrust between the committee and Houlding was on three levels, Houlding's personal business intentions, politically and morally. Nevertheless, the club faced a dilemma of having to destroy the new revenue generating stand or compensate Orrell.
Houlding's way around the problem was to propose a limited company with floatation of the club enabling the club to purchase Houlding's and Orrell's land outright, hoping to raise £12,000. Previous attempts to raise money from the community had failed miserably. This would have meant the club would need to find £6,000 in cash with an additional £4,875 mortgage. The Everton Committee initially accepted Houlding's proposal in principle, yet voted against it at a meeting.[8]
After much negotiating and brinkmanship on both sides Everton vacated Anfield, leaving Houlding with an empty stadium and no one to play in it. As a consequence, Houlding formed his own football club, Liverpool, to take up residence at the stadium.[7]
The clubs themselves have differing versions of events of why it occurred.
