Toffees deny stadium claims
01 Jul 2008 - 10:32:37
Everton have rubbished reports that a potential delay in the plans to grant approval on their new stadium would reduce the transfer funds available to manager David Moyes.
On Monday the Toffees revealed that the Government Office for the north-west had asked for more time to consider plans for their new 55,000-seater ground at Kirkby.
They must decide whether to 'call in' the proposal for an inquiry and asked for more than the statutory 21-day period to make their ruling due to the size of the project.
But even if the government decide to hold an inquiry, Everton claim the situation will not have an adverse effect on Moyes' plans to strengthen his squad this summer.
"This is completely untrue," the club's head of PR, Ian Ross, told their official website. "These are absolutely separate issues. They always have been and they always will be.
"The government's decision won't have any impact on the manager's transfer budget."
Speaking about the decision to delay the ruling over whether to hold an inquiry, Everton chief executive Keith Wyness said: "This is just part of the decision making process.
"We will have to be patient and hope we eventually get the news we want to hear."
In May the Toffees saw their planning proposal, which was jointly submitted by the club and supermarket giant Tesco, passed by a majority of 20 to one by Knowsley Borough Council.
