How Merseyside Became the 51st State of America

Amidst the dust of Liverpool’s dock road and the massive lorries navigating the city’s port, the glass facades of Everton’s new venue at the Bramley-Moore Dock glimmer notably, showcasing the club’s aspirations.

The site, set to be unveiled next year, is a remarkable engineering achievement, given the limited space of the land beneath it, where ancient waters have been evacuated to build a 52,888-seat stadium that is slated to host matches during the 2028 European Championship.

The Everton Stadium, as it is currently referred to, has been nearly three decades in the making, with its construction journey fraught with challenges. There were three alternative sites considered — one of which was outside Liverpool’s city limits, in Kirkby — which ultimately did not move forward; a sponsorship agreement collapsed due to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine; three owners, Peter Johnson, Bill Kenwright, and Farhad Moshiri, exited; and numerous close calls with relegation.

In the end, Dan Friedkin, a billionaire based in Texas, will have the privilege of being in charge when it officially opens, following his group’s long-anticipated acquisition that was finalized on Thursday.

This week has been historic for Everton and the region as a whole. The Friedkin Group’s acquisition ensures that both of Merseyside’s Premier League teams are now overseen by American owners. Moreover, if the English Football League (EFL) ratifies a takeover led by Donald Trump’s former attorney Joe Tacopina, a third, League Two side, Tranmere Rovers, could join this trend.

In terms of football, Liverpool stands on the brink of becoming the 51st state of the USA — a reference to the 2001 film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle that filmed in the city, using Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, as a backdrop.

This marks a significant cultural transformation from the era — when that film debuted — when both Liverpool and Everton were run by local proprietors, and an American takeover of the city’s iconic athletic entities seemed unimaginable.

Yet, despite the enthusiasm surrounding Everton and Tranmere’s acquisitions, there remains a cautious sentiment rooted in years of anxieties and frustrations regarding the trajectory of their clubs, particularly concerning what U.S. ownership will entail.

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Everton is a club of stark contrasts.

A significant portion of their local fanbase comes from some of the UK’s most economically deprived areas in the northern part of Liverpool, close to Walton, where Goodison Park is found. The ‘People’s Club’ — a title given to them by former manager David Moyes — has consistently prided itself on not being tied to corporate interests, particularly when compared to their close rivals, Liverpool.

“One Evertonian is worth twenty Liverpudlians,” remarked former local captain Brian Labone, who led the club he supported in his youth during the 1960s.

However, it wasn’t always this dynamic. Back in that era, it was Everton — not Liverpool — who held the title of the city’s big spenders under chairman John Moores, the founder of Littlewoods Pools. They were once known as the ‘Mersey Millionaires,’ operating with a brutally efficient approach: one manager, Johnny Carey, was dismissed while riding in a taxi.

Moores engineered several innovations that would propel the sport, making it more appealing to commercial interests. These included the introduction of a European Super League (does that sound familiar?), the expansion of television coverage, and the abolition of wage caps, facilitating a free market where the most talented players gravitated to the wealthiest clubs.

When Liverpool began to assert dominance in English football and attendances at Goodison Park dwindled, Moores sought to generate additional funds. One of his strategies was introducing corporate hospitality at Goodison, alongside more advertising boards around the pitch, but this decision met with resistance.

“Fans weren’t supportive of it,” says Gavin Buckland, who recently authored a book titled The End, which examines the long-term factors contributing to Everton’s difficulties. “They felt the boards interfered with their matchday experience — it was seen as intrusive commercialism.”

Public sentiment has changed little since, partially because successive Everton owners have struggled to expand Goodison, which is surrounded by Walton’s maze of terraced homes. Under Kenwright, Everton capitalized on their reputation as the underdog performing above expectations; it was only when Moshiri, a Monaco-based British-Iranian steel magnate, joined as co-owner in 2016 that the situation became complicated.

With Moshiri at the helm, Everton evolved into two clubs merged into one. Like Kenwright, Moshiri operated from London, but unlike the theatrical impresario, he lacked a natural tie to Merseyside. While Moshiri aimed for high-profile success, significantly investing in players and management, Kenwright — who remained chairman with continuing influence until his passing last year — adopted a more modest, local business approach. This resulted in an unclear decision-making process.

Enter Friedkin. Ironically, Everton’s current predicament makes them a highly appealing opportunity for the businessman from San Diego, who has recognized them as potentially the last English football club available for purchase, with ample room for growth.

In Merseyside, there is anxiety regarding what this could entail: Americans have often developed dubious reputations as owners of English football clubs, driven by a focus on generating non-football revenue and casting their investments as content delivery vehicles.

Will the new stadium, for instance, transform into a shopping mall experience, complete with inflated ticket prices? Buckland refers to a “cliff edge,” wherein Everton is transitioning into a new venue, prompting adjustments for matchgoing fans, while a new foreign owner with a reputation for maintaining a distance settles in. For some, the simultaneous occurrence of these factors could be overwhelming.

As Friedkin can’t take credit for the stadium’s relocation, he will likely face quick evaluations based on the performance of the team he assembles. Any incoming revenue-generating initiatives will only find success if results improve on the pitch; otherwise, his priorities may face scrutiny.

For evidence, simply look across Stanley Park. In 2016, thousands of Liverpool supporters exited Anfield in the 77th minute of a Premier League match against Sunderland after FSG announced that specific ticket prices in the stadium’s new Main Stand would reach £77.

Liverpool had captured a mere single trophy over six years of FSG ownership at that juncture, and local supporters, particularly, perceived their allegiance as being exploited in light of the organization’s tendency to reinvest in infrastructure rather than the team. This protest led to a notable reversal.

Liverpool was once characterized by the Guardian newspaper as the “Bermuda Triangle of capitalism.” Now it is framed unmistakably as a left-leaning city, even though voting trends suggest it should be labeled as dissenting. Football fans, whether blue or red, typically challenge perceived injustices, particularly if they involve outsiders profiting at the expense of locals and even more so if they are not achieving success on the field.

FSG managed to acquire Liverpool at a bargain, which former American owner Tom Hicks labeled an “epic swindle,” largely due to the supporters’ mobilization to oust Hicks and his partner George Gillett after a string of unfulfilled promises, while the club edged toward serious financial distress in 2008.

“The blunders made by Hicks and Gillett empowered the fans,” recalls Gareth Roberts from Spirit of Shankly, the fan group that remains active 16 years after its inception and now has representatives on the club’s official supporters board. This board became formalized in Liverpool’s articles of association following FSG’s apology for its leading role in attempting to establish a European Super League in 2021.

This followed several other notable PR missteps that eroded trust. It remains uncertain whether individuals like John W. Henry, FSG’s principal owner of Liverpool, will heed the board’s counsel rather than merely paying lip service while advancing their own agendas. Roberts emphasizes that the ongoing challenge is “helping them grasp the culture,” particularly when Henry’s business partner, Tom Werner (Liverpool’s chairman), enthusiastically discusses the idea of relocating Premier League matches away from Anfield to potentially host them globally.

Previously, when either Everton or Liverpool had local owners absent from matches, it would dominate conversations in pubs and make headlines in the local press. Now, it only garners attention if they actually show up.

Key figures from FSG typically fly in from Boston, Massachusetts, attending only a couple of matches each season — Werner was present for Liverpool’s recent game against Real Madrid, while Henry was in attendance for the first home match of the season against Brentford. They appoint executives who then oversee the business operations on their behalf from Merseyside or London, where the club has maintained an office for an extended period. Such individuals face pressure to maximize revenues to theoretically enhance the team’s economic prospects.

Roberts notes that ticketing remains a particularly contentious issue at Liverpool due to the club’s popularity. Locals often feel under siege: there appears to be a race to fill seats with the wealthiest individuals.

In Roberts’ view, a club that derives its image from the energy produced by Anfield’s atmosphere is on precarious ground. “The Kop still holds power,” he insists. “However, if you pressure the fans and they begin to fade away, there’s a risk of filling the venue with spectators rather than supporters, which could be detrimental to the very essence of the club.”

This, he believes, serves as a cautionary tale for Evertonians as they embark on their American-led chapter.

Like Roberts, Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram, a season ticket holder at Anfield, recognizes these tensions. In October, he spent two weeks in North America seeking trade opportunities and realized the global brand Liverpool possesses due to its connections with football and music, as well as its historical significance as a major port facilitating the Irish diaspora’s journey across the Atlantic in the 19th century.

He asserts this history opens dialogues with American businesses from sectors such as bioscience and digital innovation, which are now eyeing investments in Merseyside, particularly because of the available land near the waterfront on both sides of the Mersey river, a remnant of the stringent economic measures from the 1980s and the ensuing decline.

Rotheram mentions that football, in particular, is a vital component of the visitor economy for the region, which stood at £6.2 billion in 2018. A successful Everton playing in a stadium that serves more functions than hosting football matches every two weeks could enhance that figure significantly. The proposed site at Bramley-Moore promises to rejuvenate the surrounding area, and there are now faint signs of transformation. With Everton’s immediate financial pressures alleviated, perhaps prospective businesses can advance with more assurance.

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In order to identify the third professional football club on Merseyside attracting American investment, a journey across the river is necessary.

If Rotheram’s vision materializes, a pedestrian bridge will link Liverpool to Wirral, the home of Tranmere Rovers, potentially stimulating the peninsula’s economy. For now, the options are limited to two: a tunnel beneath the Mersey or, more enjoyably, a ferry ride lasting under seven minutes from the Pier Head, just below the iconic Liver Buildings, to Seacombe.

During this crossing, as the ferry heads north, a different perspective of Everton’s latest stadium comes into view, nestled between a scrapyard and a wind farm, both overshadowed by a towering tobacco warehouse, the largest brick building globally. Everton’s new home stands much closer to the city and might appear massive from the land, gleaming from any direction, yet it fails to dominate the view from the brown, choppy waters of the Mersey.

When the novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne traversed the same stretch of water in 1854, he recounted a scene that he believed encapsulated the essence of the Liverpudlians he had met during his six-month consul service in the city.

On the ferry, he observed a laborer consuming oysters with a pocket knife and carelessly tossing the shells overboard. Once satisfied, the worker produced a clay pipe and began puffing away contentedly.

According to Hawthorne, the laborer’s “perfect coolness and independence” reflected the attitudes of the other passengers. “Here,” Hawthorne noted, “a man does not seem to concern himself with what others might think of his actions, but rather whether it serves his convenience.”

Hawthorne did not indicate whether the laborer originated from Liverpool or the adjacent land now known as Wirral. To outsiders, the two regions and their inhabitants often appear indistinguishable.

On Merseyside, however, distinctions are apparent: Liverpudlians consider themselves tougher and sharper, while those residing “over the water” tend to have softer accents and are somewhat distanced from the city’s struggles.

Both areas endured significant hardships during the late 1970s and 80s when rampant unemployment wreaked havoc on its docks and shipyards. While Liverpool’s city core has undergone a remarkable transformation in subsequent decades, Wirral’s waterfront seems less promising. Where Liverpool boasts the Albert Dock, museums, and a bustling commercial area featuring modern high-rises, Wirral lacks many standout characteristics beyond its drab, grey seawall.

Approximately three miles from the terminal at Seacombe lies Prenton, home to Tranmere, a club that returned to the Football League in 2018 after struggling for years following its ascent to the Premier League in the early 1990s.

This historical context is part of why an American consortium led by Tacopina is pursuing an application with the EFL to attempt to acquire the club from former player Mark Palios, who subsequently served as chief executive of the English Football Association.

eScored revealed in September that Tacopina was striving to “mobilize his celebrity connections” to help propel Tranmere up the divisions from League Two. A subsequent article disclosed that rapper A$AP Rocky and Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Maxx Crosby were among the investors.

A source involved in the negotiations, wishing to remain anonymous, believes the takeover could conclude by early 2025. Although the process has taken longer than anticipated due to an unnamed investor withdrawing, eScored has been informed that another unnamed investor’s application was rejected by the EFL, which prompted the purchasing group to seek a replacement. The EFL has declined to comment on the matter.

Tacopina has a decade of experience in Italian football, though with mixed results. He recognizes that Tranmere may not have the most glamorous appeal, yet neither did Wrexham before it was taken over by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2021. While Tranmere faces challenges this season to maintain its Football League status, Tacopina would be acquiring a club that is mostly breaking even.

Palios remains understandably cautious. For years, he sought to locate a minority partner, but potential investors often perceived limited upside with such involvement. Palios later managed to persuade Tacopina that Tranmere holds significant potential with a full takeover, benefiting from favorable geography and the opportunity to become the region’s third major club.

More than 500,000 individuals reside in the Wirral, yet most are unable to secure tickets for Liverpool or Everton. There exists interest in Tranmere, but many residents are only casual supporters. This dynamic would likely shift with a successfully advancing team, reminiscent of Tranmere’s 1990s heyday, when the club actively contended for promotion to the Premier League and Prenton Park buzzed with thrilling cup runs.

Valued at around £20 million in assets, Tranmere’s worth would significantly increase should the club ascend to the Championship, which serves as the gateway to the Premier League, potentially enabling Tacopina to realize a profit upon sale. Notably, ownership of the stadium would come with the club, which is an advantage. Tacopina draws encouragement from the success stories of clubs like Bournemouth and Brentford, which have established themselves in the Premier League despite similarly sized venues compared to Prenton Park (Bournemouth’s stadium is even smaller) and lacking a notable history at the top levels of competition.

However, Prenton Park lacks the necessary amenities to generate considerable revenue beyond matchdays. During the burgeoning early 90s, the venue was renovated on three sides, leaving the main stand — a relic of corrugated iron and brick — untouched. Lorraine Rogers, who chaired before Palios, estimated that maintaining the main stand cost Tranmere around £500,000 annually. In 2021, a League Two match against Stevenage was postponed after a section of the roof blew off in a storm.

Palios has investigated alternative stadium options. From the Mersey, the West float slipway extends toward Bidston, where discussions about a site have occurred, but devoted fans are generally averse to relocating three miles away, believing it would disconnect the club from its roots and potentially place it beside a waste facility, with a limited number of pubs and transportation links.

Last summer, Palios indicated that the area was ripe for redevelopment in an interview with Liverpool Business News. “I tell my children, if they ever invest in property, they should focus on the south bank of the river,” he remarked. “As sure as apples fall from trees, this place is going to get developed.”

However, any potential relocation would require support from Wirral Waters, alongside a council that has been attempting to methodically manage its budgets for the past decade due to government funding cuts. At the start of December, the Liverpool Echo reported that the council would request a £20 million bailout to prevent declaring bankruptcy.

While it is widely acknowledged that Palios’s time is nearing an end and Tranmere needs to find a forward path, some supporters express caution regarding the prospect of someone with a history of representing Trump in a rape case running their club.

Matt Jones, who hosts the Trip to the Moon podcast, describes feelings of “excitement, curiosity, and fear.” Two years prior, he traced Bruce Osterman, Tranmere’s former American owner (the first in English football), to San Francisco.

Osterman revealed to Jones that he was able to complete a takeover in 1984 as Tranmere was “days away from shutting its doors.” However, he acknowledged that he was ill-prepared for the pressures that lay ahead, despite investing £500,000 in cash. “I had no idea what I was doing,” he confessed. “I was a trial lawyer… I had no understanding of the history or the pathway forward.”

Osterman admitted that if he could relive that experience, he would “likely have paid more attention to the team’s relationship with the community.” Over the following three and a half years, Tranmere faced worsening financial struggles until he ultimately sold the club at a loss to Palios’s predecessor, Peter Johnson, the son of a butcher who became a millionaire in the food industry.

Johnson subsequently acquired Everton, where he was much less popular. His situation serves as a reminder that American owners are not alone in navigating club transitions, as Friedkin has. Johnson grew up as a Liverpool fan — an inconvenient fact that placed him at a disadvantage at Goodison, where he encountered skepticism and entrenched opinions.

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There exists a deep-seated cynicism among Everton supporters, who might question how long it will be before their club reaps the benefits of a new stadium and fresh ownership.

Nonetheless, Friedkin’s arrival potentially marks the end of much of the uncertainty. Simon Hart, a journalist and author known for his work on the club, expresses that the past few years have been overshadowed by “existential concerns regarding the club’s future to such an extent that one becomes almost numb, merely hoping for survival. The impression that Friedkin seems reasonably sensible and has not dismantled Roma is something to hold onto and be appreciative of.”

“At this moment, the pressing question is whether Everton can step into their new stadium as a stable Premier League club,” he stresses. “There is a sentiment that anything keeping the club afloat is acceptable.”

Excitement might not be the right emotion, but perhaps relief is appropriate. Hart considers Goodison irreplaceable, a venue with terraces that loom over the pitch and timberwork dating back to the Victorian era. It holds as much significance for the club’s identity as the Liver Buildings do for Liverpool. The prospect of leaving inspires mixed feelings amidst the sobering reality that Everton has not secured a trophy since 1995.

As the years encompass the club and the trophyless spell persists, it becomes increasingly challenging to overlook. Hart characterizes Goodison as his “special place,” but it begins to feel as though “disappointment is infused into every brick now.” He recalls attending a 0-0 stalemate with Brentford in November when the visitors were reduced to 10 men, and the atmosphere in Goodison was saturated with negativity.

Perhaps their new stadium provides the club an opportunity for a fresh beginning and, as he aptly puts it, “allows Evertonians to look ahead rather than dwell on the past.”

(Top image: Getty Images/Design: Eamonn Dalton)