Harris reiterates Everton investment comments

The news comes after Harris admitted Everton were no closer to sealing investment. However the financier who is head of investment bank Seymour Pierce has reiterated comments made to the BBC yesterday.

Harris admits little progress is being made because the current recession in the UK is hindering potential suitors in their decision to firmly bid for Everton as well as other football clubs up for sale.

An interesting comparison is made between Everton and Newcastle's current search for new owners. Harris admits that although Everton may be traditionally a more successful team, the fact that they share a city with another successful football club works against them, whereas Newcastle have the luxury of being the main representative of their city from a footballing perspective.

Harris said, "It is not a very wealthy city. Everton share the city with another club which arguably has been in the vanguard for the last decade, and they both have a stadium to build. So the economics need a lot of looking at."

"As regards the sale of Everton, there are certainly grounds for optimism," he said.

"It`s a terrific club and having Bill Kenwright as chairman is one of the club`s strongest selling points.

"I did not say there was no hope of selling Everton - there are plenty of people having a serious look - what I did was compare the situation with Newcastle

"Everton is a club with great history and tradition, and most importantly has won things.

"To buy a club which has won nothing, and then expect them to start winning things, is difficult.

"Newcastle, for example, hasn`t won anything for 50-odd years. Everton, clearly, has won things. "But then you look at the other side of the coin and Newcastle have the stadium, no immediate competition from a Newcastle City or a Newcastle Dynamo and 50,000 supporters every week."

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