Despite its increased popularity, there are serious financial problems at the professional end of the game. It was a hugely bold, ambitious and exciting plan – one of the biggest developments of its kind taking place in Europe. We intend, however, to use the experience we have gained in this venture to help bring about our ambitions to take Everton forward.”The King’s Waterfront proposal was part of a large redevelopment project that will now proceed without Everton’s involvement.The club had been given until the end of last month to prove they could raise their £155m share of the scheme, but they and the other agencies involved in the development have now accepted the costs cannot be covered.Everton fans voted in 1997 to move from Goodison, the club’s home since 1892. Their neighbours, Liverpool, are also in the process of securing a move from Anfield to a new, larger-capacity stadium in the city..

The progress of Canterbury’s women to their first major domestic final in the National Cup has been something of a dream, as they will enjoy home advantage against Slough tomorrow after the event was moved to Polo Farm from Milton Keynes. Slough will be without the Scottish international Jane Burley, who is nursing a broken hand, and Chloe Strong, whose studies take priority, and must hope their eight players at the England camp return unscathed.Cannock will defend their title in the men’s final, also at Canterbury, where they face Reading, whom they recently beat 5-1 to take the National League title. Reading will be strengthened by the return of New Zealand’s captain, Simon Towns, who missed that game.Reading’s goalkeeper, Simon Mason, said yesterday: “Simon [Towns] is a class act and could make all the difference.”Reading’s Jonty Clarke and Cannock’s Barry Middleton now line up against each other after teaming up with great success for England against Belgium this week.. This is the annual weekend when the domestic DIY is limited to nailing a few planks across the inside of the front door to prevent intruders from disturbing a passage of premium sports drama.

As the Festival runner-up Westender (2.15) comes here off a light season he has to be the selection.The Caledonian National is less easy to fathom. The top weight is the disappointing Aintree favourite, Shotgun Willy, who was pulled up last weekend, apparently the victim of a broken blood vessel. The blood, like the performance, though, proved not to be his. “Shotgun Willy definitely runs as long as the ground is safe,” Paul Nicholls, the trainer, said yesterday. “One factor we had to consider was that this year his whole season had been geared around two or three races and, if we were to miss out in Scotland, it would be the end of the year before I could possibly run him again.”In the National, Ruby [Walsh] thought he had broken a blood vessel and we did scope him when we got him home and that scope proved clean. I said to his owner, Graham Roach, ‘it’s your choice’, and we have decided to go.

We scoped him in order to have a look and make sure because Ruby came back covered in blood, but I think the bottom line was the fact that, for some reason, the horse didn’t do a tap at Aintree.”Shotgun Willy was runner-up 12 months ago, a place in front of Gunther McBride, who now reopposes on better terms. These arrangements have been well spotted.”I see they’ve made Gunther McBride favourite and I can understand it,” Philip Hobbs, the trainer, said. “This season we deliberately missed out on Aintree to get him here a fresh horse and I’m very pleased that Shotgun Willy is running and keeping the weights down for the better horses.” There are only nine animals in the handicap proper, including Ryalux, who has finished in the first three on every completed start. Last time out, in the Racing Post Chase, he was just behind Gunther McBride when the pair were second and third behind La Landiere. The mare went on to win the Cathcart Chase at the Festival.”The one thing that worried me for Ryalux was that if the weights shot up it would compromise our chance,” Andy Crook, the trainer, said. “I was also a little concerned about the going but I’m sure we’ll be all right on that score.” More than all right.