ONCE upon a time the most complicated maths football fans were required to do was adding and subtracting goal difference at the end of a tense season.

Now the hardened supporter finds him or herself delving into balance sheets and the accounts of their football club in an attempt to glean an insight into the financial health of their chosen team.

What happens off the field is as important, if not more so, than what happens when 11 men get a 90-minute workout on a Saturday afternoon.

Put simply, fans know that for their team to succeed their club needs to be rich.

The need to generate more cash for Liverpool FC and Everton FC underpins the ideas behind the Football Quarter plans launched this week by Fans' groups Spirit of Shankly (SOS) and Keep Everton in Our City (KEIOC).

Alongside the noble aim of bringing much-needed regeneration to Anfield and Walton, the idea would create new income streams for both Liverpool FC and Everton FC.

An open air matchday Fan Zone, bars, cafes, hotels, a museum, and better transport links are all part of the plan to regenerate a large part of L4.

Colin Fitzpatrick, of KEIOC, pointed out earlier this week that both teams have suffered with the lack of activity on the stadium front for quite some time.

"It must be remembered, with the new UEFA financial regulations, clubs need to find new ways of generating income and this Football Quarter would benefit them hugely," he said.

"Hopefully this will be a productive cycle for all parties."