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Looking 24/7
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A company have just taken up a new lease in the office block I work from, they have exclusive betting rights to Premier League football in China and they're expecting to clean up over the next few years. According to one of the guys behind the business, the reason so much Middle East money is flowing into the Prem is because of the interest from the Asian market.
I know this is going to turn into a 'rant fest', but reading about Pompey this morning and also hearing (unconfirmed reports) that Hull have two potential buyers lined up, makes me wonder how much longer we're going to carry on believing Bill Kenwright's "24/7" claims.
His response to a legitimate question at the AGM was disgraceful, we're the stakeholders in EFC and all of us (including Bill apparently) want new ownership. Something is not right and it's time to flush him out!
Marcus Dawson, Posted 06/10/2009 at 09:26:48
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"to be a liar you’ve got to have a fucking good memory".
Besides it’s not just Kenright it’s the others too, Green, Carter et al. It’s not going to change anytime soon. The directors are not looking for buyers as they are concentrating on delivering Kirkby.
I wonder what his secret is..
Give it a rest lads for christ’s sake. I for one do not want an Arab, Asian, Russian, American et al consortium buying our club. I’d rather it stayed as it is than sell our traditions and class to a billionaire playboy with no interest in the club or its surroundings.
Kenwirght may not be the long-term answer to our financial woes but he’s a damn sight safer than some of the individuals currently passing the laughable ’Fit & Proper’ test set by the PL authorities.
There is a difference.
We are far from stable....Can I suggest you rescript your question and leave out that word.
You still might get the same answers - you never know - but at least you’ll not be fabricating our position.
Alex stop comparing us to Pompey. We are not the same as them.
Why does it always amount to lowest common denominator arguments...
It’s like that Harry Enfield sketch...’Is that what you want, Cos that’s what’ll happen’...
I thought this website attracted a better class of thinking....
Never mind all that... get in there and get some tips from them.
I guess the key word is ’investment’, but real investment won’t come without a change in ownership, Green and Earl anyone?
In response to Chris Lawler, you’ve confused me, I was talking about a new company that’s set up next door, their business model is based on the Chinese going mad for the Prem, one of their directors suggested that’s why so much Middle East money has been flowing in, hope that clears it up for you.
Some of you are clearly extremely naive in the working of a private, limited company.
The bottom line is that the club will only be sold, or receive investment at the expense of shares, with the express permission of the majority private shareholders.
If they don't want it, it won't happen — regardless of what anyone else wants. Bill isn't the only majority shareholder (if he is at all...). This isn't a public company where all shareholders will get a say and it will be share-price triggered to sell as a pure money-motivated deal. This isn't a club owned by the fans where it will be by vote.
People have to face facts. The destiny of Everton Football Club is in the hands of the current private owners, and what they want. There is nothing that you, or anyone else, can do — other than persuade them to sell. There is nothing to stop the current owners/shareholders maintaining the status quo, forever.
It's really simple.
Kenwright might not be the long term solution; He's not the short term either, the prick has sold us out for the Green Shield Stamp stadium... GET THE TWAT OUT NOW BEFORE ITS TO LATE.
Sorry about the shouting, and didn't you play for the shite a few years ago?
Somebody to come in, effectively give EFC a load of money, far more than Bill has ever done, just for a place on the Board. Not to be in charge. Oh no, cos it’s his baby (or trainset etc) and he wants to be the man in charge. You can hand over loads of cash, but not have the power.
Based on that, it dowsn’t matter if he really does look 24/7, he’s got no hope of finding anybody that silly.
So, he’s not looking for a new Owner, as correctly pointed out by others already, he’s looking for somebody to chuck in tens of millions while he is the figurehead and a shadowy figure behind him (Green) makes all the decisions. At a Board meeting, this investor, despite paying in loads of cash and guarantees, would have to bow down to BK, Earl and their toothless sidekicks Carter and Woods.
Hardly attractive is it?
Poeple have a better-the-devil-you-know attitude, but that's bollocks. When this liar and his cronies have dumped us in Kirkby, everyone will say we should've got rid, but it will be too late.
How the fuck can a billionaire say yes to them and not want one of the greatest clubs in England? I would love Bill to answer that. Maybe he didn't know his phone number.
People have a better-the-devil-you-know attitude, but thats bollocks. When this liar and his cronies have dumped us in Kirkby, everyone will say we should've got rid, but it will be too late."
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My thoughts exactly and forums like this should shoulder some of the blame as I believe what would have been Kenwright Out chants have turned into internet moaning and I’m as guilty as the rest.
They’re probably looking at the price for a new stadium: £200-300 mill, before they’ve even started. If Sheik Yerwedge or Ivan Haditoff had offered to but Everton and BK had refused, it would’ve been all over the papers and then there would’ve been another offer. Doesn’t anybody on this site follow takeover bids?
"Do the anti-Kenright people really wish we were attracting the kind of riff raff that are being connected to Portsmouth?"
Instead of Anti-truth Bill?
Absofuckingyes!!
Hope that’s cleared that up for you.
I am not sure that we are totally stable but I prefer our position to many other clubs in and around us.
Having said that, I am baffled as to why we can't find a buyer and I wish BK would let us in on that. Why aren’t we even speculated over for example?
Is it because BK could see what some of these big buyers would do to the club? Could he possibly be savvy enough to sound out a potential investor and see that they are only after stripping every pound out of a good football club?
Or is it something more selfish — is he just waiting for the golden handshake?
We’ll never know until a change in ownership occurs.
I wouldn’t want owners like those in charge of Pompey, Newcastle, Leeds, the Shite etc. But on the other hand I wouldn’t mind an Abramovich... or two!
I think we have to be ’happy’ with what we’ve got at the moment — partly because we have little choice and secondly because we are in a good position and the books do seem to balance better than most others... I’d rather have a manageable financial situation than two/three years of success followed by the stripping of everything worth something by vultures who have lost a fortune or become bored (Peter Johnson anyone?)...
So I agree with Alex in part but I also think that we need to find money from somewhere while keeping our club in a decent shape.
If Burger King and MacDonalds have a presence in a high street and the latter decided to move to a less populated area, the chairman would be sacked. Burger King's takings would increase and MacDonalds would decrease, it's the logic of a madman or someone so desperate to keep his train set that he would be prepared to do anything.
These are dangerous times for us, my fellow blues... if Bill is right and we prosper from the move, great. But what if he's wrong, bad run of form and gates of 20,000 become the norm? The Shite's fanbase increases in Liverpool, my beloved club becomes small forever, never to return to the city...
Shit stadium on a crap retail park. If he were to abandon this foolish path, I could put up with his lies and bullshit for years, but it's the fear of a major mistake that haunts me.... What if he's wrong?
On another note - to reply to Colin Potter...
I would admit I am wrong but let me start by saying that I would love extra funds at Everton in the form of a new chairman. I would love to be able to compete for players because of a billionaire backer. But I would also want to know that the club is secure and not going to be robbed from under us.
I would want a decent backer to do what Abramovich has done with Chelsea and put money in a trust to cover us should the shit hit the fan...
As I said earlier — BK may be holding out for this assurance — but he may also just be holding out for profit... either way — I hope when he does sell, he gets the right person in.
Right now, I would rather have BK than Salamon Akbar the Third from Uzbekistan... who has a few quid, a shaded past and a struggling business portfolio! But that's right now.
When the recession settles down, then we need a decent chunk of investment.
I will add further that we chased one charlatan out of town and we can chase another one out... I can still remember Johnson's car speeding off down Gooodison Road with an angry blue hanging off the back and he was never seen here again, the difference is what your saw with him is what you got.
A bloke I knew built a golf course, I had a rough idea how much it was costing him and the potential from green fees didn’t cover the cost of the land, never mind anything else... Later I found out he was charging £90 a lorry to dump building rubble on the site to make dunes and bunkers etc, 50 lorries a day for 2 years = serious money, and at the end of the day he’s got a golf course!!!!
My point is there has to be a reason behind what Bill's doing — we just dont know it. Personally, I think he’s trying to help himself and the club if he can. Kirkby is the key, I feel; once that's decided one way or the other, then we’ll get a better idea.
I would not blame Bill for wanting to make a profit, but he has led us all a merry dance for the last few years, with claims about his plans that are misleading and in some instances downright untrue. I just hope that Kirkby turns out to be another fuck-up as per NTL, Fortress, Gregg etc etc.
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1 Posted 05/10/2009 at 21:02:49
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The people behind this scheme have no thought for Everton or Evertonians — of this I'm certain. Their only concern seems to be to make a quick buck. What happens if we lose? Do we fight the good fight from over the border or perhaps all that will be left are a few rebel songs and a slow demise.
It saddens me that if we lose I will not witness Everton's return to Liverpool in my lifetime and that Kenwright will be long gone before his chickens come home to roost. But let's not rock the boat eh... We don't want to jeopardise our chances of finishing fifth again.