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Now this is not strictly Everton related but I would be intrigued to hear Bill Kenwright be this brutally honest with regard to Everton's finances. It is also an insightful look at the current state of economic madness at a struggling Premier League club.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/8468159.stm
James Stewart, Leeds     Posted 19/01/2010 at 14:08:49

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Colin Southern
1   Posted 19/01/2010 at 23:06:15

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And that would be the an absolutely stupid thing to do. Imagine a chairman of any other company doing that, it would drive sales down and put investers off.

Nah, not even going there.
Keith Glazzard
2   Posted 19/01/2010 at 23:03:25

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I read this article earlier today and one thought of mine was that at least we’re not owned by a pornographer. Perhaps pornographers make good businessmen and love their mothers, but I still feel this old club of ours deserves something better.

Maybe it was the — "If there was any other club in this situation, then we would not be buying it. We bought this as supporters, not from a business point of view" — quote that caught James’ eye. How like our own Blue Bill, I thought. But at least he only makes his money from crap Willy Russell musicals.

The financial Armageddon which some are predicting for the PL could come about, but American owners into asset stripping would seem to me to be the likely candidates for that particular revelation.
Will Leaf
3   Posted 20/01/2010 at 00:30:34

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The heads of these pornographers were initially turned as West Ham are known as "The Hammers"; The Arse was already spoken for and Scunthorpe Utd was considered too down market.
James Stewart
4   Posted 20/01/2010 at 01:19:38

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Keith, I draw no comparisons with our club and this post. I just found it interesting hearing an owner talking so candidly about it’s situation.

As a fan, however, I would appreciate more honesty from Everton at times. The PR at the club usually leaves something to be desired.

I am not someone who wants Everton to be bought out by Arabs or Americans to achieve hollow success. Nor do I like Bill Kenwright.

Gavin Ramejkis
5   Posted 20/01/2010 at 07:03:23

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Colin, if you think the Chairman doing that would be stupid driving down sales and putting investors off (ignoring the fact due dilligence would show the true level of debt to any potential buyer), what do you make of the CEO video saying GP is a shithole which must have been authorised by that very same Chairman?
Alan Williams
6   Posted 20/01/2010 at 08:19:29

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Gavin, GP is a shit hole! I still have the love for it in my heart as I grew up alongside side it but try taking a 6-year-old to the toilet and see what you think? When I take my son, I have to buy two extra tickets and give away my season ticket as most seats and views in the stadium are crap!

Ok if you sit with a bunch of mates like I normally do but when your young family wishes to go then you are restricted. It’s out of date and with too little space between seats. It’s a standing stadia that’s has been turned in to an all-seater in most parts. I would rather it was standing in some areas, the BR is an embarrassment!! COYB

Gavin Ramejkis
7   Posted 20/01/2010 at 10:34:03

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Alan, might point in response to Colin was do you think the owners should publicise that? If you were selling your house or car would you show potential buyers all the shit broken bits or try to big it up for a sale?
Roberto Birquet
8   Posted 20/01/2010 at 12:20:19

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The mass of column inches the past few days on Pompey, West Ham, Liverpool and Man U sghould make for sobering reading for many who have dreamt about "investment" and "ambition". We have £40 m debt, and do not need more.

I would love an owner who can splash the cash, but the naive spending from much of the Prem and cries of "how can Pompey spend so much and we can’t? or, how can they attract investment and we not?" Well we have our answer. They can’t. And they shouldn’t be protected by the Prem League. Pompey and West Ham try to buy success at other Prem League clubs expense. Create success! Fine. But try to buy it, go bust and ask for help? No way!

I still do not understand people’s antagonism towards Platini. It is not anti-English to want to create a more level playing field, and regulate over-spending. Look at the banks. We forgot to regulate them in this Thatcherite fantasy world of free markets, and we will pay for decades. But he needs to turn his ire on Madrid, too. the classically cosseted football club.
Eugene Ruane
9   Posted 20/01/2010 at 11:44:56

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Have you ever stood watching when the away team coach arrives?

Every now and then, I’m on the little island by the supper bar (covered in curry stains) when the coach passes.

I try and imagine what the players must be thinking as they look out of the windows and see gangs of little mad shaven-headed kids, with the faces of 60 year-old ex-boxers, giving them the fingers.

And flinty-faced, satsuma coloured women in massive rollers and pyjamas, going for chips.

And hard-looking bastards everywhere.

And litter everywhere.

My response to "Goodison is a shit-hole" is..

"I know... fantastic isn’t it!"

Got to be honest, I’d be happy for Goodison not to change.

I honestly believe Goodison has on occasion, if not given us an advantage, certainly helped even things up with ’bigger’ clubs, especially at night ("Hey Gary Neville - whoooooOOOOOHHHhhhhh!!")

We’re already playing at a financial disadvantage, and I believe anywhere else and we’d be playing at a soulless shit-hole disadvantage as well.

I love Goodison being where it is and the ’state’ of it bothers me not one jot.

For me, an occasional lick of paint and a big ’tick’ every 15 years from the safety inspectors and I’d be happy.

In fact, If I was in charge, I’d produce a series of scary promos.

Open on a few ’The Hills Have Eyes’ types outside the ground, we then cut to inside and see a montage of shots of some of the maddest nights (eg: Utd players scared to go for the ball for a throw-in).

The music from John Carpenter’s original Halloween would play throughout and there’d be an end-line spoken by a Vincent Price type voice saying something along the lines of...

"We’re right behind you.........nob -head!"

Bet Boro wish they’d done that.
James Stewart
10   Posted 20/01/2010 at 13:54:12

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Roberto is exactly right. It is madness the way some clubs have been operating. People seem to forget that 99% of these buyouts and investments have brought in zero capital to the club. All they do is provide loans and the ability to run the club on massive losses which of course is unsustainable.

I pray this never happens to Everton.
Gavin Ramejkis
11   Posted 20/01/2010 at 14:16:13

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Eugene, almost in tears at the Hills Have Eyes bit and Halloween music, fucking priceless.
Alan Clarke
12   Posted 20/01/2010 at 14:41:06

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James, those knobheads at West Ham have said they want Champions League football in 7 years and they’re £100 million in debt. They don’t have a fuckin clue what they’re talking about.

I would love Kenwright to give us more information about the rotten state of our club’s finances but I’d also like to win the euromillions and buy Kenwright out — neither is likely to happen. Anyone who praises Kenwright for not being like Pompey or Liverpool or Man Utd will still be moaning on here in the summer when we fail yet again to strengthen our squad after a strong finish.

He is still a shit lying weasel of a chairman and just because he’s not run us into the ground as fast as some of those other clubs have been doesn’t mean he’s doing a good job.

Jay Harris
13   Posted 20/01/2010 at 14:59:06

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Roberto, you’re a bit late with not wanting more debt than £40 million. Robert Elstone reported last year that we were £80 million in debt.

BK has used the same model as West Ham and others in mortgaging everything he can including future season ticket sales and future Sky receipts.

Football has gone crazy and to keep up we need astute businessmen like Spurs and Arsenal not an incompetent lying dreamer.
Roberto Birquet
14   Posted 20/01/2010 at 15:22:34

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Jay. What is your source fro that £80 million?

And it is not so easy for Everton to run itself "astutely" as Spurs. They have the richest fans in the Prem (Deloitte & Touche); Everton the second-poorest after Sunderland (same source).

Heaven knows how they calculate it. But have a look at ticket prices/ season tickets at Spurs vs those at Everton. And work out how on Earth Everton could compete with that.

ps: Everton’s net debt — which is how much we’d have to pay if it were called by creditors immediately — in 2008 stood at £37 million, according to figures at the Knowsley inquiry:
http://inquiry.knowsley.gov.uk/Proof%20of%20Evidence/TEV_P8.pdf
James Stewart
15   Posted 20/01/2010 at 15:57:39

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Alan, I didn’t hear them mention that Champions League quote you stated? If you're correct with it you are indeed right. Crazyness.

I thoroughly agree with your summary of Kenwright.
Martin Phillips
16   Posted 20/01/2010 at 16:32:47

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I'm with Eugene on this one, GP is a shithole situated in an area thats dodgy with dodgier boozers... I wouldn't want it any other way!
Colin Southern
17   Posted 20/01/2010 at 16:30:38

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In response to Gavin, the CEO never said that. Now I’m not going get into this Kirkby debate as quite frankly it bored the pants off me. His job was to make the transition from one old and and tired stadia to a more modern one. This he tried to do by pointing out the negatives and put an upspin on the new one, and this is what I’d do as well as it was such a controversial subject.

I also suspect that Gold is trying to get the Hammers fans on his side by showing saying he is a fan and he’s sacrificing his wealth for the club (a bit like Kenwright has done with us lot). And secondly he is talking about the debt to drive the price down.

Likewise, does anyone remember Gerald Rafner? I don’t know of any other MD who would be transparent with a business if it was doing poorly. It would be suicide.

If you remember our old moniker it was always Everton followed by ’cash strapped club’. Now you very rarely hear that phrase, since Moyes has been here.

So no it would be extremely stupid to be transparent with the figures if we are trying to attract investers and decent players to the club. Let's be honest... there is no honesty in business!
Keith Glazzard
18   Posted 21/01/2010 at 00:16:36

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One aspect of the pornographer's purchase of The Ammers which seems to be creating discontent in their neck of the woods is that their business plan is based on a change of location of the business. To the yet to be built Olympic stadium. In the same borough, you understand, only three miles away. All sounds a bit familiar...

They say because they will have much bigger crowds they will be able to lower the ticket prices. Is that what pornographers do? I don’t know....

I note that Man City’s best (full) crowd last Tuesday was 42,000. Is this why they spent Eurolottery millions on Lescott?

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