Why "hate" saying what you said? I'm an American in America. The EPL is global beyond all other top European leagues combined.

Our problem lies in businessmen know we're a year or two from financial collapse. EFC is in the bank's hands now, not BK and his group.

Like the bunch across the park were purchased by the Red Sox group once the bank was going to take over, the same will happen to us. We'll turn out right.

Scott, do you write the speeches for Ian Ross?

Wow!

This cannot be anyone from Everton FC writing this. Scott's last 2 paragraphs have the notation of having a plan B.

Seriously Scott. This board have continuously fucked up every commerical revenue stream that has come it's way for over 10 years now. You really think that they are going to miraculously "See the light"??

That light is a fucking train called relegation and it's building up a head of steam.

Earth calling Scott, Earth calling Scott. You seen Blue Bill up there?? We have been looking for him 24/7 but like his investment opportunities we cannot find him.

On the contrary Kirk, I see the last 2 paragrpahs as meaning we should maintain the status quo.

Scot, I completely agree. Good post.

Scott, over the last 15 years we have sold every asset available (Bellefield, Finch Farm, Season Ticket sales, Sky TV Money and still have massive debts) and now have nothing left to sell, except players. That is the legacy the current custodians have left us with. Our financial position isn't poor, it's catastrophic, we have not been stabilized, we have been put into a huge amount of debt that we cannot service, we are on the brink of disaster. WAKE UP!!!

Its always darkest before the dawn. None of us can know for sure what lies around the corner.

Sam#8: For sure, no one knows the future, but we can all see the past. And in our day-to-day lives, it's not unreasonable - nay, it's sound decision making, in fact - for our expectations of the future to be based on past experiences.

As Robbie#7 has pointed out, the legacy of the current board of directors' custodianship is nothing less than the complete stripping of all the club's assets while leaving it mired in debt for the foreseeable future.

So, unless you live your life in complete optimism and without basing your future decisions on past experiences (in which case, yes, you're entitled to believe that the current board will soon come to the club's rescue), WAKE UP!

There's one of two things going on here. Scott is either a club plant putting out the usual club spin prior to a march or is an example of the brainwashed youth.

Because Scott has only the standards set by Wally Smith to compare against, everything else is better. Speak to your dad Scott about Everton. Try and understand more about the club and where it should be and what it's capable of.

My thoughts exactly Alan.

In fact on re-reading it I think it looks very much the style of someone who used to stand in the boys pen with holes in his shoes?

The board surely didn't strip assets, they sold assets to buy other assets namely players. That isn't asset stripping.

Remind us again Martin, when was the last time we bought a player?

I can Eric....the useless lazy waste of space that is Bily...that's when

I asked when Nelly, not who.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock www.evertontime.com

So, selling assets to buys other assets is...a reflection of good management on the board's part? A long-term investment solution? A growth and development strategy?

How does that make one iota of a difference to the level of mismanagement shown by the board?

"We don?t want an investor who mismanages the club, turns us into a commercial gimmick and doesn?t understand true Everton values. And, when the novelty has worn off, leaves us in a fragile state."

True, Scott... but would that really be much worse than an 'investor' who mismanages the club, displays practically no commercial nouse and may understand true Everton values but doesn?t seem to respect them? And, in desperation to achieve a return on their 'investment', still won't leave us even though they now have the club in a fragile state.

Memo from William Kenwright esq CBE to Robert Elstone CEO, cc Ian Ross "Bobby, you know this 24/7 search that's been going on for..........three, no make that five years, when I asked you to look in the yellow pages for investor, are you sure you havent been trying the page before - I've just checked and its inventors, and with that guy from the bedsit in Manchester, and the other two from above the chippy in Kowloon, you've got me thinking Bobby ?"

The big difference between us, Arsenal and Man utd, who were all roughly level in terms of prestige, trophies and even finances to a degree at one point, was each of those clubs boards were willing to spend money to improve long term.

For two decades we have spent nothing. Bill Kenwright has been a constant presence in our boardroom that whole time, as we have fallen behind even the likes of Stoke and Sunderland.

I think if he holds on much longer he will achieve his aim of getting his name in our history books.

Well said Scott!
As usual most of the negative responses are based on hear say and what people choose to believe is happening rather than facts.
I accept that the board has made mistakes but not everything they have done has been a disaster as some thigh slappers on here claim.

Kenwright searching for investment yeah right!!!

First off selling the club and searching for investment or two totally different things!

According to Bill "we are for sale" yet he is searching 24/7 for investment! What a load of shit. Who in their right mind is gonna give bill millions of their own money and have him stay in charge! selling the club on the other hand would be fairly easy to do but thats not on the agenda of blue bill!!!!

Michael#20: How is selling all the assets that we own "hearsay"? Or the lack of investment or marketing strategy? Or the failure to find a buyer/investors after TEN years? Or the inability to account for, what, 24 million pounds in "operating costs" by our beloved Bill as he confessed in the recent interview with the Blue Union? Or all the ground-move failures? Or the refurbishment failures for Goodison? Or the failure to provide funds for new players? Or the inability to keep our better players (e.g. Arteta, Pienaar)? All these aren't "hearsay" but facts. WAKE UP!

Conversely, maybe you can highlight what some of the resounding successes are that the board has achieved in the past ten years. Please, don't let any "thigh slapper" here stop you from coming up with facts that we can "choose to believe is happening".

The innocence of youth bless. sorry to sound condescending mate but .. What iceberg?

'The innocence of youth' eh? Well I'm 71 and I've been supporting right thru' since we were in the old 2nd Division and I think that Scott has written more sensibly than all the 'head in the clouds' messages usually posted. It amazes me that 'supporters' think that they know better than David Moyes and Bill Kenwright on the best way to run our club under present circumstances. Well said, Scott!

Rob #22

"For two decades we have spent nothing" = Lie
We have sold all the assets we own = Lie

Don't get me wrong not everything the board have done has been a success, far from it. But it hasn't all been a disaster.

We've certainly got a better squad than when Bill took over. There has been heavy investment in Finch Farm and that is starting to pay dividends with the talent that is being produced.

I'd rather we invested for the long term in our youth than spend millions on the likes of Tevez or panic buy a crap centre-forward like Andy Carroll.

No, we haven't been bought by a billionaire, but we haven't been sold to greedy yanks either. Maybe it's naivety or I'm too trusting but I believe the Chairman when he says he will sell when the right buyer comes, for the good of the club, not his bank balance.

Michael #25,

Just for a foolish old man, can you tell me what assets EFC do own? Players, Ground, training ground???

Note. I said own.

Michael #25 you invest in something you own, the club have paid very heavy rent for Finch Farm. Oh and we have sold a portion of our shares to a yank who turns up at Goodison Park every five years or so. If the club was for sale for the benefit of the club not his bank balance then why is the reported cost of the club in excess of £120m somewhat more than the amount BK borrowed to buy it?

God forbid posters having an alternative view on here.

It's all, Earth calling etc etc, you are a plant etc.

Some arguable points in defence of the shite board we have but just because it goes against this site's status quo, there is no need to denegrate the lad for his views.

According to Eugene/Ciaran or Gavin, can't remember which one, he believed that most of the majorities are idiots.....hmmm, it certainly gets you thinking.

Well said Rob #22.

Michael #25 - you failed to answer the points Rob retorted with:

"How is selling all the assets that we own "hearsay"? Or the lack of investment or marketing strategy? Or the failure to find a buyer/investors after TEN years? Or the inability to account for, what, 24 million pounds in "operating costs" by our beloved Bill as he confessed in the recent interview with the Blue Union? Or all the ground-move failures? Or the refurbishment failures for Goodison? Or the failure to provide funds for new players? Or the inability to keep our better players (e.g. Arteta, Pienaar)? "

Go on have another go?

You also failed to answer his final question - rather than dismiss the boards failures raised as "hearsay" - can you point out some of their succeses in the last decade?

Finally you say we have a better squad now than when Bill took over - true, agree with that, but you must accept that it also being ripped apart for the last two years (Arteta, Pienaar, Lescott, Beckford, Yakubu, Vaughan)

Tony it was Eugene and he actually provided evidence to back up his train of thought

Tony, if you want to debate then debate, I also responded to your posting on 31,000 at the Wolves game which oddly enough is you responding to something you didn't agree with from another poster, god forbid an opposing view, pesky thing those.

I know Gavin and I responded with an aberration to his line of thinking.

Yep I responded but I didn't suggest that he had lost his marbles for posting what he did. I put forward a view of what I saw with my own eyes on Saturday, a completely empty upper stand.

Tony there are plenty of visitors that don't bring many and haven't for years, Chelsea being the most shameful but locals like Bolton, Wigan and Blackburn are also shockers for it considering the short distance (I travel myself from near Wigan), the gap of over 5000 blues from the same fixture last season is really worrying.

Seamus #29 ? I didn't think I needed to address each point to get my point across, but here goes:

? Selling all the clubs assets ? Already addressed, this is factually incorrect.

? Marketing strategy ?- Massive steps made compared with where the club was with previous board; you could say this is hearsay on my part but for instance the improvements to the club website and the links with partner companies (Kitbag/188 bet etc) to try and drive additional income is an example of the improved marketing strategy.

? Operating costs are apparently in-line with other similarly sized clubs.

? Inability to find a buyer ? or the consciousness to save us from the wrong buyer on who knows how many occassions?

? Ground move failures ? KD agreed, bad mistake. DK looked for an alternative with our limited resources, put it to fans and didn't go ahead with it on our say so.

? Refurbishment of Goodison ? I'll give you that one, seems like a bit of a cock up.

? Failure to provide funds for new players ? They have spent big several times although this has dried up recently granted.

? Inability to keep our better players/ripping the squad apart ? Arteta looked past his best and we got good money. Pienaar wanted Champions League and is good enough. Lescott... can anyone compete with City's wages? Beckford, Yakubu, Vaughan ? Have you watched these play in the previous two years ? thank god they're off the wage bill.

? Successes - going from relegation candidates to a consistently competitive top half side. Having one of the best academys in the country which is attracting and producing top young talent.

Yes, we could do with a bit of investment to get us going/improve Goodison/buy Finch Farm back but waiting for your secret billionaire to turn up and save us is head-in-the-clouds territory and likely only a short-term solution, 'til they get bored and leave us in the mire. What were City's losses this year?

My solution:? work for the long term, where we operate at a profit each year, continue to invest in Finch Farm and top quality youth. If we have to forego marquee signings to achieve this then so be it.

Michael, you say

"For two decades we have spent nothing" = Lie
We have sold all the assets we own = Lie

Well for 2 decades we have spent nothing that we haven't raised the money for by selling assets, or future earnings. Money for players has only been made available by selling other players (remember Rooney, Lescott?).

The only remaining assets we 'own' are the players and we can't sell all of them or we won't have a team.

So technically, you are correct, but only just.