Everton’s new Executive Chairman, Marc Watts, has written this Open Letter to Everton fans as the takeover by The Friedkin Group is announced:
Dear Evertonians,
We are proud to be the new custodians of your club. Together, we will usher Everton into a new era, one that is marked by ambition and professionalism. As stewards of Everton, we look forward to showing our commitment to the club through actions, not words.
We believe there are exceptional people working in the club. The resilience and commitment shown to get through a challenging period in Everton’s history has been inspiring to see and provides a great foundation for us to build on. The Friedkin Group will take a focused approach, one that is driven by innovation and business experience.
Our long-term vision is to harness the passion of fans and great qualities of the Club to realise Everton’s full potential. Our goals are clear: Strengthening the men’s first-team squad through thoughtful and strategic investment. Cultivating home-grown superstars through Everton’s Academy. Fostering a distinct on-pitch and commercial strategy for the women’s team. Respecting the Club’s traditions and keeping Everton at the heart of the community. Maximising the potential of the new stadium through long-term commercial partnerships and events that benefit the city of Liverpool. Enhancing Everton’s reputation as a unique and historical name in world football.
In the short term, we understand the club has faced significant challenges on and off-the-pitch for several years. That’s why our immediate priority is stabilising the club and improving results on the pitch. We have provided an injection of capital to ensure the completion of the new stadium. The transaction has seen most of Everton’s debt either converted to equity, repaid or refinanced on terms more favourable to the stability of the club.
Whilst there is much work to be done, and PSR [Profitability and Sustainability Rules] remains a limiting factor in the short term, the underlying financial position is now much stronger. On the pitch, we have a lot still to fight for this season and our energies are now focused on maximising the remaining time to drive results. We’re pleased that Colin Chong has agreed to remain in his interim position while we finalise the appointment of a new permanent CEO, which we will update you on in due course. We want to thank Colin, the leadership team and everyone at Everton for their hard work and support.
We also want to thank Farhad Moshiri for his cooperation during the transition and facilitating a new start for Everton. The road ahead of us is long and there will be further challenges to come, but we are committed to living by Everton’s motto: nil satis nisi optimum.