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Fans
Comment
Chuffed To Be
Blue
ToffeeWeb has been asked to publish the following collective letter from the Chuffed to be Blue website.
Dear Mr
Elstone,
On behalf
of 150
independently
gathered
Everton fans,
we feel that
the club have
shown utter
disrespect and
contempt for
their
supporters
over the last
few days.
In particular
the club's
news
"management"
on their
official site
when "new
faces"
and a
"new
striker"
were
announced,
were in
particularly
bad taste.
Furthermore,
the length of
time that has
elapsed
between news
of transfer
activity
appearing on
other sites
such as Sky
Sports and BBC
Sport and its
subsequent
confirmation
on the
Official Site
has rendered
the Official
Site almost
redundant as a
source of
breaking news.
This complaint
is reinforced
by the
confusion over
the current
speculation
surrounding
Per Kroldrup
where
Fiorentina
announced the
completion of
the deal
before
interest was
even
officially
confirmed by
the club.
While we are
acutely aware
that
publishing
available
funds serves
only to
inflate
transfer fees
demanded by
other clubs
for potential
signings (and
that this is
further
exacerbated in
the January
window), the
contradictory
statements
emanating from
the club
concerning the
availability,
or lack of
transfer funds
has
contributed to
a growing
sense of
disillusionment
and
uncertainty
amongst
supporters.
For example,
while there
have been no
signings since
the club
announced its
official
interest in
Kuyt and Owen,
statements
have been
issued to the
effect that
very few
transfer funds
are available.
It is surely
stretching
credulity of
supporters to
suggest that
the transfer
of players of
their calibre
could be
agreed with
only a small
fee up front
and the rest
spread out or
contingent on
achievement.
The
consequence of
this is that
subsequent
announcements
issued by the
club
confirming
interest in
players of
quality are
now met with
derision by
the majority
of fans who
perceive them
as
"phantom
bids" or
appeasing
'smokescreens'.
In light of
this, the
decision by
the website to
provide
summary
updates on the
transfer
dealings of
other
Premiership
clubs while
keeping us
completely in
the dark as to
the
actions/inactions
of our own
club serves
only to rub
salt in the
wounds of
supporters who
had approached
this season
with eager
anticipation.
The club has
always been
keen to repeat
its
"People's
Club"
mantra, but if
this is to be
more than
empty
marketing
rhetoric, then
it is crucial
that the fans
continue to
feel a valued
part of the
club and
treated with
the
appropriate
respect.
Behind-the-scenes
disarray has
been an
unfortunate
sideshow to
the club's
football over
recent years
and it was
hoped that the
on-the-pitch
success of
last season
would enable
the club to
develop as a
whole.
However,
recent events
suggest that
this is not
the case. It
is ironic then
that all this
has coincided
with a recent
upturn in form
by the team,
though it is
the opinion of
many
supporters
that this has
been achieved
"in spite
of"
rather than
"because
of" the
actions by the
club.
Yours
sincerely
Chuffed To Be
Blue
www.chuffedtobeblue.com
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"Fans
Comment"
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�2006
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