Not The People's Club

Alan Schofield 21/02/2008 34comments  |  Jump to last
I was going to save this for the close season, but with the publication of the new Everton book it seems that now is appropriate. Ok, here?s the dangerous statement I want to make: David Moyes did the club a disservice when he coined the phrase Everton, the People?s Club. Now, before you switch off in disgust, I can get worse. Let me split my argument up into 4 sections:

1. As far as we are concerned, whose club is it? It certainly isn?t ours - The investors own it and Bill holds the purse strings. To us fans, concerned with the performance of the club on the pitch it?s David Moyes?s club. Think about it, Davey picks the team, tactics, subs, etc and decides who to buy (cash willing). So it?s not The People?s Club, it?s David Moyes?s Club.

2. Let's take a rational look at the whole new Stadium Kirkby thing. Picture the scene: it?s the canteen of the Premier League Chairman?s Club. Blue Bill walks in and says, ok lads I?ve decided to move out of Goodison Park and I?ve had this offer from Tesco to build a supermarket with a football stadium in it. "About bloody time," is the general mumbling from the other chairmen.

"When?s this going to happen then?"

"Ah well," says Bill striking up a pose, "We are The People?s Club, so I?m going to let the fans decide!" Cue lots of choking and spluttering into tea, beer, etc. "You stupid bastard, how the hell do they know what?s good for them?" says one. "Just build the bloody thing and then give them all a map with their tickets and tell them to be bloody grateful!"

So there?s the thing: what do WE know? If we use this website as evidence for the feelings of the fans, we had vitriol for and against everything ? the proposals, the stadium design, Kirkby itself, the voting system, the Board, etc.

So where has it left us? At worst, we have a divided fan base, ready to instigate a civil war in order to get their proposals across. At best we will get a new stadium, but where that will be and when is anybody?s guess.

Think it through. The Kirkby proposal will be fought against every step of the way. If Ken decides to consider the ?Loop? or a revamp of Goodison or anywhere else he will by rights have to have another fan vote. By the time we have all decided by a sufficient majority to keep the complaints to a minimum ALL the Premier League games will be played in China and the Middle East and my grandchildren will be approaching retirement.

3. Lets talk about investment. Forget the fact that we, as ticket holders, give the club a weekly (or so) revenue. The money the club gets through the turnstiles will never be enough on its own to sustain it at the level of success that we all want.

Now we all complain that Everton FC hasn?t been taken over by some benevolent sugar-daddy like our beloved red neighbours, so let us move back in time to the fateful meeting between Ken and the shadowy Russian/Thai/American/Saudi mafia boss: "I will buy this club for (fill in magical figure here), but what does it mean, People?s Club?" says potential investor. "Ah well," says Bill, "it?s, erm, the People?s Club, you know, the fans, er, good lads all of ?em."

"No", says money man, "I put up money, it?s my club, sod the fans." Next thing you know they will want a say in how I run the business sorry, club! "Oh, yes," says Bill, "because of the precedent set by the stadium thing, I might have to poll the fans on whether they want your money or not." "Bugger that! I?m off down the road to buy Blackchester City. There will be no fan consultations there AND they won?t complain when I fax down the weekly teamsheet from my villa in the Caymen Islands!"

4. Image. Forget about style of play, success on the pitch and winning trophies raises the profile of the club. Raising the profile brings the potential for investment, both on and off the pitch. It?s not complicated. Success breeds success as they say.

So, we win things, we can negotiate more sponsorship money. We can attract the flair players because here?s the thing: yes, the top of the range players are expensive and want the lifestyle that they think they deserve, but just as badly, they want to win things too. That?s why class players go to Man U and sit on the subs bench, because they know that they will get to hold up a trophy. So at the moment we aren?t winning any trophies. We are improving, so we want to raise our profile with the best that Europe and beyond can offer.

Let's get back to The People?s Club. What exactly does this say about our image as a club hungry for success? Be honest. If we were a car, does People?s Club suggest Ferrari or Mini.

Let's take our history as an image assessment. Using a sliding scale, with The School of Science (flair, winning things) at one end and Joe Royle?s Dogs of War (dogged battles against relegation) at the other ? where does The People?s Club lie?

Don?t forget I?m talking image here not matches and results. Hand on heart, People?s Club is down there with Dogs of War isn?t it? It doesn?t say, This is Everton Football Club: We Play the Best Football In The World ? Come And Play For Us, does it? It might say we are the best football club come and support us, but, to get back to the beginning, we (the people) don?t own, or more importantly play for the club.

What we need is some sort of moniker that expects success and sneers at the rest - and don?t go quoting Latin at me because it?s not that catchy. Something that doesn?t suggest we can?t win things.

Look at our European adventure a few seasons back - "We?re ?avin a laugh," was the slogan. Now excuse me, but that didn?t say to me that we were on the up, challenging on a regular basis for European places and, sure enough as it turned out, we were the only ones not laughing in the end. I rest my case.

So, there we have it. I propose we drop The People?s Club asap and come up with something a lot more feisty and positive. Let the people decide....

Reader Comments

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Peter Corcoran
1   Posted 22/02/2008 at 06:35:45

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What a silly and pointless posting.

The Peoples Club as slogan/log has in fact earned the club many thousands of pounds in merchandising and you want to get rid of it?

Getting rid of a slogan/logo will not make the club bigger or better, it will not make us more saleable, it will not make Bill suddenly decide to get bigger investors in. If you think The Peoples Club is holding us back then you know nothing about commerce, nothing about football and even less about Everton.

How about a new slogan "arrogant bastards club who are going to win everything in sight because we have a new aggressive feisty slogan" - is that more to your liking? That is not Everton Football Club, which is why we are Evertonians.

Are you Tony Marsh in disguise, come to think of where is Tony Marsh, haven’t heard from him for a while?
Andy Hughes
2   Posted 22/02/2008 at 07:08:58

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Jesus wept.
I very much doubt that David Moyes was thinking about the future marketing of the club to potential investors when he made the ’People’s Club’ comment.
peter bourke
3   Posted 22/02/2008 at 07:43:27

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Good Point Peter.
Where is the Imposter.
Mark Stone
4   Posted 22/02/2008 at 08:42:35

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Didn?t he said in response to the fact the the people on the street in Liverpool who he came across (many of whom approached him to wich him luck, welcome him on board etc) where largely Evertonians?
Simon Taylor
5   Posted 22/02/2008 at 08:49:06

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Alan - you sound like a Kopite to me, they’ve always hated the "People’s Club" tag.
Jay Campbell
6   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:06:29

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Worra load of shite that was!
Christopher Mowll
7   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:00:26

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Can I please have the last 3 minutes of my life back that I wasted reading this pointless article? Toffeeweb - please remove this post to save others wasting time reading this nonsense.
micky harkin
8   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:17:23

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i love everton fc so does my partner charlie
jdavies
9   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:30:19

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Alan , when you wipe your arse , do you study the contents of the toilet paper for a while ? Its just shit !
Paul Lenehan
10   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:45:19

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Nonsense. How on earth is it David Moyes? club?
Steve Hogan
11   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:36:32

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My god does this contribution ramble on?

It’s fails to focus on any particular theme but is just a diatribe of ifs buts and maybes.

Just take the ’peoples club’ tag line for what it is, a hastily put together assumption that Moyes made at his first ever press conference within one hour of his appointment being confirmed.

Why so much intense anaysis?
sam morrison
12   Posted 22/02/2008 at 09:55:45

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Sorry Alan but I have to agree with feedback so far. Mixed in there somewhere is some grains of truth but not really enough to justify your point - which itself is quite a manifestation of pedantry and facetiousness.

Should we not be called the Toffees either because we’re not sweet and chewy?
Glenn Clark
13   Posted 22/02/2008 at 10:30:38

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not even worth reading
M J Tyrrell
14   Posted 22/02/2008 at 10:12:55

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Lets, lets, lets, lets, lets!
Neil McKinney
15   Posted 22/02/2008 at 10:33:42

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At first I thought this was going to be tongue-in-cheek, but if it is then it’s not funny enough.

I find myself pondering what would make any Evertonian write this tripe. I’m afraid he sums up the only thing that is wrong with the slogan, people take it too seriously! It was a clever choice of words by Davey at the time and has been adopted as a club slogan. That’s all it is, a few words that draw pride from Toffees and wind up the RS.

All of the History that our club has will not be impacted by a few words uttered by our most recent manager. Nice words, but that’s all they are.

COYB!!
Damian Wilde
16   Posted 22/02/2008 at 12:33:14

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Alan, you need to get out more. What a load of waffle.
Greg Doyle
17   Posted 22/02/2008 at 12:31:51

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Come back with something interesting to say. I would rather do my work than read this!
Alan Codd
18   Posted 22/02/2008 at 12:55:36

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Alex Higgins was coined the phrase "the peoples Champion"
What do you think of that then?
Tony Williams
19   Posted 22/02/2008 at 13:18:46

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Can someone explain what the fook that was about and the point of it?

I have never called a fellow poster a red in disguise before but by fook it is smells lie one, talks like one and walks like one then most of the time it is one.

I get embarassed a little when I hear it but to suggest we drop it is pathetic, as it winds up the red shite no end.

Also why would you think to write that either a)Just before a massive European game but more bizarrely b) After a 6-1 win.
Richard Osborne
20   Posted 22/02/2008 at 13:31:34

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Alan, my mother in law is down at the moment and you’ve confused me more than she does.

I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.
David Edwards
21   Posted 22/02/2008 at 13:14:50

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What a waste of time reading that was! It’s a shame I’m daft enough to waste more time replying to it.

Like a GCE student cribbing off the internet, you trot out the usual anti-board/Kirkby you lot used before the stadium vote and then crow-bar it into the subject of the slogan ’The People’s Club’. With links like that you should be on TOTP2. As for your ficticious dialogue and scenarios - well, they wouldn’t even make the ’Hollyoaks’ draft stage!




It’s a slogan, for heaven’s sake. Is it accurate?...probably not...is there another more appropriate one out there?...probably...but I actually quite like it, because it somehow conjures up the feeling of being part of a family of fans who are not fickle to fashion or success or money, but dedicated to the grand old club whatever it brings (mainly disappointment over the years, but we have faith!).

In discussions with fans of many other clubs, I am increasingly pleased to hear them saying that they are willing us on to get that 4th spot and UEFA Cup success, they like the fact that we are not as fashionable as the Sky 4, despite our history, that we haven’t spent or borrowed enormously, that we are not owned by rich foreigners, that we show commitment to a young manager (6 years almost!), that we are starting to play entertaining football.

I’m not kidding myself that we are suddenly everyone’s 2nd favourite team, but look over our shoulders and those fans are seeing some optimism that given the right balance, then the premier league final placings might not be quite the foregone conclusion some pundits would like us to think they are.

Let’s be positive...the fan base has been split on the stadium question, but I think we are 95% on-board with what is going on at Everton on the pitch at present (and I include all fans in that, not just us sad forum contributors!)

I’ve always been proud to be a blue, and at present I’m doubly proud. Let’s not get bitter about such things now (although holding in all that angst till the close season wouldn’t be doing your blood pressure any good, Alan). In the spirit of togetherness can I suggest a compromise slogan - " The - ’Doing Very Well Despite a Lack of Major Foreign Investment With a Loyal Fanbase but Not as Global as Other Teams and An Exciting Young Manager Improving All The Time and Fully Committed Quality Squad, Although Still Some Reservations About the Tescos Stadium Plans’ - Club. Damn! It won’t fit on T-Shirt!
Lee Cooper
22   Posted 22/02/2008 at 13:40:51

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I think you are all loosing the plot here. Over analysis yes, however we are not the peoples club and we should stop using the bloody word!

Just makes us sound like a bunch of out of date socialist wannabees and a throwback to days well gone by when you could see the game for two bob.

We already have a slogan that represents a true blue, and that’s displayed on our badge! Lets have a campaign to ditch "the peoples club" and translate Nil Satis Nisi Optimum to English so it’s more relevant!

If Moyes mentioned that last night maybe our defense wouldn’t have been so haphazard!
Scott Eves
23   Posted 22/02/2008 at 16:39:41

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Pointless, pointless, pointless. When Moyes coined the phrase he was referring not to the ownership of the club but to the fact the man on the street supports Everton and the man on the street in Scandanavia supports LFC!

Why translate Nil Satis Nisi Optimum... we know what it means and those who don't, don't matter
Tony Williams
24   Posted 22/02/2008 at 17:11:40

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Amen to that Brother Scott
Trudy Boston
25   Posted 22/02/2008 at 17:26:21

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Somebody said once moyes came out with that phrase "to wind up the pinkies across the park" or in other words to incite liverpool. I think its a nice phrase and does factually illustrate that the city of liverpool is full of evertonians, some RS fans of course but theyre in the minority.

The peoples club is a good and realistic motto for the best club on merseyside.
Tony Williams
26   Posted 22/02/2008 at 17:34:27

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Lets put it into context, it was a throw away line from Moyes that was immediately picked up by the media.

It pissed the red shite off so much and it was being paraded on banners so the club probably thought, "Fuck it, lets use it for a while"

It can be cringeworthy sometimes but by fuck it is funny watching a redshite?s face turn crimson just at the mere mention of these three words
Rob Jones
27   Posted 22/02/2008 at 17:28:07

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My god I was running on a piss poor dial up with mcafee downloads going, dyou know how long it took to read that piece of crap?

Ask most chairmens what theyr?e honestly after when they take over a club, up there with Trophies and Money is A LOYAL FANBASE, that isn?t going to put them off.
John Murphy
28   Posted 22/02/2008 at 19:30:14

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Perhaps the WORST article that I have ever seen!!!!!
Andy MacFarlane
29   Posted 22/02/2008 at 19:22:24

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Alan, hmmm.. as with all posts on this website, sometimes they irritate me so much, I wonder why I keep logging on. But, then, I keep thinking, "we?re all True Blues. Diverse opinions. BUT we have a forum in this website that is possibly unique to other Football Clubs. ANGST and all! Frustrations and all! Some talking complete Bollocks and all...."

Then it kinda struck me. You made some good points there, but missed one obvious one. This site is a testament to the passion yet diversity of our fanbase. We aren?t "yes people". We aren?t ignorant foreign (sorry, don?t want to seem xenophobic, ?cos I?m not) "fair weather fans" (e.g the majority of the Redshite followers).

Most Everton SUPPORTERS are truly Merseyside- (and its environs) -based people. All other followers from around the world are welcomed to our "family", but we have our roots HERE.. Merseyside. It doesn?t matter who might, from time to time, own the majority shareholding, although I?d rather have a John Moores, or (for all his irritating faults) a Bill Kenwright than a Merchant Bank or a Mafia Crook.

No matter who is the transient "owner" of our Club, our HISTORY will ensure that the fanbase has a major part to play in (I hate to use the words) "Brand Image" of Everton. Let?s use "The Peoples? Club" label for all its worth. I?m proud of it.

Robert Hughes
30   Posted 22/02/2008 at 20:21:35

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Are you a kopite in disguise????????????????
Kevin Egan
31   Posted 22/02/2008 at 20:29:00

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This is almost as bad as the petition to "get rid of Kevin Ratcliffe off Channel 5 commentary "- surely both wind ups to create controversy and responses
robert carney
32   Posted 22/02/2008 at 20:57:59

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Peoples Club; , I will get barred from site if I really went into it.

As a slogan, cash in. The rest fuck off.
Dave Randles
33   Posted 23/02/2008 at 00:28:26

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And you point is what exactly?

Taxi for Schofield...
Michael Watson
34   Posted 23/02/2008 at 04:09:35

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Wow, that was a painful article to read. I still have no idea what point was trying to be made. Here’s the facts: Moyes is a great manager; Sorry, but Everton needs a new stadium (yeah, you’re gonna have to manage the extra mile commmute!); Kenright is actually a pretty good owner (you’d prefer a filthy Russian Jew gangster or ignorant American?). C’mon, enough of the bullshit, this is the 21st century not 1878 (God bless 1878!).
Steve Barton
35   Posted 23/02/2008 at 04:46:37

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I read the first paragraph and thought wtf.
Then went straight down to people's comments/postings, glad I did!
Paul Quinn
36   Posted 23/02/2008 at 12:03:26

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The People?s Club - Stipes Publicus
Trudy Boston
37   Posted 23/02/2008 at 16:17:43

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Fair enough. We are not the peoples club or anybodys for that matter. Moyes after recently coming from preston north end wanted to make a bold statement that would draw attention, not neccessarily to cause umbrage to any parties, no matter how near they may be. Liverpool may seem to disike the slogan or maybe its just that they simply are not that bothered about it. Im leaning towards the latter.

Ive had a change of heart.
Carl Fitzpatrick
38   Posted 24/02/2008 at 13:13:31

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For me "the peoples club" meant EFC are supported by the people of Merseyside, pure and simple.
If you know your history, the supporters of Everton have never been anywhere near the decision-making process, and never will. If i was the owner of this club there is no way I would let anybody else tell me how to run it, and that is the same for any club ? except Newcastle, and look at the state they?re in. Get real and stop whingeing.
Colin Grierson
39   Posted 24/02/2008 at 16:03:32

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I had to stifle an involuntary boo reading that Alan.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I couldn?t hold it in for too long!

Behave yourself man, it doesn't matter who owns or manages the team. WE will still support them. End of...
Joel Mcglone
40   Posted 24/02/2008 at 20:37:12

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At first I loved it but now I despise it. This is because of what the People’s Club actually means. To me it means supported by the people of the city.
Over the park however - the reds have fans worldwide - but that is the price of success. In which case, being the People’s club merely indicates are lack of fans globally - which in turn - stems from the lack of sucess that the blues have. When Moyes said this, we simply clung onto it because we had nothing else - we then had the tag put on banners around the ground - quite pathetic really. The reds are laughing at this phrase now.
I want trophies - not slogans!
Kevin Chung
41   Posted 25/02/2008 at 02:58:59

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Wow. You just brought a whole new meaning to the word stupid.

You’re definitely a RS supporter. Cause stupid and RS comes hand in hand.


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