Criticizing Kenwright

Adam Cunliffe 07/04/2008 50comments  |  Jump to last
I was recently reading an article by Kevin Sparke which I personally thought was a very good article and couldn?t help but notice the comment made by Bill Green. I think that to criticize Kenwright is absolutely ludicrous.

Of course, Kenwright could have sold us out to a Russian Billionaire or to some Texan oil tycoon but Kenwright, unlike so many other Premier league chairman, has Everton?s best interests at heart. He came from the days when Everton were genuine challengers on all fronts and where money was nowhere near as much as a factor as it is nowadays.

Take Leeds United a few years back; they spent millions and millions on trying to buy the Premier League and are now in League One fighting for promotion. Do we really want to be in the same position as Liverpool in the respect that one season in which we finish outside the top four would spell major financial worry?

What Kenwright and Moyes have done for Everton is what so many clubs long for, they have brought financial stability to a club that for the past 15 years has been more associated with relegation battles than the recent fight for fourth place.

In giving Moyes a transfer kitty of roughly 10 million for the past few seasons he has enabled Moyes to gradually build a team in his own mould but still not let the club run up major debts. I personally think he should be commended for that, not slated for apparently lining his pockets.

Of course, every chairman in the Premiership will gain from the increased money in the game but Kenwright, who is probably one of the Premiership?s poorest chairmen, can?t be expected to put every penny he has into Everton. But more importantly he does give his heart and soul into guiding us in the right direction.

All the Kenwright haters should take one look at Leeds United and realize the good Kenwright has done for Everton in the long term. We have more than 100 years of top flight footballing history behind us, more than any other club. We shouldn?t jeopardize our future just to enhance our present.

Whilst it torments us to see Man Utd win league titles and it tortures us to see Liverpool win the Champions League, we will be the ones having the last laugh in a few years when their American owners get tired and pack their bags and head off home and nobody is interested in buying such debt riddled clubs as the two previously mentioned.

Although we haven?t won anything under Moyes and Kenwright, what the pair have done for the club is worth more than a trophy, they?ve turned us around from fighting to get to fourth from bottom, to fighting for fourth from top in 6 years. And whichever way you looked at it, that?s one hell of an improvement.

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Roy Coyne
1   Posted 07/04/2008 at 22:58:39

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I agree that Mr Moyes has done a good job, despite Kenwright rather than because of. You Ignore all the asset selling that has been done; when Mr Kenwright became owner we owned Goodison Park, Bellefield, sold our own sports gear ie shirts etc... not any more. We are actually renting our training ground and a few other things also he promised us the Fortress Sports Fund investment and that he was looking 24/7 into investment yet all he has done is deceive us on countless occasions. They have all been listed before so I won't bore you again. He is a very disappointing chairman.

Another one of his pledges: Rooney is ours oops; the dock stadium fiasco, let's not forget his part in that... and you say when the Americans go leaving massive debt with Kirkby? We will be in the same boat so please tell me what has he done that's outstanding? We have improved because of Mr Moyes's astuteness in the transfer market with by Premier standards, with minimum assistance from Bill.

Steve Ryan
2   Posted 07/04/2008 at 23:15:14

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Moyes has turned us around; not Kenwright. The recent transfer money came from Sky, bank loans, personal loans and the sale of our assets both on and off the field; not from Kenwright. Do you realise how much debt the club currently has? The astonishing gullability of supporters like you Adam is why we are now faced with this Kirkby debacle and mounting debt.
Kevin Mitchell
3   Posted 07/04/2008 at 22:57:37

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I?m inclined to agree with your assesment on Kenwrights and Moyes achievments on the field, what we would have given for this a couple of years ago when sleepless nights about relegation were normal.

However, I?m now having sleepless nights over Kirkby which is all down to Kenwright again. You see Adam, I?m one of many thousands (and growing daily) of supporters who truly believe this move will kill the Everton we all know. The reasons have been well argued on here for the last 12 months. Every day I switch the radio on and buy a paper in the hope that Kenwright has come to his senses and dropped the whole thing.
It looks like I?m turning your article into the ground move debate but I?m struggling to get any positive thoughts on our future while this ground move is hanging around.

Gerard Madden
4   Posted 07/04/2008 at 23:30:40

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Good article and very true - move away from small boards like this and ’out there’ in the real world most blues arn’t talking about Kenwright (or Wyness) - why? Its because they’re doing a grand job, look at the RS with their impending £750m+ debt (takeover + stadium debt), and compare that with the relatively small amount of additional debt that Kirkby will bring us. Most fellow blues I speak to and go the match with are of the opinion things are coming on just nicely at the moment - we should qualify for Europe again, new training ground open and soon a new stadium - things simply couldnt be brighter at the mo and thats thanks to Moysie AND the board.
Robert Carney
5   Posted 07/04/2008 at 23:33:01

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ADAM, were have you been hiding.

If you cannot see the shit this club is in because of the present leadership low and behold. This season we have added in the region of £30 million pounds to what was an already unstable ship. Add the potential £100 million pounds for the Kirkby stadium over the next four years and no assets of our own. Were on earth does that leave us.
If soccer implodes on the back of the present financial crisis worldwide Everton will no longer excist. Sky and Setanta money is keeping us afloat. How long is that bubble going to last?
Anthony Newell
6   Posted 07/04/2008 at 23:42:05

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Adam, have a walk past the site of the new Echo Arena on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey and consider all of Kenwright’s promises. I was very grateful when Kenwright came in and put his arse on the line but ever since then it’s been one lie after the other (Kings Dock, Fortress, 24/7, Rooney, not being the guy to take us out of the City, and now the farce that is Kirkby). Kenwright is prepared to mortgage the club to it’s knees and all for what? - for a fucking cow shed in Kirkby which will spell the beginning of the end. Have a quiet word with yourself
Dan Boyle
7   Posted 08/04/2008 at 00:28:30

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Adam, you have kinda hit the nail on the head without knowing it. Bill Kenwright is exactly what Everton needs, and exactly what it doesn?t need.

We need someone with the passion and love he has for the club, but we also need someone with the money and business acumen to make the sensible business decisions and have the cahoonas and money to give Moyes instincts on a whim...

To be honest, looking at the stats over the last 10 years, I am pretty happy with where we are now (current *tired* results aside) and hope Bill gets a good business partner to put the final piece in the jigsaw:- Great Manager, Passionate Chairman and large wallet with a love of the game and an acknowledgement and understanding of our great history.

No big ask then eh?
Ciaran Duff
8   Posted 08/04/2008 at 00:47:31

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Jeez, I wouldn’t like to be Bill. He seems to be the whipping boy for everyone’s frustration. Give the guy a break. On the one hand he gets a bollocking for getting the club into debt but on the other he "needs to provide the funds for Moyes to takes us to the next level". If he sells assets to try to reduce debt and fund a modern training facility he gets a bollocking (BTW, leasing back assets & buildings is a fairly standard business practice).
He gets a bollocking for Rooney even though its pretty obvious that the prick wanted to leave.
You may not agree with the Kirkby decision but he (and the rest of the club including Moyes) are doing that to improve the long term viability of the club. Nobody is saying that it is perfect or that it won’t cost money but given our current situation it is the most financially viable option. Common sense would tell you that redeveloping Goodison will cost more and take longer. I wonder why RS aren’t redeveloping Anfield? You can argue about the various figures bit it also seems common sense to me that a greenfield site with Tesco building at cost and a council who are interested will be better than the other local options (eg The Loop etc). I’ve said this a number of times and gotten no response - WHY THE FUCK WOULD BK WANT TO MOVE US TO KIRKBY IF IT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CLUB? Does someone have some other ulterior motive?
Finally, don’t try the divide and conquer tactics. Moyes and Kenwright (and the rest of the club) are working as one. If Moyes wasn’t happy with the state of the club, the chairman, the move etc he would have walked by now.
Julie Naybour
9   Posted 08/04/2008 at 03:45:10

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Adam - someone with a bit of sense at last. Totally agree with your article.
Peter Bradshaw
10   Posted 08/04/2008 at 04:01:10

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I have been reading through the above comments, opinions are that we cant have foreign investment because we might do a Leeds. I would personally like to do a Chelsea, This club is doing alright with foreign investment. It has taken us six years to get to this point, where do we go to now, we cannot attract higher class players because we dont have the wage structure, can we keep our better players all have signed long deals? but that means we will get top price for them if they want to leave. We bring in one or two class players each year, each year are original staff are getting older and maybe not as hungry, are we then just standing still, 4th only is not enough I was lucky to see the 1984 onwards and have woken up in some "different" places because of it. I want the glory days to come back and a stadium in Liverpool. We need strong investment, television has got to last "forever" and to do that we have got to make this league the best in the world by attracting the best players, but only the clubs with investment can afford to buy them.
Bill, you are a nice fella and you are a great Evertionian but we need more than that now, MONEY to challenge the Big 3 or 4. Moyes is he the way forward too with investment, I think so with the right #2.
Finally look at it this way once you have got as far as you can the only way is backwards. I dont want a Wimbledon or a Coventry again especially at my age. Remember the club motto do we have the best of not how do we get it?
Frank McGregor
11   Posted 08/04/2008 at 03:59:27

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An excellent article Adam. Bill Kenwright has done an excellent job on all fronts because he has Everton Football Club at heart and the move away from tired, old, dirty, and very poor facilities at Goodison is a must. The people opposed to the move and who have generated so much venom against Kenwright seem to have a motive that is not the love of Everton Football Club but Money and business they will be losing if and when the move takes place.
Ciaran Duff
12   Posted 08/04/2008 at 05:39:50

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Peter, I’m not trying to be personal here - actually your post seems to represent the view of quite a few Evertonians - but you are starting to sound like Veruka Salt in the original Charlie & the Choc factory film. Just to jog your memory her song was:-
"Don’t care how, I want it now".
I want Everton to stay in my back yard, I want Everton to have lots of money to compete with the Sky4, I want a big billionaire to come and sweep me off my feet. Get real. It aint gonna happen. Got any billionaires lined up? How about Robert Mugabwe - I heard he may be looking for a new home, has a few bucks tucked away and he’s a dab hand at running elections.
Even if there was dodgy Thai, Russian, Zimbabwean billionaire around (which I have heard no news reports about) would we really want them? You’d have SFA say in the running of the club and they can walk anytime it suits them. BK & Moyes are trying to gradually build a sustainable club & team. Regular European qualification, regular top 5 or 6 finishes, hopefully creeping in to no 4, building a decent stadium to increase our corporate and fan attendance etc. Whats your plan?
Alan Willo
13   Posted 08/04/2008 at 07:59:00

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Ciaran, fact is they have no plan at all and every week I see posts slagging the club off and BK and it just points to all sensible fans that they have no plan B, No sugar daddy waiting in the sidelines and no corporate sponsor. BK and EFC board are trying to improve the club within its means "cut our cloth accordingly" and due to the income streams being small then we have to go to companies such as Tesco for assistance. Kings Dock was the answer but EFC and LCC didn?t have the money, plus LFC wanted the same investment we would be getting at KD and they even muted a move to Warrington (Burtonwood) to panic LCC so sadly this project was far too large and we all missed out BK included. I like BK a lot but sadly the only negative I have against him is he doesn?t and £500 million in the bank! We will get investment moving forward but only if we have a new stadium be that Kirkby or Walton Park. I’m very happy BK is the Chairman, also don?t forget he takes no wage for his role and this just tells you how committed he is to EFC. COYB
Peter Bradshaw
14   Posted 08/04/2008 at 08:10:10

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Hi Ciaran, I think you are missing the point, the best will in the world this will be as far as Bill can take us on the funds he has available. Read the last line ’do we have the best" err no " how are we going to get the best" by investment that we can use
Can you say that Portsmouth, Man City and Queens Park Rangers are more of a sounder investment than Everton.
And yes Goodison is a hole, Kings Dock wouldve been nice but Kirkby, would you like to park your car on Cherryfield Drive?
Was Veruka Roy Kinnears daughter? cant remember, shyte film
Andy Fearns
15   Posted 08/04/2008 at 08:46:47

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Peter Bradshaw
"would you like to park your car on Cherryfield Drive?"
WTF is that supposed to mean.

Chris Briddon
16   Posted 08/04/2008 at 09:08:36

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Alan, yes there are people slagging Bill off every week, but its usually the same people with the same arguements over and over again.

And to be honest you are as bad in your post with ’fact is they have no plan’. Now unless you are on the board of EFC you cannot possibly know what plans they have and therefore can’t make such statements decalring them as fact.

People say they have no plan B, well, as far as I can see Liverpool have no plan B, Arsenal had no plan B. when you are talking about stadium moves, why do you need a plan B all of a sudden, no-one else has!
David Kiely
17   Posted 08/04/2008 at 09:18:03

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Unbelivably naive. This club has bee run on the sale of our assets since Kenwright darkened the boardroom doorway as "majority owner". A complete and utter disaster from day one.

What?s the solution? I dont know, but I do know Kenwright isn?t part of it.
Tim Lloyd
18   Posted 08/04/2008 at 09:12:47

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Why do we continually get this rubbish talk of Billionaires required to take on Everton FC Where are these billionaires?

What we have and it seems likely will continue to have unless a miracle happens, is a committed Evertonian (Bill) who will use what influence he has to further the cause of the club he loves equally as much as the moaners on this site.

Just consider,what are you lot actually doing to further the cause of Everton F.C.? Moan, criticise but nothing of any practical value. You turn up at the turnstiles band pay your dues, you watch a match, as good as at the majority of clubs so the club owes you nothing more.

If you want to help, be constructive. Most, tho? maybe not all, speak from total ignorance and this incessant critiicising simply makes fellow supporters feel bad.

Wake up and as they say, smell the coffee, we are fifth and with a faint chance could even be fourth. Cast your mind back just a very few years, no improvement???
Tom Hughes
19   Posted 08/04/2008 at 08:44:41

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I have nothing against Bill Kenwright personally. He?s a blue like the rest of us, and I feel certain that his intentions are honourable. However, I feel he has been grossly misguided, and would question is ability to oversee the stadium issue.

He has confessed on a number of occasions that even his major business transactions when managing big theatre productions are written on the back of an envelope, and conducted by word of mouth among friends and associates. He gets by on experience, passion and instinct with very little science/business acumen involved, which has worked well for him in that environment. It has to be said that during his tenure, and before when he was still a board member he has presided over some horrendous periods in this club?s history.

Moyes has helped him paint the rosiest possible picture of a club that is quite literally nearer administration/bankrupcy than ever before. There is nothing unusual about that in football, but it is an undeniable fact that our club is perched on a knife?s edge. The well documented cock-ups, missed opportunities and worse that have brought us to this point cannot be ignored simply because Davey Moyes has performed miracles in getting us closer to the big boys than we?ve been for years. He could just as easily achieved that at our new Kings Dock stadium, and how much better prepared we would now be to step up that extra gear to overtake our nearest rivals?

The latest charade is the biggest illustrator of how he operates. He stated himself at the AGM that Kirkby grew out of a brief conversation with his friend Leahy, whereupon the Tesco boss was essentially given license to go and build a stadium for EFC. This was formalised by way of an exclusivity deal. The full consequences of this act have never really been exposed. Why would anyone do this? How would you ever know if you?re getting the best deal possible? Would you restrict your options to one shop when going shopping? Why would a "deal of the century" need protecting by an exclusivity clause? It?s a contradiction in terms....... Surely it can?t be bettered, and is safe to withstand any competition and comparison, in fact you would probably encourage comparison if only to reinforce its obvious merits.

As we now know, the Tesco deal is not the utopia it was painted, nothing like it. Leahy knew this would always be the case that?s why he insisted on protecting it with exclusivity, that?s why he and Wyness have conducted a campaign to squash any opposition, and avoid any comparison with any other option since he knew that Kirkby could not stand up to it, the precise opposite of what you would expect from the best, indeed ONLY option possible.

The whole decison-making process has been conducted back to front. Creating "A problem to fit the solution" instead of vice versa. Now we are left with a stadium project that WILL cost us more than redevelopment, that WILL cost us more than the Loop site, that WILL NOT be more accessible than the current Stadium nevermind the the "most accessible in the country".

This would have all been avoided if the club had initially approached the issue from an open-minded angle and properly studied all the options via independent advisors, and not just Tesco?s. A design competition, would have generated any number of solutions to redevelopment for the same cost of Kirkby or at least given figures for comparison (In actual fact the redevelopment feasibility study is dated many months after the vote and is conducted by Tesco?s consultants). It would also have notified potential investors like Bestway at the Loop, and Sainsbury?s at WHP to throw their hat into the ring.

Does anyone honestly believe Kirkby would have got more than 5% of a vote compared to any of these options? That?s why we were railroaded into a one option vote.

There are a lot of people saying very little about all these revelations at the moment, watch out for the biggest arse-covering exercise since King?s Dock collapsed.... Devoted blues or not!!

Neil Adderley
20   Posted 08/04/2008 at 10:01:45

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Tom Hughes - Fantastic post.

I genuinley hope that posts such as the above by Tom, will encourage some more Evertonians to remove the blinkers and take in the wider picture.

As more and more Blues are discovering, blind faith is a dangerous thing.

Viarán Kandersharian
21   Posted 08/04/2008 at 10:22:04

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To parahprase you article... what you're actually saying is that we should be thankful for having a mediocre budget and be rejoiceful that Kenwright has given us his ?heart and soul?...

I think i just shed a tear.

One thing that particularly annoys me is whenever people trot out the moronic Leeds United excuse for not spending money on NEEDED players!

If BK cannot fund a Premier League team then he should sell it to someone who can... there?s absolutely no place for grand pathos and heartfelt pap whenever Everton football team is the thing that suffers!

ps: You?d possibly want to do some research on the extent of Leeds debt and the kamikaze tactics they employed before making such an erroneous comparison with us.... Spending £40 mill on transfers in a season in which we?ll earn £50mill from Sky alone is hardly ?doing a 'Leeds?..

All in all, a pretty poor article.
Ciaran McGlone
22   Posted 08/04/2008 at 10:30:31

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I just shed another tear there when someone mentioned that BK doesnt take a wage....

I?m sure the 5 or 600% return on his original 8 million will make up for it when he eventually sells...

And my guess is that will be as soon as Sky move towards team season tickets...and an Alan Sugar type turns up with a wad of cash.
Alex May
23   Posted 08/04/2008 at 11:26:19

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Unbelievable! If, like I did last week, you find yourself sitting in the excellent Ventlina Arena, home of Schalke 04, that is all the reason you need to despise Kenwright.

This was the stadium on which the King?s Dock was to be based, but BK is the reason that we are not playing there now. Instead, BK wants to shunt us off to Kirkby, a move he once opposed to the extent of contributing money to GfE. Why? Because it allows him to retain control.

BK is also the man responsible for the NTL disaster where funds were given to Smith before the deal was signed. We now have a £30m loan that will incur £38m in interest charges!

BK is the man whose financial abilities lead to the appointment of Trevor Birch, an insolvency expert? Did I hear you mention finacial probity?

Moyes has had a net spend of £26m during his 6 years in charge. Kenwright owes Moyes everything. This cannot be maintained if this club is to have any hope of prospering.

We have a chairman who will brazenly lie to shareholders to maintain the position for which he is so ill-equiped. The FSF/Chris Samuelson farce was a lie perpetrated solely to keep control of the club. True, there are bad owners out there, but is Randy Lerner one of those? He was interested in buying the club. Instead, we have to seek approval from Spurs fan, Robert Earl before signing anybody. This is yet more debt.

As others have said, the phrase about ?doing a Leeds? is trotted out thoughtlessly by Kenwright apologists everywhere.

All in all, an incredibly naive post and while people believe it, it is to the detriment of our club.
Damian Wilde
24   Posted 08/04/2008 at 12:25:00

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Good article and some good points afterwards. Dan Boyle seems to get the balance and Ciaran some good points. Tom Hughes, sorry but I didn’t have the time to read the post, too long. If he’s so shite though, why don’t you be his PA, you seem to have a fair amount of expertise? I reckon with you alll our worries would be sorted.

At the end of the day, we’d love to be top, but because of many variables, we’re not. Every fucker thinks they should win everything, there’s a fair amount of competition! Considering the facts, 5th isn’t too bad. Ah well, come on the Arse and let’s hope we do the Brums on Sat. COYB.

PS Some people love focussing on only the negatives and completely dismiss any positives, look at your thinking styles!
Roy Coyne
25   Posted 08/04/2008 at 12:18:41

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Alex May and Tom Hughes great posts sadly some people look at the table and think everything is rosey, We are going to be in deep trouble should the tv deals dry up and the banks come calling. the actions taken by Wyness are more likely to cause us to do a Leeds. No-one on here not supporting Bill has advocated mass spending. He has not got the cash fair enough and he wants to retain control. Again it's his club but by selling everything we have for short term benefit is folly and the debt that Kirkby places on the club scares me. I do not mind moving even out of the city if It was just us and the ground belonging to us but Tesco deciding what we need? It's so wrong.
Tom Hughes
26   Posted 08/04/2008 at 12:45:04

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Damian,
ADS perhaps? Didn’t say he was shite, and doubt his PA earns half as much as me, nor gets 7 months of the year off so I wont be applying if you don’t mind...... hope this is short enough for you.
Chris Briddon
27   Posted 08/04/2008 at 12:48:51

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Im sorry Roy, but to say we are in deep trouble should the tv deals dry up and the banks come calling Is just pathetic.

Every single club in the premiership is in trouble should that ever be the case, as that’s where most of their money comes from. If Liverpool or Man Utd don’t qualify for the champions league, they would have financial problems as they need the income from it.
Waht Leeds did was spend money to try and guarantee CL income, but when they missed out on the CL their income couldn’t cover the vast amount of money they spent. Hence we ’cut our cloth accordingly’ to use one of Bills phrases.
Eugene Ruane
28   Posted 08/04/2008 at 12:46:22

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Until now, I thought those Viz characters were all pure invention

Seems not.

The Viz character with the Christian name ?Terry?, MUST be based on Damian Wilde.

Damian says he didn?t have time to read Tom Hughes post as it was ?too long?.

I bet Damian is immediately distracted when he sees something shiny.

I?m also reckon he must spend half his life wiping drool from his shoes.

Alan Willo
29   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:05:20

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Why do fans who back BK and voted Yes to the move are called blinkered or don?t care? Apparently we don?t see the real picture and all those others who drink in the Wimslow do!! Come on face facts EFC is a Ltd company that has private shareholders and they don?t need to fill in every percentage of any deal to the patrons or customers like me. We are moving to Kirkby if the plan goes through unless we find a sack of money from a sugar daddy. If you don?t have the money to play in the big league then you either borrow or get a commercial sponsor we have done both so that?s shows they are committed to EFC getting better its just a long drawn out process. Any party can knock BK as much as you like but without a sugar daddy then our options are limited to hot air a bit like KEIOC. Good luck to BK’ if I was you I would sell up and become an associate Director and enjoy the footy without the constant abuse. Can you imagine any billionaire wanting to take over us with all the attacks he will receive, I guess not. COYB
Paul McCann
30   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:37:00

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Chris Briddon,

Excellent post. Should Sky’s millions suddenly stop then every single club in the top flight will be in the shit, not just us.

Tom Hughes,

Your right Tom, every stadium option should have been investigated. I still think it will probably be back to the drawing board, as I cannot see Kirkby being granted planning permission without a long, expensive, and dispiriting review, probably at governmental level, like Brighton.

The lack of a thorough review of every stadium option, along with NTL/Kings Dock/FSF!!!/Asset stripping/Merchandising... suggests that both BK and KW are lacking in even the most basic business acumen.

My question is, what?s the alternative to the current regime? I, like you, cannot believe that BK does not have the interests of the club at heart. What we need is a Randy Lerner, someone who will take a back seat, and build gradually. If the rumours about his interest are true then BK?s motives would have to be questioned. Trouble is, none of us will ever really know. As for Peter Bradshaw?s ?I would personally like to do a Chelsea?, I can think on nothing worse.
Ciarán McGlone
31   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:30:42

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Alan,

Football clubs are not normal companies and they do not have a normal customer base...to compare them with such is misleading.

People can say, ’It’s Bill’s club he can do what he likes’....and to an extent that rhetoric is true....but to suggest he can do what he likes without consequences from the people who pay for Bill’s eventual profit margin, is stupid in the extreme.

Whether football clubs have a single owner or a board, are private or a PLC, there is ownership is never that simple.

Fans keep clubs afloat and owners cannot bite the hand that feeds them...because eventually they’ll bite back....

Clubs are nothing without their fans. Something BK could do well to remember.
Tom Hughes
32   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:37:05

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Alan,
You’re only blinkered if you fail to respond to the evidence..... as you just did, and as many yes voters do when trying justify a decision they made blind, prior to knowing half what we now do. Incidentally, I am a shareholder, I know no-more than you!
Chad Schofield
33   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:21:46

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Tom Hughes - brilliant.

The Kirkby move has been sold on the back on a vote they said was simply to keep options of moving from Goodison alive... We might as well start up AFC Everton now (OK perhaps a little dramatic).

It’s been a good if not great season in many respects, but whilst I’d like to think BK has not sold us up the river on this one, people will do nasty things for money.
Ed MacDonald
34   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:54:21

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Two words - KING’S DOCK! ! !

Biggest missed opportunity in the history of any football club anywhere. He stuffed it up and gave us Kirkby.
Wendy Butler
35   Posted 08/04/2008 at 13:51:36

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If Sir John Moores was still around EFC WOULD NOT be in this predicament. Kenwright is a luvvy not a hard headed business man.
Kings Dock is well documented. Who remembers his line "I was two hours away from signing the NTL deal when it collasped"!
Can anyone explain what Wyness does to collect his Kings ransom - up significantly from last year.
I say BK GO and take the rest of the Board with you.
Ciaran Duff
36   Posted 08/04/2008 at 14:03:07

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Tom,
Good reasoned response but let me ask you to consider the following.
Point 1 - You are basically saying that BK is financially naive/incompetent at running a large complex business. You may be right or wrong but the point is that he is not making this decision on his own. He would need to convince other directors, the manager, banks even Tesco & Knowsley Council. I doubt that some hair brained scheme is going to get off the drawing board.
Point 2 - Missed opportunities - yes true but I don’t think he can take all the responsibility for Kings Dock for example. He was also the one he brought in Moyes, stuck with him, added quality to the squad, provide EFC with a decent training facility etc. Credit where its due.
Point 3 - The exclusivity agreement - I’d imagine that was for us to show Tesco that we were really interested and so that they could continue to plan around us.
Point 4 - Being open minded to other options. Fair enough but haven’t we been looking around for a suitable site for years? How come all of these options come out of the woodwork AFTER we decide to move.
Point 5 - Goodison redevelopment/Loop costing us the same as Kirkby. Pardon my ignorance but where are you getting the figures from? It just makes no sense to me. Tesco are providing us with a stadium at cost price and we do the fit out! How come RS are not redeveloping Anfield? Apart from the cost, there is the time taken, loss of income during renovation and planning approval which brings me to my last point.
Point 6 - Another reason than Everton want to move is because they feel they can do business with the council. It seems that LCC have done us no favours over the years - look at Bellefield planning application now! Imagine having to deal with them for building or redeveloping a stadium!
One final point - It is in the interest of Tesco & Knowsley Council to make this work for EFC. It is not in their interest for us to go broke.
Ciarán McGlone
37   Posted 08/04/2008 at 14:57:27

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sorry namesake,

But you keep stating that Tesco are providing a stadium at cost price...and WE ONLY have to do the fit.

Now, i know the information coming out has been slight, misleading and even contradictory....but its obvious now that Tesco will in fact be providing very little other than the land..which they will still own.

What is in Tesco’s interest is their own bottom line, which is obviously helped by having us on board. Think about it.

jayharris
38   Posted 08/04/2008 at 15:05:15

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Well said Wendy Butler.

Ciaran a reasoned if somewhat subjective response to Tom but I would pick you up on the point of LCC.

It is said that BK caused so much shit with his bullshit over Kings Dock that they did not want to deal with him again.

Even if that is not true you only get the best solutions in life by cultivating positive relationships with people who can help you not to cut your nose to spite your face by running to some outback town(with all due respect to Kirkby residents)with no infrastructure for transport or amenities and certainly no experience at handling large capacity stadiums.


The only thing I can add to what has already been said about BK is to question where the 20 million came from to buy out Johnson when miraculously Everton’s debts rose by 20 million at the same time as BK was reportedly only worth 1 million (his house)at the time.
Ring any bells together with Kings Dock,NTL,Fortress sports fund,asset stripping EFC,Ticketing,travel and marketing fiascos.
And PLEASE dont come on here saying he got David Moyes and backed him to the hilt.
Walter Smith recommended Moyes and it wouldnt surprise me if BK couldnt get off his arse to look at other options because that is another weakness of the man.
He spends all his time anywhere but Goodison and makes key decisions on a whim.
Now believe it or not I dont hate the man I just think he’s an incompetent bullshitter who found himself with the opportunity of a lifetime and is holding on to it for dear life.
We have’nt heard he is "looking for investors 24/7" for a while I wonder if thats still the case with the perks of what will come with Kirkby?
Tony Waverleas
39   Posted 08/04/2008 at 16:22:45

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"...it is an undeniable fact that our club is perched on a knife?s edge..."

That’s one heck of a statement, Tom.

Can you prove it?
Damian Wilde
40   Posted 08/04/2008 at 16:30:45

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There are some good comments on TW, with differing opinions, etc. Tom, fair play with the joke.! ADS? Perhaps you’re referring to ADD/ADHD? I don’t need to be told about this area though, as I am an Assistant Clinical Psychologist! Fair enough on 7 months off, no wonder you have the time to write so many long comments!!!

Eugene, can you only come up with vacuous dribble? I suspect you were seen in a department like mine when you were a child.
Brian Waring
41   Posted 08/04/2008 at 17:01:03

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Ciaran, why can?t BK take the blame for the king?s dock fiasco? At the end of the day, he had to only find £30M, for what would have been probalby one of the best stadium?s in Europe. He will have to find at least triple that, for a basic run-of-the-mill stadium, located in some (no disrespect intended to you Kirkbyites) backwater. Also you say that LCC have never done us any favour?s over the years. Well, if I can remember rightly, didn?t they keep extending the deadline for the King?s Dock money to be in place? At the end of the day, BK is to blame for that fiasco.
Alan Willo
42   Posted 08/04/2008 at 17:42:50

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Tom Hughes, you don?t know more than me! I?m not a share holder as it?s a stupid investment. I have been considering investing in EFC for a long time and have had many correspondents with Blankstone Sington to purchase many shares but sadly it?s a dead investment. I was offered £1414 per share several months ago but decided to invest my money in a different area. Please don?t be an arrogant Luddite, just because you make lots of posts and believe you?re in the know because you attend an AGM. I voted with my eyes open, sadly arrogant folk like you believe us to be thick sheep but that is far from the truth.

Without going in to detail I?m a main board Director of a company with turnover 3 times EFC so I understand how it works. It?s about being a realist, and taking our passion for the club we both love in to the next stage. Without a major investor EFC will die in time, so the board needs to prep the P&L to invite investment be it from a takeover or corporate sponsor. GP doesn?t offer that so next best, sadly it?s Kirkby but without having any others on the table we have to make decisions and move on. My blame lies with LCC not EFC, Everton have not left the city, the city has left Everton. COYB

Mark Grayson
43   Posted 08/04/2008 at 18:36:22

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Alan

Try reading it again...

"Incidentally, I am a shareholder, I know no-more than you!"

Perhaps your ability to misread the obvious may go some way to explain your inability to understand the very points Tom has made.
Jay Harris
44   Posted 08/04/2008 at 21:59:43

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Alan, as already pointed out by Mark, your ability to read things correctly may have blinded you to your opinion of BK and his actions. Like you, I have been on the boards of many FTSE top 250 companies significantly larger than EFC but that doesn't mean that you or I am any better than the average Evertonian with the ability to read and an ounce of commonsense.

The man we are talking about has been responsible for Kings Dock, NTL, Fortress Sports Fund, sale of Rooney on poor terms, asset stripping EFC, Ticketing, travel and marketing fiascos and has been "looking for an investor 24/7" for the last 4 years.

Now if that sounds like the sort of person you would welcome on to your board, I pity your company.

Peter Bradshaw
45   Posted 08/04/2008 at 23:14:51

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Andy Fearns

Parking my car on Cherryfield Drive means what you think it means, like becoming a glazier in Beirut, NOT A GOOD MOVE, I am sure that its a wonderful place really especially the "towney"
Alan Willo
46   Posted 09/04/2008 at 07:56:24

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Tom, Mark & Jay. You?re correct I did miss read Tom’s post so I will be big enough to apologize for the arrogant comment. I don?t agree with your other posts, football is a business BK is the Chairman and KW is the CEO. In my area the CEO runs the ship and the Chairman is normally a figurehead. I would not employee BK to run my business I agree but if you own the company as he does then it?s a different game. That’s my point from day one, we don?t have the cash flow to make our own path we have to seek investment or go cap in hand to the bank and unfortunately that path is littered with dead ends and we have had our share of them like all other clubs. At present we are improving both on and off the pitch, overall doing well and to me that performance doesn?t warrant the abuse he gets. LCC hold the ?get out of jail card? that would unite all EFC fans overnight by putting the Tesco project in Walton Park. But, Tom, Mark. Jay and KEIOC continue to attack BK and the board when your anger and frustration should be directed at Bradley and his incompetent council that crawls up to LFC but plays EFC off as the poor relation. That?s why I and others are protective of the institution we all love as I trust the current custodians far more than the local politicians. COYB
EJ ruane
47   Posted 09/04/2008 at 10:51:39

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Damien, you ask if I can only come up with "vaccuous dribble?".

For you?

Absolutely - 100%

And why not?

BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION, anything well-reasoned, well thought out...but ’too long’, you won’t be reading.

By the way, I think you mean ’drivel’ (or...maybe you don’t)

Oh and Just out of interest are you "an Assistant Clinical Psychologist" or (like Gareth from The Office), assistant TO the Clinical Psychologist?
Damian Wilde
48   Posted 09/04/2008 at 11:57:30

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EJ Ruane,,

You can’t be a blue as you are such a fool. As I have a demanding job, I don’t have the time to read long responses. After seeing clients for therapy, I was critiquing a clinical research paper (so was pushed for time). You would never be able to understand the complex and highly specilaised nature of my job

This is a football site. This started because you didn’t agree with my opinion on a football issue. Instead of coming back with an intelligent comment you decided to berate me in a childish, rude, and vacuous manner. If you have the cognition to deal with this, talk football, debate. We’re all supoosed to be Everton fans, together, not slagging each other off. I have disagreed with people before, but we’ve had a debate. Now grow up and discuss football if you’re able to.
Ciarán McGlone
49   Posted 09/04/2008 at 13:39:54

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Damian,

This is not playschool...shouting about your important job will just bring you ridicule....and rightly so.

Let’s stick to football as you say.
Micky Norman
50   Posted 09/04/2008 at 13:48:02

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To the editors of TW.... I’ve been reading these pages for a long time now and thought we were supposed to keep comments to EFC and football related topics. Yes, we’ll disagree on things more often than not. There are some pretty emotive issues around at the moment with the potential to make or break our future but... please don’t allow the vitriol and abuse (and poncy bickering about what job you do and how intelligent you must be). Send the buggers off to some forum to slag each other off. I’m not expecting us to all be Shirley Temples on here but this is getting ridiculous. COYB BTW my nan lives on Cherryfield Drive and will "mind your car" for a couple of quid.
Michael Kenrick
51   Posted 09/04/2008 at 15:38:58

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You’re right, Micky. Unfortunately it’s the usual suspects... Damien Wilde seems to have a chilli up his arse, as the Spanish would say. He has succeded in getting this thread closed.


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