Column

Forever an Evertonian

Christine Foster 29/06/2008 18comments  |  Jump to last
I am concerned that many supporters are tired of those who would argue the case for not moving to Kirkby. The issues that have plagued the project just stumble from bad to worse irrespective of what anyone has said or done. It's not those who protest that have found the transport plan is wanting. It's not those who protest that signed up for a mid-range stadium in a poor economic area desperate for regeneration, not them who made the statements...

No, we have been left with the aftermath of such things and been expected to trust the board or just ignore it all because we are too dumb to have an opinion. It's not us who won?t discuss with the fans, it's not us who are silent, it's not us who have an exclusivity agreement.

Those amongst us who are sick and tired and want to leave it all up to the club should remember that the legacy messers Kenwright and Wyness is of such a high risk to our financial future and our tradition that the questions HAVE to be answered. There is too much at stake not to fully investigate and get the best deal for the club. The split in the fan base has come about by disinformation, lack of detailed information from the club, and the promises broken with scant regard for even discussion or explanation.

All of us want the best for our club. The facts we have been given and the discrepancies that have come to light required answering by the club. But they haven?t. It's not just about passion. It's not just about location. My concerns have been voiced in many of my articles for which I have been praised and condemned in equal amounts. But they have consistently asked the Board to answer the concerns of the fans. I have taken the view that a failure to do so is either because they have an ulterior motive or they have not shown competancy in their dealings with fans, councils or others. The failure to do so holds the personal reasons for not doing so up to perhaps undue scrutiny and condemnation.

They have only themselves to blame. Bill Kenwright is an Evertonian. Bill Kenwright is a businessman. He is astute in the workings of the West End not in the workings of a football club, that's why he has placed that trust in Kieth Wyness. It is a trust misplaced.

No one would begrudge Bill from making a good profit from his endeavours; so he should. But BK's expertise comes from a different industry and his already publicised history of naive dealings and an incompetent CEO make it difficult to place the trust of so many of us in this management team. We may respect Kenwright for what he has done but call on him to justify such a move.

No Matter where Everton play, they will always be supported but you build upon what you have and yes we are special, we have a tradition that makes us special. On an accountant's spreadsheet it's called goodwill and people pay for goodwill ? not give it away or sacrifice it. Those who would discount or put no value on our tradition risk all for what? A mid-range stadium in an out-of-town retail supermarket site.

I have been called a Luddite, a RS fifth columnist, delusional, sentimentalist, patronized... the list goes on. I am just a passionate Evertonian. But that does not stop the questions from going unanswered, from the club showing us any respect, from the club wanting to take us to a place that is a poor location, a poor stadium and no heart. If the move to Kirkby happens I will be heavy of heart and STILL believe it will be wrong. I will HOPE it isn?t but my personal experience will still leave me with grave doubts. I will still support the club, still go the game when I can, wherever it is, but do not ever think that I would be happy to do so especially if all the questions go unanswered.

I love the club. All my life I have loved the club. That will never change. But I call it the way I see it too. If that means I am a traditionalist, a luddite or whatever, I really don?t mind because without someone asking the questions how can we ensure truth and honesty? How can we truly call this the People's Club?

Reader Comments

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Paul Hardcastle
1   Posted 29/06/2008 at 06:08:57

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Christine: They are not going to answer you. Their case has been made, the votes have been cast, the planning application submitted. As we speak, they await a decision on the retail merits of the project. It may be called in. In may not.

No matter how many times you write, they are not going to respond to you.
Derek Thomas
2   Posted 29/06/2008 at 07:33:14

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We were promised the...

Creme de la creme. For little or no cost

It’s now up to 78mill and counting, remember, unlike shares, which can go up OR down, cost estimate ALWAYS, or so it seems go UP. for....

The creme de la semi skimmed

Then there is, in no particular order:

Paying for the damn thing (think of a number)

Filling the place...Ave. att. in ’ 85 when we were running away with everything, aprox 37K

The transport worries....park and ride, yeah right....don’t forget the 1000 cyclists. car parks in general.

The restrictions on none football use, bang! there go the much vaunted revenue streams.

The fact that KMBC have 1st, or so it seems the only call on none football use.

Question: (digressing I know but )...

How many Yes (wo)men (apt) ALSO think that Climate change is ALL man made and written in tablets of stone, the one true faith....AND

How many Noes are climate change skeptics or out and out heretics.

To quote one Bart Simpson...

’ I know what I am, what are you??’
John Sreet
3   Posted 29/06/2008 at 08:03:45

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Christine, honestly Goodwill has less and less value these days especially on accountants spreadsheets, how many firms and football clubs with great traditions have gone forever or languish. Burnley, Charlton, Accrington, Sunderland, etc, nearer to home Cammell Lairds.....never mind the brand names that were famous in the 50?s and 60?s, yes goodwill means little except to the faithful and there?s fewer today than there were.......Who remembers being crushed in crowds of 65,000....72,000 against those old metal barriers.............times change, things die...........There?s no easy ready answer, except our own Abramovich, Hicks and Gillette, etc but then it?s fraught with danger too.....how much debt are L?pool in, what would a couple of bad seasons do to them, at what point does someone cash in, what happens next..... Football has changed, the fun has gone, the characters are misssing, there?s just too much money to be made......and we the fans are left hoping for a hero. Well heroes are measured these days by the depth of their wallet, and there are few if any true heroes.
John Andrews
4   Posted 29/06/2008 at 08:02:02

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Christine, to reiterate some of that which both Paul and Derek have said. Nobody would appear to be the slightest bit interested in that which you think/believe etc. Sad but true.
When the going has got tough Kenwright has become inaccessible, a familiar ploy, leaving his mouthpiece, Wyness, to try to explain. Unfortunately every time Wyness tries to explain anything yet another little gem concerning the "Tescodome" rears its ugly head.
Derek has mentioned most of the pitfalls regarding this doomed project.
However, sadly, something tells me that they will press on with this come hell or high water. To prove what ? Who knows !
Miie Dunne
5   Posted 29/06/2008 at 09:32:01

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Kenwright the concerned donor to the Labour Party quoted in The Times this morning - referring to the travails of gormless Gordon and his useless posse;

Kenwright, who is also a theatre producer, continues to support the party. However, he said: ?As a football chairman I know how difficult it is to please all the people all of the time, but I think the government has lost touch with the people. The leadership has to look at some sort of quantum change. There appears to have been a bit of an energy bypass.?

In a slightly different context the mendacious bag of methane could be talking about EFC and it’s supporters.

Robert Jones
6   Posted 29/06/2008 at 11:19:23

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Christine, your previous posts were some of the highest quality posts on this site, however as much as I’ve enjoyed them your last two or three have been a bit crappy haven’t they? Also I’m sure I recall seeing the first half of that post somewhere... just looked, yup read it already on Pauls article ’’make anything of it what you want’’ Why did you feel the need to repeat it and bore us all?
Paul Niklas
7   Posted 29/06/2008 at 11:22:12

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As this was a reply to the thread I posted I will respond without reference to my initial point.

Christine you make the point that you say it as you see it trying to differentiate yourself from the rest who you seem to suggest do not.

Well believe me everyone says it as they see it, it is not wrong that they dont see it your way.

The only thing they do see the same as you is Everton as a tradition and a club they- we all love.

All want whats best for iEverton and all have different answers to that very question.

No one has a monoply on what is right or wrong and whilst I dont want to go to Kirkby and whilst I dont like the bloody Lambbanana thing outside Goodison, someone somwhere has to make a decision on all of these things, they will be right or wrong and only time will tell.

People are trying to do their best and sometimes that wont be good enough but if they are striving for it and achieving the best relative to the situation they are in at present then good luck to them.

If you think the best is Everton moving into a 60,000 stadium simalar to the Emirates then your not living in the real world.

I applaud your passion for Everton , but passion does not run a football club ,it is a driver but you need a lot more than that to be successfull ,unfortunately Money is the biggest factor and neither you nor I can do anything about that bit.

So continue to be passionate and saying it as you see it as everyone else does and by some chance eventually some one might listen, but dont bank on it.
Ajamu Mutumwa
8   Posted 29/06/2008 at 11:32:55

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The only "balanced" article I’ve seen in some time, having to endure endless variations on the same anti Kirkby theme from a series of sub standard writers who seem to think that only they are true Evertonians.

I am a yes supporter, but I will say one thing. Everton in terms of its publicity, approach and dealing with this issue have, to my view fucked up royally.

They’ve made a case for the move, but have not made the strongest possible case which is why legitimate, and frankly ludicrous questions persist, which is really sad.
Marc Williams
9   Posted 29/06/2008 at 11:32:17

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Miie Dunne : ’ mendacious bag of methane’ , I liked that.

Robert Jones : Don’t recall any posts from you that have ever made an impression on me. Why don’t you show Christine how to do it and what we’ve all been missing eh fella !
Christine Foster
10   Posted 29/06/2008 at 12:27:31

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My apologies for the duplication of this article, I inadvertantly placed it at the same time in a response to Pauls article and did premise the above with a comment that has not been included in the above version as explanation. I know I personally will not get an answer from the club, but I used the role "I" being that of the fans deserving (as well as I ) answers to the questions. Thats a perfectly reasonable request. Are people slightly interested in what I have to say? Some are some not. If I was so far out of step with so many then I could be classed as delusional, but at least I ask the difficult questions and the relevant ones too. Comments that tradition is worthless or has no value is a cynical response to an honest question. Who in their hearts can justify Kirkby as being in the best traditions of our club? How many Yes voters speak as passionately about this move as those who voted No? My "crappy posts" ? thats ok.. I am not a professional. But then I don’t always say the right things just to keep everyone happy, I say them because I am trying to find answers and understand. Someone out there can shed more light then please be my guest.
Tony Williams
11   Posted 29/06/2008 at 12:52:31

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Christine once again we come to the part where you suggest that certain questions MUST be answered by the board....I will simply ask, Why?

They have been criticised, more times than not correctly so, continually but realistically they are a business and they can, bluntly put, do whatever the fuck they like!

Why do you feel they need to answer our questions?, yes it would be a nice change if they did but they simply don’t have to.

I am using an emachines computer, I have put money into that company when buying it but I doubt that they would answer any of my queries on their financial/business positions.

It’s a sentimental wish that the xlub we love would be more open, but they are simply in it for the money and lets be honest they just want our money and don’t really care about our concerns. Disgusting ideal, you betcha but that’s business for you.
Robert Jones
12   Posted 29/06/2008 at 13:01:05

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Marc - Remind me when I made a reference of comparison between my writing skills and Christines. Like I said I usually enjoy Christines posts and find her to be one of the more knowledgeable contributors on this site however I have seen her last two posts to be lacking quality going by her standards.

Jeez I’m getting ripped apart on here today...
Robert Jones
13   Posted 29/06/2008 at 13:17:10

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Oh yeah apologies over calling your last two or three posts crappy, I think the term I should have used was below par.
Steve Taylor
14   Posted 30/06/2008 at 16:43:15

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I think Christine’s post highlights what I consider to be one of the main problems with this whole groundmove issue.

Because of the original vote - everyone is a "stakeholder" in the decision making process - & what was always going to be an emotive issue has become even more so, because people feel a real sense of personal involvment on whichever side of the fence they sit.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t remember any other large club asking their fans to make a decision on a groundmove before?

As Tony Williams says it’s business & by asking for a fans mandate BK took the wimps route IMO. If HE felt it was the right decision - HE should have stood up & said - I’ve decided we’re off lads - end of. Then all of the "lies & deception" spin & waffle debates - ceases to be of any relevance - as he’s made a decision for his business that he considers to the right one - like it or lump it. No need for spin, no need for justification, no need for approval, make of it what you will.



Bern Robson
15   Posted 01/07/2008 at 00:17:30

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Tony Williams
They can?t do whatever they want to with OUR club, we CAN end their control and force them out, it's happened before and can again. Abusive content removed by moderator
Dan Mckie
16   Posted 01/07/2008 at 11:43:41

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A lot of people will tire of reading the same thing over and over again on these pages, all of these posts by Christine and some others are just that, the same as the last one and the one before that! The club are determined to go ahead with this move and I personally think that since they are the only ones who have all the facts, then it must be believed to be in the best interests of Everton! I cant imagine BK thinking of doing this otherwise! All we can do is wait and see, and if the move does go ahead then at least give it a chance before flat out refuse to go watch Everton again.
Steve Collins
17   Posted 01/07/2008 at 11:41:36

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Bern Robson,

Tony is correct of course they can do what they like. It may not be a popular thing they do but they can.

As for forcing them out really? The majority that you see fill Goodison seem to be content to go and watch the team they love irregardless of the sh*t thats going on.

Explain to me how one would force the board out considering my above point? As long as the stadium keeps filling then they will have nothing to fear.

Now with regards to the Vote on the move. They only asked us to vote because of this whole percieved "peoples club" title.

They didn’t and still don’t care what we think.

The only way to cripple a company like EFC is to stop giving them business. Realisctally these days that won’t happen. Not enough people would boycott EFC.
Steve Taylor
18   Posted 01/07/2008 at 13:37:26

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Steve - you’re bang on.

Maybe if the vote hadn’t have taken place & the decision rested firmly & squarely on the shoulders of BK & BK alone - he might have been a tad more considered in his view & examined the other possibilities in more detail before dismissing them.

As now he’s obtained his "fans mandate" the decision to move isn’t soley his - if it hadn’t happened the gravity of the decision may have weighed heavier on him IMO. He may still have come to the same conclusion - but we’ll never know.


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