Bored of the Board

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With the huge gear change in the last 3 weeks with regards to the number of fans actually starting to voice and almost be heard about their pure frustration/anger/disbelief with what is happening ? or more appropriately NOT happening ? I did a very small amount of ?lazy Googling? and found out the following, I for one found this VERY interesting!

Everton?s Board of Directors

Jon Woods

After over a decade of success in the gaming industry, he sold Ocean Software to French company Infogrames in April 1996 for US$100 million.

Woods has been a non-executive director at Everton Football Club since March 2000. He is known to shy away from media attention at Everton and never comments publicly on current affairs at the club. He is the third largest shareholder in the club and one of only four directors.

Robert Earl

A leading figure in the hospitality and food & beverage industries, Robert Ian Earl is the founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood International, Inc and the chairman of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Earl is also an Everton director.

A lifetime entrepreneur, Earl founded President Entertainment in 1977, a company specializing in theme restaurants that grew from a modest start-up to a company valued at more than $100 million when he agreed to sell the company to Pleasurama in 1998.

On 20 October 2006, Earl the sandwich king bought shares in Everton from major shareholders Paul and Anita Gregg, they resigned from the board following the sale. The deal was brokered by Philip Green. Earl underwrote bank loans to help sign players and extend existing borrowings at Everton.

He indicated that he has no intention of taking over the club:"It's an endorsement of Bill Kenwright, an endorsement of David Moyes ? it is not a takeover. Anything that helps the economic model, and in turn gives David a better pool of talent, is something we want to do."

His most high profile involvement with the club has been inviting his friend and business partner Sylvester Stallone to Goodison Park.

Sir Philip David Carter CBE

Scottish-born football director, life president of Everton Football Club and a former director of Littlewoods. He joined Littlewoods as a 21-year-old in 1948 and 28 years later he was installed as the Managing Director.

He has had three spells with Everton Football Club. His first began in 1976 when he joined the board of directors. Two years later he was installed as Chairman.

Carter was involved with the formation of the Premier League. He along with four others were invited to dinner with ITV to discuss a break-away league that would feature the five largest clubs in the country at the time (Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur) more frequently than any other teams thus those five clubs would receive more money than the others. He responded favourably.

When Peter Johnson purchased the club, Carter vacated his position only to be asked to return for a second spell by Johnson's buyer Bill Kenwright in 1998, where he remained in the position for six years before opting to retire, aged 78.

In 2008, he was brought back to the board of directors for a second time by Bill Kenwright, this time because an Extraordinary General Meeting had been called and there were not enough available directors to attend (a minimum of three is needed) following the resignation of Keith Wyness.

Sir Philip Carter has voiced his approval of Everton FC relocating out of the city of Liverpool. He was awarded a CBE in 1982 and a knighthood.

Now, if I am not mistaken, within this ?information? there is mention of two of our directors being worth over £100m each. I appreciate (having watched Dragons Den twice) that investors only invest to get profit out; however, I for one would have thought the old adage, spend to accumulate would be the perfect underscore of Everton at present... but none of the above want to put their hands in their pockets ? so this raises the question: if they don?t want to do, then why would anyone else??

And then of course there is the Chairman ? Bill Kenwright.

Now I was very pleased to see the back of Peter Johnson ? the man who sold Duncan Ferguson, without the manager knowing about it ? showed just what sort of future we would have had. When I heard a ?true Evertonian? was taking over, I was very pleased.

I for one have been living in the ?Everton bubble?, understanding the restrictions to spending, keeping the books tight, prudent management and the like; however, over the last 2 years, even I am looking at the overall picture and I am VERY worried.

So many failiures:?

* The collapse of the King's Dock project * NTL subsidiary PremiumTV were close to purchasing shares Everton ? never materialised * Destination Kirby

And then, in July 2009, Kenwright explained the club's financial position under his stewardship: "Our debt is a big debt and a worrying debt, but it is manageable because of our performance on the field."

That statement alone is enough to give me palpitations!! One bad season (10th or lower) and we would be in serious financial strife!

With all this in mind, I am not convinced that Bill and the board HAVE been making any positive steps to find a buyer for our beloved club. At present, there are over 20 people in the world with over £20billion in the back pocket ? so there IS cash out there...

Something simply needs to be done!

How??? ? Well, that?s the £160m Euro-winning question... Moyes will go if this situation does not change in the next 12 months, and the ?best squad? we have had in years will vanish ? to be replaced by what?? The likes of Paul Holmes, Earl Barrett and Stuart Barlow??? that for me is too much!!!
Si Harwood, Bolton     Posted 09/07/2011 at 09:08:52

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