Maybe, oh maybe Moyes's tactics have worked. Or maybe the BU or KEIOC have some dirty little pictures of BK doing something to someone he shouldn't be?? I love it all and will be waiting with baited breath as to who will be taking over. I just won't allow myself to be let down when/if we're stuck with our Fat British Librarian going forwards.

Happy New Years everyone. Keep dreamin' and it might happen

Everton may have a secret all be it a clandestine investor to save our sinking ship: Who could it be? Is Richard Tolman an RS in disguise pulling our chains? may-be its DM using a bit of his Celtic nous in an attempt to cause total confusion before he enters into his protracted (holding the club to ransom) negotiations.

I only hope their is some truth to What has been posted, I respect MK's ability to smell a rat lets hope his sniffing skills will not be undone by the furtive Richard Tolman.

The usage of "we" and "our" alluding to "behind closed doors" makes him appear a fan with knowledge of the anti-Kenwright feeling. Seems a Kopite trouble maker to me, even the most innocent Evertonian would think "best keep schtum here I might upset things".

Spilling the beans after a deal collapsing with all the murky detail would be more effective for a genuine ITK rebel.

I suspect it has more to do with the imminent release of the Club accounts and to distract from their failings and failings in the transfer window.

Since EFC has denied it, it is bollocks or in a sensitive stage that can be scuppered by its public revelation. Either way, I wouldn't want to know about it.

If there is any truth to the rumor then the club would lose nothing by confirming its discussions with an interested party without giving names. But that's not the Everton way is it?

A simple deal could involve just 2 individuals. A more complex deal like ours could be many - Bill and main shareholders, Bobby and other club officials, the bankers, the lawyers, the accountants performing due diligence, certain creditors, a selling agent middleman, the other side acquirers, their accountants, their lawyers, their bankers etc. Assuming it's down to only one acquirer rather than final bids otherwise you multiply the cast again - with a loser perhaps muddying the water.

Keeping this all confidential when you have so many people involved in a deal that has football as the business rather than widgets is a night mare. The deal process can take an age, again depending on what is being bought, and how long it takes to iron out uncertainty on both sides.

It could be rubbish, or it could be that someone within an inner circle of 50 plus people has opened their trap.

Sadly hopes will be raised and dashed a number of times before the current board pack their bags - the nature of the beast. So keep up the good work Michael.

Really? What exactly has he provided? Further obfuscation and vague non-statements that reveal absolutely nothing.

Sounds like someone got the X-Files boxset for Xmas and is relishing in making themselves temporarily important.

Let's focus on what's really important, taking the fight to Newcastle tomorrow and getting back in the chasing pack after a bad beating.

I don't buy the idea that you'd leak a story, but not the details, to protect a source.

It's sad and it's embarrasing to be honest.

Ask yourself: If someone had a contact in the club who's job might depend on keeping information confidential, would they even be told by that person, and even if they were would they tell the world on Toffeeweb.

Absolutely ridiculous! Someone's taking the piss and having a laugh at Toffeeweb's/Toffeewebers expense.

Another consideration is it smacks of bully boy tactics, meaning we could be getting a bigger bunch of chancers, and all of a sudden Bill looks like the better bet.

The only information fans would want about any deal is how it is being financed and what are the long term plans for the club.

Of course, it could all be shite.

Happy New Year T'Webbers

A cover story to get our minds off the fact that Moyes probably will not sign a new deal, also the yearly accounts are soon due, so this is Kenwright's contacts in the media doing one on all of us.

None of this matters, the story is a joke and the name smells funny as does the language in the article.

Seeing as you admittedly have fallen for this unlikely tale, can I pass on a word of advice if you get a letter from Nigeria stating you have won a fortune on their lottery please don't send your bank details to them.

Why use the alias of Tolman, a surname involved in the supply of sporting goods?

Why would a genuine source say look in the Directors Box next game for clues?

So forget any take over rumours; we are still waiting for "the interested parties" to make their minds up. The big picture here is to kid us along again through the transfer window .

I would like it to be true, but until I see, in the middle of the pitch waving his new blue scarf; a Texas Billionaire ye haw-ing it or a russian with snow on his boots or a levantine hued tea towel wearer.

I won't hold my breath.

..According to David Icke.

That part of my comment is quoting the original post which I think I was relatively clearly disputing.

Unfortunately such prudence also works if the turn-off is an inflated asking price or an unwillingness to hand over full control to someone else.

What would prompt a prospective buyer to prefer dealings to be kept confidential at this stage? Perhaps a desire to keep a low profile, with a figurehead eventually running the club on behalf of the real financial power? Other than that, I don't really have a good suggestion.

So who benefits from blowing it all wide open? The current board would certainly be put in a difficult position if it became apparent that they were passing on a reasonable offer, essentially holding out for more money. Busting it wide open from the other side of the deal just seems to run the risk of scaring people away rather than forcing their hand in some way.

If someone was involved in the preliminary talks / introductions but then excluded from the more in depth discussions / negotiations then they could only provide limited information and would risk exposure as the source of the leak. Someone may have a vested interest in a successful outcome (some kind of completion bonus) without being one of the main players involved.

So, I would think, there is a possibility that this post is rooted in truth but ultimately we are unlikely to know anything about it unless it bears fruit. As has been suggested, do we want it exposing if that is the thing most likely to kill the deal? Richard Tolman may be more concerned with getting the best deal for his mate rather than what is best for EFC.

Or is public exposure of our boards unwillingness to consider deals that don't stuff their pockets full what is actually at stake? (I am hypothesisng not claiming.) The one thing that would blow away all the suspicion that the club cloaks these deals in secrecy would be one done out in the open.

Personally, I don't know what is likely / unlikely in the murky world of club takeovers. I am just waiting for the happy day when it is announced that EFC's finances are in robust good health, we have transfer funds sufficient to compete with all but the super-rich clubs, and a workable solution for an updated / new stadium. I don't mind if that comes as a bolt out of the blue, as long as it comes sometime soon. That said, if nothing is going to happen it would be nice to know it is not for the want of trying...

It appears that RT is concerned that if the deal is not done it will be because the current owners have somehow managed to resist or deliberately don't want this particular deal to happen. As the whole thing is shrouded in mystery - due to confidentialty clauses - we may never ever find out unless someone in ten years time wants to publish them in their memoirs.

For any other RT's of this world - do us a favour and keep stum until a deal is completed, which we will see for ourselves or if a deal has failed and it is something outrageous then get the appropriate evidence and publish and be damned.

Secrecy and paranoi are best left to the Ian Fleming's and John Le Carre's of this world.

Michael if RT does expose something juicy will you be up for the Pulitzer Prize?

If it is true and, if it goes through to completion, let's just hope they have the resources, the business acumen, and a real interest in the club and are willing to invest in the team. COYB

Of course, we have no chance other than to wait and see whether it is all BS or not. Maybe Billy has bought a winning Lotto ticket :).

Make of that what you will.....

Would anyone want to be bought by Venky's for example? Thought not

Not sure it is reasonable to assume that any potential buyers will be as bad as Venky's.

There have been enough rumours around conditionality attached to any sale to suggest that BK is adamant that any sale will be to the "right" buyer, but then there's enough counter-rumour to suggest that there won't be a sale due to the "blockers" mentioned by Greg Lambden above.

The increasing overseas TV deal suggests that an asset-building/replacement strategy based on increasing brand value, with a new stadium to improve revenue streams would mean that Everton, with it's current relatively poor performance in secondary revenue streams, actually represents a viable investment. At the right price of course.

Enough of this. What/Who is Venky's anyhow? Now that I haven't lived in UK for the past 25 or so year's I can only assume it's a chicken fast food company.

Good to recall the scouser sense of humour.......... very much appreciated. Thanks you guys.

I can't see it myself. Hope I'm wrong but all the statements just seem ludicrous to me:
"trust me" (trust an anonymous blogger?),
"ask questions" (Evertonians have been asking questions for a long long time),
"something is in advanced discussions" (Yawn, we've heard this before. Although, BK's latest video interviews make for interesting viewing on the point of investors etc. He doesn't seem or sound too desperate .... I would be in his position),
"they may deny it" (The Everton Board have a history of denying things and have come out and done so again. This is nothing new and proves nothing either way).

I've more hope in some new signings - Butland, Lescott,
Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe + a striker please !!!! (dreaming)

All it means is that people get more hacked off when it doesn't happen and blame the board for stopping something that was never actually happening in the first place. It also goes against the official line from the club and so just breeds distrust from supporters, aswell as being a 'boy who cried wolf' scenario that nobody would actually believe it when/ if there was genuine interest.

Saying that, who are these mythical people who go out and buy season tickets because they've seen a rumour on twitter/toffeeweb etc about having new owners? I only ask because i've got some lovely stripey paint I think they'd be interested in.

In this case it clearly isn't the club leaking it because they're telling people to hound the club and the press, which certainly wouldn't be in their best interests. It looks to me more like a militant fan wanting to make a big deal about the lack of investment.

Probably all bollocks but better than waiting to sign the scottish rooney on loan again...

Maybe time for further information on this? Although the character concerned didn't divulge what "very soon" meant when he said "If no answers come from the club very soon, I will release more detailed information. Your instincts were right to show my initial post."

"If no answers come from the club very soon, I will release more detailed information"

Surely 2 weeks would constitute 'very soon? Can we press Richard Tolman for an update TW?

The deal is still ongoing. I can't add much more at the moment, I don't know time scale, whether the deal will go through, the prospective owners have been at the last four games including the FA cup tie. I can't really give out any names yet, if the deal falls through I will give you as much info as I can. But let me say this, if it does fall through I will want the club to come out and tell us why! If there are any developments I will let you know.

Can't belive that somebody would take over the club after the transfer window closes!! They would want to strengthen the side to push for the CL money next season not lose out.

Or prehapes it's all a load of bollocks

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