The Curious Case of the Missing Director

The billionaire is a prolific gambler and the club’s best customer, although he also frequents The Ritz casino. In one night he can win or lose up to an estimated £8 million. He has incurred losses but wins more than he loses. He also links his business deals to the gaming tables. When his friend Robert Earl paid £9 million for a stake in Everton FC last year with his backing, he half-jokingly described the amount as ‘no more than a bad night at Les A.’

What are the odds of us winning the PL ever, withuot cash about a million to one or more!

Seriously, only Moulder and Scully or the Winchesters could find the answer of why people who invest millions in a below value institution with scope to improve and grow would not try to move things forward to realise a greater return. Say it quietly to the usual suspects on this site, but the only director we have who seems to actually even like the club, at least, is Bill Kenwright.

Gift money? - which would effectively mean giving money to the other owners.

Or loan money? Which, again, gifts the interest to the other owners.

I can't wrap my head around how they 'invest'.

But that's not part of the plan. Bill has no money to invest and his pals have no plans to invest, yet they still expect to make a killing on a company that they have destroyed and ultimately made unsellable.

T o be honest, I don't expect or want them to do anything other than leave. They've had their chance and made an arse of it.

All in the best interests of the club.

Jon Woods joined the board in 2000 but his family's involvement stretches back to 1892 when one of his ancestors loaned the fledgling Everton £1000 to build the original Goodison Road stand.

It's a curious twist of fate isn't it that someone involved in the new beginning of Everton FC all those years ago has a relation who is so financially uninvolved, well at least publicly anyway.

Also, if they have no confidence in the club, or are not prepared to take us forward in some way, such as ground redevelopment, or player purchases, why are they even there?

The could have a rights issue to raise money, but that would mean diluting their shareholding.

It doesn't take much working out what their motives are, does it?

For us, if one director was to inject funds into the club either interest free or as a gift, it would increase the club's value and generate a return to all shareholders. No matter how much money I had (and, like many Evertonians, I've had that dream!) I wouldn't be prepared to gift it to wealthy individuals.

I don't pretend to be the font of all football finance knowledge, hence asking the question (and it was a genuine question). I also agree that the lack of investment by our owners appears to show a lack of commitment to the cause, but maybe it shows that we're just not an attractive investment?

Green makes his living buying into businesses that are undervalued and, with a close look at us, he doesn't want in.

The BU interview was all "Robert Earl is important, he's a nice man" which struck me as if he was really saying "look Davey and Elstone, I have an imaginary friend called Robert, Robert, this is Davey and Elstone, meet Robert, he will be on the payroll and has a very important role here, he won't appear at Goodison at all".

Another cunning disappearing act, BK's been hiding the money under the table for 11 years and he probably has Earl hiding under his bed... with Moyes in it!

In business, the saying goes "speculate to accumulate"; if any one of the wealthy directors on Everton's board came up with the money for such a striker, then maybe we would be looking at being a lot closer to the top four than we currently are. Just say Everton had a Benteke, a Van Persie, Bale or a Suarez – how much closer would we be?

So everyone involved knew it would get called in but stillmthey persisted in the folly and ultimately lied to the Inquiry.

Also if 1 director was prepared to inject money it wouldn't be a case of gifting it to the other shareholders if a contract was written to the effect that he would be the only or major beneficiary from the increased revenue / return.

Any member of the board could also do what Abrahmovic has done at Chelsea and any money loaned to the Club be converted to equity.

From memory, didn't Spurs raise money for ground improvements this way?

I'm sure Paul Gregg was willing to fund the King's Dock stadium but Bill wasn't willing to dilute his shares.

It makes it even worse that had he given Gregg the go ahead, Bill's own shareholding would have actually been worth the 35m that he's looking for now.

And we would have really got a 'World Class', 'Virtually Free (30m), stadium with some of the best 'Transport Infrastructure' in the country.

If Davie Moyes leaves in the summer will he also be subjected to a similar 'Means to an end'?

Peter, I absolutely agree that a cash injection was needed in Jan but if it was such a no brainer then someone would have done it. Which tells me that either:

1). Our owners don't believe we are likely to return on investment
2). It's simply too difficult to invest in Everton.

Life under this board is a complete mystery — we're totally cut off. They have it all sewn up — we just get told what they want us to hear.

I can't believe as Evertonians we allow it to happen. Record debts, no investment, no plans to move the club forward. And we'll probably end up with Billy Davies as manager.

A concerned Evertonian

Kenwright out

I have a list of all the bad things I have done, and in a bid to rectify them all I have left Goodison for some loose friendships and light entertainment of no purpose elsewhere. Please call one of my idiot friends if you have any questions.

Kevin, they're not likely to offer rights to smaller shareholdings.

Well, someone of that name had three big hits in the fifties:–

"I may never pass this way again"
"More than ever"
"Wonderful secret of love"

The first seems very appropriate re his one appearance at Goodison — but was this top crooner our Robert Earl or his dad?

Coul ... no, it can't be... Doddy is Robert Earl!

Case solved!

You know the kind of guy who does nothing but bad things and then wonders why his life sucks? Well, that was me. Every time something good happened to me, something bad was always waiting round the corner: karma. That's when I realized that I had to change, so I made a list of everything bad I've ever done and one by one I'm gonna make up for all my mistakes. I'm just trying to be a better person. My name is Earl.

Apparently when the list is completed he will turn his focus on to that football club he has shares in.
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