Everton Shareholders Forum

We are run by a load of incompetent amateurs who are strangling this club. Get Kenwright out now.

ItÂ’s depressing. WeÂ’re becoming an irrelevance. Not only in English football but also in our own city. Apparently even Sunderland are getting more viewing figures now than us.

The manager of Everton is the single most important person at the football club; if he gets things wrong, we are doomed to the bottom half or worse.

Like Patrick says, only a super-rich tycoon could really provide us a route into the top four in the short term and, even then, the rich clubs have been assisted in pulling the rope up behind them with the FFP rules.

Blue Bill has been allowed enough wriggle room on these questions and even he must see that no-one believes him any more. Surely there must be a respected media outlet with enough integrity and balls to cut through his self-serving waffle.

I am sure that many of us would also query us going through the motions at WHP when right next door at Stanley Park all requirements have already been cleared. My message to Bill is, we demand the truth.

Having been involved with these processes, at the end of the day, they donÂ’t really have any value or substance unless one is dealing with cold hard facts.

Sounds to me like the authors have been influenced by North American business practices that, as I mentioned, cover up the facts but make good report reading.

He needs to be brought to task and explain himself without the veil of smoke screens and stadiums about how he is going to move us forward.

In his stewardship, we have seen clubs like Chelsea and Man City overtake us as bigger clubs. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

The worrying statistic is that we have only grown non-media revenue in the last 10 years by 0.5%. To me, that smacks of gross incompetence at CEO level as by being in the Premier League alone guarantees to TV money. The hard work is securing the additional revenue where, on the evidence to date – including the Kitbag and Chang sponsorship deals – we have failed miserably to compete with our contemporaries of mid-table clubs.

We are a club in terminal, irreversible decline.

The owners donÂ’t want to grow the club so we slip slowly down the wages-paid table, trying to punch above our weight, stretching our money further and further.

No appetite for dissent from the matchgoing fanbase.

What’s happened to Everton?

WhereÂ’s the fight gone?

Why is the club being allowed to gently slide into anonymity, nationally and yes, in the city?

WhatÂ’s the fucking point?

Deals like the Kitbag deal, shirt sponsor & lack of varied corporate sponsors limit us significantly.

I personally donÂ’t think Kenwright will ever sell unless he and the board are made a ridiculous offer, which is never going to happen, especially while weÂ’re in the current stadium.

A new stadium is a priority for me, I feel with a significant number of boxes around the ground. I think it would bring more monies in.

Like many others, I feel we missed a massive opportunity with the Kings Dock, which is hampering us now and has done since we missed it, not only in investment terms, but also match revenues & potential commercial income from other sport and entertainment events. What makes it harder to stomach is that I can never see an opportunity like that coming again.

I have heard that many rumours about a new stadium that I have become apathetic to it all.

Meanwhile, the Goodison time-bomb and the continuation of its operating licence is ticking. Whenever a strong wind blows our stadium is at risk. And, with recent theories, the Bradford City fire of 30 years ago could just become another Hillsborough scandal, with timber stands rapidly being come to be seen as death traps and in need of immediate closure.

Fact is, we are skint, the club hasnÂ’t progressed a jot in terms of infrastructure or generating our own revenue, we have no profile or corporate pull, no fucker watches us and the business plan is......there ainÂ’t one.

In short, it’s the same as it was 5 years ago. Or when Kenwright had his blow up with Gregg. Or as it ever has been.... we are going nowhere.

The most serious problem at Everton is the complete lack of business acumen, we are a lovely family club and do fantastic things in the community – but how much good does that do us when it comes to improving the quality of players? We are trying to compete in the 21st century with a 19th century model, which makes it virtually impossible.

One of the key points, our lack of non-media (commercial) revenue, it’s not surprising really when we struggle to even advertise ourselves in Liverpool let alone anywhere else. Everywhere you go in the city you see murals, posters and banners hanging from lamp posts of LFC, statues of Gerrard (Liverpool Airport) and the yet see little or no evidence of Everton at all. It’s as though this is a one-club football city, it’s pathetic really. If you canÂ’t sell yourselves in your own city, what chance anywhere else?

Patrick is right, the manager is the most important figure at the football club and at present, he is getting it wrong and – without wishing to sound like a doom and gloom merchant – if we carry on as we are then we are doomed.

Every club the size and stature of our club should have a plan to move ahead and if we donÂ’t have any KPIs then that is indeed very worrying. If we are now being talked about in the same breath as Aston Villa and Newcastle based on their performances in the past 10 years, then all at our club should be concerned. Villa and Newcastle, whilst being big clubs, have been badly run for years and that shows in their season by season results. Newcastle have very occasionally flattered to deceive but in the main woeful really. If we are now measured with these clubs then downwards is obviously the boards way forward.

As for Bill being a wonderful Evertonian, donÂ’t most of us on here consider ourselves in the same vein? I know I do however, I wouldnÂ’t dream of running my football club with little or no funds to propel us forward. Surely if Bill is a wonderful Evertonian then he would be doing his utmost to do the best for the club which would mean selling the club as soon as to someone who has the financial clout (and obviously not to someone who sees football as a cash cow) to do something about our perilous situation... anyone can claim to be a fan but clinging onto power to the detriment of the club is not a wonderful Evertonian to me.

Alas, I donÂ’t have a magic wand to generate the sort of money we need to help us compete for the league again, but surely, given the current situation, we must maximise what we do have. The club must start maximising their potential in the commercial world.

The report stated that LFC are still able to compete for top 4 status due to their substantial commercial success. That has been years in the making while we have stood still, however we must start somewhere so get the commercial staff on it straight away. ThereÂ’s no point just accepting the situation, get out there and start from scratch if need be, Liverpool city is as good a place as any to start.

Without wishing to start a managerial debate, set Roberto KPIs and if he falls short then he has to deal with the consequences. When it suits, football people like to state that football is a business so start acting like it is then. If our club was compared to a business then analysts would shake their head at the shoddy way its run.

Make sure the staff, players and business staff alike do their job. If not then they also must be held accountable. If you donÂ’t maximise your potential then you are going to struggle as we are now. The least the club can do at the moment is make sure that they do all they can to be successful and hopefully Bill will finally see the light and show himself to be a wonderful Evertonian by finally selling the club to someone who can move us forward....but I won’t hold my breath just yet

Problem is, there are a group of clubs in our league with relatively more money and better squads – I’m glad I lived through a time when the boot was on the other foot

The truth is, Kenwright is one of us? And itÂ’s enabled him to get away with BLUE murder for years!

Focus on the major reachable markets such as the USA and India and China. Get someone over here involved in retailing the Everton name and brand. For example, Barcelona are having their coaches tour the USA this summer putting on camps at some of the major soccer clubs and academies. This is directly reaching parents and kids who may become fans. My first contact over here with English football was Burnley traveling and playing a game near Raleigh, NC, over a decade ago and I still follow Burnley as a result.

Where are the retail deals for Everton balls, bags, and jerseys, and t-shirts, hats, etc. in stores such as Soccer Village, DickÂ’s Sporting Goods and other similar stores and websites such as Worldsoccershop.com? Why are their no Everton sponsorships of any sporting event much less soccer games, NCAA college soccer tournaments, or even the premier showcase youth tournaments, or. gasp, even an Everton sponsored tournament or series of them over here where every player on every team gets an Everton bag etc as part of the entry fee?

I am sure I am unaware of many of the rules and prohibitions of certain activities but other clubs have found ways to do these things legally. This is easily fixable and would generate more revenue for the club to put back into wages and transfer fees but nothing is being done. The lack of any coherent plan is nearly criminal and for this BK needs to be held accountable.

I donÂ’t subscribe to the view that we will never achieve a top 4 league position without a massive influx of finance. On a number of occasions in recent years we have arguably been one more good result or good signing away from cracking it. Last season was one such case. Who knows how things would have turned out if Martinez hadnÂ’t suddenly lost his marbles when selecting the team and tactics for the Crystal Palace home game?

And is anyone seriously impressed with the top sides in the PL currently despite all their spending?

Is it perversely in the best interest of the board if we are nearly men rather than winners?

Bob Paisley once said that LFC were financially better off by finishing runners-up because the players missed out on all kinds of bonuses, he didnÂ’t mean that he wanted to finish second but it does make you think sometimes.

For example, it would be fair to say Man Utd are on such a quest now. We were in around 1988.

We are currently on no such thing. Our board’s aim is to do FUCK ALL other than remain in the division. Grow and progress the club? No chance.

I was reading an article on the Telegraph website before, about Moyes being sacked by Man Utd a year ago today. In the comments, a United fan mentioned that mediocrity is not only accepted at Goodison, itÂ’s celebrated.

As much as I disliked it, that person was right.

You see your team going out of the cups early every year, struggling to even get shots on target each week, struggle to get a team shirt until a month into the season. You see every other pundit is an ex-red who sing RED praise all the time.

Would you want to be a Blue?

Probably not... and without the next generation, we will start to fade from view...

No wonder slimy Bill has disappeared, he mustÂ’ve known this report was coming out.

0.5% isnÂ’t even keeping up with inflation. Joe has said what many of us have suspected for years.

At the time of DK, I was adamant that, however good it looked in the glossy presentation – and it did... as an ’Artist’s Impression’ – it was not what we needed, especially in Kirkby (no offence, let’s not get into all that again). The more the detail came out and the terminological inexactitudes mounted, whatever the question was, DK was not the answer – however glossy the brochure.

Unless we could fund and build a stadium next door – and by next door, I mean over the road from the Park End – the only way was a phased redevelopment. Through Tom Hughes and others MOST of us know (or admit) it is do-able.

The Â’SkyÂ’ money is an almost fixed income. The way to maximise that fixed income is to do better on the field, which is somewhat, especially this season in the lap of the footballing gods.

Then there is the commercial side. Again, most of us can see (well think we see) that it could be run better. This is one thing you can effect, but even this variable is affected by how well you do on the pitch.

We need men of vision at the top to push ahead with a double phased redevelopment, first on the pitch, then as that (hopefully) takes effect, it will Increase the Â’fixedÂ’ sky money, it will allow a dynamic marketing and commercial side (you can hope) to reap the rewards. Then progress with the ground.

I said during DK that, if the team were doing well, the executive box candidates would crawl over broken glass to join the band wagon.

It might take 10, 15, 20 years all a bit ’Slow Motion’. But if these ’Men of Vision (à la 1892) don’t get in the driving seat then all we are and all we will ever be is...LEEDS IN SLOW MOTION.

[End of rant.]

"This club has been for sale from day one. The chairman is searching.....blah blah blah." There will be mention of how the debt has been brought under control (thanks to TV money) and the Â’plansÂ’ for a new ground will be put forward as an indication of how forward thinking the board really are. The Echo will agree that the club is being prudently ran, and there is nothing to see here. Anyone like to play Â’bill bingoÂ’ when itÂ’s published?

Investment.
Interested parties.
Full houses.
Walton Hall Park
Partnership with Council.
Record turnover.
Record season ticket sales.

I think theyÂ’ll do what they usually do and that is to ignore it, if they donÂ’t acknowledge it, then it doesnÂ’t exist, therefore there are no issues to address.

Roberto, you had better be the right guy because thereÂ’s an awful lot riding on your shoulders. Looks like everything is down to the fans and the team, as usual...

Perhaps next season, regardless of our own views on the team and the manager we should give them 100% backing, go nuts for a season and see where it takes us. If it fails well at least they had our full support and we can go back to being comfortably numb.

Thing is, when it comes to football, selling the Â’brandÂ’ and being a visible presence has no tangible effect on cracking certain core markets and itÂ’s pure pie in the sky to think otherwise. The Asian target audience in particular are only interested in being associated with success and switch allegiances like flies searching for freshly squelched dog shit on a swelteringly hot summer day.

When I say Â’successÂ’, itÂ’s not purely a matter of winning trophies over there either. Simply supporting the richest club is the norm. My brother-in-law and his mates (Chinese) all went from Â’supportingÂ’ Man Utd, to Chelsea, to Man City in about five years in an attempt to Â’follow the moneyÂ’.

Every time I go over there, whoever is doing best at that moment in time is the most popular team and anyone who no longer has a sniff of winning something is only brought into the equation for betting purposes.

Until Everton start totting up trophies, or are taken over by some brain damaged billionaire with Â’gullibleÂ’ branded on his gonads, then theyÂ’ll never be perceived as anything more than another inconsequential English team, notable only for slumming it with the name of Thailands version of tramp juice splashed across their jersey.

ItÂ’s all RS, Man Utd and Chelsea and mainly the former two. Thais ask me who I support and then laugh when I tell them. WeÂ’re even a laughing stock in far away lands.

ItÂ’s true they follow the money and follow the successful teams, of which we are neither now and unlikely to ever be again at least in my lifetime.

Rightly or wrongly, I gave up hope of seeing Everton at the top again years ago.

As you rightly point out, theyÂ’ll be preparing the counter propaganda as we speak.

I have no doubt that Everton is not for sale. I imagine that Bill is financially okay. In that, unlike many of us, finances do not keep him awake too often.

So, he sells the club for, say, a hundred million. He thinks "what would I like more than anything in the world?" IÂ’d like to own my club. IÂ’d like to own Everton...shit, I do, and I got it cheap."
Donors are what he wants. People who will buy into his dream quite literally, and let him take it to a new level.

Bill Kenwright must go but he has to go without knowing heÂ’s going.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? IÂ’m not a defeatist by any means but the club might need to be rebuilt from top to bottom. The question is: Can we get rid of our chairman without it damaging us further? And who could take the job on of getting us back up there?

I wrote a conspiracy theory a few months back about the RS really being behind the appointment of Martinez. Of course it was tongue-in-cheek. However, the fact is there is now only room for one big club in this city... and that – whether you like it or not – is Liverpool FC.

I always look at both the crowds of Goodison and Anfield and you can clearly see there are more young faces at Goodison.

Scousers by nature are fighters of the underdog. So we will always have good support. The worrying thing is if the powers that be are happy being mediocre then really we can all but be sheep-like.

I witnessed the glory years of the 80s at the age of 27. My son now in his early 30s will be lucky if he or his son aged 5 will ever witness or feel the pride of being a fan of the champions. ThatÂ’s sad.

"The challenge for clubs like Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle is to resist demands of supporters to risk the long-term investment in the infrastructure of the club by allowing wages to go above 70% of operating costs."

Then he contradicts himself sort of with: Given EvertonÂ’s lack of corporate pull, the club donÂ’t need a new stadium.

So, if we donÂ’t need a new stadium, the money is better spent on improving the team to gain success and points the way to redeveloping what we have piecemeal to acommodate future success.

James (#27), you havenÂ’t spent enough time here yet then:
http://Evertonthailand.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Everton.Thailand

There were plenty of Everton supporting Thais at the July friendly in Bangkok and many of them will be there in Singapore this year.

He invited the audience at the beginning to pull him up if he started to give his opinion.

I thought Joes report was brilliant, if not depressing, and reports filtering through only scratch the surface of what he said purely based on statistical evidence.

We must be successful on the pitch before anything changes on the commercial side.

Then made the point about fans turning on them when they fell away once they could not keep up with wage levels to reflect the final position in the table.

More alarmingly, the lack of real investment on the playing field will come back and bite us in the bum one day soon.

We have flirted with relegation a number of times over the last 20 years, at some stage in the future, the inevitable will happen, all it will take is one poor set of results post Xmas, and the team in a downward spiral.

Paul Lambert would have seen Villa relegated this season, the same could easily happen to Everton, as we have seen this season.

Maybe that would be the catalyst to finally get rid of the charlatan in charge?

There is a reasonable amount of Everton supporters here but the only way to get merchandise is online from the UK. I know SA is not a huge market but to have lessor teams like Man city and Chelsea overtake us in such a short time is frustrating. When you tell people we are the 4th most successful club in terms of league titles, they are very surprised. Surely a better international marketing programme can be put into place.

Yet whenever supporters protest, we are derided and called ’Kopites’. 20 years without a trophy. Probably the longest spell of failure in EvertonÂ’s increasingly un-illustrious history.

I am not sure which is worse: the 20 years of failure or the meek acceptance of it by so many blues.

1) No business plan going forward – we haven’t had one for the last 15 years, we missed the boat years ago.

2) We are not a corporate club – ie, no big companies are interested in sponsoring us.

3) No need for a new stadium – the figures just don’t make sense.

4) Our "non-media earnings" have grown 0.5% per year over the last 10 years (the Red Shite’s have grown 8% per year)?

5) The gap between the "top 5" and the rest of us is getting so vast that it’s becoming impossible to bridge.

6) One of the bright spots to come from last night was how well we have done over the last 10 years in relation to our wage bill, ie, we have finished much higher than we should have done bearing in mind we are 10th on the Premier League wage bill table. (Moyes deserves all the credit for that.)

Oh well – COYB

Maybe Blue Bill is already living his dream. HeÂ’s content with his life. He loves the limelight being Everton Chairman. He can invite his mates over to the best seats in the house. He has no further ambition in life greater than owning Everton Football Club. It doesnÂ’t get any better than this.

There is no urgency on his behalf to win the Premier League. Or any cup for that matter. It would be nice and heÂ’ll have another story to tell.

KPIs and Business Plans are worthless as Blue Bill is only accountable to one entity: himself.

The only chance for change is a paradigm shift in KenwrightÂ’s mindset, his fundamental perspective in life. That would cause him to suffer such realization that there are things even more important and urgent in life than Everton Football Club, in so much that he would voluntarily sell his entire kingdom up and pursue the other piece of land which contains this greater treasure.

The only hope we have is an asteroid straying off course and smashing into his life to change its course.

We lost the FA Cup final against Chelsea because we were missing players, we failed to grasp 4th last season, possibly due to lack of quality in the depth of the squad. Once you get into the top four, you have to invest again to get to the knockout stages of the Champions League. It requires regular investment, but it has to be sustainable or everything can go tits-up.

The stadium can be sorted out later, and as for the millions of Asians wearing club shirts, how many of these shirts is fake?

Perhaps Martinez had the most sense this season, realising that the Europa League was our secret passage to the land of the giants. If had worked, it would have been our way in, and we could have really pushed on. Now we have to go for the top 4 again, but know that another lilt at the Europa is 2 years is our best hope of getting into the Euro elite.

In 10 years, I think the format will have changed and the elite will be playing in a Euro league and putting their B teams in the domestic leagues. Then us Spurs, and Newcastle might win the Premeir League.

Commercial
Club Debt Revenue

Swansea 1 Zero 16 ٦.8M

Tottenham 1 Zero 6 㿖M

Everton 6 㿈m 11 㾸.7M

Stoke 7 㿈m 9 㾺M

Sunderland 8 㿓m 10 㾹M

Aston Villa 13 𧴠m 6 㿋.4M

West Ham 14 𧴦m 8 㿀M

Liverpool 16 𧴷m 5 𧴟.8M

Newcastle 17 𧴹m ? Not Known

When Sir John Moores died, so did the club; he was our Abramovich... now, sadly we are run by a pauper of a Chairman and others who have very little interest in the club. Unlike our neighbours, we sadly donÂ’t have a worldwide fanbase.

I largely blame Catterick for this, he had all the money in the world to spend on players yet never managed to win the European Cup as it was called then. Yet our neighbours are nearing 25 years without winning the league, but it’s their history in the European Cup that has created the interest worldwide. Their commercial side helps them still compete for some of the best players available.

So what is the future for Everton? Well that now largely depends on how good the manager is, not only with his tactics to win games but the ability to spot a player who can be sold for much gold in a couple of years to help keep the club in the top flight.

Sadly I don’t think RM is capable of either so our existence in the top flight may well be challenged in the next year or so. While he had some detractors, David Moyes bought and sold very well and also kept us competitive in the league.

The support buys into the shite of the PR at Goodison, you know, the posters stating Â’We are chosenÂ’, Â’We go the game.....Â’ If we’re not careful, there will be no fans to go the game in 20 years or so as they will all be following the money clubs.

BK, like all deluded sycophants, thrives on adoration; take that away and they canÂ’t cope with the negativity and criticism leveled at them.

How else can an old, washed up actor find fame and fortune and cling on to it? He’s mixing with the new movie stars of today – Premier League footballers. He’s daily news and he knows it. Nobody would know who the fuck Bill was outside of the theatre world if he wasn’t chairman of EFC. He isn’t going anywhere.

I would guess itÂ’s probably the fame, rather than the fortune that motivates him to keep control of the club. HeÂ’s even surrounded himself with major shareholders who have no intention of ousting him, a great bit of foresight on his behalf. All this has been achieved by a man who didnÂ’t have the funds to be in the game in the first place. I wouldnÂ’t underestimate his capacity to carry on for another 15 years.

I live in Thailand and it’s true that they flit from team to team and whoever is winning things but, even so, there is no retail market here. Thais are not going to go out and spend money on a shirt from an official store when the can get a copy for around 200 bhat, Barcelona and Man United have stores here and I am yet to see anyone other than a Farang inside them.

YouÂ’re a SOMEONE and no doubt about it.

I agree with othersÂ’ comments over the years regarding Kenwright selling up. If EFC stays in the Prem, the ONLY way heÂ’ll leave his office is in a pine box. No other.

Now, if Roberto canÂ’t cover up ownership deficiencies the way Moyes did, I certainly can see his partners selling up for their own interests. But, if Roberto (or whoever) even keeps us mid-table, I only see the pine box option for a change of ownership.

Does Kenwright have the final say in whether or not the club is sold?

Does he own enough shares to be the sole voice in agreeing a deal?

I have always thought, just like his acting career, that he is a bit player but trying his best to be a main character.

Football success comes as a bonus and the fans who personally attend donÂ’t really factor in the equation unless they spend big money on all the promotions.

Most of the revenue comes from worldwide television. I believe that is why BK will not allow cheap short-term investment or a cheap sale unless he forced.

There have been numerous comments on BK and the board about their share holdings. BK is the largest individual share holder with over 9,000 shares and this is what gives him control of the club.

Robert Earl is next, who has no interest in the club, followed by BKÂ’s puppet Woods. With this set-up, unless someone can persuade Earl and Woods to sell him their shares, BK will remain in control as it is highly unlikely he will sell his.

"The Club’s sponsorship, advertising and merchandising revenue also increased from ٥.6m in 2013 to ٦.4m in 2014, boosted by the long-term support of key partners such as Chang and Kitbag."

This is non-media revenue, it went up 10.5% over the last 12 months.

This doesnÂ’t align with the figure given by OP 0.5% a year for the last 10 years, does it?

Thanks for that - IÂ’ve spent a lot of time in Thailand as I said, and only ever saw two people wearing Everton shirts. One was an old scouse guy in his 80s whoÂ’s been living in BKK for years, and the other was a homeless guy.

There is clearly some support, as proven by your links, but our exposure over there is pitiful. Even Leicester City have a store in one of the BTS stations in Bangkok.

IÂ’ve only ever spotted one concession in a store inside a mall, which consisted of two racks of EFC bits & bobs, most of which were available half-price as they couldnÂ’t sell them. When I asked about stock, they said theyÂ’d had them delivered in December, and by March had only sold about a quarter of the shirts, hence the half-price deals.

We don’t push ourselves in overseas markets at all, and EFC as a whole is run like a tin-pot amateur outfit, we have children announcing the players at games which is embarrassing, the fanzone thing is a joke outside GP – we’re this self-styled People’s Club who does great things in the community, which is all well & good but we still promote ourselves with a small-club mentality and zero world view.

I want to know what our marketing department, and CEOs have been doing for the last 10 years to see 0.5% growth in our non-media revenue!?! This is all part of creating a club that’s seen as important and successful, and reflects back on the way the team performs on the pitch – it cannot be underestimated.

WeÂ’re not a big name because we donÂ’t even try to be. Sitting on our hands while the rich promote themselves with arrogance and self-confidence. Plucky little Everton. Bill revels in this title, IÂ’m sure of it.

Everton will always be a potless, half-arsed club the way it’s run these days and nothing will change. Delusions of grandeur running through our veins, it’s sickening. If we (the club) want to be big, then they have to think big and act big – we all know they don’t really want to though.

Fuck Kenwright, fuck the board. We’re going nowhere and even us as Evertonians have become accustomed to it all – even if we do vent on here. I love my club, but see a small future with small men at the helm.

James (#61), with the recent purchases of Reading and Sheffield Wednesday by Thai consortia, I expect they will both grow support and exposure greater than ours over here.

"Given EvertonÂ’s lack of corporate pull, the club donÂ’t need a new stadium; Everton are not a corporate club and new stadiums are all about executive boxes. Everton donÂ’t need a new stadium."

I read it as any new stadium wonÂ’t necessarily increase our corporate income. IÂ’m not sure that he meant a new stadium wasnÂ’t required at all.

That he leaves Bill as the public face of the Club and Chairman is more down to Bill being good at it and wanting the Chairmanship rather than Woods being some yes-man. The guy was a business success on his own on a much larger scale than Kenwright ever was or will be. HeÂ’s certainly no puppet.

Earl bought out the Greggs, yes? How he pulls money out of his BVI investment, I havenÂ’t the faintest. But, given his world-wide investments in the gaming and restaurant businesses, Everton holdings must make up only a small part of his monies. IÂ’d imagine he has zero interest in running things, as long as heÂ’s getting a steady return.

Which leaves our Bill as the only one who HAD to borrow to get his shares. IÂ’m assuming here that the shares are the collateral securing the loan. Is this accurate?

So, I believe Bill is the "voice" of the Club because Woods has no interest in that sort of thing and Earl couldnÂ’t give a shit as long as heÂ’s making his wedge, not because Bill "owns" more shares than either of them. LetÂ’s say, God forbid, the worst happened and we slid down the Table to the danger zone.

WouldnÂ’t Kenwright be the owner in the most tenuous financial situation? I canÂ’t see where Earl or Woods would be. It appears they own their shares outright, whatever banking vehicle they used for purchase. Whereas Bill is leveraged up to his eyeballs.

Imagine if Bill was the American chairman of EFC? The Echo, and half of Merseyside would have ran him & Earl out of town years ago.

Sometimes, people donÂ’t see the irony in the statement Â’ be careful what you wish for.Â’

We have been hampered by Â’be careful what you wish forÂ’ owners since Bill & chums have been calling the shots.

I think we tend to view Woods merely as BillÂ’s sidekick because that is his public persona – he sits next to Kenwright at the games and is there by his side on the Board (that ’never’ meets), but plays no public role beyond this, and never so much as rocks the boat.

Yes, I understand he is a self-made man, but that does not mean he wants to be Donald Trump. HeÂ’s had this role for many many years, and seems happy to Â’buy inÂ’ to BillÂ’s way of running the club.

"Puppet" is probably off the mark though; as you suggest, if he wanted to sell his shares at some point, IÂ’m sure he could and would... but probably, like Bill, heÂ’s quite happy with things just the way they are.

If you look at what Woods paid for the shares, against what they are potentially worth at some point in the future when they (or the club) are sold on, IÂ’m sure the increase in book value year on year probably makes quite nice bedtime reading.

And that is the scenario in a nutshell.

I am still amazed by people who say he is the right man to run EFC. Last night hopefully proved – even to the most loyal Kenwright fan – the guy is NEVER going to sell the train set and we are run as a second-rate business

Vote with your wallets and don’t renew ticket subscriptions – particularly when the "I am looking for a buyer" story appears in May!

I was arguing with Kenwright, the only time I have been in KenwrightÂ’s company, he (Billy Boy) has that superior attitude, thinks heÂ’s above you, so IÂ’m giving him plenty back, WoodÂ’s is giving me daggers but never opened his mouth, really donÂ’t know if he can speak, or if he knows anything about football.

They have a worldwide Moneyball-type statistics operation going on to replace any leaving player, or manager, with a better version. It seems to have worked well for them this year.

I understand their academy is one of the best in the country. So, short of an Abramovich suddenly appearing (who would be hamstrung anyway by FFP rules), or a SAF, what we need more than anything is a good, or even competent, CEO and management team.

If facilities and/or the product to be viewed are not top class then the important business contacts will be unimpressed by the invite which is precisely the opposite of what the corporate is hoping to achieve. A new stadium with good purpose-built corporate facilities will be easy for a decent marketing director to sell-out.

Everton is still run like it was 100 years ago. Amateurs.

I donÂ’t think it stems from Catterick. In the mid-eighties we had the best team in Europe and the money we had made was wasted on overpriced substandard players like Cottee and Nevin whilst no thought was given to improving the stadium or expanding overseas marketing at a time when we were the best team.

The crucial point was HK moving to Spain when he was operating at his peak. Had the board made more effort, he might have stayed on and our decline would probably not have happened. It is not possible to successfully market a poor brand which sad to say we are outside of Merseyside and will continue to be until we become successful again.

People follow success and if we can develop a young, vibrant and exciting team then we will have a shot at it. We have to give youth a chance without ditching all of our experienced players at once as we cannot compete at buying success. Bill hasnÂ’t got the funds to do this but at least he will never asset-strip and sell all the players like Leeds and Pompey did.

I well recall the Johnson days and he was starting that process when Bill stepped forward (and remember there was no-one else!!). We now require to move forward again but it is no good blaming the guy who saved us last time just because he hasn’t the means to do something more. There just isn’t the desire out there at the moment to buy a Premier League club and if anyone wonders why, they should read the excellent book by Simon Jordan about his days as owner of Crystal Palace – quite why anyone would subject themselves to the greed and dishonesty of the football world and commit their hard-earned cash to it is beyond me.

The increased TV revenue is giving us the chance to reduce debt to a point where maybe we could have a downpayment on a new stadium but that means we cannot blow it all on players and their increasing salaries. Tricky times!!

Andy Codling (#53), whatÂ’s a farang? Is that like a lady boy?

The catalyst for all this stems from Heysel. All English teams were banned and Everton missed out and Kendall left.

Everton FC didnÂ’t seem to need to be in debt for such a high amount at the time and we have certainly paid a lot of interest on it over the last decade or so, money which could have been put aside for development of the ground or a down payment for a new stadium has been wasted on interest payments.

Ad hoc management decisions over the last 15 years have seen us spurn some good opportunities and severely limited the progress of the club, we are in a maze of our own making and it would seem that every turn leads to a dead end.

.

Arsenal of the North

"My doctor won't let me be in charge in 5 years, you should be so lucky. I'll be seventy and I don't want to be there."

What a sad indictment it is that we are now 4 years down the line and nothing has changed for the better. HereÂ’s hoping that his doctor, unlike the patient, sticks to his word. I am not hopeful.

http://www.sos1878.co.uk/Everton-fans/blue-union-bill-kenwright-transcript/

In actual fact, Moores never gave Everton a penny. His input was limited to interest-free loans to bridge gaps when funds werenÂ’t available and which were later paid back to him. He was however a brilliant businessman who ran EFC as a business and the club generally was in profit and remained a top six club.

Therein lies the problem. Kenwright is an artistic type who has no business acumen whatsoever. Football is a cut throat business and it is dog eat dog. The club has been in decline ever since BK took over and IMO will become a Championship club in the near future if he remains in charge.

Johnson wanted out and if he hadn’t he would have kept hold of the club and possibly run us into the ground – but we’ll never know what may have happened to the club under PJ or anybody else because BK has been the owner for nearly 16 years.

"Sidekicks"? Sure, why not? With Kenwright as much WoodsÂ’s as the other way around. With that, we donÂ’t know if they despise one another.

I believe Woods loves sitting in the ownerÂ’s box just as much as Bill. Boyhood Blues who got to own their Club. HeÂ’s just not the fellow for the spotlight, which Kenwright clearly revels in (ThatÂ’s not a knock on either of them).

Puppet is not "off the mark". "Puppet" and "Woods" are antonyms. His success, financial and in the entertainment arena, is far beyond anything Bill has achieved. My response to the use of that word wasnÂ’t a defense of Woods, but more thinking how dumb it was to describe him that way to begin with.

Anyway, my thinking was based on the OP and a question IÂ’ve asked myself many times about our owners, "What exactly do they want to get out of owning EFC?" Woods and Kenwright desire, it seems, is just that their boyhood Club is a big-league one. Earl? Everton Football Club could be Everton Free-range Egg Farm; "WhereÂ’s mine"?

Bill canÂ’t, but Woods certainly could throw some money at player investment. He hasnÂ’t and, form holding, wonÂ’t. Which leads to RobertoÂ’s ability to keep us relevant. Moyes, at least, did that. And you never know about managers.

Been a long time since I closed a post with "Kenwright OUT!" So I have here again. IÂ’ll amend it to, "Woods, you can do one, too!"

Farang is us, westerners – the name people in Thailand give to anyone of European descent.

That, from a fan of 54 years, is the reality.

Investment ? Big question is; Why? Would you if you were not a Blue?

So you can arse around with figures all day but this is, and will continue to be, the reality of the Premier League for the forseeable future.

And before you slate me too much... it brings tears to my eyes.

There is no chance he will ever sell up because heÂ’s have done it by now. ItÂ’s dead manÂ’s shoes so weÂ’re stuck with him until he goes to see Betty.

What I canÂ’t understand is the real lack of questions, not just from national and local media but from the fans. Do Everton fans really not give a shit? It depresses the hell out of me that my 4-year-old daughter is closer to the age I was when we last won a trophy than I am.

We have lived hand to mouth since the NTL deal fell through. WeÂ’ve had no business plan since the NTL deal fell through.

The wages league table seems to be dominant driver in the EPL. Yet I read somewhere Athletico Madrid had lower wages last year than QPR, winning La Liga and losing finalists of the Champions League. You have to hope that my club can break that trend.

The road we are currently on isnÂ’t sustainable, mainly because there is no plan in place, and building a new stadium without any of our own money is pie in the sky thinking and will never happen unless we mortgage the next 25 years or more or become indebted to some unknown party.

The club needs a strong and single-minded leader who will explain to the fans that we might have to go backwards in order for the club to move forward, that person doesnÂ’t appear to be at Goodison Park in any capacity at this moment in time. Bill, even if his heart is in the right place is doing the club a massive disservice by holding onto his shares but he could at the very least bring in a professional person or group of people to run the club on his behalf. The current CEO doesnÂ’t appear to have achieved much in taking the club forward and he too seems to believe that a new ground is the silver bullet solution to the clubÂ’s ills.

Bill appears to be a one-man-band but doesnÂ’t have any control over any of the instruments, he canÂ’t read music and relies on his employees to produce a symphony, unfortunately none of them have any musical talent either.

It’s much bigger and much more modern than Goodison – plus they have a lot more prestige in modern times (in a European sense) than we do.

There are a number of supporters who like myself have been on Boards of various organizations and they are normally made up of an odd number of people. This formation is used on major decisions with a vote being taken and in the case of a tied vote the Chairman has the tie breaking vote.

In Everton's case, I believe that this would be a normal procedure with major decisions being made on, eg, ground improvements, new ground, finances for transfers, finances for the general operations of the club and any other major decisions.

The general running of the club would be run by the CEO Elstone with the budget provided who would consult with the Chairman if any major problems arose during the year. If this is the way the club is run, then it's the whole Board that should be held at fault and our anger should be directed at them, even if, as they say, they are not paid for their service to the club.

However, it is a reasonable belief among many supporters that BK runs the club with permission to run the club on their behalf and make any decisions he believes that is in the best interest of Everton FC. As the Board are made up of one of BKÂ’s friends, another whoÂ’s interest is only in the value of his shares, and another who he hired, while it may be impossible to prove, there may substance in their beliefs and I may be critical of the right person.

Talking about the timeline of EvertonÂ’s slow demise from the top of the Premier League it is interesting to know that when W Smith was hired, he was promised unlimited funds by the then Everton Chairman, Philip Carter; not long after that, BK became Chairman..

If there was any fear that they had to de-trouser their own coin, you wouldnÂ’t see either of them for dust. Believe me!

I was at Ewood Park today with work in a suite that sat well over 300 cabaret style, what have we got that comes anywhere near? Jack Walker put his own money in (lots of it), and we are asking for donations...

ItÂ’s enough to make you cry, what a pitiful sad situation Everton Football Club in 2015 is in. I was 25 last time we won anything, I donÂ’t think IÂ’ll see us win anything again.

Try some reality about EFC.

We are limited in what we can do right now but we really ought to be doing something.

My point is that one can produce statistics and reports to prove oneÂ’s point and Joe Beardwood does this annually and I am surprised the emotion that comes from his yearly report.

HereÂ’s looking forward to next year's report.

ItÂ’s a very different world now than it was even 5 years ago, those with serious capital are not comfortable risking it in very uncertain world markets both economic and geopolitical.

The boat has sailed. Unless a blue who happens to be a billionaire appears on the horizon, the die is cast.

But I understand the frustration and desire to blame someone. Best person to blame is PL boss and those who run CL. Not Bill as what can he do? I still see no real solution on here.

And if Qatar or whoever bought us? Great. We join a 4 club league with Hooray Henrys next to you in your seat.

Victory? Nah.

No comparison to us.

We’re up the creek along with the majority of other clubs in the world – the so-called ’big clubs’ these days aren’t measured by their history, they’re measured by current wealth – look at the list, even teams like Milan & Juventus, the traditional ’big’ clubs are falling by the wayside and you’re left with teams like PSG and Monaco who are monied and considered ’big’ clubs now.

We all feel as though Everton are a big club, but weÂ’re not and havenÂ’t been for years. Knowin yer istory is old hat, old news.....history.

I personally don’t see us ever making it to the top of the tree, or even making it into the so-called promised land of the Champions League on a regular basis – in fact, part of me is glad about that in a perverse way, as it’s the competition which has played a huge part in killing clubs like ours, and ruining football as a whole.

In donations, or investment.

Kevin Tully has got it right – investment? Who would do such a thing if they were not a blue? 24/7 looking to sell Everton, is so much different than looking for donnations. Talk bout the irony of being careful what you wish for.

I believe the norm is that the Board appoint a CEO to run the Company on their behalf, and the CEO is accountable to them for the performance of the business against the objectives he/she has been set.

Regards how Everton is run, it is operated as a "Concert party" a group where the participants vote in line with one person's views. This involves a "Controlling Director" (someone who owns 25 % or more of the shares or who influences 25% or more) who determines policy and leaves it to the CEO to effect that policy in line with what I wrote above.

In all, I agree with much of your sentiment that the whole of the Board are accountable both in spirit and law.

The facts are that without the TV money, weÂ’re skint. No pot to piss in. 0.5% is a joke and shows there is no coherent business plan to generate income at the club beyond just relying on Sky and foreign TV deals. The TV money keeps us from going bust and keeps the club running but beyond that thereÂ’s no room for anything else. No money for a stadium, no money for facilities, no money for building a team. Our best players will continue to be sold in order to operate in the transfer market. We are completely stagnant and our owner and it seems the majority of fans donÂ’t give a shit.

IÂ’d swap Kenwright for someone who knows how to run a business.

Dave (#74), doesnÂ’t that make a case for a partial renovation of Goodison to provide additional and improved corporate facilities if corporate pull is not dependent on success?

ItÂ’s apparent that the only business plan that the board have is to hold onto a PL spot until the next round of TV rights bidding which will increase the income. We havenÂ’t yet seen the results of the last rights increase filter through and already a bigger and better deal is on the table for the future. So how that money is used be it players for on-field success, new stadium, GP renovations, or back pay for directors, will be key to our future.

Just this morning The Echo released an article entitled ‘No trophy for 3 years, who is to blame at LFC, the manager, the players, the owners?’ yet they release an article on the same day about Everton entitled ‘Snods; United are good but Everton can beat them’. It fucking stinks.

Not for one minute does that rag even attempt to question EvertonÂ’s methods or demand answers as to why for a whole generation we havenÂ’t won silverware. They donÂ’t demand to know why we find ourselves selling players year on year.

The Lukaku deal – as great as that signing was – it is just a smoke screen in my opinion. We still owe Chelsea upwards of ٦ million for him, and thatÂ’s not forgetting the fact that we sold Fellaini for the same price tag just months before. But Kenwright and co believe they can dine out on that deal and plucky little Evertonians will accept it and move on.

But what about the player sales that have gone unnoticed, the RodwellÂ’s, the JelavicÂ’s and AnichebeÂ’s to name but a few recent departures. ThatÂ’s upwards of 㿀 million itself isnÂ’t it? Nobody seems to want to question why we never kick on. Nobody ever seems to want more at this Club. Plucky little Everton coasting along, forever in LiverpoolÂ’s shadow.

We got our tag as overachievers ‘punching above our weight’ under Moyes and nothing has changed now. Moyes and Martinez are both great in their own ways in my opinion, but ultimately when they were brought to the Club they must have to take a vow of silence when it comes to the running of the finances at Goodison Park. Plucky little budgets, shitty little press releases about ‘not needing many new players’ they almost become a censored mouthpiece for our Chairman and his colleagues. A mouthpiece to Kenwright just like the Liverpool Echo is – but now their relationship is one that is being put under intense scrutiny and rightly so.

ArenÂ’t journalists supposed to report the news and provide us with information, or ask questions? Well at the moment it is our fans doing all of the questioning, all of the finger pointing and information finding, we have become our own journalists because the ones paid to do it just arenÂ’t doing their job properly! Or if they did do their job properly then maybe theyÂ’d get sacked? Unfortunately because of KenwrightÂ’s relationships and connections then that is probably a sad reality that would happen!

Mocking us with articles asking what we think Tom Cleverley is worth and suggest we will have ‘ample’ funds to deal with come the summer. What are those ample funds then, according to the Echo’s sources? Bullshit, the lot of it. They are all on the payroll, just as many other local journo’s, theatre Lotharios and even Members of Parliament probably are! It’s terrible.

Put this into context – the Echo are questioning and looking to blame somebody at Liverpool for not winning a trophy in three years – a Club who have got wealthy owners willing to spend money on numerous players, a Club expanding their stadium with a new project, a Club who nearly won the league last year and a Club who have often won silverware over the past decade or so.

Yet they won’t write one single column inch questioning or blaming anyone at Everton FC – a Club who have got wealthy owners who aren’t willing to invest or spend, or for that matter find new investment or spend, a Club who only seem to sign players when a few have been shipped out beforehand, a Club who has no plans to expand its stadium or build a new one, and a Club who haven’t won a trophy for exactly 20 years.

Need I say any more? IÂ’ll let you make your own mind up about that rag of a newspaper.

I wrote a conspiracy theory a few months back about the RS really being behind the appointment of Martinez. Of course it was tongue-in-cheek. However, the fact is there is now only room for one big club in this city and that, whether you like it or not, is Liverpool.

I always look at both the crowds of Goodison and Anfield and you can clearly see there are more young faces at Goodison.

Scousers by nature are fighters of the underdog. So we will always have good support. The worrying thing is if the powers that be are happy being mediocre then really we can all but be sheep like.

I witnessed the glory years of the 80s at the age of 27. My son now in his early 30s will be lucky if he or his son aged 5 will ever witness or feel the pride of being a fan of the champions. ThatÂ’s sad.

A little kid asked me the other day, whoÂ’s Barkley? WhoÂ’s Everton?

Yes, Timmy Cahill can only do so much in terms of spreading the Royal Blue word around here in Sydney, Australia, but itÂ’s all about exposure and in every sports store we have here, the aforementioned clubs can be seen displayed in the football section. Not one Everton top... ThatÂ’s the disappointing thing, no exposure!

Once we get kits sold in sports stores around the globe, donÂ’t worry, IÂ’ll be doing my bit!

Great comments from Mark on the lack of any so called journalists not inquiring about the situation at one of the founder clubs of the Football League, Everton FC.
.

1. Is the club for sale?
2. What is the price needed to buy the club outright?
3. Can Bill Kenwright accept that his efforts to sell the club, since the interview was conducted, have failed?
4. As such, can he acknowledge that he is probably not the best person to sell the club?
5. Does he intend to adhere to his doctorÂ’s Â’adviceÂ’ and stand down before he is 70? (4th September for those who are interested.)

IÂ’d also enquire if the rumours of the club paying his mortgage can be explained, as heÂ’s dined out enough over the years on being the chairman who mortgaged his house to Â’save the clubÂ’?

I fully expect that he will never answer these or any other questions in an honest manner, as that would expose his verbal diarrhea in the public domain for all to see. He personifies the club; the game has moved on, while he has stood still and failed to trade on past glories. ItÂ’s a disgrace.

However – and I do not claim to know the actual FACTS around Everton, but over at Man Utd, the people took over the Company, using another Company, and the Company doing the taking over had to Mortgage property to raise the funds

for the loan involved. So, in round figures, the assets were mortgaged and the Directors of the new controlling Company determined that their loan repayments would be made from the trading company.

Taking things to a conclusion, the Man Utd fans, like the or not, are buying the business for the ultimate owners, the Glazers.

The same could not be happening at Everton... could it??

I was quite glad when the Blue Union came along as I thought they might hound the sneaky bastard but they seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Another bouncer Bill fended off successfully. I think we all know thereÂ’s no buyer out there because quite honestly what can you buy thatÂ’s not for sale?

IÂ’m personally fed up of the whole charade and will be moving down to East Sussex over the summer and taking with me my two sons aged 10 and 12. Relinquishing the season tickets wonÂ’t be as hard as I thought and we will get to the occasional game.

Taking into account the recent passing of Phillip Carter, Kenwright will undoubtedly be at the game against United. The game is also live on Sky. This is surely the opportune moment to show the national media that the fans want answers and that all is not well?

To be honest (sadly), I donÂ’t think BK had to do much fending. If I remember correctly, the (generally) apathetic response from the majority of blues to the BU, did the fending for him. He must LOVE this Â’Kopite behaviourÂ’ nonsense.

Jenny: "Out of all the cup competitions and bottom half of the league, theyÂ’re not going to be happy with you lad."

Bill: "Relax queen, they wonÂ’t do nothing coz for some mad reason, they think protest was invented by kopites."

Depressingly, I think you are 100% spot-on when you say – "As long as we're on board the Premier League gravy train every season, nothing – and I mean nothing – will change on Kenwright's watch."

In point of fact, it would be an opportune moment for the fans to show how much the club and its heroes mean to them by wearing the colours of the club in large numbers to transmit a positive message at a such a sad time.

HeÂ’s openly acknowledged Sir Phillip as an inspirational figurehead, to whom he looked up to as Â’ChairmanÂ’. Sir Phillip is now rightly being recognised as a club legend, after presiding over the most successful period in the club's history. How times have changed.

On Sunday it should be an opportunity, without vitriol, to ask the questions in front of the world: why has our club stood still under the stewardship of EvertonÂ’s self-proclaimed biggest fan? At the very least, Kenwright should ask himself what his legacy will be? Somehow I doubt that he will be remembered as fondly.

He would not have raised nearly enough money from a mortgage, if he even took one out, and itÂ’s not just one of his Uncle Cyril stories.

I donÂ’t think any of us will be surprised if during the minute's silence for Mr Carter, KenwrightÂ’s face will appear on the big screens, and heÂ’ll have his sad sack face on.

So Teflon Billy slides again.

Patrick the link to the meeting between Kenwright and the Blue Union has just made my bad mood even worse. It really is incredible that we are stuck with this "pull the wool over your eyes" joker.

IÂ’m not in the mood for Everton right now, so I will pay my respects to Phillip Carter on these pages.

I never agreed with everything you did, especially your reluctance to fight the European ban. But thanks for staying loyal to Kendall, when a lesser man would have crumbled. It gave me so much joy, watching that great Everton team in the eighties, and for that I will always be thankful.

RIP, Phillip Carter, and condolences to all your family.

In error it was said that we need 6 or 7 extra squad players prior to this season beginning. Unfortunately it did not come from a board member but from our naïve manager. This was definitely required if we were to make a real show both in Europe and domestically. As usual, we trod water and followed a fine season with a dismal one.

Manchester Utd have spent many millions on getting their club out of trouble this season and will spend at least as much in the close season to make them Premier League title challengers next season. Personally I do not admire them for doing it and I have much more respect for clubs who have good seasons without Â’buyingÂ’ success.

Realistically we are a mid-table side nowadays operating virtually on a shoestring compared to our competitors. Each time we supposedly join a race for a proven star player, we are seen to drop out of the bidding very early on. We scrap for left overs and loans and the fans expect our team to challenge for Europe against clubs who pay out more for one player than we can spend on any number.

Being successful in Europe needs a big squad of decent Premier League standard players and this club and itÂ’s board will not pay to provide them. The fans are the only investors in our club, period!

DonÂ’t forget though that in the Desperation Kirkby Inquiry, the Club mouthpiece stated under oath, on behalf of his employers, that the Club was for sale and they had been looking for a buyer (24/7) for years.

Normal practice in most businesses, I believe.

Â’YouÂ’ll never get a better salesman for Everton Football Club than Bill Kenwright.Â’

As he put it. What a lie that turned out to be. And the constant board lies we were fed about the club being for sale.

Had they got the go ahead for that folly, IÂ’m sure the situation wouldÂ’ve changed, as they were never going to be in a position to fund it. They thought that having a planning consent would have buyers flocking to their door.

The board managed to continue to improve what was a desperately poor squad when Smith was sacked without support from the bank which had drawn a line under our overdraft. Rooney and Lescott were sold and the money was used to improve the squad. With a couple of exceptions, the team started finishing in the top 7 of the league with a few Wembley appearances thrown in.

We just missed out on CL last season and the poor season this time has to be down to a strange performance by the manager starting with pre-season and poor fitness.

To get to my point, I don’t think the board has done a bad job. BK, for those who have not met him, is a very passionate Evertonian who knows more about the club and it’s history than most. To suggest he has taken money out of the club is a nonsense – look at the accounts and bear in mind that any financial reward bestowed upon a director has to be declared in the accounts.

There is nothing declared! No businessman can go through life without upsetting people but the club is in better nick now than for a good few years and we are not in any danger of some foreign guy coming in and selling our players or making us play in red! If Roberto can get himself back on track, we will have a good season next time and if he canÂ’t then he will be gone by Christmas.

We need a plan for the future to focus on youth as we will never be able to buy success and maybe look at some redevelopment of Goodison if a new stadium is out of reach .

Finally I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Philip and Lady Carter last year and they were a delightful couple, absolutely charming and down to earth and passionate about our club. He is a very sad loss to our club and must be one of the most significant figures in it’s history. RIP – a great man!!

Kenwright is a proven liar, Goodison failing safety certificates etc etc, the self proclaimed greatest Evertonian is a phoney and has done everything in his powers to retain control, even stabbing his old mate Paul Gregg in the back when the Kings Dock fell through.

The people responsible for the running of the club would be better advised to decide our future, that is what they are responsible for, how to make the best of our situation and where they plan to take the club in the future.

If they all want to be remembered for the right reasons, then I urge them to get their fingers out and start doing something about the here and now and do everything possible to improve the club and help the first team win games. Not easy, but they are the only people able to do anything positive for the club – as fans we have no choice but to hope they know what they are doing.

However, the accounts do show annual interest payments of around ٟM a year (for several years now, btw) on a loan taken from a company based in the BVI. What we don't know is who the owner of this BVI company is; what we do know is that at least one (if not more) or our directors have business interests in the BVI.

Now, it could just be a coincidence or it could be that a director (indirectly) has given a loan to the club at an interest rate of I believe around 9%. If the latter is true, would you call that taking money out of the club or not? Also with the huge sky money weÂ’re getting, why does this loan keep getting rolled over annually instead of just being repaid (and saving the club ٟM a year in interest costs) or taking a loan out from somewhere else at a significantly lower rate?

Our accounts will never tell the whole story and certainly make absolutely no mention of a certain Mr Phillip Green.

BK may be a true fan but he certainly does not have the ability to take the club forward, in commercial ability, financial ability or any other type of ability. He is however living his dream and being chairman keeps him in the public eye (which he loves). HeÂ’s going nowhere in the near future and a generation of Blues will unfortunately never get to see the club in its full glory.