Audio: The Echo's Everton Symposium podcast

That external audio they dubbed in was a disgrace as well, banging on about Â’best of the restÂ’ Â’not hurting that muchÂ’ Â’broken transfer recordsÂ’ Â’thereÂ’s no buyersÂ’ Â’weÂ’re probably one of the best run clubsÂ’. Clearly someone from Everton insisted that was included, could have been Elstone himself saying those words.

Would I have a 99-year lease for a stadium built on the Scotland road site, 5 minutes walk from our booming city centre, Hospitality 2 minutes drive away, built by the council or someone like SainsburyÂ’s? The nearer to the city centre the better. It would a yes from me.

I read an article on the Washington Post website about the journalist, Andrew Jennings, who played a large part in exposing the corruption in Fifa. IÂ’ll quote some of it because it seems relevant "most sports reporters wouldnÂ’t touch these subjects for fear of losing access to top officials and athletes, or because it simply took too much time and effort."

"The rest of the media gets far too cozy with them. ItÂ’s wrong. Your mother told you what was wrong. You know whatÂ’s wrong. Our job is to investigate, acquire evidence." Obviously whatÂ’s going on at Everton isnÂ’t comparable to whatÂ’s going on at FIFA but the principles of good reporting remain and that is where the Echo are sadly lacking.

I havenÂ’t heard the podcasts and I really donÂ’t want to because, as James Martin said, the words could have been written by Elstone himself. IÂ’ll be honest here, I hate the Echo and all it stands for.

I thought the Journos got slaughtered there, rightly too, and they managed not to get too defensive.

The Kitbag deal discourse at the end of part 2 encapsulated the whole sorry affair. ١ million for ten years? Can you imagine that kind of deal not being scrutinised across the park?

Well done to everyone involved letÂ’s hope thereÂ’s some more scrutiny by the media next season irrespective of performance on the pitch.

Johnson certainly wasnÂ’t hounded out. He had to sell as he desperately needed the cash to prop up his failing food company.

How can people still think Everton are a well run club. Control the media and you can get away with most things

I would love the people who want change at Everton to employ the people from KEIOC who beat Everton and Tesco in the courtroom to find us a buyer. Do you think these people would have been ready to sell to a man living in a Manchester Bedsit???!!!!

Has there been any mention of the AGM, to be held every year as was promised at last years meeting. Does anybody think there will be one anytime soon?.

Yes, BK is the figurehead. Then who, John Woods? Lord Grantchester? Robert Earl? And? Is that it?

Does anyone have an understanding of say, how many people are on other boards? United? City? Pool? Arsenal?

I get the impression that, you have BK in London, John Woods well, who knows where he is? Lord Granchester probably enjoying his life... Earl in the States probably thinking Everton is a share in Toffee company... who oversees the club on a day to day basis? Elstone?

I feel a lot myths need to be addressed I think.

The EchoÂ’s a pile of shite when it comes to Everton. Firmly under the thumb of the club. I donÂ’t blame the journalists per se, theyÂ’ve got a job to hold on to, until they get the chance at a national paper like their predecessors.

Dave,in the interest of fair play,some years ago Kenwright used to stand by the main entrance, near the players entrance where the away teams went in, and would regularly chat to Everton fans and answer questions or give his view on things. I know, because I spoke to him several times. I can only imagine that when he began to take personal abuse he decided that it wasnÂ’t such a good idea...

Maybe he saw someone with a rope, looking for a tree....

IÂ’m not sure Grantchester is on the board. He doesnÂ’t get on with Kenwright apparently.

Recommend anyone to google "Washington Post Andrew Jennings". Actual journalists ARE still out there and Jennings is Example #1.

And his comment in the article describing the FBI men who knocked on his door, "government haircuts". Perfect.

I havenÂ’t read the Echo since that areshole James Pearce launched a centre spread vitriolic attack on everything Everton and our fans after a dull derby draw. He spit his dummy out of the pram for not allowing the RS to win the game and the Echo defended that idiot also when complaints flooded in.

We all know that rag has a bias towards the RS as evidenced after the last game of the season when there was plenty of fallout for their last day defeat whilst we were stuck in a couple of inside pages. It may as well be renamed the Liverpool FC Echo

I recall his constant attacks on Hicks and Gillett, yet he refuses to say a word about the shitty regime weÂ’re lumbered with at the club he claims to support.

They did that with Hicks and Gilett because Â’it reached that stageÂ’. Sorry, Mr Prentice, but we reached that stage with Kenwright years ago, my friend, and you lot have done nothing to put the pressure on.

"by the way did he speak any sense?"

DonÂ’t be silly.

The podcast isnÂ’t about Prentice. ItÂ’s actually a group of Evertonians calling the echo out for their coverage, to their faces. Not sure why you wouldnÂ’t want to listen.

I understand completely the frustration of these supporters and IÂ’m sure many (most?) of us share most/all of their concerns.

As for getting anything done or changed, we all know how hard that is.

Listening to the podcast did give me a (idle) thought though, which is basically to start with just one question and concentrate only on getting an answer to that.

Obviously there are loads of questions IÂ’d (weÂ’d) love answers to, but I think to begin to attept to exert some kind of pressure, Â’How much do you fucking want?" would be a great start (or Â’How Much Do You Want Bill?")

Make that the campaign, ask nothing else, make that the pressure, put that on banners, flags t-shirts (never mind all that Â’the peopleÂ’s clubÂ’ bollocks).

Different questions from all over the show probably help Bill (and his nob-headed Radio City dupes still talking about Â’investmentÂ’)

IÂ’d love next season BK not to be able to move without seeing Â’How Much?Â’ or "WhatÂ’s the Price?" as I believe thatÂ’s the key question.

Once a figure is out there, the gameÂ’s up and fat-head knows it and has avoided it for years.

So, there are 4 board members.

BK in London. Woods here, I assume. Elstone and Earl. It seems fragmented and what we need is unity going forward.

I will buy one now... great idea.

Phil Walling you are putting years on Dave Prentice and his wife, the lady is actually DixieÂ’s grand daughter.

Easy to say in hindsight, I understand that; but a question would be asked and before it had been fully explored, more questions or comments came in and the point was lost.

This isnÂ’t a criticism of the Blues who attended, as IÂ’m sure there are so many things that need to come out into the light of day, itÂ’s hard not to want all our points answered.

I think the journalists were grateful for the opportunity to dive onto the next question or comment.

For example, the KingÂ’s Dock. A world class opportunity gone literally down the river. I certainly donÂ’t remember the Echo investigating the issue in any depth.

ThereÂ’s many more issues and perhaps the "Dock" issue is too far in the past. But do any of us really know what happened? I certainly donÂ’t remember the Echo asking what happened to the 㿊 million "ring -fenced" in any depth whatsoever, nor do I remember it going into any depth about the "Reverse Mortgage" that Gregg offered. Nor do I remember the Echo asking fundamental questions about that offer and why the Board refused it. Nor asking Gregg what exactly it meant.

What sticks in my mind of that dismal affair is the quote from Kenwright saying "Ah well, weÂ’ll know better next time" the "Ah well" bit was me with a bit of poetic license.

If this had happened at LFC, I think the Echo would have been leading a campaign to find out what happened. Not just having itÂ’s reporters saying "It was a long time ago."

I hope EugeneÂ’s point of "How much do you want?" is hammered home this season.

I hope IÂ’m wrong but I see all the comments about who we should buy and I canÂ’t help thinking weÂ’re pissing in the wind. If we arenÂ’t there already, we will become a middle-of-the-table team for a middle-of-the-table club until someday, Blue Bill will wander off to green pastures thinking "IÂ’ve done a great job of running my beloved club."

And that’s what I take from the Journos – blue or not!

The questions that should have been asked were Â’Why is there a blatant disparity between the efforts of the Echo to exert pressure on LiverpoolÂ’s board and how it treats EvertonÂ’s?Â’ and Â’What would have to happen for the Echo to ever start to question EvertonÂ’s board in the same manner it does LiverpoolÂ’s?Â’

The fans there should have kept the pressure firmly on the paper and the journalists but instead it just turned into a bit of a moaning shop about the board with the journalists just hiding behind the old "We can't report your opinions, we have to be supportive" line.

Sorry, I obviously didnÂ’t make my point well at all.

It was (for me) interesting and important to hear all the points made and questions asked (and to hear the passion and frustration in the voices).

However after hearing everything, I began to (idly) think Â’what next?Â’ and it was then it occurred that if there was one combined voice, asking BK one question (over and over, at every turn) it would probably put more pressure on him than our usual (and understandable) tactic of venting and firing off all kinds of questions about anything from transfer budgets to marketing.

If there’s just one (key) question from all of us, suddenly it’s a ’campaign’ – the one question campaign, the ’How Much Do You Want Bill?" campaign.

And itÂ’s NOT that I think this guarantees an answer or forces Bill to do anything at all, but it would help get the question Â’out thereÂ’ in a nice press-friendly way.

I think the majority understand we are going nowhere under this board, treading water at best, so if change is ever to happen it has to start somewhere.

I think, though, that was what I was trying to say. I remember the Hicks and Gillete pair getting some right old hard questions put to them, publicly, by the Echo but I donÂ’t remember that happening at the Kings Dock era.

IÂ’m sorry Eugene, I misinterpreted what you meant. Yes, it was an interesting discussion but I felt, a bit like James, that it ended up trying to cover too much ground without concentrating on a few issues. A good start though.

Â’Whether itÂ’s business, sport or politics, one of the greatest dangers to continued and sustainable success is when those in charge look at the results and settle down for more of the same.

They may UTTER the usual management platitudes about Â’always seeking to improveÂ’ or Â’never accepting second bestÂ’ (nisi optimum?) but there is still a big problem - and that is relative decline: it is not enough to simply improve, if the competition is outpacing you.

Complacent leaders measure success against yesterdayÂ’s criteria and objectives, not tomorrowÂ’s.

They are marking out the pitch, placing the goalposts and deciding they know what success looks like. All the while, the Â’world out thereÂ’ is playing to a new and very different set of rules.

.....Absolute decline is easy to spot but when decline is relative, it is so much more tricky to spot and even more difficult to do something about. The Welsh rugby team didnÂ’t realise it was in decline until it lost to Western Samoa - not even the whole of Samoa!

It happened because the easy option is to go for more of the same, usually with the support of those accepting the status quo and in denial of reality.

Preventing relative decline is really what true leadership should be all about.Â’

IÂ’ve sent the whole article on to Bill Kenwright, I hope he gets the message.

A question they cannot dodge though is, as long as they are directors of EFC, what is the fucking plan to take this club forward? They have been exposed as having no discernible plan, except to hope some mug will come along and Â’donateÂ’ millions whilst they keep their shareholding.

They have said the WHP project will not be happening, so what are they going to do now?

Obviously the reply will be laughable, with ’partners’ and ’enabling funding’ being trotted out again – but how long can they go on trotting out these platitudes and empty rhetoric before every single Blue wakes up and says "hold on, these lying fuckers have been saying the same thing for 16 years now."

Incidentally, where the fuck did they get the Â’EvertoniansÂ’ from, who talked, uninterrupted, for fifteen minutes about the club being run well (at the end of both podcasts) coz I for one don't know anyone with those opinions.... highly suspicious methinks... anyway... Â’HOW MUCH THEN, BILL?Â’

I like EugeneÂ’s idea, but we may have to wave those banners and wear those tee shirts at WHL to get the attention of the price setters

You could be right, the real point for me is that there is something that gets everyone facing in the same direction with one message/question.

Something that seems like an idea everyone can grab hold of – some single..um..’thing’ that chases this bum wherever he shows his face.

The (or a) price seemed an obvious (sort of logical) concrete thought as itÂ’s kind of related to the (complete and 100% bollocks) 24/7 search, but could be something else.

You add - Â’Â’A question they cannot dodge though is, as long as they are directors of EFC, what is the fucking plan to take this club forward? They have been exposed as having no discernible plan, except to hope some mug will come along and "donate" millions whilst they keep their shareholdingÂ’Â’

Well the problem is that is exactly the question they have and are dodging.

The problem imo with ’What is the plan to take the club forward?’ is it allows for answers – plural, which I believe is a comfort zone for them.

It allows for shaggy-dog story answers involving Â’possiblyÂ’ and Â’maybeÂ’ and Â’takes timeÂ’ and Â’ifÂ’ and Â’moving forwardÂ’ and Â’right balanceÂ’ etc etc (ie: deflection and shite).

I have no idea what is the best/right question, but I would love to see some pressure from... us, something that is bite-sized enough for the press to take notice.

Man UtdÂ’s green and yellow scarves may not have changed much (I donÂ’t think) but it was noticed by the media and everyone knew exactly what the problem was.

At the moment (as the podcasts suggest) that would feel like an achievement.

You know, I don’t know who to be frustrated with... BK is in London except for Match days or Elstone – the rugby loving non-football fan who runs the clubs day to day activities and who I assume is responsible for our non-commercial deals.

He could well have been writing about Everton although I think heÂ’s a Midlander and probably follows the Villa!

Ask them what the board are going to do to keep pace with the other clubs in the division, and give us a chance of competing, they are generally lost for an answer. Attacking Kenwright is also not the answer, he can get in front of a camera and have half the ground in tears.

In short, I think we have to go with leading questions rather than criticise the last decade of missed opprotunities and incompetence. Somehow, a lot of Blues arenÂ’t interested how many fuck-upÂ’s and blatant lies that seem to be the sole preserve of the current EFC board.

"HOW FUCKIN' MUCH, BILL?Â’

DoesnÂ’t explain why the Red EchoÂ’s so poor but suggests itÂ’ll get worse.

Eleventh Heaven