Everton Fans Forum applications invited

So we have a Fans Advisory Board that the board didn't bother turning up to meet and now this?

Seem more smoke and mirrors to me.

More being seen to be doing token gesture things.

I'm happy to be involved. I'm happy to talk to the board directly. I'm happy to express the opinion of many Evertonians I stand alongside throughout the season.

I'm not sure they would like what they get told, but I can hold my own.

I'll throw my name in for what it's worth.

Everton Fans Forum

I had to justify myself, but I suppose that is standard practice.

Let's see.

At last we'll get an answer to ONE important issue.

I'll vote for you btw. 👍💙

I wouldn't as I wouldn't stand a chance!!!

Anything under the auspices of EFC is just a case of providing tea and cake to pet representatives based on the old adage of "keep your friends close but your enemies closer".

3 problems.

Firstly, no agreement on anything exists among fans – opinions vary massively on players, managers and all points in between. Unanimity of message beyond "We don't like what's going on" is impossible.

Secondly – apathy.

When push comes to shove, bar end-of-season desperation, hardly anyone is remotely arsed to putting in the hard yards of pressuring the club on a regular basis.

Thirdly – fans don't have the necessary.

Money is the only lever in this game and bellyaching about matters is no substitute.

You're bursting with positivity and energy. I think you're also a shaker and mover, can see Bullshit when it's dressed up... and most importantly, you'll represent all fans to the best of your ability. You've got my vote, mate.

Barry,

You're quite right to point out the weaknesses of some of those not in power. Bellyaching, moaning, not willing to get involved in any way.

However, that's no reason to use what avenues are available, and support those we know, will try their utmost to influence change in getting this moribund, inadequate Chairman, to set a course vastly different than the one he's used so far. The football version of the Titanic.

Are you one of those fans who you describe? Fair enough if you are, but I don't believe we'd have what change we've already seen, with the actions of our fellow supporters.

That is remarkably cynical. I think the fans are almost universally united in wanting to see the back of our Chairman and I think you seriously underestimate the power of public and fan opinion. The latter can't run a club, but it can force specific outcomes – eventually.

I've heard there has already been three "It's now or never" moments with regards to this MSP investment, but nothing seems to be happening even though the Esk said on his thread the other day that the delay had been caused because everyone was waiting for the league to okay the deal. Something that he said has now been approved?

You love Everton, Danny, but whilst the present occupants remain at Everton, then my own view is that these fan forums are nothing but a gimmick.

You would be surprised; of all the people I go to the match with, only my nephew and myself have any anger towards Kenwright. Most are indifferent or actually think “He's one of us”. That goes for a lot of match-going fans.

"However, that's no reason to use what avenues are available" Unless they are tokenism. Not dealing with the head honcho strongly hints this is the game here.

Mark @15,

Sometimes the word "cynical" is just another version of "hurtful reality" and your use of it is just such an example.

I missed the word "Not" where the ^ is, out of the sentence in my haste to get my tea!

My view is that whatever avenues are available, are there to be used, Tokenism by the "Head Honcho" ? almost certainly. Howevr, these Head Honcho types all diisappeared from the stands with feeble lies because they knew that the fans have got a message for them. I think they have already fallen into their own "clever" trap and are very much on the defensive.

No shareholders meetings for ages, and it had been the supporters organisations who have been the forerunners of slowly shedding light on the mess that our Chairman has driven us into.

Hurtfuil reality? Interesting choice of words.The hurtful reality "is" the mess that our Chairman has brought us to. The actions of individiual supporters and concerted actions of supporters groups have been the method of it being dragged slowly kicking and screaming into the light dragged. I think that without these actions, we would have sunk.

I don't blame anyone for not doing anything, but I want to pay my thanks to those who have taken up the cudgels on behalf of us all.

Tony. I think I know how much angst this decision has caused you.

Well done mate, for standing by your principles.

Tony, I had reservations from the start. Like you, I was unsure and hesitant as I wasn't sure it would have any teeth.

I don't expect these bodies to be able to make decisions, but maybe, once the right people are at the top, they can influence and have a voice.

I just want a voice if I can have one.

I think Dave is suggesting a coalition of Abrahams. If invited, I'd be part of that!!!

Meanwhile, train strikes have hit so travel to Wigan is going to be challenging but not insurmountable. It never is.

Well done, Danny!

I hear what you're saying and I don't doubt for a second those in charge are aware of such sentiments but that's what I'm getting at – turkeys don't vote for Xmas.

Meaningful dialogue with irate supporters just isn't going to happen because those in charge are turkeys.

Pressure must come from outside the corridors of power if it is to be unconstrained but whether it would be effective is debateable.

Irrespective of what I have just written, I have to ask, what is the point? The FAB, set up by the club as the vehicle for fan representation, has been no more than a sham, despite the commitment by those selected, disillusioned and sidelined by the club, its intent was purely window dressing for a board who refused, and still do, to have anything to do with the fans.

The fans in return, have given their verdict, the result of which can be seen in SkyBet's fan poll.

They say that change has to be driven, be wanted, but is the future of the club the same vision held by the fans and the club?

Currently there is no communication on the vision, the future, ownership or even on communication itself. It is one-way traffic from an unhappy and disillusioned fanbase, with silence and two fingers in return.

Change will come, and the sooner the better; the longer this continues, the greater the threat to our survival. Push for that change, Danny, kick the doors down if need be.

My view is that every tiny knock in the citadel is one more measure of weakening the cabal. I agree with you that pressure must come from outside the corridors of power if it is to be unconstrained.

Whether it would be effective or not is debatable. But the only way is to put it to the test.

However, the whole question of "What is a Supporter?" comes between our views,

It seems to me, on the one side, there are supporters who go the match, support their team to varying degrees and go home. Whether they see their team do well for a game, or a season, depends on their strength of support, or lack of it.

They might think the manager's rubbish, and, in rapid succession, see half a dozen more managers or so, bring their team to the verge of relegation on successive occasion and boo them off and our players. Then go home and have a pint with their mates or their missus.

On the other hand, I look at us, the supporters, give our team massive support when they needed it in those seasons. We saw them safe with the support that would be envied in any Premier League ground. I also saw many independent supporters clubs from around Engand and abroad, start making links and seeing how we could support each other and our club.

In my 60-odd years in watching our team from when we got crowds of seventy-odd thousands to now, I've never seen us so united in bringing about necessary change in our club.

Will it work and bring about change in our club? I don't know; but it won't be for the want of trying, and my money is on us succeeding. We don't know what the financial situation will be, or what players we have to sell, or who we can bring in, or even what division we'll be in!

But I feel certain that we will get that man who is mainly responsible for the state our club finds itself, out of Everton Football Club.

Wherever we end up, we are still Everton Football Club, and we'll support our club through whatever difficulties it's in. But we won't have that weight dragging it down any further.

If it happens, and you get in, stand up and be honest as you are.

Teach them some common decency, honesty and SWOT analysis, as the heralded take over in 2016, has brought Everton FC to its knees.

The club, can’t take the piss with Everton fans the way they have done, for years but they stooped to the lowest dirty tricks this year. They have fractured the fan base, But I respect every supporters own views, on the way the club has been managed into steady decline.

The fans are the life blood of Everton Football Club, not the Board.

The fans deserve honesty and respect, every day of the year, and shouldn’t and won’t accept patronising statements from the chosen one, and what so far the FAB, has stood for, from the clubs perspective. The minimum, commitment and respect must be given both ways.

Being honest, my view is this is a deflection tactic, and if I’m proven wrong, then, fine.

But perhaps the club is floating this idea, to reflect the new era, so called or the “interim era”. I don’t know. That’s the issue no one, knows, the basics of the clubs strategy and vision.

In context, once you see or smell the Rat, in your street, house, or garden,it has to be taken out. Sadly this hasn't happened at Everton.

The club, is sadly run to the edge of its existence, and the reality hurts, but is reality.

The Esk, adds some views on the finances of the club, but none of us know what the true state of the mess is, but on preseason transfer dealings it’s very slow, but on what we Perhaps it would show the club has turned a corner.

But this old heart of mine, is Blue but torn, for decades by the piss poor running of Everton FC. The false dawns we all see and know, before the day is over.

I could write all night and day about the running of the club, and the miss management of the club, as all Evertonians could.

But hope is eternal, but the hope is seeing the BMD, progress, and become an iconic site on the Banks of the Mersey and what a vista it is.

Seeing the Die hards, religiously go home and away, the passion of the Everton youth supporters, and the old brigade of Everton supporters and all the Everton supporters around the World, whose passion for the club, is unequivocal.

But unless the club, can find real money backer, the “real deal”, if such a deal, can still be found, or pursued, and cemented, I fear these next couple of years, aside that staying up is harder than ever, with the current constraints, how long, can the club survive, existing on the very edge, of business survival?

Drifting, fast, but that’s how I see it.

Reality bites, Wigan, on Saturday, so let’s hope for some good signs, at this game.

But the season starts soon, and the squad, is a united spirit, a fighting unit, but Sean Dyche, will need divine help, to keep his squad injury free for this seasons battles.

The board must help Thelwall, and Dyche as this could be one long siege of a season.
I genuinely believe, the players are stronger, but the limitations of a small squad, could be very challenging.

Hope eternal.

UTFTs!

The #AllTogetherNow movement in various forms has been going on for years with no results. Despite the flak they got, Jaz Bal and the FAB played ball with the board. Did their part and made the board look very foolish when they quit showing up for meetings.

The subsequent press releases from FAB demanding change IMHO had more impact on less militant fans and were better received in the press than The Esk's open letters. Their approach also undermined the narrative that it was headlock-deploying mobs who were agitating for change.

Granted the battle is far from won but, without his board cronies, Kenwright is weaker than ever. Danny, go there, do your part if elected in your reasonable level headed manner, and continue the work of Baz and Co.

Is/will the candidates be on the official EFC page?

As soon as FAB started to question strategy (Where and what was it?), the wheels started to come off the trolley and by the time a FAB press release not backing the board came out, the initiative was well and truly dead in the water. Board members had already stopped turning up and the weeks before the board went (sacked or sacrificed?), relations had reached a pretty low point.

The board failed to stand by the team in its fight against relegation; failed to support its own initiative, the FAB, by not turning up; failed every supporter with its scandalous accusations.

The club would paint this as justified given the threats etc, but it wasn't and we all know that. It was attempted manipulation of the media to throw the fans under a bus to deflect criticism on the board, its chairman and its own dreadful behaviour.

No point in boring you or anyone else to death but there is a poison in the club, a vindictive perspective that had spread from the chairman to the board and the owner. Given the total absence of any interaction with fans or its representatives, one can only assume they view such as irrelevant.

That in no way is a reflection on any of those representatives but such indifference towards them means little or no impact or recognition or care of their views. Hence my comments. I hope that clarifies what I was attempting to get over.