Why can't we have a buyer?

Even Newcastle are turning a profit Paul so I wouldnÂ’t be surprised if they are sold soon. Leeds look likely to be taken over by Red Bull in the near future.
With the extra billions pouring into the prem next season Big Bill has run out of excuses in not finding investors. No wonder he doesnÂ’t talk to the media anymore.

Out of date ground; perceived as Â’number twoÂ’ club in Liverpool competing in a city with a population which has been in decline for many years; little international reputation and a comparatively small global fan base; domestic fan base with lower disposal income than fans of other clubs (there was a survey a year or two back); complex ownership structure with many potential decision-makers and naysayers; existing owners probably over value their shares in the eyes of a potential buyer; Bill is cautious about selling us to just anyone and probably sets down certain conditions of ownership so that EFC are not raped or asset stripped; why would anyone want to buy a club anyway, since the fans always end up hating you and it is presumably difficult to walk away with a profit in most cases?

Other will not doubt put forward other ideas. Most of this has been discussed at length on here before.

We donÂ’t have a buyer because we donÂ’t have a seller.

Andy,
Correct. Kenwright has never had any intention of selling. He is an egotist and control freak and loves the limelight.
In the infamous meeting with the blue union, when asked how long it would be before the club was sold, he replied that he would have to sell before he was 70 as there was no way his doctor would let him continue beyond then.
He is 70 in September!!!

What assets would they be Tony? - I donÂ’t think we have many aside from the playing staff. The simple answer is Everton FC have never been for sale and while our current owner is living and breathing we never will be.

He is probably lying about his age as well Clive

Joe, nah, must be true, got it off wikipedia!!!

We have no assets at all other than the players, and half of them either want to leave, are past it or are knackered.

Patrick, I had in mind the playing staff as the assets but... maybe thereÂ’s also what the accountants call "goodwill" (as evidenced by some of the posts on TW???), as well as EFCÂ’s captive, paying customers.

Tony, I wish we had been captivated rather than captive but I get your drift.

Berlusconi sold AC Milan for €1 billion the other day, to Chinese investors. So I am asking myself what’s the point in having a Chinese logo on our shirts if BK can’t be arsed getting the ultimate investment?

Why? Because he doesnÂ’t want to sell the club and never will.

Everton FC is a publicity vehicle for Bill Kenwright. If it wasnÂ’t for his association with Everton, who would know who he was?

It gives him the chance to rub shoulders with richer more powerful folk and bore them to death with tales of riding to the match on uncle CyrilÂ’s handlebars, standing ankle deep in piss in the Boys Pen cheering on the Cannonball Kid and getting all dewy eyed at interviewing Moysie over a couple of boiled eggs and a pot of tea at midnight.

I wouldnÂ’t buy an ice cream off Billy Liar tbh, never mind a multi-million pound business. He strikes me as being slightly sinister.

CanÂ’t buy what isnÂ’t for sale. Price or terms of sale, whatever it may be, itÂ’s not going to happen. Last season and the best days under Moyes is as good as it will ever get.

And whilst there seems no evidence of appetite for large scale dissent from the match-going fanbase, thatÂ’s how it will stay.

As will the embarrassing ground, council owned training ground, no transfer budget and managed decline. The club is unrecognisable from the one I grew up supporting.

IÂ’ve a feeling there is one major stumbling block regarding our sale. That being the involvement of third parties, and what may be revealed after any sale. I believe if we knew the whole truth, reputations could well be in tatters.

Remember, the accounts show the figures, but they donÂ’t show which individual businesses that could be profiting from their association with the club.

I donÂ’t think BK is taking anything out of the club coffers, or any other Directors are for that matter. I do think loans may be traced back up to other individuals though, such as Mr Topshop.

Kevin,

There is also the general distaste for tax-havens to consider and how the mood by Western Governments towards such things is moving albeit slowly towards general public opinion. Mind you, that is all conjecture and a move to a new ground could see us changing hands pretty quickly.

Patrick, one thing we can all agree on, is that the club is left in limbo under the current ownership. We have fallen so far behind the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, that we will never see a level playing field in our lifetime. Sadly, we are now financially on a par with the likes of Stoke, WBA and other mid-table nonentities.

Chelsea have been, for the majority of my life, average.

A decent sides in the late 60s-early-70s, shite for most of the 70s and 80s (including relegations) better in the 90s, then in recent years, for obvious reasons, loaded and successful.

All they really had going for them (over us) when they were bought was their location - London/Fulham, but that was enough for a billionaire to say Â’theyÂ’ll do me.Â’

From a business point of view it made sense, although their ground was, for years, a fucking horrible kip of a gaff, that shit-hole was built on some of the most expensive land in the country.

City was possibly a harder ask location-wise, right next to United but with the ground already built and the money available being limitless - for bored and/or football fan sheiks, why not?

In both cases, I understand why them and not us.

Investment/buyers in Liverpool and Arsenal - again, I know why them not us.

But itÂ’s when you get to many of the other sides that have been bought you have to ask the question Â’why them and not us?"

IÂ’m sure a new ground would help, but as pointed out in the OP, it hasnÂ’t put anyone off buying Villa.

You can come up with a lot of reasons/excuses but eventually, given the sale of so many other clubs (particularly non-PL clubs) the following becomes apparent - Â’this grinning twat has no intention of selling - everÂ’

I have never read or heard BK say he is looking for buyers. He has said he is looking for investors. Why should any party want to invest in a club where the present board do not?

We are turning profits every season during the transfer markets being open. We do not spend as much as we take in. I have said for ages that the only investors at Everton are the fans who pay to watch the team and buy the merchandise. The board neither buy their way into games or pay for merchandise. If we were to put the club up for sale, I am sure there would be interest. But investment is a totally different state of affairs.

We will continue to play for Premier League survival as our main priority and take achieving top ten positions as a bonus. I am sure that is why Moyes left and our best players want away. Martinez is safe until he becomes frustrated and decides to leave as this board will look for profit first and financial support second.

So long as we get 35,000 plus gates, nothing will change.

I’m sure if he was able to, BK would have sold up by now. What would you rather have – constant abuse and scrutiny, or a load of money in the bank?

It may be others are looking for better terms. After all, BK has always said he didn’t have the money – and he didn’t. He was moderately wealthy (considerably for many of us) but not "football wealthy".

I donÂ’t believe the line about re-mortgaging his house. I do believe that when TBH took us over we went from a net position of +٣m to -㿀m in just over a year, and I believe we were the original leveraged buyout – even before Man Utd.

He will get his sale one day, but donÂ’t believe this line about not selling to anyone. As the Manchester bedsit dweller would no doubt testify, theyÂ’ll entertain anyone who might have the money.

Nobody is buying football clubs these days Paul, or donÂ’t you beleive our Chaiman?

Kings Dock was the Golden Ticket but it fluttered away and was picked up by Citeh!!

Even though the money was ring-fenced!

Matt, the money is in the bank regardless, and for a man who possibly couldnÂ’t kick a ball down Everton Valley, whatÂ’s a little bit of abuse when youÂ’re chairman of Everton?

Matt (21) - "I’m sure if he was able to, BK would have sold up by now. What would you rather have – constant abuse and scrutiny, or a load of money in the bank?"

Well in that situation, lÂ’d rather have loads of money in the bank and no abuse, BUT.... IÂ’m not BK.

Only BK is and (surely) he has proved over the years that his decision-making is flawed in the extreme (and heÂ’s proved he lies and exaggerates like other people breathe).

This feller is a strange mix, an odd human being imo.

Example?

As TW shows, Evertonians have different views and opinions on all things Everton.

However the one thing we all seemed to agree on, is that our club badge/crest was fine. (I make this assumption based on the complete lack of Â’we should change our badgeÂ’ posts on TW over the years.)

All good sense would scream Â’Leave well alone, if it ainÂ’t broke...Â’ etc.

So what does soft ollies do?

Exactly — 22,000 online blues screaming ’change it you twat!"

ItÂ’s funny, at school they tried to teach us Shakespeare but most of it just didnÂ’t make any sense to me.

However, oddly, I can still remember a couple of passages – most of the first page of Henry lV Part 1 and this bit from The Tempest which I now can’t think of without thinking of BK.

"What have we here? A man or a fish? Dead or Alive? A fish. He smells like a fish, a very ancient and fish-like smell, a kind of not of the newest poor john. A strange fish!"

BK - imo one strange fucking fish and definitely one who makes decisions based not on sense or logic, but on some weirdness going on inside that extremely fat head.

Be careful what you wish for....

We could have a millionaire like Oyston at Blackpool (worth 𧴜 mill +) or Tan at Cardiff (a billionaire).....

Eugene, I had a quick look at the plot and characters for The Tempest and found that It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of AntonioÂ’s lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to AlonsoÂ’s son, Ferdinand.

Bill Kenwright – Prospero, the main character. The overthrown Duke of Milan. He now lives on an island and presents himself as a great sorcerer.

Robert Elstone – Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, who falls in love with the Prince of Naples, Ferdinand.

Jon Woods – Ariel, a spirit who does Prospero’s bidding and is, at times, visible only to him. He became Prospero’s "slave" because he was saved by Prospero from being trapped in a tree by Sycorax. Ariel obeys all of Prospero’s demands and is eventually granted freedom.

Peter Johnson – Caliban, a villainous island native, the deformed son of a witch named Sycorax (see below), who ruled the island before Prospero arrived. He now works as Prospero’s slave but despises him. In the play, he is known to have spoken many colorful curses, an example being, "a southwest wind blow on ye and blister ye o’er".

Lady Grantchester – Sycorax (unseen), a deceased Algerian sorceress and mother of Caliban, who was banished to the island before Prospero arrived and enslaved the spirits on the island, including Ariel.

Roberto Martinez – Alonso, King of Naples

David Moyes – Sebastian, Alonso’s treacherous brother.

Paul Greg – Antonio, Prospero’s brother, who usurped his position as Duke of Milan. He and Sebastian plot unsuccessfully to kill Alonso and his family to come to the throne.

Robert Earl – Gonzalo, a kindly Neapolitan courtier, who secretly provided Prospero and Miranda with food, water, and books when they were pushed out to sea.

Philip Green – Stephano, the King’s drunken steward and friend of Trinculo who tries to help Caliban overthrow his master...

Conclusion: Prospero indicates that he intends to entertain them with the story of his life on the island. Prospero has resolved to break and bury his magic staff, and "drown" his book of magic, and in his epilogue, shorn of his magic powers, he invites the audience to set him free from the island with their applause.

And now Crystal Palace are the latest team to have suitors:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32197924

James @26, re: Oyston "Oyston has had a poor relationship with BlackpoolÂ’s fans, mostly since the clubÂ’s relegation from the Premier League, due to a perceived lack of funding for the clubÂ’s stadium, playing staff and training ground."

Sound like someone you know?

Buyer? Buyer? Who at Everton is ever looking for a buyer? Certainly not Blue Bill. ItÂ’s his baby and heÂ’s hanging on to it.

Now if someone would like to throw in silly money with no strings attached and be happy to leave our man in charge – that’s different. They might get to earn the status of ’investors’ but, if Sir Phil Carter can still be a director in his late eighties, then why shouldn’t Kenwright follow his example and cling to high office?

After all, he is Â’a true EvertonianÂ’ and saved the Club.............................yawn, yawn.

Brilliant stuff, Patrick!!! Sets a totally new standard for bizarre TW posts!

Forgive me, I took the liberty of changing the first occurrence of Robert Earl to Jon Woods — seems to fit better in both cases.

Loved your analogy, Patrick Murphy, but always remember "The Tempest" is the reworking of the great revenge tragedy, "Hamlet".

Andy Crooks and Trevor Lynes have summed up our situation. Bill loves his acting role at the centre of the club and wants an investor in his show, so he can continue his role.

We have to be careful here. Would it be fair to say that most takeovers haven’t been successful? If you read in to the current state of most, the clubs have stagnated and the investment has dried up like Randy Lerner at Villa. Two have been immense and lucky for their fans: Chelsea and Man City. The others – Reading, Villa, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff, QPR, Liverpool (arguably twice), Man Utd (spend profits or secured loans, not investment by owners), Leicester City, Blackburn etc etc etc.

Bill Kenwright is an arse but these other takeovers have been pointless really and have not improved the spending power or profiles of these clubs in my humble opinion and limited business acumen!

In answer to the O.P.

IÂ’ve got a 7 year old Peugeot 407 Coupe, love it to bits, wonÂ’t swop it for any car in the world, but if you offer me 㿀,000 for it, I may consider selling it for that price. Think about that, itÂ’s the same for Kenwright selling Everton.

Do you guys remember the golden ticket (the first one), aka The Kings Dock Debacle? 㿊m and that arena / stadium was ours and that would have springboarded the club forwards, maybe new ambitious owners (see Golden Ticket Number 2 below), Moyes turfed out for a manager to lead us to challenge for the Title, not settling the best of the rest like it was an honour we should have been grateful for.

Then the icing on the cake, Golden Ticket number 2. The Sheik’s at Man City who looked at buying us, Kenwright sent them on their way, didn’t have Everton’s best interests at heart and weren’t genuine supporters of the club blah blah blah, they went on to destroy some amateurs in Manchester instead (Agueroooooooo”¦).

A good Liverpool fan friend of mine, I say that meaning he is a decent mate, we often discuss the fall of Merseyside’s 2 teams, when I explain what Kenwright has done and ask if they’d have him, his response is and always is “thank God for Kenwright, we couldn’t handle Aguerooooooo scoring the last minute winner to win the league at Goodison, he saved us from that mercy”. Need I say any more?

After the lies of buyer searches, failed ground moves, selling off the assets so all that we have is a rented training facilities, a stadium that has at last count 8 mortgages (at one stage it was over a dozen) on it, our kit deal outsourced for peanuts, the season tickets that are leveraged off to keep the club from administration, wonÂ’t sell Rooney for less than 㿞m, Kings Dock, what more does he have to do before the fans see Kenwright for what he is and has done to this club?

Just remember, he budgets the clubÂ’s finances on finishing 10th every year. ThatÂ’s where we are. 20 years without a trophy, at least 15 under his ownership, nearly 30 years since we last won the League. We never had barren runs like this up to the mid 1980Â’s, Christ weÂ’ve won the League 9 times, the FA Cup 5 times, the European Cup Winners Cup, a decade without a trophy used to be a crisis for Everton. Only 3 teams have won the league more times than us!

I’m 36, I was chosen in 1986 (my dad supports them, and I’m proud he made pick Everton but sometimes it hurts like hell), knew nothing about them but my Dad supported them and that was good enough for me, but just a year too late for the glorious spring of 1985, when we cleared all but Man Utd in the FA Cup Final and narrowly missed out on the treble, here’s some memories, Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” and Tears for Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” were in the charts in the spring of 1985 as Everton destroyed all before them, my 2 favourite songs of all time, what I’d give to go back to autumn 1984 and consciously experience all that as an Evertonian, drinking it all in and savouring that season, the guys who did will tell you what 1985 was like as an Evertonian, the older ones like my Dad wax lyrical about the Holy Trinity (and Joe Royle) and the School of Science, ask them what they think of Bill Kenwright and what we are now compared to those halycon days”¦

Again I ask, what more does he have to do before the fans see Kenwright for what he is and has done to this club? And they still clap him when his face is on the screens at Goodison Park (slaps his own head in frustration)”¦

And yes, IÂ’d trade the precious 407 coupe to go back and live through 1984-5, under Kenwright weÂ’ll never see those days again, itÂ’ll take one hell of an effort and deep pockets to get us back up there challenging the likes of City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea again.

With Kenwright and appointments like Roberto Martinez weÂ’re more likely to be the next Nottm Forest or Sheffield Wednesday.

IÂ’m sure our leader will have his shares buried with him when he goes! Certainly, as long as Boys Pen Bill is around, OUR club will slip further behind everyone else due to lack of investment.

The NEC money was "hours away" from being banked.
Fortress Sports Fund...
Kings Dock...
And the new proposed ground is Blue Bill Bullshit- particularly as Tesco have pulled the plug on new Superstores.
"Looking 24-7" for a buyer – please do not insult our intelligence

Everton is Bill’s train set and he is not going to give it up.

This is a subject that many of us fans would like to know the answer to.

It doesnÂ’t go unnoticed that many top teams in the main top leagues in Europe have lots of money to strengthen their squads.

We keep hearing that Everton have little or no money to do this except from TV money which is ironic given that they were once considered the millionaire club albeit decades ago.

Okay, on occasions a small club with little money has momentarily risen to the top but that kind of success doesnÂ’t last because they are unable to consolidate their position.

It is however somewhat of a mystery to us all as to why there appears to be no interest from a big investor still.

Everton have had to do with many second rate players and loan deals for many seasons due to this lack of funding not to mention second rate managers.

Sadly I see this trend continuing because BK doesnÂ’t appear interested in outside investment no matter what he says and in that regard Everton will continue to struggle against the Â’Â’big moneyÂ’Â’ clubs.

As the people running our club have invested nothing in Everton, surely they can sell for a nominal amount – say ٟ. The new buyer could then invest substantial sums towards paying off debts, a new ground and new players.

Kenwright would then show us that he really does love Everton.

Patrick (27) - Thanks for that.

Having read your summary of The Tempest, I am reassured I did the right thing at school (ie, dismissing Shakespeare as a nob-head and spending my lessons fantasizing about Madeline Smith, Kate O’Mara and Ingrid Pitt ’lezzing off’ in Hammer’s ’The Vampire Lovers.)

Once the long-term stadium issue is resolved, Everton FC Co Ltd will be a much more attractive investment opportunity to many suitors, whether this main fixed asset is new, redeveloped, owned by the club or leased from a third party organisation.

There is no doubt that the search for new owners or new investors doesn’t ever seem likely to produce the ending we all want. I would love to sit in a room and have a discussion with BK and Earl and Woods, and, if rumours are true, Green and just ask why we have had no interest and what is their long term view? Now I know they will say that there have been enquires but because of the confidentiality clause they can’t discuss it, and sadly we have to accept that. But surely without naming names they could say we had an offer but we turned it down because... blah blah blah.

Just like the proposed new ground, it’s only a proposal if someone outside of the club is prepared to fund it; now that’s not a proposal – that’s a far-fetched wish.

I fear we will still be having this conversation in years to come and still drawing up plans for what the new ground at WHP will look like. That is of course if we are still in the Premier League; if not, then all bets are off... and we will probably go for a groundshare with Tranmere.

Hi
Off topic, I saw Nais being interviewed live today on SSN but no sound. The chat went on for a good few minutes, did anyone see it and if so what was it about?

Meanwhile at The Old Laughing Lady, rust never sleeps.

Why would Kenwright sell? He gets stick on ToffeeWeb but not much elsewhere. In fact, I know people who see him as a loyal, ideal chairman.

He probably has enough money to live comfortably for life. He lives the dream on the cheap and without risk. It is never, ever going to get any better for him. He can gurn his eyes out live on TV and the world doesn’t laugh.

Everton is not for sale.

Also, Eugene, Madeleine is appearing everywhere.

Loads of people seem to like him Andy, he’s done a great job they say?

When I ask them to name anything good the answer is always the same, see post 26.

Brian (40) I would like to sit in a room with Kenwright, well I wouldn’t really, but anyway I’d like to ask him when he really started watching Everton and flush him out and if he knows anything about going to the match, ask him questions about games he’s supposed to have seen.

I think he’s a complete phoney regarding his "long time support of the blues". I doubt his going to see Everton all those years ago, can’t prove it but would love to try.

Here’s the thing, though Andrew (#37): while they have not put money into the club itself, they have invested in Everton... shares. Why should they not at least get a fair return on that investment? As long as it is supported by the perceived value of the club itself.

[Full disclosure: I too have invested in an Everton share.]

We need a ’name your price’ campaign. You can’t sell anything if you don’t put a price on it.

When the training ground was up for sale a few years back, a brochure was made, and it was openly available for around 㾻 million, if memory serves me right.

If BK was serious about selling, which he is not, then he would make it publicly known that he and his mates are looking for, say, 𧵎 million. Obviously we would then give him dog’s abuse, because it would then come to light that they acquired their shares for about 㿀 million, have not invested a penny since, have sold our old training ground, done nothing commercially etc. Hopefully a bit of public pressure could bat them down to selling for less than 𧴜 million – still a tidy return for what they have contributed!

But unfortunately, it won’t happen, because they have got a free ride on the gravy train that is the Premier League.

A scary thought is seeing the likes of West Ham moving into shiny new stadiums. We are being left behind.

Thanks to Declan Brown for the little walk down memory lane. I remember those hazy crazy days of 1985 well. Great days to be an Evertonian. We had a proper team for about 5 to 6 years. Magic. And we even attracted players like Gary Lineker to the club. In fact I even remember the 1970 league winning team. That was my introduction to Everton. I loved that team.

A curse on Big Norman Whiteside. Nothing more to say on that matter.

Everything has already been said, on here, about Bill Kenwright. And IMO, he will never sell. But, if he is the great Everton supporter that he claims to be, why not sell? Let a Billionaire owner pour money into the club, and sit back and enjoy the success. Just cause he (BK) no longer owns the club, doesn’t mean that he stops being a supporter. If he cannot bring success, then let someone else try. Simplistic, yes I know, but I ain’t getting any younger. And I would love to see Everton at the top again.

Not easy being an Evertonian. And this season has not made anything any easier. In fact, it was bloody pointless. A manager at the helm, who seems to only be able to concentrate on one competition (this season –the Europa League). And will we ever be competitive in the League Cup?

Money means everything. Or barring that, a manager that can get a tune out of his team. We have neither. We will win nothing with bargain basement and loanees. And I fear we will win nothing with Martinez. And we will win nothing with Kenwright.

Fingers crossed, that my numbers might come up in the Euro Millions. I might invest in the club. Help them to buy a world class attacking midfielder. Because there is more chance of that happening, than BK selling.

There is a petition online here.

"Due to the stagnation and lack of investment by the Chairman and Board of Everton Football Club, we, the undersigned seek change at the top, before we fall even further behind the rest."

https://www.change.org/p/bill-kenwright-petition-for-bill-kenwright-to-relinquish-ownership-of-Everton?

I tried your link - it came up not found but it was on the change.org website hope this link works.

Petition

Bill does not want one!

Thanks Patrick @51.

Yours is dead too, try here

Not sure why this type of OP keeps coming up. It’s pretty obvious BK does not want to sell otherwise we’d have been sold a long time ago by now. (Stadium is not an issue, any competent business man can solve this, it doesn’t take Einsteinesq knowledge to plan a phased redevelopment of GP using the Sky cash.)

He’s looking for an ’investor’ which is never ever going to happen. So we’re basically stuck with him until he’s in the ground. He’s 70 now so it could be a very long wait indeed!

Tbh, if I were him, I’d be looking to sell now as I think this is the best time to sell a Premier League club as I think the Sky money has now been maxed out. Sky realise they cocked up the last bidding round and put way too much cash on the table. After the next three years are done I can see the Sky money going down. Also I don’t believe sane people are going to keep paying over 𧴜/month just to have Sky. You can watch almost any game live on the internet and the streams are improving all the time.

How can a change.org petition help this cause? Does anybody really believe that he will care how many people sign it?

’Then, the world famous West Brom are put up for sale and straight away, a consortium are ready to buy.’

You have answered your own question. There will always be buyers for EPL clubs in the current market. Not us because we are NOT for sale.

Dennis is correct BK wants an investor. Never going to happen.

Unless one the petitions signers has a £billion or 2, as far Kenwright and the board are concerned, it doesn’t exist. The truth is, I don’t believe Everton is for sale. If someone was to make an over the top offer, that might change, but at market value, nothing is going to happen

change.org?!? Haha, too funny. People scoffed at the BU for organising protest marches as "Kopite behaviour", but an online petition?

We deserve our ownership. No wonder the Kopites hope he stays forever.

Waste of space. BK will never sell. While we have supporters to perceive that "this is the best we can ever get", we will never advance.

I am thankful I was to witness 1963,1970 etc. I feel so so very sorry those who only have heard.

Had they been there, then no way would they have even mentioned this chancer being given another season. God help us if Kenwright keeps Martinez here.

Why is it every time somebody does or says something that may or may not help to rid Everton FC of the current board do some people cry ’Kopite’ behaviour?

I’m not saying anything other than somebody putting an offer that is too good to refuse on the table that BK will leave any time soon. Surely all Evertonians want what is best for the club and sitting on our collective hands and waiting for the day is a pretty poor response.

It’s not as if we are issuing death threats or physical harm to the ownership that might be deemed behaviour associated with our friends and neighbours... but a petition is a legitimate way to voice our concerns – even if it doesn’t achieve its aims.

Oh dear... here we go again – that time of year!

EFC is for sale – always has been – but, as most mention the vast majority of buyouts fail in EPL, unless you invest hundreds of millions.

EFC’s problem is simple: we sit in the middle of a potential big challenge or mid-table stability – the problem between the former and latter is about 𧶀 million difference.

All-in, with a new stadium, any new owner would need to invest £ 400 million for off-and on-field activities if they wanted to challenge the top 4. ThatÂ’s EFC’s problem, clear as day... so no need to cut yourselves up about it. If he sells for less, then EFC gains nothing – just a new owner – and he wont do that; well, not yet.

It’s very simple: in business terms, the investment needed is much higher than any potential return to new bidders; so, whilst we sit in this limbo, nothing will change unless a new owner is prepared to write of either a lump of cash or look for a long-term business plan. But football just doesnÂ’t work to those rules – everything is short term... hence we again get stuck in limbo.

Again, I mention this all the time: please remember Kenwright only owns 26% – any new buyer serious about EFC could cut him out if he so wished, or at least force him to the table. To date, not one single person or consortium has wanted to do this... Ask yourself why...???

Answer above: already, to us fans, it’s heaven; to a businessman, it’s a poor investment.

Why would Green and Earle want to sell when they can live off their interest and "other unexplained operating cost" payments in the BVI.

The sale of True Blue holdings is so complicated nobody will touch it.

Bill is secure while he is still paying homage to his masters and living and breathing his dream.

I think the dream of new ownership providing a billion pounds to project us to the top 3 will stay a dream. Everton are built around community and while the will to win is there, the expectation or need is not. Everton are attracting huge funds via the Premier League but it is not for profit and I doubt we will ever turn the sort of profits that are the lifeblood of other teams. The owners seem content to sit and take little out but all could be confident of making a profit if they were to sell as our turnover has risen a long way - as has been mentioned before perhaps community ownership will ultimately be the solution.

BK wants us all to believe it’s an unattainable dream as well and that’s just rubbish. If a club like Man City can find a huge investor I’m sure we could, if the owner really wanted to sell.

Trevor,

It’s just not that simple. Man City had a new stadium and went through two purchases. They weren’t just bought by the oil guys. They first went through Shinawatra which was nearly a disaster.

Everton do not have a new stadium, we have a relic if we’re all honest. Remove the sentiment and our stadium is a shambles and would not be selected to host major events if England hosted them (Olympics, World Cup, Euros).

Andrew # 56, Bill loves to be loved. It is oxygen to him. The only way he will go is when he realizes that most Evertonians hold him in utter contempt. He will, as deluded luvvies do, go as a martyr unappreciated, misunderstood as only ever having been a loyal guardian of the club.

The whole question of who has put money into the club, and who are the club paying for loans from many years ago, is shrouded in secrecy. All of that talk of owing the banks, a few years ago. I wonder who we owe the money to?

The UK is still paying back loans from the 1700s, and to individuals who bank-rolled the First World War. So I wonder who we owe money to, and what the figures are?

Is this why we never seem to have a pot to piss in? Despite the Sky millions!

As for Kenwright, I quite like him, and think he just wants to be remembered affectionately by the fanbase as a good custodian of this Merseyside institution. I don’t want a Russian Mafioso, or an Arab consortium, and I don’t want someone from the Far East who fancies us wearing red shirts.

How about a fan-based share buy-out? Bring some democracy back to the so-called "People’s Club".

Tom (#64), with the increased Sky money, I believe we made a profit of around 㿊M last year. We will also make a profit this year and unless there is a disaster even higher profits next year and the years after (assuming of course we don’t go down and GP isn’t empty thanks to the turd the manager’s tactics serve up every second weekend).

The fact is the whole league, thanks to Sky, is such a massive cash cow that, if any half-decent club comes on the market, there will be a line around the block looking to buy. BK doesn’t want to sell; it’s really that simple. Anything he says to the contrary is a complete crock of shit.

David (#66), it is that simple. The stadium ’issue’ keeps coming up as the main reason/excuse why we have not been sold and people use Man City as an example of a club that was sold simply because it had a new stadium. The new stadium for Man City may have made it more attractive but that has nothing to do with why we have not been sold.

The fact is that, of the 20 clubs currently in the Premier League, no less than 16 (yes SIXTEEN) have changed hands since BK took over at Everton. Some of them have changed hands more than once in that time! That’s not to mention the multiple clubs in the Championship who were recently in the Premier League, who’ve also been sold in the last 10-15 years – none of these clubs had a brand new stadium funded by the British tax payer.

BK doesn’t want to sell – it is that simple. Old stadium or not.

7 interested parties in buying Birmingham City !

Post number 5 said it best. BK is nothing more than an Egotist. Everton is what makes Bill Kenwright. The only time he gets his mug on tv without being an extra in Corrie, is in the stands at Goodison Park. Without Everton no one would know who he is.

Can anyone tell me about any updates on walton hall park? The last I heard was last November.

BK will never sell Everton.

Tom, maybe one of the unlucky 7 might turn their attention to us as second choice after their disappointment of missing out on Birmingham.

Or maybe they already inquired?

Dan #54, your link doesn’t work either

Jay #63, True Blue Holdings ceased to exist when Gregg departed.

Try this. If it don’t work this time I give up.

https://www.change.org/p/bill-kenwright-petition-for-bill-kenwright-to-relinquish-ownership-of-Everton?recruiter=45905856

Copy and paste ^

I have failed like a Kings Dock stadium build here, sorry ToffeeWebbers.

I retire.

If you go on change.org, however, and search for it, you will find it. Its’s only had 195 signatures however.

If anyone is daft enough to believe that:

A) Kenwright wants to sell or is looking for a buyer, think again. Kenwright only ever says that he is looking for investment, albeit, 24/7.

B) That the billionaire Sir Philip Green has any interest in Everton or relies on Everton for money. This is from his Wiki page:

"Green is a big football fan and a Tottenham Hotspur supporter. He is heavily involved with Everton Football Club due to his friendship with chairman Bill Kenwright, but has no intention of formally investing in the club. He arranged for another friend, Planet Hollywood’s owner Robert Earl to purchase shares from former director Paul Gregg during a struggle for control of Everton in 2004. He offers business advice to the club alongside Tesco CEO Terry Leahy and helps negotiate player transfer fees with agents."

Dave, to get to the petition simply paste: "bill-kenwright-petition-for-bill-kenwright-to-relinquish-ownership-of-Everton" into Google. It works!

Bill WILL sell if someone meets the exorbitant price – whatever that is – AND makes him El Presidente for life... or some such title.

While there might be a good internet presence seeking change at the top, I don’t see what good it will do if it doesn’t become apparent in the ground.

Do I believe Kenwright is actively looking to sell? Of course he’s not. If he was, then the market would have dictated what the club was worth by now and we’d have a new owner.

Do I believe he’ll sell? Yes I do. At the right price and if Evertonians make it clear that they want him gone. He and his investors are entitled to ask for market value regardless of what anyone else thinks on here. He’s had an investment tied up in this club for a long time – he should get his return.

The BU were on the right track. They just seemed to get a bit caught up in themselves rather than focus on their aims.

And there is the question of how many matchgoing blues would actually support a protest against Kenwright.

You can’t be sold if you’re not for sale.

Ernie #81, the BU did a decent job of raising the issues. What fooked things up at the time (in my view) was we were doing "ok" on the pitch.

Where was this change.org petition last season?

That’s why we as a fanbase won’t achieve anything. Intentionally or otherwise, BK split the fanbase during DK, and those splits remain to this day – something BU recognised.

Sorry, I just don’t see why suddenly it’s an issue cos we’re a bit shit on the field. The issues haven’t changed for years.

Andy Crooks; Brilliant; one line says it all!

Matt, like you said, the issues have always been out there but for some reason most supporters seem to be more afraid of what might replace the current regime rather than welcome change and a pro-active owner.

The truth of the matter is that, if it had been anybody other than Blue Bill in charge, the fans would have chased them out of town years ago. There is obviously a correlation between results on the pitch and dissatisfaction with the owners; it was ever thus at every club in the world. As long as supporters enjoy relatively cheap Premier League football at Goodison and a top ten position, the current regime have nothing to fear.

Don’t forget that BK also has other family members that he could bequeath his shares to, so the Kenwright dynasty may in truth only be in its infancy.

Whilst numerous posters on TW want BK and his cohorts fucked off, the overwhelming majority of Blues sadly fall into the forelock tugging category.

"Just look at what happened to Leeds/Portsmouth/etc, so no thank you, we’ll stick to our boring pedestrian, predictable, pluckiness".

FFS Evertonians won’t even boycott the elephants piss Chang (served in 3 seconds), so please don’t expect a Blue Revolution with regards to any heavyweight issues.

To be honest, if the board went of the way of TW regulars, then Everton would be in more of a mess than it already is. Probably end up like Leeds.

David,Where is the evidence to support the fact that Everton FC won’t end up like Leeds and other clubs in the Championship with the current people in place? TW regulars don’t want to run the club, they want people who will take the club forward with a clear business plan and just a whiff of ambition.

I’m getting to the age where it isn’t really that important to me any more as I have seen Everton win things, but for those below 35 who have seen little in the way of success, I wish them well but don’t hold out much hope that our current mode of operation will obtain any more success than it has for the last five years.

As Paul Kennedy suggests, it’s just not plausible that in all these years under Bill’s chairmanship there has been no credible buyer who has made enquiries to buy EFC.

One argument is that it is the dated Goodison Park that is the stumbling block to finding a new owner. Granted, the monies needed to refurbish or relocate the stadium counts against us.

However, as others have pointed out, we are ever presents in the PL and have only spent 4 seasons of our 137 years of existence outside the top flight of English football.

Phil Carter, then chairman of the old Football League, was the main instigator of the formation of the break away Premier League. At it’s inception, we were included in the ’Big Six’ of the Premier League ... and it didn’t include Chelski or Shitteh!

How then, with the advantage of constant membership of the Premier League, other than the transfer of ownership from Hamperman Peter Johnson to TBH, and then BK buying out Paul Gregg to seize majority control of the club, the overwhelming majority of Premier League teams have been bought and sold (in some cases multiple times), have completely modernised their traditional stadiums or relocated and built a new stadiums with clear sight lines, whilst EFC continue a hand-to-mouth existence in a (magnificent!) BUT decaying stadium, unfit for purpose in today’s ’entertainment industry’?

In the same time that we have been Premier League ever-presents with our snouts in the monetary trough, some clubs have risen from nearly going out of the league (eg Swansea), to become established Premier League clubs, in new state-of-the-art stadium, well run, well financed and... trophy winners! Such success stories and transformations extend to other clubs beyond the Premier League. There are more examples of success stories than the scare stories of the Leeds and Portsmouth failures that those who state ’be careful of what you wish for’ prefer to flag up.

Yet Bill tells us ’there is no better salesman for EFC than me...’ that he is ’searching 24-7 for a buyer...’ There’s plenty more beauts that can be added to these.

The long and the short of it is, King’s Dock represented THE pivotal moment in Everton’s modern day history. For the relatively paltry (ring-fenced!) sum of 㿊 million, we would have had a iconic WORLD CLASS stadium in an unparalleled riverfront location.

The popular belief is that Bill chose this moment to evict Paul Gregg from the board and take majority control of the club, rather than allow Gregg the kudos for financing the King’s Dock project.

The waters, like the Mersey, are a little muddier than that. In July 2001, Houston Securities, a firm majority-owned by the family of Paul Gregg, won the preferred bidder status for King’s Dock, which included a multi-purpose stadium, hotel, residential and other commercial use.

From the start, Everton was seen as key to the project, as stadium tenant. Funding was necessary from many agencies, but it was definitely deliverable. Houston Securities contribution was for the ’ring-fenced’ 㿊 million. There was an internal agreement that Everton would eventually provide HS the 㿊 million, with Paul Gregg providing the initial guarantee for that amount.

HOWEVER... over the next 18 months, the planning application was postponed 4 times and as a result HS (a Gregg-owned company, remember, with minimal assets and no track record of projects of this type or scale) lost preferred bidder status in December 2002. Search HS online... even today, they exist in name only.

The fallout of all this was that the KD project was seriously delayed; by March 2003, Everton’s involvement in the project ended, Trevor Birch came and went as CEO in 6 weeks in the summer of 2004 when Rooney was sold, Gregg and his wife cashed in their shares, selling to Robert Earl... and the rest as they say is history.

Just one final quote from Bill, at the time of buying out Johnson in 1999, 16 long years ago:

"Acquiring Peter Johnson’s shares is only the first step to restoring a great club to where it belongs, to where it should be. If you are going to run a successful football club, you need two qualities: you need to be realistic and you need a plan. I’m realistic and I have a plan."

Never mind "show me the money", Bill – just show me the plan.

Ray #78, you may think it’s daft to think that Phil Green has any interest in Everton but Paul Gregg stated that the money to purchase his shares in TBH came from Green.

Given that Gregg’s wife Anita had loaned BK the money for his shares, do you think that Bill still owes her the money? Or that she asked for it to be payed off immediately her husband was ousted from the board? And who payed who might have paid the debt to her?

Jay (89) - Re Bill’s "If you are going to run a successful football club you need two qualities: you need to be realistic and you need a plan. I’m realistic and I have a plan."

The expression ’fine words butter no parsnips’ comes to mind.

Like all top spoofers, he’ll always be able to come up with the ’right’ line.

It’s just doing stuff (without completely fucking up) that’s his problem.

Eric@90,

Eric the point I was making was in answer to remarks like the one in #63.

"Why would Green and Earl want to sell when they can live off their interest and "other operating cost" payments?"

Green is an extremely wealthy man and has no need to rely on "other operating costs" to buy his lunch within some smart restaurant in Monaco. Green would not miss any money loaned to Kenwright, Gregg or any other person associated with Everton, although he will obviously want the money repaid.

Peter (#82), unless your names are Hicks and Gillette and your club is Liverpool, in which case you might not want to sell but you will find your club hawked around for sale anyway. And without it, somehow, not being forcibly put into administration, having points deducted... but that’s another story...

Jay, your summary (#89) well and truly revisits history and provides the narrative that should be used to keep Kenwright’s feet to the fire regarding his incompetence and dereliction of duty to Everton FC in his capacity as Club custodian and major shareholder.

Whilst the Redshite continue in their redevelopment of the main stand and have a Cup semi-final to look forward to, we are now being led on a merry dance regarding the fanciful proposal for WHP.

The fan-base is getting older and older, and Evertonians deserve much better. For anyone at Wembley in 2009 or 2012, that is what 50,000 Evertonian’s look like, Kenwright needs to do the honourable thing and move on.

According to reports, three PL clubs are at present talking to potential buyers: Villa, Palace and Albion. Birmingham are for sale and have had contact from seven different parties.

Clive (#95), and the most serious prospect Bill 24/7 Kenwright can attract is a bloke in a bedsit.

Without any financial input from its directors, the club runs itself... making it a nice little secure nest egg for any time their cash flow hits the wall. A combination of those things produce a situation where there is no urgent motivation to sell.

The reality is that, unless the existence of the club is at stake and needs an input of cash from Bill’s puppet masters, they are content to see us exist in mediocrity. With supporters wallowing in apathy, yet still turning up in droves, I cannot see any real pressure for change – and who can blame them for that?

Over the last 12 years, the nearest thing that could be classed as a rare public display of the crowd’s displeasure was a few almost embarrassed boos at particularly poor passages of play. Bill and his mates would have seen that kind of thing as a potential danger to their little scheme.

Even if we were for sale, we are not saleable.

Just saw this extract from an interview with Sylvester Stallone in the Daily Mirror....

Sly’s been an Everton fan ever since first visiting Goodison Park in 2007. But has he ever considered buying the club?

The star, said: "If I knew what I know now I’d have snapped it up. That was when football clubs were affordable but now it’s a billionaire’s game. I’d need to do one of these ads every day for the next 1,000 years..."

 I wonder just how we managed to have an owner who has probably got less cash than Sly...? His latest Movie is called "The Expendables 3" – reminds me of something but I can’t quite put my finger on it....

I get the feeling Uncle Bill is not well liked?

There are them as do, and them as don’t, Brin.

The fanbase is well and truly split on the matter of Blue Bill. For some (eg, the Blue Union thinkers) he is the problem; for others, he’s a True Blue through and through... and therefore can do no wrong.

And then there’s a bunch spread across the wide spectrum in-between, I suspect, who are... ambivalent.

Matt (#59) — that made me laugh. No wonder the kopites want him to stay forever... It’s now been 25 years – yes, 25 – since they last won the title and have never ever won the Premier League. If you’d have said that to one of those arrogant bastards back in 1990 they’d have thought you’d just landed from another planet. Yes, they’ve had a few cup wins but, for the money they’ve thrown at it, they really should have picked up a couple of league titles. They’re hardly in a position to criticise our ownership with the troubles they’ve had.

I know Kenwright is a phoney etc, but it’s the old adage isn’t it: "Be careful what you wish for"... and as Trevor said earlier, he’s never actually said he’s looking for a buyer – just investors.

I look at the likes of Leeds, Coventry and Blackburn and say a little prayer sometimes. Imagine what them three would give to be in our position now.

MK - Bloody hell, for a minute I thought you said irrelevant!