Beardwood cautious over Moshiri investment

Frankly I cannot see the point of 49.9% as it's significant but without overall power. So logic would say that to invest in the club any "investor" would want a say in how the money is spent.

I would imagine any investment going forward on the current basis would require the rest of the Directors to put their money into the mix as well. On past performance one has to say that does not bode well.

So, another purchase is on the cards, possibly by a third party (Russian?) to hold a balance of power. For some reason I feel that what we have is the first move in a play to get the rest of the directors to invest in a stadium build, then and only then will a full takeover occur.

Unless of course there was a third option of build, sell and capitalise on the investment.. a good short term investment and even more capital potential.

Notice what’s missing? As Joe indicates, nothing has changed yet, no commitments to finance the team... or the stadium, so lets hope they have a plan, someone care to tell us?

He agreed a price for shares and bought them. He has enough to out-vote other major shareholders on which biscuits they have in the boardroom. (Go for Jammy Dodgers, mate.)

Is the club richer? no.

Is there potentially more money to be invested in Everton? Probably (I am feeling optimistic... for a change.)

The headlines of Everton being bought for £200 million etc??? bollocks...I guess (please note that I'm no financial expert) he spent at most £30/35 million. Im t'aking a wild stab in the dark at £2k a share max!!

But heh, WTF would I know... I'm just a thicko blue... We need to get some experts in.

Its got to be good news.... it's a step forward... right?? COYB

Perhaps there is an undertaking that Kenwright and Woods will plough-back some of the money they have acquired from Moshiri, pro rata along with more of his cash, into a stadium solution? With such an approach, no one is shouldering more than their fair share of the burden, and nobody is diluting their overall share.

Speculation I know, but it is one possibility. I mean, at 70, what else is Bill going to do with the money? ;)

1. No money has gone into the club yet. If the club was valued at £175m then that means Moshiri has paid £87m to the sellers (all of Earl’s shares and some from Woods and Kenwright) – maybe less if the £175m figure did not take into account the existing debt of Everton (I read £35m recently).

2. It's very unusual to buy 49.9% stake. I have already read reports that this is just a first step. That seem most likely to me – Moshiri will take a majority ownership position at some point – maybe there will be a new share issue in connection with the new stadium and at that point he will get control by putting in new money. This would be a sensible approach.

3. Moshiri’s money is not going to be a massive game changer like Man City and Chelsea have. But it may give us a leg up – particularly if he can fund the new stadium or redevelopment of Goodison. This will be a one-off benefit – and beyond that we will be back to having to compete based on our own revenue. Fortunately with the success of the Premier League financially, this is now a plausible scenario.

4. The days of a sugar daddy bankrolling a club are gone (other than Man City... and falling oil prices may affect them too). The numbers involved are too large for personal fortunes to make much of a difference. For us to compete with Man Utd someone would need to put in £300m a year... every year (at least until we start getting into the Champions League regularly). No one will do that.

5. I like Moshiri’s background. He lives in the UK. He is British. He has a professional background. He has experience in looking at the running of football clubs (at Arsenal). He has wealthy friends/backers. Hopefully he will provide a bit more polish and professionalism to the top end management of the club.

Here’s hoping

To those characters who felt it necessary to attack him publicly with that ridiculous critical air display, I say shame on you. I hope they now have got the common decency to send up another place with a banner and a simple message saying ’Sorry Bill, we got it wrong and you got it right’.

And is it possible that Mr Kenwright’s illness may be a factor? I hope it is not an immediate likelihood but could it be that Bill has promised a consideration in his last will and testament?

Which may explain why the Americans lost interest as, from my American friends, they prefer a wholesale deal not a promise of some now and possibly more at an unspecified future date.

What matter is not what is happening at this exact moment in terms of the transaction. What matters is the announcement of future plans by the club and the new owner as they lay out the future.

1. How many shares BK and Woods left with, what did they sell, at what price? What price paid to Earl? This is a private deal but hopefully this information can be made public.

2. What happens from here on viz investment? Is the new man pumping cash in and if so how much? Will it be in the form of equity (if so does that equity dilute all other shareholders) or a loan? What will be the application of the new investment? How much for the stadium, how much for the playing squad how much to repay debt?

3. What happens to the existing debt on balance sheet? Joe says no impact on Everton’s balance sheet but this is not necessarily true if there are change-of-control provisions in the on balance sheet debt. These may for example require BK, Woods and Earl to remain in control and where that control is relinquished, it triggers a mandatory repayment. Did the size of Moshiri’s purchase avoid this trigger?

The figures bandied about can all make sense if true.

If Moshiri paid £30m for the 49.9% then the value of the equity is £60m + a control premium.

Add the club’s net debt, which I would guess is £30m and the enterprise value is £90m net of future required investment.

Add £100m committed for future investment (eg to upgrade the stadium) and the gross enterprise value is near £200m, which was the value quoted during the US takeover discussions.

None of these figures are based on reliable facts so more info is needed.

Yes, everything is a guess as there has been no real info coming out from the new shareholder. What will happen in terms of investment is a guess as we all know...

So saying "staggered" if anything comes of this step is exactly the same but on the negative side... Pure guesswork and speculation.

We just need to understand that fact. If someone tells you that they know the ins and outs of this deal then, unless their name is Kenwright, Moshiri or another such involved party, you can pretty much disregard their opinion.

We continue to wait with baited breath for 'the masterplan'.

David (#4),
"No money has gone into the club yet. If the club was valued at £175m then that means Moshiri has paid £87m to the sellers (all of Earl’s shares and some from Woods and Kenwright) – maybe less if the £175m figure did not take into account the existing debt of Everton (I read £35m recently)."

He purchased 17500 shares approx... they are worth about £1700 per share... he bought them as an individual we believe? So why would he hand over more than approx £30 million? Top end £35mill??? He wasn't buying debts.

"It's very unusual to buy 49.9% stake".

Let's assume he knows what hes doing?

Alan (#7),

"I have no inside knowledge of this deal but is it possible that 49.9% is in fact a majority holding? How many shares are held in very small, personal holdings? And is it possible that Mr Kenwright’s illness may be a factor? I hope it is not an immediate likelihood but could it be that Bill has promised a consideration in his last will and testament?"

Correct, you would need every last man to vote to overturn his 49.9%.

"Which may explain why the Americans lost interest as, from my American friends, they prefer a wholesale deal not a promise of some now and possibly more at an unspecified future date. "

WTF??? What makes you think they lost interest? Are we now suggesting that this guy was a fall back option? Maybe he was the best option?

Amit (#9),

"How many shares BK and Woods left with, what did they sell, at what price? What price paid to Earl? This is a private deal but hopefully this information can be made public."

Answered yer own question there, mate: a private deal, we don't need to know. He has 8 thousand plus shares off Earl, and another 9 thousand off Woodsy and Bill... or maybe some from Lord Grantchester?? Does it matter? He is the daddy now.

David (#11),

Exactly, David.

We’ll have to wait for step 2 and I’m sure things will be made clearer come the summer. As for the new share holdings, these will become public once the books are updated in the future – the deal has not even been approved by the Premier League yet.

Good times ahead, just need to be a little patient. The guys not going to buy 49.9% and take a back seat.

(I just hope he’s got a new manager in mind.)

Is he a billionaire? ......yes;
Is he a better bet than the Americans? ......yes;
Is it possible he might bring other investment? ....yes;
Is this likely to mean we can sort out our financial mess? .....probably yes;
Will we have a few bob to spend on players and help the new stadium along? ....probably yes;
Will we be any worse off? ....NO!

Well, I think my glass is half full... I think a few people on here have got almost empty glasses.

I’m happy it’s not the yanks or another buyer we have no idea about; this guy has experience and what’s more assuring is that he’s bothered for the last 18 months to meet up with Blue Bill and learn not just the finances but also about our rich history and what it means to support our great club.

On that alone he will get my full support and the benefit of any doubt going forward until otherwise proven wrong. Come on, you rich blues!!!

I would be astonished – and I can’t see the point – in Mr Moshiri purchasing the shares without an underlying plan to make the most of his investment. He will only do that by making EFC a better club with both on-field and off-field improvements/investment, hopefully starting with a new manager.

As I said on another thread, welcome to EFC, Mr Moshiri.

What we need to remember is that, regardless of who the owner is this summer, we have the monumental TV deal where every club is going to be awash with cash, coupled with the increasingly likely sale for £30+ million of John Stones, then I’d be extremely disappointed not to see Everton Football Club amongst the top 6 spenders in England this coming summer.

We can’t sit about and dwell on what’s proved to be back-to-back disappointing seasons of underachievement, I agree with Neville Southall on, whoever has most power at this club, they must sack anyone who is happy with mediocrity.

This club needs to start moving forward now, both on and off the pitch once more, before we get left even further behind in the dust cloud.

So temper the enthusiasm until Moshiri confirms he is ploughing all his ’old Arsenal Money’ into our Everton.

I think we will know more when the deal has been ratified this week, then I would hope he would make an official statement of his intentions at our club.

I hope all of the above comes true, and I’m optimistic it will. And then maybe his Russian colleague will come in and buy the other 50.1%

It seems to me to be a fairly logical process that has gone on. Mr Moshiri has bought 49.9 % of EFC’s shares. His statement gives reasonable grounds for optimism that he has committed more funding into this club by this action, than anyone else has done in the last 60 years, in fact since Sir John Moores took over EFC.

I could well be wrong, we all could but some wish to remain suspicious and they call it cautious. Fully entitled to.

There is a difference between tempering enthusiasm and looking for dodgy deals in the back kitchen.

The man has committed his money to EFC shares. Well, he could be sitting back in Monaco just waiting for them to explode in value and make himself a pretty packet.

He could be a thick, naïve, southern softy, who BB has conned into blowing Christ knows how much into keeping BB at the helm and letting him carry on selling off bits of our club (if there’s anything left to sell but the players). To sit back and enjoy the acclaim of major shareholder in a club that’s done bugger all since 1995.

All for the dubious honour of being a shareholder in our club rather than in a tatty little London Club that’s only won a few titles and cups and doubles in the last 15 years or so.

So unless he’s got some Machiavellian scheme to flog it off because there's massive oil reserves under Goodison Park, or an exclusive resort is planned to be built off Spellow Lane, my purely financially ignorant and wild guess, leads my uneducated brain into thinking that he wants to take a hand in developing Everton Football Club.

He has of course committed a major felony for not laying out, in full and open detail, all his financial outlay, all his ideas forward for the future of EFC before his purchase has been ratified.

I won’t temper my enthusiasm until, and if, Mr Moshiri, to be either a lunatic (even though a mega rich one) who wishes to just throw money away to keep BB happy with his train set, or he turns out to be a devious and lying venture capitalist who sees how to make megabucks... somehow at our club.

No. I’m not thinking that we’re immediately going to throw cash, like that Kopite in the Daily Mirror is saying, at building a stadium, or buying lots of top class stars. I’m enthusiastic, as are the Shareholders Association evidently, that this man will begin the work of planning and action to bring us success both on and off the field.

What I’m enthusiastic about is that there’s a decent chance now that I’ll see Everton challenging for top honours in the near future and in either a new stadium or a redeveloped Goodison Park.

I’m with you regards BK and his true blue credentials. He has made made a few errors on the way to finally getting investment AND he will make a tidy sum out of all his hard work. Looking at it from another angle, perhaps the banner protest made him realise he needed to get his finger out so to speak.

I believe people have the absolute right to protest as long as it is peaceful and well managed. I read the Mayor of Liverpool said he had been speaking with BK some weeks ago and he was looking very well. Let us all hope he is on the mend.

’Moshiri will acquire Robert Earl's 23% stake in Everton, plus shares from Kenwright and the director Jon Woods, both of whom are to dilute their respective shareholdings of 26% and 19%. There is an agreement in place, however, for the Monaco-based businessman to increase his stake over time and become the majority owner’.

We have to accept that while Beardwood is technically correct that little has changed so far, this is merely the beginning of the process. I remain cautiously optimistic that this is a game changer for the club.

Are we finally rid of Philip Green? A small worry for me is he resides in Monaco, as does Mr Moshiri.

Colin (#16). I saw that article too. They linked the quoted phrase to another article which had no such reference.

I’ve seen a few papers now putting quotations around a statement with the inference being that Moshiri said it. It’s shocking reporting. Moshiri, to my knowledge has made one statement so far.

I’m looking forward to the next (as long as the media don’t simply invent it).

As far as the approbation for BB on this thread, a few of us will find it hard to echo Nick Oakley's words @5 viz: 'Sorry Bill, we got it wrong and you got it right.'

Did he fuck!

Yes, I agree, 49.9% isn’t 51%, but clearly it's not far off.

It at least shows a willingness and a major interest.

This man is rich without taking our money, plus Bill has hopefully chosen him for a reason.

We have to basically wait and see.

Hopefully we will get the initial sort term investment, allowing us to add some top quality players to the already talented squad. Adding being the main idea, keeping the major players we already have.

If we can move out five or six of the 30-somethings out of the club (Howard, Pienaar, Osman, Hibbert, Kone), and replace them with some ready made quality first team players, we could be really good.

Imagine what a Hugo Lloris, a Marez, Oscar, Fernandinho and a Vardy could do to our squad. I’m not saying we can take all the above, but if we have money to find our own versions then we would be a major threat yo the top 4.

Realistically, the above purchases could be made for £100m, £20m a man on average, plus the wages from Hibbert, Osman, Pienaar, Howard and Kone would allow us to do something without majorly overhauling the wage budget at the club. (Yes it would go up, but it's as expected given we would like the new owner to be ambitious.)

After a lift to the squad, it would all be about maintenance, we have young enough players to only need one or two per season to come in, probably staying within the money the club will earn through TV revenue etc.

So then, only a year down the line, maybe we could start moving on a new stadium or a major revamp to Goodison Park. Selling naming rights seems to generate good income, plus a nice new stadium with an exciting team playing in it will always generate funds through advertising.

IMO, we have needed a little bit of investment and luck for a while; I don’t see any reason why a business man who is willing to buy into our club cannot see this too.

I’m feeling positive.

I applaud their new found investigative sports journalism. Which only now, after peddling the American takeover since January and the blurry photographs, is giving airtime to an opinion piece questioning a lack of information regarding share sales. It’s strange that the spotlight didn’t fall previously. I’m sure that the Mail, who got the scoop before them, has nothing to do with it.

As an Evertonian, Joe of course gets my respect. The true picture is, we found out on Saturday. To post on Sunday and state we need to know more, is knee-jerk to say the least. I appreciate we live in a 24-hour news cycle but before we start singing "Same as the old boss," let’s give it 7 days and see what transpires.

It would be illogical for Moshiri to buy shares in the club simply to watch it stand still as his investment slowly devalues to due to inertia. If that was the case, he might as well have left his money where it was. After all, Arsenal has to be a pretty safe investment doesn’t it?

I think it’s highly likely that Mr Moshiri has plans for the future of Everton that he, like any good businessman, will make known when the time is right. Before long, I honestly believe we’ll hear that he has obtained a controlling interest in the club and is prepared to move forward with his own plans with regards to the future. He is obviously nobody’s idiot or he wouldn’t be where he is today, and perhaps we’ll hear more once the initial deal has been ratified by the Premier League.

Mr Beardmore’s article really says nothing we don’t already know and in fact, as we are all aware of the current situation, it actually says very little apart from adding a negative twist to what should in fact be the first positive step in the future of our club.

So, let’s not throw a dampener on things when as yet we have no reason to... Yes, he’s bought some shares and the status quo at the club hasn’t altered much, AS YET, but to think it’s going to end with him sitting back and not adding to his acquisition is, I believe, naïve thinking. No-one shuffles millions of pounds from one club to another just for the fun of it.

I welcome Mr Moshiri’s arrival on the scene and will reserve critical judgment until we hear exactly what his plans are, remembering that he is under no obligation to share those plans with us at ToffeeWeb, or with anyone else until he’s good and ready to do so. "One step at a time" seems a sensible approach until he knows everything he needs to know about where he plans to go with his new acquisition.

I posted yesterday that it makes sense both for the club and Moshiri to have a look at one another to see if the deal works for both parties before increasing his ownership.

They also mention his great friendship with Usmanov, would he be prepared to sell his shares in Arsenal to become the other 51%?

I think he will present his ideas to the shareholders in the very near future, or BB will if he’s fit enough. My view is that the shareholders will be content with what is put forward.

Then it’ll come out to us and my guess is that it will be a framework of steady progress, both for the team and for where we will play. So I’m bloody excited and not before time.

Nod an a wink, Ian. Nod an a wink!

There is no pleasing some people. Who is this guy? Does he have any credibility? Let the dust settle and I am sure that there will be a statement from the new in investor about his plans.

Just a quickie anyway, not sure if anyone has any idea, but all the small shareholders who have one share or two – do we know what percentage that adds up to?

If it was 1.2% (or something, my maths is shite) wouldn’t that suddenly (theoretically) make them very powerful?

(Or do I know even less about finance than I thought?)

Anyway just be happy and stop all the reading between the lines. Kenwright was top dog with no money; this bloke is now top dog with loads of money – it can only be good.

I think one thing’s for certain: there’s likely to be interesting times ahead and I can’t help but think that we’ve waited so long, we find it hard to believe that change (and in my view for the better) is now going to take place.

It’s 30% (at which point "effective control" is considered to have changed hands) and nothing to do with "plc world". It applies equally to private companies. I’m actually quite curious to find out why a general offer to shareholders hasn’t been made, when the amount purchased to date legally requires it.

As a club, they have spent more time trying to disguise what’s been going on financially behind the scenes than anything else. It’s been a firefighting exercise since the day BK took control, since the day we sold Rooney, up to the present day.

I’ve long advocated the requirement for a single owner, someone who will be able to deliver on their plans. The fractured ownership complete with nil investment we found ourselves saddled with was always a recipe for survival only at best. Our chairman was back in Coronation Street just a few years ago FFS!!

We are rid of Earl & Green, hopefully debt free, and now have a man in charge who won’t want to hide from the shareholders because of ’awkward questions.’

It’s made my day anyway.

Fucking us over with Kings Dock?
Lying about Destination Kirkby?
And much more....

You need to hang your head in shame. He’s only doing it cause he’s ill.

I think that the minutiae of share dealing is not likely to be something that a businessman of such a background, and and accountant, is likely to fuck up an acquisition of such shares. (Mind you, I’m quite happy to take him a few jam butties down to Walton Jail, if he has done some dodgy dealing.)

I would hazard a guess... nay, I would bet 10 bob that everything has been poured over by accountants, lawyers and advisors to ensure there has been a proper change of ownership. And if there has, should a legal compliance be required to offer the same terms to other shareholders, then that may well be done once the Premier League has okayed the deal.

But, down at the level of me and me mates, we’re chuffed to bits that Mr Moshiri is coming into our club.

Let us NEVER forget that it was on his watch that the club buggered up the opportunity to move into what would have been one of the most iconic stadiums in Europe.

If I had fucked up so regally when I was working, I would not have waited to get the bum’s rush....

I suspect Joe and Moshiri have got it right. There's to be no big payday for the little guys although I'm not sure many of us would want one. (Only my ex-missus!)

Frustrating for me whenever there's anything to do with numbers as I suffer with discalculia - Link

(What? – if ’can’t read good’ can be a proper condition, so can ’can’t count stuff’.)

I'm with you. After telling us for 17 years that "there's nobody out there", when he's taken I'll, buyers are suddenly queueing round the block. Just proves what we've always known. He's a liar.

Shareholding before the weekend was

W Kenwright CBE (Chairman) 9,044 25.84%
J V Woods (Deputy Chairman) 6,622 18.92%
R I Earl 8,146 23.27%
Other Shareholders 11,188 31.97%
Total 35,000 100%

Of the 32% other the Grantchesters have 8%, there are couple of other sizeable share holdings Sir Philip Catrers family (721), Arthur Abercromby (1935).

There are about 4600 shares remaining distributed amongst literally hundreds of individual shareholders.

In reality until it becomes apparent who has sold we just don't know. One thing is for sure the 200-300 fans who hold a single share have about as much power now as before the weekend.... Sweet f.a.

So would it be right to say if he got pally with (for example) Grantchester or any shareholder with at least 1.1%, any decision he took couldn’t be blocked?

* when I say 'got it!', this means for now.

I mean in half an hour I might have read a post that has me confused all over again and I might be asking "Are shares actual things you can touch...I mean are they metal?' etc

Does it prove that? Could you just as easily argue that it was only once the increased TV money came along that there's more of a queue?

As for the advice to be cautious, well there’s fuck all; we as fans can do at the moment but dream,speculate, consider on the balance of probabilities, discuss and hope or fear the change to come.

For me, it’s the best news I’ve heard regarding Everton since the signing of Alex Young. (I was going to say "Our move to the Kings Dock" but best not bring that cock-up... up!)

He reckons they were close to falling out over it, so Green invited him to join him at Everton!

Been telling you for years, Dave, you should start paying for your stuff out of Primark, and do what Jim says. Start shoplifting out of Harrods!!

About them hooky shirts you were talking about how much: never mind... I'll see you later!!!!

You’re a cruel bugger, Dave. Teehee!

Premier League rule V 13. Each club shall publish the identities of the ultimate owner of each significant interest in the club.

In Everton’s case, 'significant interest' means shares. So, after the Premier League agrees, we will know who owns a significant interest and this should reveal who Moshiri bought his 49.9% from.

Assume £100 mil to buy in at 49.9%. The cynic in me (as well as a Chartered Accountant with MBA) tell me the other share holders have cashed in their investment and added in another share holder. So what? He was a minority share holder at Arsenal, his 15% worth £200 million? Swapped for a 49.9% interest in Everton. Just where is the other investment coming from?

I tend to think it will be business as usual until the dust settles and we get a clear vision from the directors where they intend to go. A plc would be a lot more transparent.

Most of the reports are a little opaque. There is talk of buying out one of the owners (Earl), and even that the amount paid is a long way below the value of the club.

A. is that true, and b, if so, why?

Again speculation and vague reporting would indicate that the quid pro quo is that investment from the new near-half owner will compensate for the low price he’s paid. If indeed that is what has happened. Again, all seems speculative.

But overall, I am more hopeful than a lot of the above speculative comments. All the talk is of new investment. I assume that to at least some degree is gonna be true unless Martinez is talking crap today.

So, as has been stated many a time on here... the Press know feck all... and the "experts" know feck all... and you and I know feck all. Which is why its all so amusing.

We do know what the statement said... or is it one of Billy's lies???

I think we should just wait and see... because we can do even fecker all about it! ;))

Fall back options or just other interested parties who maintained their conditions of confidentiality. Please enlighten me of where you get your inside knowledge. As you say... "FFS!"

Correct. Will it change? You bet it will.

£;100M in the summer for players being talked about already. This time, no fucking Heysel will stop us.
COYB !!!!!

If this was a significant event that would have real ramifications for Everton, I would have expected some sort of announcement saying as much from the new "owner". He hasn’t said anything about what he plans to do. That would not ever be allowed at the likes of Spurs, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, or even West Ham. But here, it’s a transfer of shares, some lines about him being told what it means to be an Evertonian, and then we’re all just left to wonder.

I don’t have any reason to believe anything is going to change. I think he sold a minor holding in a much richer club to have a much larger share of a club where the supporters have come to expect and demand absolutely nothing. Brilliant business move. But until I see some information about how he plans on financing a stadium, with actual financial figures put forward, then nothing has changed.

I disagree though, with those who say nothing has changed. First and foremost, Mr Moshiri would be unlikely to lay out all, or any, of is plans in public until a) the purchase is ratified by the Premier League and b) I would think that the Chairman would want to say just how Everton intend to plan for the future.

One thing has certainly happened and that is a massive change has already taken place. Three major shareholders have sold all, or some, of their shares to this man.

What this massive change will bring about is a moot point. That’s where the speculation and interpretation and all the other emotions and deductions, and whatever, that we feel about the purchase of such a vast amount of shares in Everton FC.

I go by what Farhad Moshiri has stated and that is he wants to work to bring success to EFC.

People make of that what they will. As far as I’m concerned he’s bought these shares to make this club a more successful one.

I have every reason to believe that he means what he says and I can’t help but be anything other than one excited Blue... providing the Premier League give their blessing to the purchase of course.

Thanks for the last line though, all on TW can cling to the worry it won’t happen.

I can imagine at breakfast time at your house your wife gives you a boiled egg. To which you say, "Look, love, I know it has the same colour as an eggshell, and I admit it is the same oval shape as en egg. And yes, I know you have boiled it in water for the required 3 minutes. But I have been taken in before; so, until I eat it, I don't believe for one minute it is an egg, so nothing to get excited about."

In the 17 years virtually every other club apart from EFC has changed hands, some of them several times. LFC twice. All before the TV money increase.

One thing is for sure the 200-300 fans who hold a single share have about as much power now as before the weekend.... Sweet FA.

Not quite true. In the unlikely event that 49.9% wants his way and he convinces 250 shareholders (one share each 0.6%) that he is right it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks – 50.5% would rule the day.

Unless of course they set up boardroom rules for a company owning Everton where one director = 1 vote and Kenwright, Woods & Moshiri are the directors. Forget True Blue, Blue & White (Everton version of Red & White) anyone?

In the past, Kenwright talked about him a lot as being "a very good friend of Everton". And Green said that he had ’helped’ Kenwright to secure control of Everton from Johnson.

And Green was strongly rumoured to be behind Earl’s purchase of Gregg’s shares...

Interpret from that what you will...

I think Kenwright learned his lesson and believe he has not spoken publicly of Green for many years. But that might not mean anything. Great question!

ps: Oh, and Green (plus yacht) was involved with some unexplained Mediterranean shenanigans regarding the departure of Wyness and (presumably) some kind of binding non-disclosure agreement preventing Wyness from spilling the beans... all conjecture of course!

If the answer is Yes, we have one less on the board as Earl is supposed to have sold his shares to Moshiri.

Do you think that Moshiri will nominate another shareholder for a place on the board? Grantchester anyone.

IMHO, this is the absolute best outcome for Everton, and the reason the search for the right investor took so long.

Everton becomes debt free for the first time in a very long time. We have some money to buy players, but it won’t be wholesale changes. From reports, it looks like they will; try and tie up the 6 stars we have, and look to bring 3 or 4 good players in.

The stadium becomes a separate issue then. Assuming a £200m build cost, the directors to fund the deposit from their own resources in exchange for new shares, with the rest to be financed long term, away from the day-to-day running of the club – exactly how Arsenal funded the Emirates. So Moshiri puts £50m in, but increases his shareholding as the club is now more valuable. Then £150m financed by stadium naming rights, increased match day revenue etc, allowing all existing income to be spent on the team.

Bill might not have been lying when saying that there was nobody out there to buy – perhaps he was being cautious about who to sell to, having seen all those examples since 2003 of takeovers having gone tits up.

Personally, I believe he never wanted to sell, condemning us to 17 years of treading water.

A bit late to the party but if he is taking Earl’s place on the board, he would be able to get his own way as the rest of the board would make up less than his 49.9%.

It is only decisions that would require all the shareholders to vote for that he would possibly be outvoted on although that is unlikely as you would need a full quorum of all shareholders to vote or give their proxy to someone.

Taking a guess, I would say he paid £4000 a share which equates to £30m valuing the club at £140m (£175m less £35m debt.)

The existing minority shareholders and Grantchester don't have a big enough voting influence to make this happen. It is likely that the other board members would use their votes to counteract any disobedience.

We agree there. I actually think this new guy will be good for the club. I’d completely lost faith in the last lot, but am suddenly optimistic.

Squeeze out provisions (CA06 s979) apply to all companies, both public and private. It gives shareholders with >90% of shares / voting rights the ability to buy out the remaining shareholders giving them total control and therefore reducing the costs / aggravation of dealing with lots of small shareholders.

I’ve seen it done in a private company, very successfully.

The takeover provisions mean that anyone purchasing >30% of shares in a company must make an offer on the same terms to all shareholders. I thought this also applied to private companies (happy to stand corrected thou – not my area of expertise), so assuming all the Everton shares are of the same class, I would assume that all the shareholders should be getting offer letters soon....

I am wary of this deal – Beware Greeks bearing gifts someone once said. I think he might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing but I suppose rolling stones gather no moss.

So how many people do we have on the board at the moment? And is it possible that Moshiri with the largest block of shares, could declare an emergency AGM and nominate a candidate of his own choosing and even veto members of the present board?

Teddy, Given that Bill consistently maintains none of the directors take any money out of the club and yet other operating costs rose from £1 million to over £20 million and interest payments to the BVI of around £8 million a year are being made without explanation, I think that's a perfectly reasonable question to ask.

I am sure you can rise to the challenge...

RETURNS ON INVESTMENT AND SERVICING
OF FINANCE 2015 2014
Interest received 9 7
Interest paid (4,250) (3,324)
Finance lease and hire purchase interest (8) (7)

Make of it what you will.

I can see something like that happening, with the newly issued shares being awarded to Moshiri in return for the cost (or part thereof) of a stadium.

My understanding is that he has bought some existing shares for £30m, and cleared the debts of £40m, with more £30m promised investment on players' transfer fees to take his total input to around £100m.

The reporting on how much we are going to spend in the summer has been wildly inaccurate. I believe we will probably have around £30-35m for new transfers, with a wage commitment to these players probably doubling that figure, whilst offering new contracts to existing players, accounting for the remainder of the £100m investment in the playing squad.

I honestly believe this is the absolute best outcome for Everton. We are debt free. We take the best playing squad we have had in a generation, and add three quality players. We are self-funding – our income going forward will meet our outgoings, with a surplus for future player purchases.

We can then address the stadium issue. If we assume a build cost of £200m, then that would work out at yearly repayments somewhere around £15m a year. Sponsorship can cover at least two-thirds of this cost, so we have to see matchday revenue rise by £5m a year for the stadium to be completely self financing.

Assuming a capacity of 55,000, with 5,000 being corporate seats, then we could offer an average match day ticket of £20.

"The takeover provisions mean that anyone purchasing >30% of shares in a company must make an offer on the same terms to all shareholders. I thought this also applied to private companies."

If you are correct, we will soon know how much Moshiri paid for his shares!

"Everton becomes debt free for the first time in a very long time." – where is there even a shred of evidence that this is happening? Completely made-up nonsense.

Honestly, the invention and extrapolation generated by this incredibly simple story is mind-boggling. Is it any wonder people will believe all kinds of nonsense?

1. This man knows how to run a football club.
2. He is best mates with super rich Russian at Arsenal
3. If Kroenke won’t sell shares at Arsenal, Russian will come to EFC.
4. We have never had anyone seriously rich invested in EFC
5. Why would you buy shares if you didn’t choose to get a return on investment. You don’t buy a house and keep it the same way for 30 years. You change and invest for benefits of the value.
6. He will see what a charlatan Martinez is and get someone good in. Kenwright wouldn’t sack Rudolph Hess if he was in charge.
7. We have a top academy already. Arsenal’s is better however. He will put money in there.
8. We’ve got a diamond called Ross Barkley.

A very interesting post. Speculative ill-informed nonsense but good for a laugh all the same.

I heard a different version. Don’t you think it’s weird no-one has heard from him yet. Apparently Philip Green has had him bumped off and assumed his identity. He then is going to increase debt, add to other operating costs all using a loan facility that goes to a tax free haven in Barrow-in-Furness. A new 60,000 capacity stadium will be built on a revolving platform above the Liver Buildings which will also act as the site for the 2030 World Cup bid.

Or maybe not.....

Well unless someone wants to pay the contracts up, I would suspect they will remain until the end of their respective contracts.

Kitbag maybe the exception as of course as they voluntarily offered to terminate the contract which we declined. There could be a change of view of the offer is still on the table.

However, I suspect the focus will be on upgrading playing facilities and strengthening the playing squad if the aim is to increase the value of an investment. You build brand equity by being successful on the pitch then sell merchandise rather than the other way around.

Personally, I think we have undersold ourselves for years, especially with the ’plucky little Everton’ tag which seems to have been promoted and actually embraced by some in the corridors of power. No matter how many years we have gone without a trophy, we are, and always were an English footballing institution. The comparisons with Portsmouth and Blackburn used to make me cringe.

Really looking forward to the new era, and hopefully we can all get on with discussing who’s the best left back rather than who supplies the pies!!!

However (unsurprisingly) there are currently no shares for sale at all... every small shareholder keeping tight to see what happens, I guess. Also makes it a bit hard for the new guy to increase his stake – unless of course new shares are issued which would dilute people's ownership but not necessarily the share price (or BK and/or Woods sell more of theirs).

I guess it makes sense in one way at least that the private exchange price has not increased significantly over the Kenwright years. For private transactions between individuals who have no inside track on EFC business, you might argue that stagnation at Board level for 16 years translates to a stable perceived share price.

I admit I'm very interested to find out what Moshiri paid:

Does it reflect the current value of a Premier League club? Does it reflect the perceived | published | speculated value of Everton Football Club?
Was it discounted to reflect outstanding debt?
Was it discounted on a promise of future investment?
Was it discounted to reflect the need for a new stadium?

Anything is possible.... except some of the nonsense Neil Mulhearn has posted. There is absolutely no way new shares have been issued. I believe they would have to be offered to all existing shareholders.

I won't pretend to have any inside information, but from the press reports, only £30m of existing shares have been transferred, which is not 49.9% of the club. I may be wrong, but it looks like at least one major shareholder has sold his holding, others may or may not have sold shares, and new shares have been issued in exchange for investment. This ties up with reports that the club debt is being cleared and announcements of player investment in the summer.

Taking the above, if the amount Moshiri paid for his 49.9% stake was actually £30m, then this would represent around 17,647 shares. The total number of shares in issue (before last week anyway) was 35,000.

17,647 / 35,000 is 50.4%. Now assuming the £30m number above is actually rounded up from £29.something (i.e. £29.69m), it seems too much of a coincidence that the number of shares bought x £1,700 is about £30m and represents 49.9% - or do you disagree?

Looks like the £30m for 49.9% stake would be correct, valuing the club at around £60m having factored in all the debt presumably - or I could be pissing in the wind.....

You can't buy up 49.9% of outstanding shares, while the number of outstanding shares changes to some unknown number! Complete nonsense. If you have no source for this, then please stop posting it.

There is also no indication that any of the debt has been paid down. Again, reputable links please. And shares issued in lieu of debt? Utter nonsense. Stop making this stuff up!

You nailed it...... In your last sentence

PS the box has "jaffa" written on it.

I think by that point they’d become an almost meaningless sop to the activist shareholders who each year insisted they were gonna hold Bill’s feet to the fire and get some urgent answers to pressing questions... Yeah, right! At best, it’s Bill paying lip service... a courtesy to the rabble of minor shareholders who in truth have no power, no say.

Bill and his cohorts found it was easy to stage-manage the whole thing like it was a West End production, and any concept of some Day of Reckoning between Concerned Shareholders and cowed Board of Directors was shown repeatedly to be a ridiculous pipe-dream.

I think the Shareholders Association should choose this moment to wipe the slate clean... bin the 41 questions, no matter how earnest they might be, and establish their own dialogue with the new man. Invite him to the next meeting. Do everything possible to get off on the right foot with him. I think it would deliver benefits in the long tern, rather than fretting endlessly over Bill’s unforgiven crimes.

Naturally, having waited so long for good news on the finances and fortunes of Everton, there is a lot of chatter and speculation (across many threads here on TW alone) from the wider Evertonian community.

However, as authoritatively some posters attempt to be – including Joe Beardwood in this very thread – all of them are doing the same: speculating. All their premises are based on the single bald statement, issued by the club late Saturday arvo, announcing Moshiri’s move into the club, which reveals ... nowt!

There is no fine detail of whose shares he has purchased to hold the 49.9% (as good as...) controlling interest in the club, or what he will actually bring to or put into the club.

For that reason, I’ll place myself in the Brent Stephens camp of ’wait and see’ for that finer detail and statement of intent from Moshiri before casting final judgement of whether I consider this good or bad for EFC.

I presume we will get that once the Premier League ratify Moshiri’s purchase and confirm him as ’fit and proper’ (rather than a whacko job like the Italian at Leeds). Hopefully, that will be followed with Moshiri being presented to the press when he will outline his vision for the club.

If that vision matches the mission statement he made in the ’Arsenal letter’ shared on TW in relation to his investment in the club, then I for one would be happy with that.

Of course, stating it and actually achieving such goals are two different things, but it would be something the fans could hold him and the board to account for.

That aside, I’m also intrigued at the back story to all this and what has been going on behind the scenes in the last 18 months. I apply that time frame because, in that single stark statement by the club, BK says it is in the last 18 months he has got to know Farhad well.

We know in October there was ’alleged’ interest from one US group and more recently there was the confirmed interest from the John Moores group who were allowed exclusivity whilst they conducted due diligence.

Then ... BAM! Within 24 hours of a possible Russian-Middle Eastern interest first being mentioned in the media, the deal was announced by the club.

Say what you like about the workings of EFC and BK, but time and again they play a mean game of poker, keeping their cards close to their chest before laying them on the table.

I’m intrigued to know the chronology of events in the last 18 months that seemingly attracted a number of parties before finally flushing out Moshiri.

The final shakedown of major shareholders and their ongoing role in the club will also be interesting to see.

The consequences of the new ownership for the likes of our current CEO and manager will also be interesting to follow.

So, whilst I’ll adopt a ’a wait and see’ stance for now, I’m also excited at the prospect of how game-changing this might just prove for our club.