Fate forging our destiny 
What can pull us out of this decline? 

20 February 2002

The School of Science has become a Muslim madrassah with all the levity that good old Cavanists like Smith and Archie (John) Knox can bring to their fundamentalist approach to football.  It's like having Gordon Brown and Ian Paisly in charge of team affairs and, by god, it shows on the pitch.

I have previously concentrated on issues such as Kings Dock and the prospects for success of Everton FC in the medium- to long-term, because the issues surrounding it are quite clear and the benefits of KD going through are immense (I'm glad to see that Paul Gregg is taking a much more hands-on role in this).  Although this would rapidly change, I believe, if we were outside the top-flight for more than 2 seasons...

I have avoided talking too much about the playing side because so much of the criticism is subjective, pointless and quite often contradictory as well as being based on levels of ignorance which are usually astounding.  It is easy to get into a cycle of negativity and constant criticism of the playing staff and management which starts to feed on itself and aggravate what is an already deteriorating situation.

However, it is now apparent that our prospects at present are dire; I think that the majority of Evertonians are beginning to face up to the fact that relegation is a real possibility and what is worse, are, unconsciously, resigned to that fate.  This feeling of fate forging our destiny appears to be permeating the whole club — admin, management, players, fans AND the Board.  The level of discussion amongst the fans indicates that there is a real fear of relegation this season and somehow we are beginning to be resigned to our fate much more so that pre-Wimbledon or pre-Coventry seasons.

There appears to be no leadership from anybody (I discount Kevin Campbell's recent comments as the understandable complaints of a man at the end of his tether, although I understand that there is another interpretation of his actions...).  The manager, the captain, the talisman (Big Dunc), the rest of the playing staff are going through the motions (some albeit in a committed way, but going through the motions nonetheless).

The whole Board are a complete and utter waste of space being a part-time commitment to a full-time shambles (and that, I am afraid, includes Bill Kenwright).  I know Bill's heart is in the right place and I know that he is trying his best, but what is going on (behind his back?) is an absolute disgrace.  How many times does it need pointing out to him that we are absolutely shite at nearly everything we set out to do.  I know that there have been references to not accepting a climate of mediocrity at EFC — I wish!  We are putting up with a climate of inadequacy, inflexibility and sheer executive cowardice.

I find writing this quite difficult but what incenses me is that there is not one part of our club's present activities which one can take pride in.  

• Standard or quality of football?  
• Loyalty of playing staff?  
• Job satisfaction of the players?  
• Forward-thinking coaching? 
• "Total care packages for the players"? 
• Professional admin? 
• Impressive marketing? 
• Coaching facilities? 
• Rehabilitation/conditioning programmes? 
• Youth academy infrastructure? etc, etc, etc... 

I also include the whinging, moaning fellow supporters who have had their fill of constant drip-drip avoidable disappointments over many, many years — fans who quite frankly have had more than enough and, rather than not turn up (which would be the rational choice), come to take their frustrations out on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

There are undoubtedly good people at Goodison who have talent, ideas and a good grasp of what is needed to achieve a degree of success.  However, a structure such as EFC's — with all significant decisions being taken by a group of people who only ever meet part-time and quite frankly made up of some people who are clearly not up to the job (Tamlin) and who have served well, but time and influence have passed by (Carter) as well as others who have their own livelihoods (Bill) to look after, or who have other fish to fry in their area of expertise (Gregg) — is not an appropriate structure to run such a venture as EFC.  Full-time commitment, offering effective and consistent leadership to the playing side of the club, is clearly incapable of being delivered by the current board and the structures and personnel it has put in place.

I have a 13-year-old son who is an Evertonian; despite having lived on Merseyside for only two years, he is a loyal blue.  However, he knows he is stuck with EFC for life and presently blames me for the club he supports... and what is worse, I cannot point out anything that he can take comfort in regarding the way the club is now or how it has been, since he was first aware of the competitive nature of football (the 95 FA Cup triumph was I believe an aberration). 

I've lost count of the times I've taken him to matches and come away embarrassed in front of my son.  At least I've been to Rotterdam, at least I've seen us win championships; what future does it hold for him?  Division 1 play-offs if he is lucky?  Remember when we used to swell with pride when the pundits talked about EFC, when Des used to wax lyrical about us?  Now we shrink with embarrassment even if we are only on for the bare minimum 30 seconds on ITV's The Premiership.  

Nobody, for one minute, should equate current levels of attendance with customer satisfaction.  There is a great deal of resentment and anger out there and this I believe is contributing to the downward cycle of our once-great club.  THERE IS NO CONSISTENT LEADERSHIP AT ANY LEVEL.  What worries me immensely is that everybody is already getting their excuses in first, the management (no money. etc etc), some of the players almost certainly have lost confidence in the management team (Dunc, Radzinski, Gravesen, Watson(?), Alexandersson, JMM, possibly Jesper....).  Others see a few players going through the motions and get incensed.  Even the fans are getting their excuses in.  The atmosphere at Goodison is an absolute disgrace and adds further to our embarrassment.

What is apparent is a that EFC is club in a hell of a crisis which is worsening rather than improving and looks like it could sink like a stone.  I just wonder how many players will be 'up' for the derby, because if it is anything like the appalling performance of the last one then we will be doomed.  If we can't put up a fighting display against Liverpool then we really do not have the stomach for the battle ahead.  What is worse is that I believe most fans are approaching Saturday with a real sense of trepidation because subconsciously they know that the present squad and management do not have the stomach for the fight.

We are what we are: a dull, inflexible, negative side that is the opposite of the quality of football in most of the English Premiership.  We are about as well perceived by other fans as Wimbledon were in their heyday.  Jesus Christ, players like Ray Parlour or Gary Speed look like Brazilians compared to our lot.  The absolute dire performances we produce in front of the nation's TV audiences are hugely embarrassing.  The thin veneer of a has-been Gaza and a fickle David Ginola cannot disguise the fact that we are the least entertaining side in the Premiership who cannot even adapt to changing circumstances in the course of a game (even when we are playing a lowly Division 1 side like Crewe).

Does anybody really believe that the purchase of two more players (even if of provable quality) will turn around the malaise that has settled over the club?  Even if it does in the short-term, don't worry — the prevailing ethos of our club will ensure that those two players will sink to the levels of mediocrity currently prevalent at Goodison (if they are not on the treatment table. that is!).

I believe that this club, OUR club, is on the cusp of something which will decide our future for generations to come.  If we do not start getting things right on the football side very, very soon, then we may end up as a a Man City or even a Burnley or Preston very, very quickly.

The Kings Dock gives us a great opportunity to have a bright future with the rest of the Premiership elite but, if we blow it now, I cannot see us recovering for a long, long time... and even KD won't save us because the figures will not add up 2 or 3 years down the relegation line (can you see us bouncing straight back if we got relegated????).  In fact, Kings Dock could fast become the albatross that the present-day doomsayers predict it will be.

Ours is a fine line to tread; Bill's is even finer, but inaction now may condemn us to not seeing EFC at the very top level in our lifetimes.  I believe that it is now as serious as that.

Tony Wooly

Tony Wooly

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