Colm Kavanagh unleashes a tirade of frustration with the Club custodians
Seventeen Long Years
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With one trophy to show? It's rather sad, isn't it?
Since that day, back at Carrow Road in the spring of 1987, when Everton were crowned Champions of England for the second time in three seasons, we've fallen further and further away from the pinnacle of the domestic game. A Championship defence faltered. That was followed with successive failures to even qualify for European competition. That, sadly, was followed by acceptance — be it reluctant or not — an acceptance of lowering standards at The School of Science.
The custodians of our fine Club would not have accepted it a generation before — but then, there was more to Everton Football Club back in those days than sitting comfortably in the best seats on offer in the Main Stand, quaffing a bottle or two of Brown Brothers Everton Red (sic).
Where once we possessed a Chairman, Sir John Moores, who wholeheartedly (ruthlessly?) believed in the whole "Nil Satis" mantra, times changed and the drive to keep Everton at the top lessened. Of course, it will be denied, dismissed as knee-jerked waffle... but the fact remains that 17 years on since we last lifted the Championship trophy we are still in the behest of people (custodians!) like Sir Philip Carter.
Seventeen long years — an era where money has entered the sport of football (once the working man's game you know...) like never before. Custodians of football clubs, even the finest, can pretty well blame excessive wage demands for the demise of the game and for the financial insecurity frightening the living daylights out of most clubs. As a fan, I'll scream "bullshit" to that. The clubs they adore, as ever, have ripped off the fan.
Following your team up and down the country never cost as much. Ticket prices are now beyond the obscene when you compare to yesteryear. Why? Because the clubs could get away with it! Fancy being a third-generation fan at Chelsea wishing to bring up your kids in the same manner as you were brought up?! Some chance you have of doing that these days.
Though, in fairness, Everton Football Club, to a degree, remains one of the cheaper ground to watch your diet of League football, the facts remain that the custodians of our football club have squandered so much over the years and with hindsight I fail to pinpoint where exactly the driving ambition was crystal clear. Maybe it's the mood I find myself in, post drubbing at Birmingham City, but the last clear statement — of intent — to come out of Goodison Park was the sale of then star striker, Gary Lineker. Over the years, since the class of Lineker went elsewhere for the big bucks, we've endured the likes of journeymen pro's like Angell, Barlow and Madar — the Bernie Wright's of their generation!
We're a captive market, the football fan — and people like Sir Philip Carter are only too aware of it. As much as I dearly love our Goodison Park, I have seen the custodians (deliberately?) allow it to age, to fall behind the times, to the point where we just might find ourselves forced into a situation whereby we sell what we own to rent another home.
The Park End - what a fine example of showing no invention, no verve. Who needs a second tier on that place? How much's it gonna cost? Ah, what's on the table's good enough for them! Treat them like dirt — they'll still come. Very true... and why? For the love of OUR CLUB - the football institution that is Everton Football Club.
The football club that is Everton Football Club where we are run, as a business, on a part-time basis. In this day and age? The left hand, as ever knows not what the right hand is doing.
I see a sharp return to dark days ahead if Mr Kenwright is not pretty damn careful. I would say we all know that we have an exceptional talent in David Moyes as manager. I would say that wholeheartedly time and time again — as I have great faith in Mr Moyes's ability. However, the whispers are growing, the disquiet is there amongst the rank and file support and it won't be long before there's a growing "Moyes Out" campaign from sections of the fanbase. It's ALL his fault, y'know...
If David Moyes goes, sooner than later, then the Board should damn well hang their heads in collective shame.
Bill, you have employed this man to turn around our fortunes, at a time when he inherited a sorry mess from his predecessor, Mr Smith — a man who wasted millions. This manager we have presently, taking on the challenge of one of England's so called big clubs (give me a break!), has been a breath of fresh air in the staid surroundings of Everton Football Club. However, with increasing frustration, I'm beginning to believe he's the wrong man for our Club as he's got the ambition to become a winning manager. We'd dearly love to see that occur at Everton — but do we truly have the ambition? David Moyes just might cost us money if we ever return to actually being quite good...
I don't see it. Bill's down there in London, keeping the family business going strong in order to pay the bills up in Liverpool. It's a Catch-22 for Mr Kenwright but the harsh reality remains that it cannot continue to be so. Mr Moyes has polished a turd since arriving at Goodison. What happened out there on the pitch last season was nothing short of sensational. Without sound financial backing, we cannot continue to expect David Moyes to perform beyond his ability with the means before him. And I'll tell you why. He is human; he's learning the game at the so-called top level. He'll make mistakes aplenty, hopefully learning from them. I believe though that he has the conviction in his ability to emerge as a successful manager in time to come.
Please, someone at Everton Football Club — please tell me what our re-elected Board have done since the last AGM, to raise money for the Club, and manager? I don't see it. I see one man, Bill himself, scouring the back of the sofa once more for the last few remaining shillings and offering that to the manager. It cannot continue this way.
It's been said before — look at the set up down at Charlton Athletic, a club homeless not too many seasons ago and now back at their spiritual home, with life on and off the field now healthier than ever before. Look at the financial structures in place at supposed lesser sides like Birmingham City and Southampton. They put our custodians to shame. You are supposed to have the very best interests of Everton Football Club at heart. I do not see it.
The bottom line is a rapid necessity for a financial injection from someone, somewhere! We can no longer wait for the custodians to dither from one month to the next. It might have slipped their attention but we've dropped like a lead balloon in recent months from our once (magnificent?) seventh place finish of last season. Some blame Moyes for that. I personally blame the shackling of the manager financially.
For all the tough decisions that lie unattended before our comical Board, may I plead with this offering:
THE CLUB COMES FIRST!
You have been trusted with the honour of guiding our 125-year-old Club onwards and upwards. Instead, we continue to flounder. How long must Nero fiddle?
When I see the likes of Glasgow Celtic attracting upwards of 80,000 fans to Seville for a European final, I think to myself that, with the affinity shown towards Everton Football Club by the global Evertonian family, why is it that we're not in a better position financially? We have so many thousands of fans all committed to the Club yet they remain on the outside of "their" club, looking in.
It can't go on. You know it in your heart, Mr Kenwright. We are a global family of devout Evertonians. We really should not be in this sorry mess.
Oh, in case you've forgotten — the one trophy to adorn the sideboard in the Dixie Dean Suite is a solitary FA Cup.
Nothing but the best is good enough? You tell me Mr Carter.
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