Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Declan Burke still remembers some old Latin phrase...

16 May 2004

This is the motto of our once-great club.  The truth is, it is 17 long years since we were the best.  Since then, we have had a couple of trips to Wembley and a perennial struggle against relegation.

Last Saturday, along with my friends, I made the trip from Cork to Goodison for the Bolton match.  Judging by the results of the previous few games, we were not expecting much; we were certainly not expecting the abject surrender that was dished out to the loyal fans.  At the final whistle, I can honestly say that I was absolutely dejected.  We were an embarrassment! (although apparently not as bad as we were at Eastlands against Manchester City).

The highlight of the trip for me was the presentation of The Legends at half-time.  To see all these great players who played with pride and passion for our club reminded me of far we have fallen over the years.  These lads need not worry about a challenge to their immortality from the present lot.  Over the last few seasons, I have gauged the standard of the present players by asking myself who would make the Man U or Arsenal teams.  Now it is, how many would play for Portsmouth, Wolves or Leicester?  Go away on your holidays, boys, and reflect on the effort you have made for the best and most patient fans in the world.

There is another group at Goodison who will be remembered by Evertonians for generations to come.  But for all the wrong reasons.  They are Messrs Carter, Tamlin, Abercromby, Gregg, Woods and of course Kenwright.  These Everton Directors have failed over the years to bring success to one of the best-supported clubs in the Premiership.  They have persistently lied to the fans about a new ground, an academy, transfer funds etc. 

I also feel that they have lied to the manager — otherwise Mr Moyes would never have taken the job.  Unless they now take out their fat wallets and give the manager adequate funds, I feel that we will be all but relegated by next Christmas.  If Mr Kenwright and the rest are pleading poverty, why not resign en bloc?  Or has the prestige of owning the club gone to his head? 

Bill Kenwright would do well to remember that, in one of his West End productions Blood Brothers, one of the characters Mrs Johnson give up her child in order that he would have a better chance in life.  Go on, Bill: be a true supporter, let someone else with funds take over the club.  Otherwise, you will be remembered in our history as the man who stood by with his hands (and wallet) in his pockets and watched our beloved club slide relentlessly into oblivion.  Yes, you will be even more reviled than Mr PETER JOHNSON!

Finally, on to our manager.  I think David Moyes is great bloke and I like him.  But I ask myself is the man totally lacking in professional ambition by continuing at Everton?  How can he stay around to be betrayed by the like of Mr Kenwright, the directors and most of all the players?  I can only hope that being the honourable and hard working man that he is, he actually cares about us, the fans.  I think he is the only one.

Declan Burke

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