Fans Comment
Mike Owen

Family Enclosure evictions: An open letter to Keith Wyness
25 May 2005

I am angry. Let me explain; I shall try and stick to the bare facts and try to keep emotion out of it, but I might fail.

My two sons and I have had season tickets in the Family Enclosure for the last four seasons. Today I opened a letter from Keith Wyness in which he said: "...It is therefore essential that we improve our corporate facilities; to address this we have created a new corporate lounge and in doing so, it is unfortunate but necessary to re-locate a small number of fans whose seats are in the Family Enclosure, of which you are one."

My two sons, aged 14 and 11, received the same letter which later added: "You may choose an alternative seat within the stadium and receive a 20% discount for Season 05/06."

Apparently we should return our forms together with our remittance and a covering letter indicating our "first, second and third seating preference". That preference is simply either Main Stand, Upper Bullens, Park End etc. Which obstructed nook or cranny is not specified. Nor are we given the name of a specific member of staff to contact. Customer service? You're having a laugh, Mr Wyness.

I am afraid, Mr Wyness, that after 42 years of watching Everton I find it "unfortunate but necessary" to make six points in reply:

1) It is my understanding that our seats are making way for a balcony to be added to the corporate boxes. Owen & Sons and the people sitting nearby have given some rather vociferous support to the chaps in blue. I wonder if the prawn sandwich brigade will do the same next season ... Everton, Everton, ra-ra-ra ... Never mind; we have served our purpose, filling those spaces until you could try and find someone with more money. Consequently, please dispense with the People's Club sham.

2) There will be seven or eight North West clubs in the Premiership next season. If Wigan or Bolton or Blackburn are playing at home to either Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd or even Liverpool next season, do you really think the fairweather Al Fresco mob would rather watch Everton play West Brom, or Portsmouth, or Sunderland etc.

3) You are kicking kids out of their seats here. Thanks for the lesson in "What life's like in the real world", but do you not think you might have offered something better than a measly 20% reduction in season tickets, especially as alternative seats might offer a 50% worse view? Consequently, please dispense with the People's Club sham.

4) If this affects only "a small number of fans", why not a phone call to those affected, or give the name of a member of staff whom we could contact. This person might show us the alternative seating options available to us; it should not take long. Or do we have to queue up with those who did not have season tickets last season, and the season before. Consequently, please dispense with the People's Club sham.

5) This change must have been planned some weeks, probably months, ago. Why let us know only now? Consequently, please dispense with the People's Club sham.

6) When you have run out of ways of squeezing loyal supporters, are you finally going to see if it is possible to get any of the directors to inject new money into the club?

Finally, to those who were sitting around Row F, seats 134-136: I know we had one or two disagreements but we had many more laughs, and some wonderfully joyous moments together. I enjoyed your company.

Mike Owen

"Fans Comment" articles are submitted by outside contributors to ToffeeWeb. The views contained therein may not correspond with those of the site owners. Editorial policy

©2005 ToffeeWeb