|
News Headlines & Features
Gregg:
Grantchester is on board
30 Jul - In an interview with Sky
Sports News, Paul Gregg has confirmed that Lord Grantchester is one of
the backers in his consortium vying for the dissolution of True Blue
Holdings. Grantchester, the former Goodison director whose family is
reputed to be worth £1.5bn, has long been romanticised by Blues fans as
the white knight who could save Everton. Gregg also threw his support
behind David Moyes and pledged money for three new signings before the
start of the season.
Pachuca
2 - 5 Everton
29 Jul - Everton have given themselves a great chance of
adding a small piece of silverware to the Goodison trophy cabinet with a
handsome victory over Mexican champions, Pachuca. McFadden started
wonderfully with a goal on 3 mins and Everton went further ahead with a
penalty from Gravesen after good work by Osman. But the Mexicans came back
to equalize by half-time. Despite more pressure, Everton went ahead
just before the hour on a neat glancing header from Campbell, followed
quickly by a close-range header from Kilbane. Sub Nick Chadwick gave
the scoreline a nice ring with the last goal of the game that puts the
Blues a draw away from winning the second annual Copa de Tejas. Steve
Milne | Fran Coop
| Rob van Dijk
Linderoth
makes Copenhagen switch
29 Jul - Tobias Linderoth will deplete Everton's threadbare
squad further by completing his anticipated move to FC Copenhagen.
The Swedish international told David Moyes that he wanted to leave
Goodison, paving the way for a £1M switch to Denmark after he
persistently failed to make any real impact at Goodison Park.
The
best of intentions
28 Jul - In his View from the Blue column yesterday, Lyndon
Lloyd gave an assessment of the supporters' current perception of Bill
Kenwright. Today, as a follow-up that may satisfy some readers'
desire for balance, he offers his personal thoughts on the Everton
Chairman based on the history since his successful takeover in 2000 and
hopes a third way exists whereby Blue Bill can remain on the Board even if
he relinquishes primary control of the club.
Money
talks...
27 Jul - ... and bullshit walks. That might be a very
harsh assessment of Bill Kenwright's chairmanship of Everton but it is
clearly the growing perception among
the fans. While Paul Gregg has put forth a blueprint for the
future that will deliver £15M of investment (but hopefully not mean the
sale of young Wayne), his True Blue partner has been found wanting where
concrete plans are concerned. With disaster on the horizon without
change, Evertonians are putting their faith in hard cash having seemingly
been failed by Bill's Blue blood and passion alone. The Editor responds
to comments from our readers who think we are being too hard on Bill
Kenwright.
Kenwright
stalling
27 Jul - After 4 years of increasing incompetence in charge of
Everton FC, Bill Kenwright has wangled another four days to come up with
the goods as an alternative to the plan being put forward by Paul Gregg.
The
Independent puts forth some suggested sources of future
investment. But Bill is still at it with the soundbytes: "If I
step down big money will come into this club. And if that is what it takes
I will step down. I am totally, totally irrelevant. All that
matters is Everton." If only that were true...
Los
Desaparecidos
26 Jul - How many times have you read newspaper stories or
heard this remarkable, nay frightening number bandied about in the media?
Makes things sound pretty bad for Everton, doesn't it? And we can
all name those 16 players, can't we? Players who were the very key
to Everton's future; players who have now been carelessly lost as Everton
descend into chaos... Well, it's all media rubbish, as you might
have guessed. In truth, we have lost just two decent players... and
we have gained two possibly better players, as this analysis demonstrates.
No
bad news is good news
25 Jul - With no new bad news today, it's time for the Sunday
papers to regroup, although this piece in the Sunday Mirror looks
ahead to tomorrow's boardroom showdown. The
Sunday Times has Kenwright
on the brink, again quoting BK that he would step aside and dissolve
TBH... The Scotsman provides little more than a
retrospective of the last hectic week's happenings. Similarly in
The Independent. Well, there was
some bad news, actually: it was inevitable that the gutter press would dig
up some dirt on Wayne Rooney, and now we have the
sordid claims of some whore in the Sunday Mirror. Thank
you, ProActive Sports Management.
Gregg talks
directly to the fans
24 Jul - "My passion is success and you are hungry for
success." That's one line among many that has distinct
resonance in a well-written statement from Paul Gregg, directly to the
fans of Everton, via certain fans' websites. The statement hits all the
right buttons, saying the kind of things fans have wanted to hear for a
long time about running EFC professionally as a business. All
sensible stuff... interestingly, no mention of new investors beyond the
fans. The "October AGM" is puzzling: it might have to be an EGM
before October.
Bill:
It's time to go
23 Jul - In a letter to Bill Kenwright and the rest of the
Everton Board, Paul Gregg asks them to stand down in the interests of
Everton, and allow new directors to come in who will immediately invest £15M
in the Club. Just the scenario where Bill has previously said he
wood stand down, but he continues to bluster along, pretending everything
at Everton will somehow be fine... Yes, Bill: it really is time to
go.
Blues
agree fee for Cahill
22 Jul - Everton are on the verge of signing Millwall
midfielder Tim Cahill after the two clubs agreed a fee for the Australian
international. Cahill's proposed £2M move to Crystal Palace fell
through earlier this month but it looks as though he will be
Goodison-bound despite interest from Aston Villa. The fee is likely
to be funded from the sale of Tomasz Radzinski to Fulham which is expected
to raise £1.75M. FC Copenhagen have also agreed a £1M fee for
Tobias Linderoth according to some of the national papers today.
Director's
wife the instigator?
22 Jul - Just when you think things might be starting to calm
down, another wacky Everton story pops up, as the broadsheets get more
involved. Mihir Bose in The Telegraph has Anita Gregg, Paul
Gregg's wife, as the one pushing for things to happen at Everton. In this
story, Alan Nixon in The Independent claims that Rooney is
stalling on Everton's 5-year £50k/wk offer until Everton answer 50
probing questions from ProActive (now rebranded as the Formation Group plc).
Meanwhile, Louise Taylor in The Guardian provides little new news
in this
regurgitation of the sad story so far.
Moyes:
Four or five players needed
21 Jul - With the new season less than 4 weeks away and the
boardroom seemingly in damaging turmoil, David Moyes, the one steadying
influence at the club, has issued a stark warning that Everton face a
difficult campaign unless he is able to bring in four or five players just
to make up the squad numbers. However, he also points out the more
pertinent fact that his squad lacks genuine quality, a situation that if
not addressed will make the Blues prime candidates for relegation based on
last season's debacle. So far the paltry £400,000 spent on Marcus bent
remains the club's only outlay this summer while the midfield crisis is
still as deep as ever.
Crewe
Alexandra 2 - 1 Everton
20 Jul - Everton fielded a team of 10 players (surely not...
but that's what the Official Website indicates) in their second pre-season
runabout; this one is in Crewe. No sign of one Tomasz Radzinski, who
has presumably played his last game for Everton Football Club.
Linderoth and Gravesen were also missing, primarily because they returned
late from Euro2004. Steve Jones gave the home team a first-half lead after
30 mins, and Billy Jones increased the lead on 67 mins. Kevin
Campbell pulled one back for Everton before the end. Match
Report from Steve Milne .
Gregg
plans to dissolve TBH
20 Jul - Paul Gregg's next stage in revitalizing Everton's
fortunes is a proposal for the dissolution of True Blue Holdings, the
company he and Kenwright put together to take control of Everton from
Peter Johnson on Christmas Eve, 1999. The company owns the main
block (72%) of the 35k shares in Everton FC Co Ltd, with Kenwright, the
Gregg family, and John Woods as its own major shareholders — who are
being asked to agree to Gregg's plan so that he can bring in new investors
and offer them seats on the Board. In this overlapping
article, he talks of money coming in from the Far East and reliance on
the Everton fanbase buying into the Club and its merchandising...
Gregg
taking the lead
19 Jul - Paul Gregg has taken a hands-on approach to filling
the void left by Trevor Birch, as he stepped in to reassure staff at
Goodison Park today. He also opened up the shroud of secrecy that
usually cloaks Everton affairs, stating that: "I recognise Bill's
passion. I do understand Everton is an outstanding brand, its fan
base is incredible but our management has not been good enough for us to
do what we want — and that must change."
Kenwright
next to go?
18 Jul - In the Sunday Telegraph, Colin Malam looks
ahead to the likelihood that Bill Kenwright, faced with an impossible
situation as his beloved Everton heads for meltdown under his perennially
unsuccessful tutelage, does the honourable thing and resigns his post as
Chairman. That would allow Paul Gregg to take full control and call
the shots, hopefully without any of the 'history' that has prevented
investment from Evertonians like Lord Grantchester and Sir
Terry Leahy, the Tesco magnate.
Birch Fallout
17 Jul - The shockwaves continue to reverberate as various
analysts, pundits, and fans weigh in with their view of the latest Everton
debacle. Toffee
Crumble says The Mirror, highlighting a fight between Kenwright
and Gregg, which also has a very hard-hitting column by Brian
Reade. Dominic
Field follows a similar theme in The Guardian. Kenny
Fogarty has some pertinent comments on his ToffeeBlog.
Fan Seb Gordon says Something's
Gotta Give... while Paul Gregory has penned this highly apposite Open
Letter to Bill Kenwright.
No-one else
to blame
17 Jul - Everton fans are reeling from the latest Birch
body-blow that seems to confirm the Club is in freefall, coming as it does
thick and fast on the heels of the Rooney saga and then the Radzinski
revolt. So, who's to blame? For Everton fan Ismael Mia, there
is only one answer, although he takes a circuitous route to get there, and
makes a lot of strange statements along the way. We take him to task
just a little bit...
BIRCH
RESIGNS!
16 Jul - So, after just six weeks in the post, with a mandate
to rescue Everton from the financial abyss, Trevor Birch has resigned.
His three-pronged approach to recovery — (1) Dilute the shareholding;
(2) Share a Stadium; (3) Sell Rooney!! — proved ultimately
unacceptable, so he's on his bike. The ex-Liverpool player was
ironically viewed as a breath of fresh air for the moribund Everton
hierarchy, which must now regroup, possibly under much stronger leadership
from TBH underwriter Paul Gregg.
What's
Our Name? Everton!
15 Jul - Mark O'Brien, outspoken editor of the Everton fanzine
& website, When Skies Are Grey, has compiled a new Everton book that
has just been published. It chronicles the story of Everton's
2003-04 campaign but don't hold that against it — Mark is a great
writer. Click the link above to order your copy of the book directly
for only £7.50 plus P&P.
Savage
signs Brummie deal
14 Jul - The hits just keep on coming... with Robbie Savage
signing a four-year deal that has been on the table for weeks at
Birmingham City after Everton's £2.75M transfer bid — prompted by Steve
Bruce's cajoling — was laughed off by the ex-Manc as being derisory.
All that is left after this ridiculous affair is another kick in the teeth
for Everton, with the Club being unfairly ridiculed in the press after
another of Moyes's transfer targets falls through, although perhaps many
Evertonians will breath a sigh of relief that Lillie Savage is not on his
way to Goodison.
Everton
confirm Savage Bid
13 Jul - Everton have confirmed that bid of £2.5M has been
lodged with Birmingham City for the services of Robbie Savage. This
has now been, er, savagely
rejected by Steve Bruce, as might have been expected. Savage is
clearly a player on Moyes's wish-list for a long time, and he could have
the kind of objectionable persona and undying commitment so desperately
needed by Everton in the middle of the park and going forward. The
fact that he's an Everton supporter should help the firey Welshman to be
accepted by the Goodison crowd — comments from his mother
notwithstanding — but stating
that Benitez could win The Premiership title for Liverpool is going to
do him no favours whatsoever. Comment
from Nick Armitage.
Wayne
wants to see the books
11 Jul - The latest nonsense in the Wayne Rooney saga is a
letter the youngster is supposed to have written to Everton, asking to see
the books and check if EFC can really afford the offer that is on the
table. Who makes up this stuff? Over at the Sunday Mirror,
they claim
that, because Wayne's agent has not yet accepted Everton's 5-year offer,
it has therefore been rejected! Then there's his personal
motivator and visualizer, old folk singer Watt
Nicoll... And some muppet in the Sunday Herald who has
written this
about why Everton have had no bids for Rooney.
Radzinski
rats on Everton
9 Jul - To bolster his refusal of Everton's belated 3-year
contract offer, Tomasz Radzinski has dropped a massive bombshell on the
Club with a swingeing condemnation of David Moyes as a manager "who
can't make a decision". The inconsistent striker goes further
in this Daily Mirror story, urging Wayne Rooney to leave
Everton if he wants his career to progress. Player unrest had been
strongly rumoured but this is truly shocking! The official
response seems to be a mixture of denial and disbelief with Moyes due
to sit down with the striker to see if the quotes attributed to him are
true.
Let's
face it: we're broke
9 Jul - Through what has been so far a largely painful and
depressing summer, we were hoping that Trevor Birch might herald enough
change to carry us into the new season. Well, it may be best to keep
dreaming, and avert your eyes from this latest Viewpoint piece. It
represents an assemblage of current thinking, mostly vented by a small
group of concerned fans, who understand that we are not out the woods yet
— and probably won't be for some time...
Radzinski
rejection rocks Everton
8 Jul - Tomasz Radzinski
has thrown Everton for a loop by rejecting a new three-year deal with the
club. With the Canadian having originally rejected a two-year
contract because he wanted three years, David Moyes clearly wanted the 30
year-old to stay because yesterday afternoon the Blues offered him the
terms he wanted. However, despite initially seeming pleased with the
new negotiations, Radzinski has thrown the offer back in Moyes's face.
Now, has that Sean Davis lad left Fulham yet...? Comment
from Nick Armitage
We
DON'T blame Wayne
7 Jul - As much as it would be nice not to dignify The
Sun's repulsive attempts to occupy the moral high-ground with a
response, we would be remiss if we didn't offer some counter
comment (if you want it put better, try
this from Kenny Fogarty) or point out the glaring irony in their
assertion that 15 years is a long time and we should move on. This from
the newspaper for whom half a century wasn't too long ago for the
"Let's Blitz Fritz" headline during Euro '96. Meanwhile, the Echo
gets to the heart
of the matter and asks,
rhetorically, what the lad himself makes of it.
The gutter
press
7 Jul - Today's editorial (if you can call it that) in The
Sun plumbs new depths of crassness in it's cackhanded attempt at
an admission of guilt for continuing to be who they are and continuing to
do what they have always done. An unqualified apology would be too
much to expect as they end up once again insulting the people of
Liverpool, who will always put the memory of 96 football fans and their
families above — way, way above — the sensibilities of puerile hacks
in Wapping. For those like Wayne who were too young to recall what caused
all this, here is a
reminder from WSAG. The resulting boycott on Merseyside has lost the
newspaper an estimated £250m in revenue. More on this topic from Anthony
Evans.
Rooney
deal on the table
6 Jul - Everton have announced that the new 5-year deal they
have been working on for Wayne Rooney has now been formally passed to
Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford. No other details were provided, but
Everton are obviously keen to counter the incessant transfer talk with a
firm statement of determination to persuade the wonder kid that his place
is at Goodison Park.
Once a
Blue...
5 Jul - Yet another opinion piece on Wayne Rooney, this one
taking the tack that the sensitivities of thousands of distraught
Evertonians need to be soothed by words not yet forthcoming from The Boy,
committing himself to many future years at the Club he purports to love.
Can you tell there has been a perceptible shift away from the
Euro-adulation, with the atmosphere among Everton fans now soured by
Rooney's media sellout to the soaraway Sun? Meanwhile, at the
BBC, the ProZone computers confirm: he
is the Best.
Reader
responses
Triumph
and Despair
4 Jul - Tony Kay, once the most expensive wing-half in Britain
when he was transferred to Everton (The Mersey Millionaires) in 1962 for
the princely sum of £60,000, talks to The Observer about the way
he ended up in prison after being successfully accused of match-fixing
when, as a Sheffield Wednesday player, he agreed to place a £50 bet on
losing a game at Ipswich Town. For £150, he lost everything.
Keeping
Rooney 'a priority'
3 Jul - David Moyes has hit back at media suggestions that
Everton aren't big enough to hold on to Wayne Rooney. Citing the fact that
by carefully nurturing him, it is Everton FC who are responsible for the
player he is today, Moyes reiterated that the Blues have no intention of
selling the 18 year-old. "This is a big club, with a big tradition,
and he has plenty to achieve here," the boss told The Mirror.
Look on
the Bright Side
3 Jul - Nick Armitage is being just a little sarcastic when he
surveys the motley crew of professional footballers left on the Everton
roster. Take a look at what constitutes the paper-thin squad David Moyes
is expected to perform miracles with ... he has ten games in which to do
it — so goes one of the latest Chinese whispers.
Telly
times announced
2 Jul - Six Everton games from the fiirst half of the new
season have been selected for live television coverage in England,
starting with the opener against Arsenal, which will now kick off on
Sunday 15 August at 2pm. Matches away to Portsmouth, Norwich,
Birmingham and Newcastle will be televised, along with the Goodison derby
in December.
|
|
Snippets & Rumours
No
box for the Rooneys
31 Jul - In a very worrying sign for Evertonians, Wayne Rooney
is not renewing the corporate box at Goodison Park that enabled his family
to watch him play last season from a luxurious spot near the half-way
line.
Blues
buy Spanish feeder club
31 Jul - According to Sky Sports, Everton have beaten off
competition from Charlton Athletic to buy out UD San Pedro of Spain's
Andalusian regional league and have installed former Anfield and Goodison
player Steve McMahon as director of football.
Wyness
considering his options
31 Jul - Keith Wyness, who resigned as CEO of Aberdeen this
week, says that talk of him taking up the post vacated by Trevor Birch at
Everton is premature. As well as non-football interest, he is also being
courted by another as-yet unnamed Premiership club.
Gregg
keeps up the pressure
31 Jul - Paul Gregg has issued a statement to the media this
afternoon restating the need to resolve the boardroom standoff so that he
can make funds immediately available to David Moyes for team-building
ahead of the new season.
Kenwright:
There was no deadline
30 Jul - Bill Kenwright has broken his week-long silence to reject
today's "deadline" as fictitious [umm, Bill, helloooo]
and insist that he has had no contact from Gregg except e-mailed letters
of resignation for him to sign. He maintains his search for new
players, a new CEO and new investment continues.
Hero?
30 Jul - Does the deafening silence from Bill Kenwright signal
defeat for the True Blue who fulfilled a life's dream by becoming Chairman
of Everton Football Club? Seb Gordon thinks so and offers heart-felt
thanks to the man who saved us from the Johnson regime. Responses
Campbell
declares team unity
30 Jul - Kevin Campbell — who, if rumours are to be
believed, was one of the dissenting voices towards David Moyes's training
tactics — says that squad harmony is as strong as ever. The
striker himself certainly seems revitalised with three goals already this
pre-season.
Don't
Kill Bill!
30 Jul - As the boardroom impasse continues, Everton fan David
Booth states an empassioned defence of Bill Kenwright and asks if the
theatre impresario has done such a bad job over the past four years. Responses
Ambassadors
for the 'EPL'
30 Jul - The Blues' 5-2 win over Pachuca has got Houston
Chronicle writer Jose P. Lopez proclaiming Everton to be the embodiment of
Premier League class. With the superb job by the
club's PR department, it seems victory in the Copa de Tejas might extend
beyond the playing field.
"Target" resigns at Pittodrie
30 Jul - The man widely believed to be Everton's choice to
succeed Trevor Birch has resigned as Chief Executive of Aberdeen. Keith
Wyness, who recently played down such speculation, said the time was right
to move on.
Can
the season start, please?
30 Jul - With the boardroom saga and the Wayne Rooney's
situation dragging on without resolution, it's the fans who are bearing
the brunt of it all, as evidence by this out-pouring of frustration by TW
reader, Stephen Burton.
Ex-Blues
set for Bradford
30 Jul - Michael Symes and Stephen Schumacher, released from
the Everton Youth Academy this summer, will sign for Bradford today
according to the Stellar Group website.
Thai
players set for Goodison
29 Jul - Sutee Suksomkit (midfield) and Choketawee Promrut (defence)
of the Singapore "S.League" and Nirut Surasiang (defence) of
Binh Dinh in Vietnam have apparently secured trials at Everton as part of
the Chang Beer sponsorship agreement.
More
on the Boardroom Battle
29 Jul - In The Telegraph, Mihir Bose seems to have an
inside line to Bill Kenwright and compiles a history of the parting of the
ways between him and Paul Gregg: "Paul wants me and Jon to step down.
If that means bringing in money for Everton, then I will walk away with my
head held high but my heart bleeding." Arrrgh!
Leigh
RMI 1 - 0 Everton Res
28 Jul - A young Everton Reserves side lost to Leigh RMI in
their fifth pre-season friendly at Hilton Park, Leigh.
Moyes
looks to land Bosnar
28 Jul - Everton are reportedly ready to sign defender Eddie
Bosnar after his current club, Sturm Graz, gave him permission to leave.
Because of his Australian citizenship, the 24 year-old defender would
qualify for a two-year work visa.
Gravesen:
Show me progress
28 Jul - Following discussions with David Moyes, Thomas
Gravesen has declared that he will have no hesitation in signing a new
contract if Everton can prove they are making progress by finding funds
for new players.
Chester
make Clarke enquiry
27 Jul - Chester City of Division Two (that's the old Fourth
Division to those not keeping count) have confirmed that they have made
enquiries about Everton's out-of-contract defender, Peter Clarke.
Gregg reaffirms
commitment
27 Jul - In a direct response to an e-mail we quoted today in
the Rumour Mill, Paul Gregg has
issued a statement confirming his "personal and long-term
commitment" to Everton FC and determination to keep Wayne Rooney at
the club.
Moyes
challenges players
27 Jul - With 14 players in the final year of their contracts,
David Moyes expects them to perform and show they are worthy of
extensions. Sounds great in principle, but was it this kind of tough
and confrontational management style that devastated the team spirit last
season?
Gregg
wants to beat window
27 Jul - In a statement released yesterday aimed at clarifying
his proposal to raise funds at Everton, Paul Gregg outlines the need to
get cash in for squad reinforcements before the August 31st transfer
deadline.
Cahill
off to the Olympics
27 Jul - Tim Cahill, who will miss the first three games of
the Premiership season through a pending suspension, has joined up with
the Australian squad for next month's Olympic Games in Athens.
Cold
shoulder from van Bommel
27 Jul - "I want to move to a larger club ... and Everton
are not a larger club than PSV." So ends any prospect of van
Bommel boosting the squad.
Can
we stay up?
27 Jul - ToffeeWeb reader Andy Rowlands thinks so. While we
await the next installment in the boardroom saga, he finds a few teams who
may struggle just as much as us next season.
Naysmith
looks forward to talks
27 Jul - According to his agent, Gary Naysmith will seek talks
with Everton within the next two to three weeks regarding an extension to
his current contract which expires next June.
Still
one of the Big Five?
26 Jul - Antony Melvin's analysis of football tradition,
history, and precedent suggests that Everton still qualify as one of the
Big Five in English football. But only if you go back 45 years or
so, into the era well before Sky invented football...
Luvvy
dovey soundbytes
26 Jul - "The fact that there is currently a grey cloud
over the blue and white palace, hurts me more than I can say."
For God's sake, Bill, jack it in now while we still like you... We
must, however, wait
until Friday before any decision is made about TBH and the future
Board of Directors.
Where
the money goes
26 Jul - Many fans seem puzzled by Everton's lack of money,
given the average 38,943 gates last season. In this long article,
Prof Tom Cannon explains where the money goes and why there is so little
extra available to pay for new players.
D-Day
for Kenwright
26 Jul - The media are expectantly awaiting some sort of
decision about Bill Kenwright's future to come out of today's Board
meeting at Goodison Park.
Comfortably
Numb
25 Jul - Paul Holmes takes a look at Paul Gregg and the
effective strategy the seasoned businessman has adopted in furthering his
agenda, despite a less-than promising history...
Everton
passion in Houston
24 Jul - The Houston Chronicle has been doing a good
job building things up for next week's Copa de Tejasa games in which
Everton will play Mexican teams Pachuca and America in the Reliant
Stadium.
Formby
0 - 1 Everton
24 Jul - Patrick Boyle scored a scrappy goal to take the
honours in a pre-season reserves friendly game at Formby. Still no
sign of Pascucci in the line-up which included no experienced players.
A
Day in the Life...
24 Jul - After all the wailing and gnashing of teeth, Paul
Coleman feels we are nearing the bottom and he's already looking up...
Radz
out; Cahill in
23 Jul - Despite earlier
rumblings that the transfer of Tomasz Radzinski to Fulham was not yet
done, Everton confirmed
his departure on Friday afternoon... swiftly followed by confirmation
that Tim Cahill has completed his move to Goodison Park.
Not
phat, Felipao!
23 Jul - Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari claims that
Everton approached him during the summer with an eye to taking over the
reigns from David Moyes — but he scoffed at the €15M transfer budget
he was promised! The claim was of course vehemently
denied by Everton FC.
Szetala
in weird lottery
23 Jul - Some interesting snippets in this lengthy article
about the MLS "draft" for Danny Szetela, who turned down a
pretty lucrative deal Everton offered him last year.
Burnley
1 - 1 Everton
22 Jul - Everton were held to a 1-1 draw with Burnley tonight
in their second pre-season friendly of the summer. Joseph Yobo
scored a late equaliser for the Blues. We have a report
on the action from Steve Milne.
Board
meeting set for Monday
22 Jul - Bill Kenwright and Paul Gregg will sit down with Jon
Woods on Monday to discuss the proposals put forth recently by Gregg.
Kenwright has remained silent since Gregg stepped out of the shadows last
week until today's quotes on the Official Site. He also said that he
had a good meeting with Paul Stretford this week regarding you-know-who...
Ferguson
denied US entry
22 Jul - As expected, Duncan Ferguson was denied entry to the
USA for Everton's visit to Houston and the Copa de Tejas, because of a
prior conviction for assault.
Vauxhall
Motors 0 - 1 Everton
22 Jul - Paul Hopkins was on the mark after 16 mins of this
Reserves friendly with Vauxhall Motors on Wednesday. Read our report
of the action from Steve Milne.
Keegan
warns against foreign move
22 Jul - Speaking exclusively on the League Managers
Association website, Kevin Keegan describes his experiences of playing
abroad and suggests that 18 is far too young to make such a big move.
Rumours connecting Wayne Rooney with Real Madrid continue to fly around
media and Internet sources.
ESA Press
Release
22 Jul - Steve Allinson, Chairman of Everton Shareholders
Association, calls for True Blue Holdings to be dissolved in this press
release, and gives advance notice that a petition for an Extraordinary
General Meeting of Everton shareholders will be served on the Club this
Friday. As the groundswell against Bill Kenwright builds, Nick
Armitage adds his views.
Everton
dismiss Bosnar speculation
21 Jul - Communication head Ian Ross has dismissed reports
that Everton have already signed Australian defender Eddie Bosnar. The
Sturm Graz man played 90 minutes in the friendly against Železnik
in Austria last week by way of a trial but nothing official has come of it
thus far.
Rooney
back on Merseyside
21 Jul - Wayne Rooney is back on Merseyside today after two
weeks' holiday in the Caribbean and New York. Further talks between
Everton and Rooney's advisers (formerly Pro Active, now known as The
Formation Group) will take place before the squad flies to Houston this
weekend.
Ismael
Mia responds
21 Jul - Ismael Mia's recent article on the parlous state of
Everton FC prompted some dialogue from the editor. The author offers some
responses to clarify his position. [Link Fixed]
Self
Destruction at Castle Chaos
21 Jul - Len Capeling wades in with a critical view of the two
men at the heart of the Goodison power struggle, challenging Paul Gregg to
show credibility and offering criticism of Bill Kenwright's ability to
save the club on his terms.
Lazy
Journalism?
20 Jul - Everton fan John Robert Preston takes umbrage at the
negative spin placed on every story about Everton and Wayne Rooney, and
copies us with the e.mail he sent in response to Soccernet.
Unfortunately, that appears to have been a PA report and the developing
disaster that is Everton continues to be a major news story, no matter how
upsetting the coverage is.
Spped
to Bolton
20 Jul - Ex-Everton players on the move include 34-year-old
Gary Speed joining Bolton for $750k and a 2-year deal. Also, Martin
Keown being picked up by Leicester City.
And
then there were three
20 Jul - The Everton Board of Directors is down to just three
wise men — Kenwright, Gregg and Woods — after Arthur Abercromby split
the coup. It was something he had planned to do at the end of last
season, and makes the voting tally against Gregg look problematic after Jon
Woods gave public backing to Bill Kenwright. Kenwright (32.8%)
and Woods (25.6%) between them control over 50% of the shares of TBH and
can therefore block any proposal from Gregg to dissolve TBH.
Paul
Holmes: Let it be
20 Jul - As if things weren't bad enough for Evertonians at
the moment, Paul Holmes provides his own unique brand of negativity in
this dubious interpretation of events so far, laced for good measure with
malice and invective toward all the leading players.
New
name in the game
20 Jul - In the developing struggle for control of Everton FC
(oh sorry, Bill says there is no power struggle), The Independent
claims that Kenwright will turn for help to another rich friend, Philip
Green. However, The
Echo claims to know for a fact that this story is not true.
Kenwright
considers future
19 Jul - Bill Kenwright is struggling to find the best way to
take Everton forward as he considers an investment proposal that Paul
Gregg put to the Board of Directors last Thursday.
Wayne
given two weeks
19 Jul - Wayne Rooney and his management team at ProActive
have been given two weeks to make a decision on "the biggest offer in
Everton history" (Oh why did he have to say that again?), some
details of which have been confirmed by Bill Kenwright.
Young
goalie dies
18 Jul - Goalkeeper Alex Cole, who played for Everton
Under-19s until he was released at the end of the 2002-03 season, died as
the result of a traffic accident on the M53 early on Sunday.
Savage
was never leaving
18 Jul - Robbie Savage tells the Sunday Mercury he
never had any intention of leaving Birmingham City to join Everton.
Kenwright
defiant
18 Jul - Some more classic soundbytes from Bill Kenwright as
he spoke to Sky Sports News today, about Rooney: "He's got two years
left on his contract, and that situation cannot continue forever." No
shit, Sherlock! And about a power struggle with Paul Gregg: "I
don't know of any power struggle. It's absolute nonsense. I am not
interested in power and control."
It's
Sunday: Rooney must be off
18 Jul - The usual litany of pundits, jurnos, ex-players
(Alan Hudson) , and somewhat disappointingly Dave Watson all jump on
the now utterly boring bandwagon, predicting (for the third week running)
that Wayne Rooney will leave Everton. Even fan John
Reilly seems convinced...
Full
Železnik Match Report
17 Jul - Paul Traill took in the pre-season jaunt against Železnik
and provides us with a full report on yesterday's proceedings in Köflach.
Reserves
draw at Southport
17 Jul - A young Everton Reserves side drew 2-2 with Southport
on Saturday. Goals came from trialist Dave McGoldrick and James
Vaughan.
Youth
team beaten by Chester
16 Jul - A very young (and very anonymous) Everton Youth
Academy side were beaten 2-0 by Chester City in a pre-season at Netherton
on Friday evening. No teamsheet has been made available, so we have
no idea who played...
Železnik
0 - 1 Everton
16 Jul - Everton won their first run-out of the pre-season
with a threadbare squad through a goal from Kevin Campbell in a relaxed
affair in the Austrian city of Kölfach.
Moyes
being stabbed in the back
16 Jul - Echoing many of the fears and concerns currently felt
by downtrodden Evertonians, Phil McNulty rejects the rumblings that David
Moyes should be tested and potentially sacrificed if Everton start the new
season in the doldrums — as everyone expects. He concludes (as
ever) it's the Board's fault.
Gregg
Speaks!
16 Jul - For the first time since he began his financial
involvement with Everton, Paul Gregg has spoken openly about what he wants
for the Club, and how TBH must change to make that happen.
Council
Leader wants sharing
16 Jul - Mike Storey, leader of Liverpool City Council, made
it very clear where he stands with regard to the need for Everton and
Liverpool to build a shared stadium. But Liverpool FC moved quickly to make
it very clear they have no interest in sharing with Everton and want
to press ahead with their current plans for the new Anfield.
Grimm
Fairy Tales?
16 Jul - Colm Kavanagh has been away on his hols... and he's
returned with a fairy tale that has quite a long provenance...
No
new players?
15 Jul - A financial straight-jacket will prevent David Moyes
from expanding his threadbare squad unless significant new investment is
found quickly. Recent and new bids for players will be funded by
selling others, with Radzinski a likely candidate.
New
bid for Radz rejected
15 Jul - Everton are holding out for £1.75M before they will
transfer the registration of Tomasz Radzinski to Fulham, who yesterday
made a second laughable bid of around £1.3M.
The
Sun is at it again
15 Jul - Rebel-rousing, shit-stirring, you name it: today's
piece of gutter journalism in the unrelenting stream of Everton-bashing
media drivel tries — without a quote in sight — to start a fight
between Manager David Moyes and CEO Trevor Birch over transfers... only
Moyes is in Austria and Birch is on holiday. Go figure!
Reserves
at Connah's Quay
14 Jul - Everton Reserves beat Connah's Quay 3-1 in their
first pre-season run out at the Deeside College Stadium tonight.
Goals came from youngsters Laurence Wilson and a brace from James Vaughan.
Team
spirit nurtured in Austria
14 Jul - Those searching for good news about Everton may be
mollified by this report from the Everton pre-season training camp in
Austria, where bad press and continuing criticism of the players for last
season's debacle has engendered a siege mentality that is binding the
players and management together as they look forward to the new season.
More Fans Comment
13 Jul - Everton fans are still reeling from the body blows
the media is bombarding us with, all Because
we are Everton, perhaps? But should we really believe everything
we read... for fear of missing
something? Or is it more a case of killing
us for their sport?
Clarke
still in limbo
13 Jul - Peter Clarke remains and out-of-contract player with
Everton still holding his registration and expecting some reimbursement as
a training fee when he does eventually move on.
Radzinski
in hot water
13 Jul - David Moyes met and had words with Tomasz Radzinski
this morning in Austria... but what they said is not widely known as the
matter will now be dealt with internally. The Mirror claims
Radzinski will be fined £35k.
Stubbs'
plea falls on deaf ears
12 Jul - Alan Stubbs' attempts to deflect the blame for last
season's shambles from the old guard in the squad has been met with
defiance by the fans who know all too well why the club finished with its
worst ever points haul. Suffice to say it wasn't all down to the manager.
Unsworth
joins Portsmouth
12 Jul - David Unsworth passed his medical with Portsmouth
today and has become a Pompey player.
Echo
attack unjustified?
11 Jul - So Alan Stubbs and the rest of the players feel that
David Prentice's stinging attack on them, Taking
the Piss, in the Liverpool Echo back in May was unjustified?
Nothing about the disgraceful performances that saw them lose the last
four games (and £2M)? Nothing about them rebelling against the
methods of the manager? Just the usual litany of meaningless excuses.
You can do better than that, Alan. Further
comment from Nick Armitage.
Strong
Words from Moyes
11 Jul - David Moyes has reiterated to the Sunday People
his absolute determination to keep Wayne Rooney at Everton and make him
captain by the time he is 20. David Moyes also talks
at length about the other frustrations and challenges he faces in
trying to turn Everton around.
Ex-Young
Blues score
10 Jul - Trialists Michael Symes and Stephen Schumacher, who
were released from Everton's Youth Academy in May, both scored for
Bradford City in a 5-0 win over Harrogate Town.
Squad
jets off to Austria
10 Jul - The Everton squad flies to their now-traditional
Austrian pre-season training camp for a week's preparation. Rumours
that a twin-prop Cessna was sufficient to escort the lot have yet to be
confirmed! < jk>
Will
bow for cash
10 Jul - Thai Beverages, owners of Chang Beer, are apparently
prepared to pay Everton additional money on top of the sponsorship deal if
the players will perform the wai on the pitch after matches.
The traditional Thai greeting would involve the players bowing to the
crowd with their hands together. Embarrassing, but cash is cash!
Unsworth
to join Portsmouth
9 Jul - Confirming an e-mail we received earlier today, Sky
Sports report that David Unsworth
will sign with Portsmouth next week after a medical. He turned down
a one-year extension to his current contract at Everton and was set to
join Bolton before that move collapsed last week.
Fans: Don't sell
Wayne
9 Jul - That's if our long-running poll is anything to go by.
At a fraction of our daily readership, 2,600 votes may not sound like much
but it is the biggest response we have had to a poll question. 70% say
they would not sell Rooney even for £50m.
Davis
joins Spurs
9 Jul - Sean Davis, the player whose pre-season injury
scuppered a £5m move to Everton last summer, has joined Tottenham Hotspur
in a deal believed to be half that according to the BBC.
Everton
and ProActive open talks
9 Jul - Everton and Wayne Rooney's advisers sat down to
discuss the contract offer on the table for the first time today. Talks
will be "on-going" on a deal that is believed to immediately
double the 18-year-old's £13k-a-week salary and net him £50k a week by
the fifth year.
What
we really want to hear
9 Jul - A good comment from Phil McNulty, carried by the Echo,
hopefully draws a line under the manic media madness that has set this
week apart... Who said close-season was boring?
Rats
leaving ships?
9 Jul - Contemplation of Tomasz Radzinski's techniques in
contract negotiation have spurred Evertonian Mark Jones to eloquent prose
and a philosophical diatribe on an old, old theme.
'Golden
handshake' offer to Dunc?
9 Jul - The Independent report that Everton are
considering a £500,000 offer to striker Duncan Ferguson to pay off the
final year of his contract and get him off the wage bill. It would mean
the Scot losing £2m in wages over the coming season but allow him time to
find a new club before the new season starts.
Moyes
admits Hemdani interest
8 Jul - David Moyes has confirmed that he has made enquiries
about both Marseilles defender Brahim Hemdani and Millwall defender Tim
Cahill. However, Hemdani appears set on seeing out his contract
where he is and Cahill is the subject of a £2M bid from Crystal Palace.
Ground-share
proposal coming
8 Jul - The Telegraph report that Everton CEO Trevor
Birch will formally approach Liverpool FC with a bid to share a new
stadium and take advantage of £40M of public money.
Sun
article irks Rooney camp
8 Jul - Wayne Rooney and his family were apparently not
consulted over The Sun's decision to use the 18-year-old as a pawn
in their veiled apology on the front page yesterday. Because they
would have said no, perhaps... NB: there are no new episodes of the
Wayne Rooney story in today's edition...
Simonsen
joins Stoke
7 Jul - Steve Simonsen, out of contract at Goodison Park, has
signed a two-year deal with Stoke City.
Neville
talking in riddles?
7 Jul - "He's another team's player and I think I'd be
lynched if I went to Everton having said we're going to sign him."
Can someone explain exactly what this strange comment from Gary Neville
actually means?
Barmby
moves home
7 Jul - Nick Barmby, once a badge-kissing Player of the Season
at Everton but reviled when he moved to Liverpool, has left Leeds to join
Hull City, the home town club... that he has supported all his life?
Chang
Beer deal announced
7 Jul - As expected, Chang Beer announced a £1.5M shirt
sponsorship deal with Everton at a Bangkok press conference today.
The year-long deal will see the Chang logo on Everton shirts, and three
young Thai players join Everton's Youth Academy for next season.
Rooney
keeping goal
7 Jul - Today's episode of The Wayne Rooney Story in The
Sun features Our Kid as a goalie as he recalls his early years
learning his football at Everton.
Chang
set to sign
6 Jul - On Wednesday, Everton will sign a new shirt
sponsorship deal worth around £1.5M with Chang Beer, the Thai brewing
company.
More from Rooney
6 Jul - Today's stories from Wayne Rooney in The Sun include
more
praise for Sven, and how Wayne already knew about the dodgy
penalty spot in Lisbon, after he had missed in practice.
Real
Footballers' Wives
5 Jul - This article by David Chambers previews Becky
Tallentire's new book on the stories of the women behind some of Everton's
greatest men. The book will be published in September while Becky's first
tome, Talking Blue is back in print by popular demand.
Internationals
update
5 Jul - Steve Flanagan has updated the Internationals pages of
our Complete Record
section, adding recent appearances through Euro2004, as well older
information on U-21 and B-team games.
Sean
Doherty stays at Fulham
5 Jul - Rumours that ex-Everton Youth Team player 19-year-old
Sean Doherty was to be released by Fulham are unfounded according to this
BBC news story
Still
looking for more players
5 Jul - David Moyes wants more players (obviously!), but seems
less than certain where they — or the money for them — will be coming
from. So, er, what happened to the £7M offered for Alan Smith?
Wayne
Rooney in The Sun
5 Jul - Two articles featuring Wayne Rooney's experience
crashing out of Euro 2004, and his
views on David Beckham as captain of England, appeared in The Sun,
under a publishing deal believed to be worth £250k to the Everton
teenager.
Bare
bones report for training
5 Jul - A sparse-looking senior squad of Everton players
reported back to Bellefield for training today, with five internationals
still away, and a number of old lags (Gerrard, Simonsen, Unsworth) out of
contract.
Rooney
in Team of Euro 2004
5 Jul - As expected, Wayne Rooney's outstanding performances
for England earned him a place in the Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament.
Lambs
to the Media Slaughter?
4 Jul - Protection of Wayne Rooney and his fiancée Colleen
from the glare of media attention is no longer deemed necessary, as this
News of the World double
spread confirms...
No
more incoming at Old Trafford
4 Jul - Manchester United Chief Executive David Gill has
announced that the Old Trafford club can't afford Wayne Rooney at
Everton's valuation and, in any case, they have bought all the players
they are going to this summer.
Friendly
against FC Železnik
3 Jul - An Everton XI will line up against Serbian club FC Železnik
from Belgrade on 16th July at 6:30pm local time in a friendly during their
pre-season training camp in Austria this month.
Yobo
nicks it for Nigeria
3 Jul - Joseph Yobo scored the only goal with 5 minutes left
as Nigeria beat Algeria 1-0 in a World Cup 2006 qualifier. The win
sends the Super Eagles back to the top of Group 4.
No
place like home
3 Jul - Three Fans Comment articles (by Garry
Adams, Colin
Dempsey and Stephen
Weightman) continue the feeling of resentment towards those in the
football world pushing Wayne towards the door and reaffirm that he doesn't
need to go anywhere in a hurry.
McGoldrick
to have Bellefield trial
3 Jul - Notts County's striking prodigy David McGoldrick will
have trial spells at Everton and Blackburn Rovers before deciding his
future. The 16 year-old is valued at £500,000 by his club.
Stay.
Go. Which is it?
3 Jul - Thomas Gravesen's agent, John Sivabaek, continues with
the mixed messaging saying that now his client wants to stay with Everton
despite interest from Britain and abroad.
Now
Rooney writes for The Sun
2 Jul - The Sun is still hugely despised on Merseyside
for its execrable treatment of the City of Liverpool in general and the
supporters of Liverpool FC in particular over the tragic events at
Hillsborough 15 years ago. We cannot know what Wayne Rooney thinks about
this himself, but it is hard for us to understand
how his advisors could presumably conceive it to be a good thing that
Rooney would agree to be credited with stories from Euro2004 in this
tabloid rag.
Season
tickets selling steadily
2 Jul - New Everton CEO Trevor Birch is not unduly concerned
about season ticket sales at Goodison Park, which are set to hit 20,000
shortly. It's a long way down from 28,000 and a waiting list last season,
but the numbers are respectable when set in the context of the Premiership
years, with last season classed as "a blip".
Everton
are a selling club
2 Jul - No matter what the current spin might be coming out of
Goodison Park, the precedent in recent years has been for Everton to sell
their best players. David Prentice reviews the depressing evidence in Liverpool
Echo.
Hang
on or let go?
1 Jul - Richard Parker weighs up the financial benefit of
cashing in on you-know-who now versus the possible risk of keeping him and
him not fulfilling his potential.
Gravesen
seeks greener pastures?
1 Jul - The clearest indication yet that Thomas Gravesen won't
be signing a new contract at Goodison has come from his agent, John
Sivabaek, who says after 4 years, "it may be now time for him to try
something new."
Sound
advice from Goodison greats
1 Jul - Everton legends the kind to which Wayne Rooney can
aspire have publicly urged the 18 year-old not to consider leaving
Goodison so soon. Neville Southall, Kevin Sheedy and Dave Watson all
advise him to follow his heart and stick with the Blues for the time
being.
The
other side of the coin
1 Jul - After weeks of the world and his dog urging Rooney to
ditch Everton for the filthy lucre of Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge, a
growing number of articles in the press are coming out on the opposite
side of the fence, including this measured piece by John Thompson in the Daily
Post.
ToffeeWeb enters its 10th
season
1 Jul - ToffeeWeb has now switched to the 2004-05 season, our
10th year! More on that in the coming weeks but for now, click here
for a brief update.
Gerrard gets
Forest wish
1 Jul - Nottingham Forest have confirmed the signing of Paul
Gerrard who was released by Everton this summer when his contract expired.
The former Oldham goalkeeper apparently rejected offers by Leeds and
Ipswich to sign on at the City Ground. Scot Gemmill wasn't
so lucky in securing his move to the Midlands.
Everton
in America
1 Jul - The Houston Chronicle gives a quick overview of
Everton's past exploits in the Americas, including how they once trained
in Manhattan's Central Park and were the first European club team to cross
international waters for a match when they played in Uruguay and Argentina
in 1909.
|
2003-04
