The Sunday Times
 

Kenwright on brink at Everton
By Jonathan Northcroft, 25 July 2004

BILL KENWRIGHT, the Everton chairman, is considering walking away from the crisis-hit Merseyside club after being subjected to a co-ordinated series of attacks on his leadership by a group of disgruntled fans and his former friend — and now bitter boardroom rival — Paul Gregg. The theatre impresario, a lifelong Everton fan and a club director for more than 15 years, last night confirmed that the campaign has taken its toll on his family life and that he is reviewing his position.

Should Kenwright step down, it would come as a serious blow to David Moyes, the Everton manager, who enjoys a close working relationship with his chairman. Such a move might also hasten the departure from Goodison Park of Wayne Rooney. Kenwright and Moyes have been the prime movers behind Everton’s attempts to keep the England star.

Kenwright, whose policy so far has been to maintain a dignified silence in the face of Gregg’s attacks, last night told The Sunday Times: “Paul Gregg has never presented to me or to the Everton board any concrete proposals and that’s the position as of this minute. What I regret is that a fellow director of the club has chosen to conduct his business through the media.”

Kenwright’s departure, following that of fellow director Arthur Abercromby last week and the decision of Trevor Birch to quit as chief executive just weeks into the job, would deepen the gloom of Everton’s summer. Last Tuesday, after a humbling pre-season defeat at Crewe, Everton supporters raised a banner stating “Kenwright: enough is enough”. The demonstration hurt Kenwright immensely and he would be unwilling to carry on in his job if he felt the majority of his club’s supporters had turned against him.

Kenwright, who has been working long hours on Everton’s behalf on many days recently as he tries to combine the roles of chairman and chief executive, is seriously considering whether his efforts are worth the hassle. Last week Gregg called for Kenwright to quit and for the dissolution of True Blue Holdings, the company the pair set up to buy out Everton’s previous owner, Peter Johnson. Kenwright put £8m into the club at that time and Gregg £7m, but given the property developer’s sudden interest in day-to-day affairs at Goodison — and the fact that he is proposing a share issue to raise a further £15m — speculation is growing that he might now be willing to plough more of his considerable personal fortune into the club.

“What is encouraging is that after four years Paul finally seems ready to step in and help the club,” Kenwright said. He confirmed that he would have no problem with the dissolution of True Blue Holdings should it allow serious new money to come into Goodison Park, something that has always been his position. He would also not hesitate to step down if that was the price to be paid for luring a major investor to join the Goodison board. “My love is for Everton Football Club, not for being chairman,” Kenwright said.

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