Your move, Bill Kenwright...

Adam Wareing 16/05/2008 29comments  |  Jump to last
So here we are at a fork in the road. This could perhaps be one of the most significant summers in the history of Everton football club. Will we continue the resurgence and "momentum", that no less than Arsene Wenger has said that we currently possess, or are we going to sit tight, rest on our laurels, and miss a real opportunity?

There is no doubt we are some way behind the 'Sky 4', which is understandable considering that those sides are cosistently winning trophies, have monopolies on the Champions League money, and have strong fanbases abroad. Catching up is possible, but only if some significant changes are made.

Everton, once such a powerhouse of English football ? the School of Science ? fell behind in the nineties with frustratingly bad management and exploitative chairmanship that drained the club of its resources, whilst others flourished. In recent years the club has thankfully regained stability and pride back, and we have one of the best managers in the country in David Moyes. What he has done with limited resources has been nothing short of miraculous, considering what the likes of Newcastle, Manchester City, West Ham, Aston Villa and Tottenham have spent. This won't last forever, Moyes knows that, and this very pertinent issue, concerning the club's finances, rests with Bill Kenwright.

There is no doubt that Bill, who re-mortgaged his home to buy out Peter Johnson, has the best interests of the club at heart ? he loves Everton. You can see an almost giddy passion bubbling inside him whenever he speaks in interviews about the club and a heavy sadness when the subject of leaving Goodison comes up.

However, football is sadly a climate of business in the modern era and passion alone is not going to get Everton where is rightfully should be. I'm not suggesting that he steps down as chairman, far from it ? I Iike the idea of a theatre impressario as club chairman; it gives Everton a great deal of character, and romantic eccentricity, in the eyes of the media.

I am however suggesting that he pulls out all the stops to encourage investment to the club, perhaps relinquishing most of his financial interest. He could remain as a figurehead, the fan on the board as it where.

Basically the facts don't lie, we took out another overdraft to buy Yakubu. We can't do that anymore, the banks wont pay out forever, and eventually the debt will consume us. We need inestment now in order to compete. We're surely not that much of an unattractive propsition? How can a club like QPR be bought by a billionaire and the fifth best club in England be scraping by?

It's all in your hands, Bill Kenwright, I hope you have a trick up your sleeve and we sign a few top players this summer. Phil Neville says we need someone "special" and he's right. I hope we can because otherwise we'll lose Moyes to other clubs with more ambition and after that we'll fade into mediocrity or worse.

Missing this opportunity could, in my opinion, hurt more than all those relegation seasons combined in the years to come as we slip slowly inTo decline once again...

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Jay Campbell
1   Posted 16/05/2008 at 07:41:55

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Tx - MK. Re-morgaged his house!!!! So he hasn?t made that money back and more since that happened years ago??? Housing prices rise etc??

WE WILL NEVA COMPETE WITH THIS OAF AS CHAIRMAN.

Gaz Edwards
2   Posted 16/05/2008 at 08:07:57

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Jay,

I?m not Bill?s biggest fan, but let?s have a look at what he?s done. He appointed Moyes. That was a gamble given the position we were in at the time - Mike Walker anyone? It could have gone that way. He gave Moyes the chance to develop into the role when mnay were calling for his head. I?d say that has reaped it?s reward. He?s given Moyes the backing to sign the players he?s wanted (publically).
On the investment side everyone seems to think it?s easy to get a multi millionaire on board. At any cost though? Look at the clowns across the park, what?s going on at City now - the whole squad up for sale?
I think where we are at the minute is pretty good in real terms, this isn?t FM world.
On the debt side we?re no worse of than most of the other Premier League teams, and I believe the board are doing all they can to facilitate the ground move etc.
Joe McShee
3   Posted 16/05/2008 at 08:29:07

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Why do you put Villa in the list of clubs that have spent alot of money. You have spent more than us over the last 5 years. I?d put money on it
Peter Laverty
4   Posted 16/05/2008 at 08:45:17

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Didn?t the Yakubu money come from Robert Earl, and some promise that he could build some Planet Holywood stuff at the new stadium?... or did I dream that up?
Andy Hudson
5   Posted 16/05/2008 at 09:02:14

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Problem with investment is that you have to be looking for it to get it. It states in the legal guff to do with the Kirby move that the board are not looking to sell, or bring in investment. Therefore we will never get it as Bill aint willing to consider giving up control of "his" club. I’m not all anti Kenwright. He’s made some good decisions... mainly appointing Moyes and sticking by him when 90% of chairmen would have fired him. However he constantly lies and spins the truth to suit his own agenda. This I can’t forgive him for and the last year or 2 for me has seen me grow very wary of this man... and I fear for our future with him at the helm. However on the flip side if he sold out and someone new came in it could really fuck us up, and if we didn’t achieve CL qualification year in year out then they’d probs sack moyes and again I think that would have a massive impact on the club. There’s no easy option i’m afraid. Sell the club to a shower of shit like over the park, or keep our own blue bill? neithers a particularly good option
Jay Campbell
6   Posted 16/05/2008 at 09:02:25

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Gaz, Moyes has pulled him out of the you know what for several years now.

He has Moyes to thank that he?s still at the club because if the club were still struggling he would have been lashed years ago.

Kenwright is a very lucky lucky man and Moyes is the reason for the recent turn of fortunes at Everton. Kenwright has had nothing to do with it in my opinion ? in fact I believe he is still holding the club back!!!!

He outstayed his welcome years ago for me and I couldn?t give a monkies if he says he?s a true blue. Kirkby nailed any last ounce of respect I had for him. Serial bluffmerchant!!!
Andrew Fletcher
7   Posted 16/05/2008 at 09:11:33

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Jay
Have you re-mortgaged your house to invest in the club lately ?
Jay Harris
8   Posted 16/05/2008 at 09:23:09

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Peter Laverty
It was originally thought that Robert Earl secured a loan for Yakubu and Fernandes but it was also suggested that it was paid out of the £25M Sky money that was paid late hence the "temporary" loan arrangement. We won't know until the accounts are published and even then we may not know because of the creative accounting that goes on.

Andrew Fletcher,
BK took a mortgage of £1 million allegedly to buy Johnson out for £20 million plus costs. His the close pal Paul Gregg put up £7 million. Efc?s debt went up by 20 million at the same time. You do the maths and ask yourself why BK?s consortium now own 66% of EFC valued at £100 million recently.

Now I think I would certainly mortgage my house to get that sort of return especially if it also involved being chairman of EFC and having such a majority holding meant I could do what I liked and other shareholders couldn't do anything about it.

Jay Campbell
9   Posted 16/05/2008 at 09:23:09

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Andrew sorry I tried but like Tesco said "Everton?s Directors are not interested in relinquishing any of their shareholding"

24/7?? Eight years and no investment?? Weird that.
chris bradley
10   Posted 16/05/2008 at 10:19:54

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the one thing we have to remember about bill kenwright is that he has provided david moyes with the money to be able to buy the likes of lescott,yakubu,johnson,jags,neville,howard,arteta etc and as a club weve moved on from piss poor signings like mich ward,garreth farrelly,john o,kane and stars at the end of there carears like ginola,hughes or gazza.for this alone bill deserves credit and at least rival fans and football pundits see everton as a top 6 club now as opposed to the old days as relegation candidates.im proud of how this club,my club and your club has now moved forward and hopefully we will move onto the next level very soon.
Alex May
11   Posted 16/05/2008 at 10:29:02

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I have to take issue with the statement that he ’has the best interets of the club at heart’. Blowing King’s Dock because he didn’t like Gregg’s financial plan, moving us to Kirkby because it’s the only thing that HE might be able to afford for the club and the FSF situation all suggest that what’s best for BK is his prime motivation.

Andrew Fletcher - what is the big deal about remortgaging his house to help him buy something that he can’t really afford. He has made an investment for his portfolio, he has not invested IN the club. It is no different from me re-mortgaging my house to buy a Ferrari.
Chris Slotham
12   Posted 16/05/2008 at 12:04:53

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The only thing that worries me is that will the board sell up once the kirkby move has gone ahead and the club are temporarily worth quite a lot more (shiney new stadium, class manager in Moyes etc...). The new buyers will have been duped about revenue and potential fans - definately not going to be 55 000 a fortnight and we might get a similar situation to our loveable neigbours where they panic trying to get out.
EJ Ruane
13   Posted 16/05/2008 at 11:27:16

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My opinion is that Kenwright is HORRIBLY human.

I met him years ago on the train back to London after THAT Wimbledon game.

He seemed....alright...like an Evertonian but a bit more ’meeee!’

Recently, three mates of mine won tickets to be in one of those boxes at Goodison.

They met Kenwright and Bully Beef.

They said Kenwright was very friendly, but seemed to treat the whole corporate thing like he was someone having a party in their house and trying a bit too hard to impress.

"Have you had enough sandwiches lads?" etc.

This of course is just their (and my) opinion.

However this (below) is fact.

Bill Kenwright’s words ?I have said for years that I am constantly on the lookout for investment for Everton" .

Well if the document released by Tesco in April (15th?) is anything to go by, if there were investors who had the financial clout to wholly or partly fund any new or redeveloped stadium for Everton Football Club, then those investors would be turned away by the current board.

From the document.

6.10 A further point that is of relevance to any debate on the options that might be available to the Club to fund a new stadium, is the willingness and abilities of the Club?s directors to sell some or all of their interests in the Club in order to attract an investor who or which might have the ability in financial terms to fund a new stadium in its entirety or at the very least fund the shortfall that exists in the context of this proposals. As is pointed out in greater detail in the financial statement document 26), this is not an option as the current directors have no intention of selling any of their interests in the Club.

This I’m afraid is Bill saying "I like my toy, I enjoy being the owner of this toy.

I like being ’mein host’, the boss the guv’nor, ’in charge’ etc and that feeling is better than money".

People accuse him of wanting Kirkby to eventually sell it and make money.

I don’t believe that.

I think you’ll have to drag him out of there, kicking and screaming.
Liam Young
14   Posted 16/05/2008 at 12:45:52

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Some interesting points there, Adam, I am not one of these Kenwright haters, I think everyone at Everton has helped raise the profile of our club over the last few years, and is much improved from the 90s, but like many others are saying, if he cannot simply invest more money and bring in quality players at a vital time like now, then we need to seek other investors who will.

If Kenwright had Abramovich?s money we would be a match made in heaven. But what I dont personally want to see is some idiot take over who has no heart for the club either. Difficult decisions to make; I do feel that some Everton fans are happy for any rich crook to take over, it's Kenwright's responsibilty to find one that will benefit us, and understand us as a club.

Just look at those two jackasses at Liverpool! We don't want that kind of investment, it destablises the club, and will take away the magic that Kenwright and Moyes have helped bring back.

I believe kenwright will sell, but he loves the club too much to sell to just anyone, and I can guarantee if he did, everyone would be on here moaning about our club that has lost its heart and integrity. Getting a balance between the two is extremely rare.

Ideally I would love to see Arshavin, Joaquin and M?bia and Fernandes (on loan) join this summer, but let's wait and see if bill can get that sort of money ? we will need at least £40million I think.

Jay Harris
15   Posted 16/05/2008 at 14:06:45

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EJ
I totally agree; I?ve always said that BK has got his "dream toy" and his vanity will not allow anybody to take it from him. Therefore he comes out with all this bullshit to make fans believe he is doing it for them and the club ? He isn't.

From the day he bought Johnson out for £20 million with only £1 million of his own money, I mistrusted him and the constant stream of lies since has made me lose all faith in him.

For those who point to his appointment of Moyes (although I feel it was more Walter Smith that got him appointed) I would ask who the hell appointed Wyness???
Alex May
16   Posted 16/05/2008 at 15:00:13

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EJ. I have no doubt that BK wants money putting into Everton. However, like the theatre world where he excels, he wants handouts ? not to be bought out.
Mark Gray
17   Posted 16/05/2008 at 17:21:00

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Andrew Fletcher, which one of his properties did poor old Bill Kenwright have to remortgage?

Poor thing.

I’ll tell you something you can guarantee...

POOR OLD BILL KENWRIGHT WILL MAKE A FORTUNE OUT OF HIS SHARES WHEN HE CHOSES TO SELL UP.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Tony Marsh
18   Posted 16/05/2008 at 17:47:15

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Just a couple of points Adam.

First, of all we have already missed the boat mate.We did that When Billy Bullshitter fucked up the Kings Dock move.

Second, you ask why QPR are more attractive to investors than us? Well thats easy: Location, Location, Location. London will always atrract the big players. Can you see Bernie Ecclestone killing himself to move up North? Me niether.
Bilbo Baggins
19   Posted 16/05/2008 at 19:27:43

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Ah well, Bully Beef has been on the radio telling us that Moyes has over achieved in the last 2 years. Is he realy telling us not to expect to much in the summer transfer window or is he saying Moyes is doing to well and the Board can't match his ambition???
Ged Simpson
20   Posted 17/05/2008 at 05:49:06

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Can someone explain? Are we looking for investment or to be bankrolled by a very rich person who wants some fun?

If it is investment, I think we will have a long wait. I fail to see how a serious investor could see any return higher than a bank account interest rate in the short, medium or long term. Champions League? No. The income would be needed to get more quality players and stay at same level. EFC as a product? No. Sadly Liverpool FC have that sewn up as far as Merseyside is concerned and MUFC have the NW sewn up.

So we can only hope to be a play-thing of someone very rich if we want to attend the annual post season player auction. That makes me so proud.

Or is there another way?
Dave Wilson
21   Posted 17/05/2008 at 06:06:10

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Ged
Good point, its important to distinguish between serious investment as has happened with Spurs and being bankrolled by a potential loose cannon (City / Hearts)

I earn good money but I?m perminantly skint, there?s no danger I will ever be mistaken me for a financial genius, so can somebody please explain to me ? factually and in simple terms ? why we are so unattractive to potential investors, or even loose cannons for that matter?

Mark Pendleton
22   Posted 17/05/2008 at 06:38:38

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I think the quotes about outside investment in the Kirkby project sound a bit twisted in legal speak. It means that currently the board have no intention, intention would imply something currently being considered. The proposal is being put together and justified by current means, which is the correct way of going about it. The proposal can?t be justified on the basis of a big investment that may not actually happen.

As for BK being pulled out of the shit by Moyes, that?s rubbish. BK appointed Moyes, he stood by him when things were going badly, he stood by him when a few signings haven?t worked out on the small budget we had and he, according to Moyes himself, has been first class. I could never have believed this turnaround in the club?s fortunes on the pitch that we?ve seen over the last few years and that is down to the relationshio between Chairman and Manager.

I?ve met BK, albeit briefly, and there is no way that guy is in it to make himself money, he?s not false and he?s genuinely only in it for the love of the club. Because he?s so passionate, enthusiastic about the club and wears his heart on his sleeve it makes him an easy target and I must admit I?d probably be the same in his position.

I?m a loyal supporter of a stable club with a passionate and committed chairman, dedicated, loyal, honest hardworking manager and with a collection of players with great team spirit and no little skill, determination and in many cases promise with youth on their side. We?re hopefully standing on the verge of the next stage of our development with the manager signing a new deal and bringing in a few players to further improve the squad.
Jay Campbell
23   Posted 17/05/2008 at 09:15:26

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Mark Pendleton if he is passionate about the club and loves it so much why is he cutting out it’s fanbase on such important issue like the Kirkby move?? Why as he not engaged in an open debate regarding this stadium move either??

This man is so out of touch with the clubs fans it’s not true!!!! Don’t be fooled by his "I’m a true blue bollocks" it’s worn thin now.
Michael Westcott
24   Posted 17/05/2008 at 08:02:42

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What have the Kenwrights ever done for us? Well, you know, aside from being canny enough to take a massive risk on signing a relatively raw new Manager with bags of potential. But apart from that what has he done?

Well, didn?t he back Moyes in the transfer market by breaking Everton?s transfer record the last 3 consecutive seasons?

Ok! So apart from the Manager and the transfers, what have the Kenwrights ever done for us.

What about helping to improve the club?s turnover to such an extent that we had the 25th highest turnover in world football last season?

Ok so apart from the... you get the idea.

I?m not saying Kenwright has done it all himself, but he?s brought in the right people to help him do it. Why argue against that kind of leadership? Ok, so it appears he wants to take Everton ?out of the City?, I for one was gutted at first, but I realise now, it?s a short-term problem. With the exception of MK Dons, clubs that have their stadium outside the boundaries of their city don?t suffer. It?s practically Liverpool anyway! Once we?re settled after 10 years and the Reds have had their fun and jibes, no one will care that we?re outside the boundaries of the City. Those of us that love Everton will still go to the Match. There have been 35,000 ? 40,000 practically every game this season, and figure is only that low because of the away fans taking the gate down.

Bottom line? Football is now a business. If the number at the bottom of the column that says ?income? is smaller than the one next to it under the column ?expenditure?, we?re up a certain creek without any means of propulsion. No amount of money being spent at the club will change that, if anything it will cause the expenditure to rise considerably and there?s no guarantee that the income figure will rise to follow suit. (Leeds United anyone?)

I for one don?t want an Abramovitch, when he gets bored and decides to stop bank rolling Chelsea, they will implode. I don?t want to be a Leeds either, spend big now, in the hope that we can become a regular Champions League force.

I want to be an Everton? Look at the press! Listen to your honest mates that are from outside the North West. Everyone and I do mean everyone (that doesn?t have an unnatural hatred for us Scousers) thinks that what Everton have achieved these last few seasons is brilliant. We should celebrate this and use it to our advantage, a club on the up with bags of potential and a bit of cash, good players will start to take us seriously sooner rather than later.

What Moyes and Kenwright have done is nothing short of miraculous. They?ve turned us around from a poor club going nowhere to a team on the cusp (and in my opinion, 2-3 midfielders, maybe a right back and another 20 goal a season striker) from challenging for 4th place and silverware.

The point I?m trying to make here is that Kenwright has done a lot for this club, behind the scenes and publicly, dragging us into the limelight. The Stallone thing, what a great laugh that was! And as any PR guru will tell you, any publicity is good publicity. Better than being a blummin Middlesbrough.

There are some of you who think that he?s taken us as far as he can, what facts do you base this on? The fact that, this season, we?ve won more Premiership points than ever before? The fact that, come next season, we?ll have been in European competition 3 out of 4 seasons. If Everton are going to succeed we have to do two things, remain profitable and back the excellent Manager we have. So far Kenwright has done that in bucket loads.

We have to consolidate 5th place and make it our own, that?s the next step. Once we?re regularly in Europe and can begin to attract the bigger players we have to close the gap on 4th I genuinely believe that we can.

If it ain?t broke (and the fact that we?re unarguably improving each season, should say that it certainly ain?t) don?t fix it.
Mark Gray
25   Posted 17/05/2008 at 10:50:03

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Michael Westcott, I wholeheartedly disagree with everything you have written.

Turnover has increased as a result of TV income, nothing more.

Like most other Premiership clubs, we have broken our transfer record merely to compete in a TV revenue inflated transfer market. There is a world of difference from breaking our modest transfer record and registering a British transfer record. Liverpool spent £26m on one player, thats more than we spent for all our signings last summer!


The commercial core business of the club has not improved, in fact most have been outsourced meaning that Wyness doesn?t even have to manage them. This strategy has proved unsuccessful, look at the situation with JJB. Surely this basic core business is something that the club should be able to manage successfully? It?s bread and butter stuff, if they can?t make a success of that there is no hope for them!!

I also take offence the way people give Kenwright credit for Moyes?s hard work. Moyes and the players are responsible for Everton's ? success not Kenwright. Money does not buy you success as Man City have recently found out. However, Moyes has made it clear he wants us to compete with the likes of City, Villa and Portsmouth and we will need money to do that. Again, finding transfer funds for the manager is a prerequisite for any football chairman, yet we need to be grateful to Kenwright? All he is doing is spending our ticket money, it's not his own. He is just adding to our debt.

Where will Kenwright find the money this summer? How much more debt will he pile upon the club?
Rich Gregory
26   Posted 17/05/2008 at 14:48:22

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Firstly I do believe that the idea of BK bringing in a certain Mr Moyes was that of another scotsman, Walter Smith. Walter recommended Moyes to BK, and whatever happened in-between who cares look where we are now.

Mark Gray, fair enough the redshite may of spent £26m on one player, so what!!
Even if we did have that money I would hope to believe that we have a Manager who would not shell out such a stupid amount of money on one player. I still feel that £11m was a lot for the Yak, however £26m for Torres does not match up in terms of goals for pounds. So by that rational the Yak?s fee seems to out-do that of Torres in terms of value.

Also, as mentioned previously, Everton is a club that will gain respect from outside its own walls. I mean a club that was at such a low ebb is now upwardly mobile. People talk about Everton in a way that no other club is. Everton is like a romatic vision of what can be achieved by stability and hard work as opposed to huge injections of cash.

I too have doubts now and again about BK, it's human nature. I was only thinking the other day, "it?s 08 capital of culture ? imagine if we were moving into the Kings Dock this August, on the back of our most succesfull season in years (possibly the most succesfull ever due to the modern nature and make up of the game), how good would that be?" But as I said, it's human nature to have a moan, plus hindsight is a wondeful thing.

Finally as for all these muppets who think that by moving to Kirkby will kill our fan base ? it?s rubbish. The only thing that will kill our future fanbase is our current fanbase. I for one am a Blue because of my dad and I know for sure any children that come my way will be Blue (plus nephews & nieces) regardless of whether we play are footy in Liverpool or Knowsley. Even if my kid was brought up in Tawain I am pretty sure he would be a Blue likewise any grandchildren that may follow.

So think about that before you come all defensive and look at why we blues are blue.

ps: Council boundaries are always changing anyhows.
jeffofbelfast
27   Posted 17/05/2008 at 14:50:54

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Hey guys why all this negativity?
We finished fifth in the league. Challenged for Liverpools fourth spot and with out injuries to key players and The African Nations cup absentees we might have made it.We reached the semi-final of the Carling cup losing a close game to big four Chelsea. We reached the last sixteen of the EUFA cup losing on penalties or we could have gone all the way. We are in Europe next season. We have a good manager (even if the football isn?t always the most entertaining),agreat squad,a supportive board who are in for the long term and hopefully a new stadium for the future. Plus we are being linked with the kind of players I want to see play for Everton.
Ive followed Everton since 1970 and seen the ups and felt the downs. This is a time of optimism. Get behing the team the manager the board and Blue Bill (An Evertonian like you and me not some mega rich yank or russian who wants to play with a football club like a playstation game). This is a great time to be an Everton supporter why not enjoy it and stop moaning....some of you guys are never happy.
Rob Beel
28   Posted 16/05/2008 at 06:01:16

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Ax - MK

DNP?: A bit more cash to splash??? Just finished reading the sports section, of the Daily paper here in Singapore, where they have printed figures of this years TV revenue for all clubs in the Premier League for the season that finished last weekend. According to the official figures, we 'won' £42.1M compared to last years £25.3M pounds in TV revenue. Now correct me if iam wrong, but didn't we spend around £22-23M last summer on The Yak, Baines and Jags, plus the £2M or so for Pienaar the other month? If this is correct we should be looking to spend at least £30M this year, and if we dont ? WHY THE FUCK ARENT WE!!!

Now I am sure you money/financial men out there will put me right with talk of overheads, loans, debt so on and so forth, but surely if the money we spent last summer is comparable to what we 'won' in last season TV windfall we shall be able to spend some extra cash.

Also on the next page, reporting on Zenit's victory over Rangers in the final, Advocaat was quoted as saying "It will be tough keeping hold of players this summer, especially Ashavin". The report then followed this by saying there are whispers of Man.City bidding ?10M already for the Zenit number 10. Well Moysiah, get in there mate and let's hope that one of the players you want to sign early is this talented player!!! And hopefully before the Euros where his price-tag would have risen.

Come on Blue Bill, let us feel the fibre of your fabric.

Bob Turner
29   Posted 17/05/2008 at 16:53:58

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Rich, completely agree - I see future Everton fans coming from 2 sources: hereditary and success.
For me, now living outside the city of Liverpool (sunny Runcorn), my kids will be blue, regardless of where we play.
As for success attracting future fans, we are moving in the right direction for that to develop too. And I can?t see how someone who starts to follow Everton in the future because we?re being successful will care whether we play in Liverpool or Kirkby. They probably won?t even know the difference.
Gavin Ramejkis
30   Posted 17/05/2008 at 20:38:15

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Bob and Rich get your kids bikes and trained on how to ride them down the East Lancs and not get killed as it’s the only reasonable way to get to the shed, ask Keith he says it so it must be true.........
Jay Campbell
31   Posted 18/05/2008 at 08:23:51

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Rich and Bob, you underestimate how a lot of Evertonians feel about this move, like BK and KW do.
Bob Turner
32   Posted 18/05/2008 at 10:41:26

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Jay, I don’t underestimate how Evertonians who don’t want to move to Kirkby feel about it - you only have to read this very website to see how they feel.

What I can’t understand is how these same Evertonians will be prepared to stay away from where their team plays its football. How many "Yes" voters have stated that they will refuse to go to Goodison if we don’t move away?

If I am to believe everything I read on here, then the vast majority of the fans who follow Everton all around the UK and Europe will refuse to go to Kirkby. Now, THAT, I really can’t understand!

It’s their choice, obviously, but if they don’t go to Kirkby, in my opinion, that will kill the club a lot qucker than moving to Kirkby.
Michael Westcott
33   Posted 18/05/2008 at 12:01:18

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Mark Gray, I have to disagree with you to a certain extent. In the main TV Income has increased because of the PremierLeague, I agree. But that same TV income has increased on the back of being able to sell our Uefa Cup TV rights to whomever we chose, plus the additional gate receipts and prize money from two good cup and our final league position. Not to mention TV money from the Carling Cup.

We cannot match the likes of Liverpool in the transfer market and I can guarantee you one thing, if we try to, we will be in administration within 3 years.

I?m talking sound financial sense here.

Ok, let's say we get investor A to put £100 mil into the club each season for the next two seasons and we sign eight world class players at about £25 mill each. Who is going to pay their wages at £80k a week for 5 years? We are not in a position to pay those sorts of wages because we haven?t got the kind of revenue stream to support them. We would be doing a Leeds United, i.e taking a disproportionate risk for success. Ask any Leeds fan if they would swap the last 10 years with our last 10. I bet every one would swap positions.

You have to be realistic, a big muliti-millionaire investor is going to look at Everton and think, "right, they get about £25 mill a season in gate receipts and season tickets (including corporate entertainment) £20-35 odd mill from prem and cup prize money/tv money each season depending on success, £3-5 mill in sponsorship and probably £10 mill max in merchandising. Ok, at the mo they spend £40 mil in wages and about £20 mil on everything else". Do the maths. (I?m basing the figures looseley on our figures from 06-07.)

We need to increase revenue substantially in order to support Moyes. If you know how we can do that overnight, lets get a consortium together £0100 mil should be enough (accoring to Forbes) and buy BK out and get the team moving... Ok I?m sorry, I?m being a bit facetious, but you must see my point.

We can?t buy big unless we can afford the ramifications. As my dad would say, you?re only looking as far as the end of your nose. (I?m 28 by the way, so none of these, "how old are you? you?re a kid, you know nothing" comments.)

Investment from outside is not the answer, we can?t afford the ramifications of buying big just yet. In the Meantime, give BK a break, under his stewardship, we?ve gone from fighting relegation every season to Europe and we have more hope than we?ve ever had during the Premiership years. He can?t work miracles, he?s human like the rest of us.

I?m beginning to think he?s a victim of his own success. The way I see it, if you?d have said to every Evertonian at the start of BK?s Reign that, under him we would finish 4th, play in the Champions League and Uefa Cup and become a regular top 6 side, Mrs BK would have been pissed off because of her hubby returning home pissed every night thanks to all the Evertonians buying him a pint.

As far as I see it, the people who want BK out are living in the past and need a reality check. This is not the 80s ? we don?t have a right to be competing for the league every season. We are building towards that and the new stadium will increase revenue.

What I really fail to see as a life-long blue is what BK has done that is so shameful that he must (as one BK hating article puts it) ?retire to the library with a revolver?

I must be completely blinkered here, please help me understand.

Anyway, I have to agree with Bor Turner, I don?t know about any of you, but I love this club enough to travel to watch them in Kirkby, anyone who says they?ll stay away because of that will destroy this club.

I know this is an emotional issue, but take a big step back look at the things you know are real facts not propaganda from either side or your own ideas. The Facts.

I have and I accept the facts, we need to move, the only viable option is Kirkby. I?d love to be able to redevelop or move to another site in Liverpool, i just can?t see how we can afford to do it.


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