Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

A Missive

By Gareth   Humphreys  ::  17/12/2011   10 Comments (»Last) The start of last season was a unique one for me as it was the first time since 1987 I did not possess a season ticket. The decision not to renew in the summer (or probably early bird spring) of 2010 was therefore not an easy one to make however finances at home, the lack of direction by the Everton board and a general nauseous feeling towards Rupert Murdoch?s Premier League dictated that it was the right time to bow out.

I had no idea how I would feel as my dad went and sat in my seat (I still viewed it as mine ? probably always will) for the first game of the 2010-11 season and I was pretty sure I would miss it. What surprised me was that instead of feeling a yearning for Goodison I actually felt somewhat liberated. This was the first time ever I didn?t have to check the fixture list to see what I was going to be doing every weekend between mid-August and mid-May. And it felt great.

My intention was to go cold turkey and not go all season however like all those addicted I did have a couple of lapses and ended up at Goodison on a few occasions. Memorably, Spurs at home for Coleman?s winner which got the juices flowing, however, I stood firm and probably only went to about 5 games all season.

The original plan was for me to give it up for the one season, get my dad back in the habit of going on my ticket (he gave up himself a few years earlier due to ill health) and then this season we would both be going again.

Instead as renewal time came around in the spring of 2011, my dad asked me if I would be renewing ?my? seat. Nope came my response ? it?s all yours again dad. I simply didn?t want to go.

This season though feels different to last. Last season I still watched, read, listened, researched and generally let Everton into my head as much in the previous 23 years, the only difference being that I was not physically there. This season I am slowly weaning myself off even more by not gorging on Everton information through the week.

Then, on the day of the Aston Villa home match I decided for me that Everton ? the Everton that exists today ? is not something for me. It was the most depressing thing I have ever witnessed as an Evertonian. Far more than any player sale, far more than any derby defeat ? it was the day I saw the biggest, proudest football club in this land, the club that has provided this continent with its greatest ever goalscorer, the club that has provided this planet with it?s greatest ever goalkeeper ? it was the day Everton and Evertonian?s gave up.

Now this article is not an exercise in board bashing however I do feel it is important that the reasons for why I feel the way I feel are highlighted and understood by the readers. Some personal lowlights for me from the current boards are:

(1) Failing to find the ?ringfenced money? for the Kings Dock.

(2) Attempting to relocate from the first purpose built football stadium in the land to a, in the planning officers words, ?mid range stadium?.

(3) Publically stating that the club was up for sale whilst at the same time stating under oath at the destination Kirkby enquiry that no director had any intention of relinquishing their shareholding.

(4) Failing to provide David Moyes with a single penny in net transfer funds since the signing of Marrouane Fellaini over 3 years ago.

Now I am not going to go any further into the above as they are all hard nosed irrefutable facts available to anyone who cares to investigate them.
What I am going to say is that on the day of the protest about the running of the club at home to Aston Villa recently, Evertonians decided to cheer and thus support the man who as chairman of the board has overseen the above shambles.

That show of support chilled me to the bone. It made me think along the lines of, ?well if that?s the Everton that you are happy with ? if you are content with a complete lack of vision on the back of what basically amounts to a dereliction of duty by all the directors over the past decade, then over to you boys and girls ? you have it, you enjoy your version of Everton?.

It?s not my version of Everton though. My Everton provided Dean and Southall. My Everton has spent more season?s in the top flight than any other. My Everton remains the only club in Great Britain to have hosted a world cup semi final. My Everton is the biggest and most important football club in this country.

But if, as it seems that my Everton no longer exists in the boardroom and the stands then I think it is a good job I am gone. I don?t like the current version and I very much doubt that the likes of William Dean and John Moores would either.

So to those of you who cheered Mr Kenwright?s picture on the screen at home to Aston Villa, ask yourself this ? why were Hicks and Gillette so hated at Anfield and why are the Glazers so hated at Old Trafford? When you have worked out the answer, ask yourself why Bill Kenwright is getting away with it at Everton just because he tells everyone he is an Evertonian?

So I hope you enjoy the club as it is at present because if I am interpreting the applause correctly it is the only one you deserve.

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