Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

The Walls of Jericho

Reasons to be cheerful? Bill Kenwright is still chairman; despite rumours about 'some fella with a few bob and a suit doing a stadium tour', there's no sign of a buyer or new investor, there's the dire home games with attendances falling dramatically ? for the first time in the Premier League, against Bolton, the gate was below 30,000 and for Blackburn it was 3,400 down on the corresponding fixture last season.

Predictably, the club have retreated into the bunker of denial with Bill Kenwright accusing the Blue Union of 'betrayal'... and then there's the misnamed 'Fans Liaison Officer' Graeme 'One Man And His Dog' Sharp, who doesn't 'liaise' with any fans outside of the 'Bill Kenwright Fan Club'. Even the shareholders have been frozen out, with AGMs cancelled in favour of 'consultative meetings'.

Let's be grateful though, without 'Keep Everton In Our City' (KEIOC), by now, concrete would have been poured into the foundations of the Tesco-Value Kirkby Stadium and thousands of Evertonians would have been preparing to ditch their season tickets. In response to the 'There's nothing we can do, let's just go the game and support the team' brigade, let's remember that KEIOC took on the club hierarchy, Knowsley Council and Britain's largest retailer, Tesco, and won. During the public inquiry, the club's case for Destination Kirkby fell apart ? Tesco described it as 'mediocre' stadium, it wouldn't generate extra income, infeasible targets for fans arriving by public transport had to be realised, and ? rather than Tesco helping Everton ? it was the other way round!

Bill Kenwright has been busy trawling through his extensive network of media contacts, so we've had long articles praising, 'the greatest Evertonian', 'True Blue' and 'Romantic Evertonian', with stories about the Boys Pen and tearful reminiscences. Then there's the Echo, the self-styled 'Voice of Liverpool' since 1207. The defining moment for me came in 2009 when they printed a sanctimonious editorial condemning Royal Mail for moving letter sorting from Copperas Hill to Warrington: 'social responsibility... jobs lost forever... duty to the city...' etc, etc. Weeks later, without even blinking an eyelid and surely qualifying for the Hypocrites of the Year (Corporate Award), they announced that the Old Hall Street site would close and printing would be moved to... Oldham. For good measure they also axed 70 of the 400 journalists posts. There's also that 'relationship' between the Echo's owners, Trinity Mirror, and the club, because they print the club's programme and magazines. Who is going to bite the hand that feeds them?

Inevitably, the debate has centred on Bill Kenwright and there is a big difference between the protests at both Man United and Liverpool and Everton. Nearly all of the supporters were united in opposition to the Glazer Brothers and Gillett and Hicks, even some of their former players who are desperate to stay on the clubs' hospitality gravy train, saw the way the wind was blowing, and voiced their disapproval. With Bill Kenwright, fans are divided; he's still got a line of credit for removing Agent Johnson, appointing Moyes, and then leaving him to get on with the job of managing the team.

The most important thing we have to do is to win the propaganda war. Both Blue Union protests have been marked by their peaceful nature, dignity, humour and passion for the club. We need to convince the fans and not alienate them; above all, we've got to support the team at the games.

At the meeting in The Casa, the issue was raised about protesting inside the ground; whilst I wouldn't rule it out, apart from the logistical issues, I just think it would be the wrong tactic at the wrong time. It would be a gift to the club hierarchy; they would be able to claim that the Blue Union wasn't supporting the team. It is of course all very well to demand 'unity', just that the different fans groups have been trying to talk to the club for years. Only after negotiations had failed did they agree to launch the Blue Union.

Let's be clear, however; the façade of the Kenwright regime is beginning to crumble. There was the spectacular resignation of Ian 'Comical Ali' Ross with the admission about 'paranoia', 'working in a kindergarten' and 'financial meltdown'. Then the stunning admission ? not from the Chief Executive Robert Elstone, but the manager David Moyes ? that the money from the sale of Arteta would not be spent on new players. There's also events on the pitch where the limitations of our threadbare squad are there for all to see.

Just as no ruling class leaves the scene of history without a struggle, so Bill Kenwright seems desperate to retain control of the club, whatever the cost. Maybe it's stubbornness or personal vanity... possibly like other rich people, he's used to being indulged and is surrounded by sycophants and 'yes-men' who don't want to point out that the Emperor has no clothes.

So, where to now? I think we need to be patient and prepare for the long haul. The Blue Union should try to make its presence felt at every game, not necessarily through a demonstration, but with leaflets, stalls and petitions. If you go to Old Trafford the anti-Glazer group have covered the approaches with banners and stickers. Above all we need to build the base of the Blue Union. Here's some suggestions:?

1) Start a membership scheme with a nominal fee of £5.
2) Create a supporter's group, with no extra rights or privileges, who will make a regular monthly donation.
3) Launch a mass petition for change.
4) Hold regular monthly meetings.

On the last point, the Internet has its uses but the people tapping away on their keyboards aren't always the ones who will be prepared to take action. You can't beat the exchange of ideas at a meeting. It wasn't Twitter or texting that got rid of Mubarak but the thousands of demonstrators in Tahrir Square.

Are we getting anywhere? There is frustration because the club have put up the shutters and are trying to ignore the demonstrations. When I was awake in the RE lessons, the one story I do remember is Joshua and the Walls of Jericho... faced with the seemingly impregnable city walls, the Israelites marched around them for six days, and on the seventh day, they let out a might roar and the walls crumbled to dust.

'And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.' ? Joshua 6:21

Er... not advocating that, but still, let's keep on marching.

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