Column The Slumbering Giant: Part 2 - Twenty-Year Itch As the face of English football is irrevocably changed by capital forces, Everton survives as a club with community ties and a modest long-term business plan. But can we ever compete again on this footing? Lyndon Lloyd 23/04/2015 59comments | Jump to last It is 28 years since Everton last won the League title and football is unrecognisable from that last triumph – one that, on average, Evertonians used to enjoy once every decade but which now feels as far off in the future as that ninth Championship in 1987 does in the past. The rapidly changing face of the game has spawned a movement – one borrowed from the Continent and co-opted by fans in England where the rapid modernisation of the game is demonstrated most starkly – that seeks to harness the disaffection of the modern fan. But in a world where corruption runs rife to the very top of the sport's governing body and the product that is England's top flight is snowballing in popularity and value, any expression of demoralisation at modern football feels very much like shouting into a hurricane. Yet, on both the macro level of the world game and the micro level of the Blue half of Merseyside, the power still resides with the match-going supporter. Once the lifeblood of English clubs, the financial contribution of the Premier League fan might soon become irrelevant in terms of their contribution to their club's top line in the face of eye-popping increases in television rights revenue, but their role in that marketable product that is the Barclays Premier League remains vital. After all, what does the image of half-empty stadia do for the EPL TV "show"? Football without fans is nothing, as the slogan goes. For Everton, a club still rooted very much in the community, with a comparative under-performance on the commercial side to its peers, selling out Goodison Park and driving merchandise sales to supporters remains a key part of its business for the time being. In what has been an incredible let-down of a season, perhaps one of the most impressive of Everton's achievements has been the sell-out crowd for last weekend's home game with Burnley. To quote another slogan, "we go the game, it's what we do"... Even with hope and expectation of a new dawn under Roberto Martinez significantly dampened by serious disappointment on the pitch this term, Blues showed up in their droves for what was essentially a match with little meaning beyond our team's quest to at least finish the season in the top half and a mild interest in the plight of near-neighbours pluckily trying to beat the drop back to the Championship. Despite the increasing feeling of futility at Everton's prospects of ever breaking that proverbial glass ceiling and dismay at the ever-widening disparity in the domestic game, fans keep showing up in their numbers. It helps, but it's only part of the equation and, as Management Consultant, Joe Beardwood, explained at this week's Shareholders Association Forum, the rest of that non-media revenue pie remains a key performance indicator for Everton and a key differentiator between our club and its former peers against whom we are now visibly under-performing. Article continues below video content Nevertheless, those robust attendances speak to a commitment and affinity to the institution that is Everton FC, the culture of following our chosen team no matter what, and the weekly tradition of simply going to the game as thousands of Blues have done before us. That love and those traditions, both for this 137-year-old club and for the "beautiful game" in general, are being sorely tested, though, by disillusionment with the rampant commercialisation, corporatisation and inequity of the modern game – particularly in the Premier League – and Everton's own descent to seemingly interminable mediocrity. There appears to be – though it's incredibly hard to gauge – a growing tension between a contentment with this familiarity and Everton's lot as a perennial member of the top flight helmed by a true-Blue Evertonian on the one hand and the more restless elements among us on the other who yearn for the days that the Toffees were indisputably one of the country's elite clubs and are struggling to see that ambition reflected in the corridors of power at Goodison. As highlighted in Part I, the confluence of this season's reality check and the 20th anniversary of the last time the Blues lifted a trophy is reigniting the debate about what is holding Everton back and what needs be done to wake the slumbering giant. Just how far can and should Everton go to regain the club's place at the top of the English game and at what cost to its very soul? Status quo Everton is a big club that hasn’t acted like one for many, many years, having rested on its laurels in late 1980s and failed to properly respond during – and in the immediate aftermath of – the Heysel ban. In the context of the club's historical status in the Premier League, the brush with disaster in the mid-1990s, the asset-shedding of the earlier 2000s and the Destination Kirkby farce, the current regime is actually doing a largely acceptable job. Over the past eight years, Everton have been increasingly well-run under the auspices of a by-the-numbers Chief Executive whose focus appears to have been on keeping costs under control, maintaining a lid on players’ wages and, now, using the influx of cash from the broadcasting deals, reducing the club’s overall debt burden. The accusation levelled frequently at the current Board is that it lacks a cohesive business plan when a more accurate charge might be that, as it pertains to the day-to-day efforts towards building a team capable of challenging at the top, it hasn't employed a sufficiently ambitious, aggressive or grandiose one for the liking of a good many supporters. A strategy of incremental progress centred around frugality in the transfer market, a tight rein on wages and tying the team's best players down on long-term contracts – coupled with the ability of the management to keep the team "punching above its weight" – has kept the club tantalisingly close to the Champions League gravy train, allowed for a couple of close calls with Wembley triumph but ultimately yielded no trophies. If there is a middle way between the boom-and-bust approach that torpedoed the likes of Leeds United and Portsmouth and the leap into the unknown represented by a billionnaire takeover, Everton have been straddling it fairly well in recent years. But it's an inherently slow-moving, long-term strategy that risks the club being left far behind the current "big boys" and their gargantuan budgets if it fails. Just enough progress each year to keep the status quo ticking along has held dissenting voices in check. The arrival of a new broom in the form of Martinez – as a “Continental” appointment with inside knowledge of British game, his appointment was as daring as Kenwright was ever likely to be – and the influx in TV money that enabled the acquisition of Romelu Lukaku for a record-shattering £28m offered hope that this patient strategy might finally provide the final leg up into the top four. The notion that the Blues have been "one or two players" short of genuinely being able to compete remains a mirage, though; a reality never fully realised because of financial restraints, the consequent reliance on an ageing squad and loan players and the widening gap between ourselves the resources of the monied elite. The signing of Lukaku was a statement of intent but, in concert with new contracts and increased salaries for existing players, it exhausted the war chest; without further quality additions last summer, there was never going to be sufficient depth to cope with injuries and the constant squad rotation due to Europe that ultimately scuppered the campaign. As difficult as it is to crack the top four, though, it is possible with the huge jump in TV revenues to build a team capable of knocking on the door again if you have the right manager shopping in the right markets, cultivating enough talent at Academy level and employing the right tactics and systems on the field. The jury will likely remain out on Southampton and Ronald Koeman until next year when the footballing world gets to see how they fare in the Dutchman's second season (particularly if they qualify for Europe) but the model being applied on the South Coast, one of talented but affordable signings and youth product, is such a potential blueprint for clubs aspiring to challenge the hegemony of the "new Big Five" without a multi-billionnaire backer. Martinez, of course, has the potential to be a long-term hire with the necessary methods and vision to revolutionise Everton and rebuild the team from the ground up along similar lines. In the absence of a tycoon owner, the Ajax model of developing an entire stable of top-class young players groomed to play with the perfect blend of flair, technique and versatility is another far-horizon approach that could be a sustainable alternative. Nothing would be more satisfying than if Everton to pull something like this off and crack the top four on our terms, with the current ownership and without the need to usher in a faceless tycoon with no ties to the club. It's a long shot, though; it would be a triumph over almost all odds, and the question of course is: does Martinez have the scouting network, the nous, the force of will and the character to pull it off? Any more seasons like the current one and no one will have the patience to find out. Appetite for Disruption? The retrograde steps made this term are not only giving rise to a more pessimistic outlook among Evertonians but they're also sharpening the focus on the Board, the club's commercial acitivities, the infamous "24/7 search for investment" and the thornier issue of the stadium question as the Blues enter a third decade without silverware. So, too is the plight of Liverpool FC whose own relative under-performance has aroused local media scrutiny into the failings at Anfield this season. "What’s gone wrong at LFC?" scream headlines questioning whether it's the players, the manager or the club's owners who should be to blame for the fact that Brendan Rogers has become the first reds manager since the 1950s not to win a trophy in his first three years at the helm. Granted, Liverpool are bona fide members of the old "Sky Four" and the new big five, have been Champions League regulars, won the modern equvialent of the European Cup as recently as 10 years ago, and, as such should be challenging for the Premier League title. But their last Championship triumph was only two years more recent than ours and there have been times in recent years where Everton has had the superior team. Furthermore, in relative terms, Everton's under-performance this season has been more stark than Liverpool's — out of both cups at the first hurdle for the first time in history, 25 points off last season’s points tally and battling to finish in the top half of the table after eight successive top-half finishes. Our progress to the last 16 of the Europa League has masked bigger problems, not least a lack of expenditure last summer that left the club without sufficient depth in quality to truly compete on multiple fronts. That has led to calls for the Liverpool Echo to ask tougher questions of the Everton Board but they are limited in how far they can go. Owned by Trinity Mirror, who publish the club's match programme and offiicial magazine, they have a clear conflict of interest that precludes real scrutiny of the inner machinations at Everton. Added to which, the regime at Goodison has shown known no qualms in restricting the access of the Echo's journalists to players and club staff when they have been overly critical in the past. There may even be some of the internal wrestling of conscience that exists among the fanbase as a whole over just how much criticism should be levelled at Bill Kenwright in his capacity as custodian of the club to which we're all devoted. It means that any push for real, accelerated change is probably going to have to come from the fans themselves, to raise the clamour and increase the pressure to a degree where neither the Board nor the local media can ignore it any longer. The lack of appetite to challenge Bill and the Board from supporters, however, has become just as frustrating to some as the press' soft-peddling. Whether it's due to faith in – or a hesitance to be critical of – the Chairman as a fellow Evertonian; fears of being accused of "Kopite" behaviour; contentment with the slow upward curve of the club's fortunes since the nadirs of 1994, 1998 and the Walter Smith regime; a general distaste with the frivolities of the modern Premier League; or just not knowing how best to channel their frustrations, Evertonians as a constituency remain fairly muted over the questions of ownership and the direction of their club. What then of the other alternatives? « Part I: Another False Dawn | Part III Treading Water | Part IV Soul Searching » Follow @EFCLyndon Share article: Reader Comments (59) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Mike Price 1 Posted 23/04/2015 at 07:05:45 We are seen as the crumbly uncle at the party with limited dignity, but who donÂ’t really care too much.IÂ’m really concerned about our manager and our overall vision for the future, but I love the club and Evertonians. In my professional life I have favoured them, especially in relation to kopites and loved to treat Evertonians like royalty. IÂ’m a helicopter pilot that, at one time, provided scenic tours, if you were a blue you got a lot more for your money!I really want to come home because thatÂ’s where real life is. Paradise with nothing in common is dull.This is the worst season I can remember, but I canÂ’t wait to be back amongst you lovely, miserable, bunch of bastards as soon as our job situation will allow. Sometimes you donÂ’t realize how lucky you are to be amongst it all. Tim Michael 2 Posted 23/04/2015 at 07:17:21 This is fair assessment for the position of EFC today and add Joe’s poignant details of the club, we are where we are due to specific failures at key times:TV Money — the PL have on three occasions negotiated a brilliant deal on TV rights. Way above what the markets expected. It basically sent the message out to PL clubs that weÂ’ve done the deal now go and use that platform to negotiate your own commercial deals. Never has PL football been so popular internationally. The appetite for its consumption is huge and should have given EFC the opportunity to maximise. Basically is hasnÂ’t.Shirt Deal — Chang is currently worth about ٣M a season. Not too bad in comparison to the overall PL club earnings but there are flaws here. To claim at the latest renewal that this sponsorship is the longest running in the PL means nothing. It has no commercial value at all. Long-term deals are only of value if they represent market value. This doesnÂ’t. Also whoever had the idea of sending in Arouna Kone into the signing! In 2012 we sent in Fellaini. Quite right. Leading player, flagship signing, all made sense. The inclusion of Kone sent the wrong message to Chang. It typifies a wrong approach. Our objective should have been a shirt deal of 㾶M to coincide with the Europa League.Salary Cap — Either way, the club must hold its salary cap at 70%. However, the lavish handing out of new contracts for a season’s work plus the arrival of Lukaku and Barry may well threaten that ceiling. History tells us the salary overspend does not guarantee success.Kitbag — IÂ’m not sure what to make of Kitbag. I can see why the club made the decision but was that just to get that part of the business off it hands? Also are we going from the different shirt makers? Out of stocks. Poor supply. I would like to see their stock to sales ratio but from afar it doesnÂ’t look the best of deals.Goodison Park — Joe’s point about EFC not being a corporate club is probably right. The commercial deals highlight that and we are unlikely to attract high level corporate sponsors under the current board or set up. Lyndon, I too was surprised to turn at GP last Saturday to see a sell out... vs Burnley. However, it should not say that we go out searching for a new ground. Potential partners are not the ideal commercial partners. Like it or not we must hang onto GP for the foreseeable future with a potential plan of getting the seating capacity up to 45,000. WeÂ’ve wasted far too much time on strategies and consultations on new sites, it costing money at the same time.In summary we should not strive to be the Arsenal of the North. The Emirates is a top stadium which as been created as no risk to the playing side and we will not have their commercial income. ItÂ’s just not an achievable objective. The commercial side has to perform a lot better over the coming years if we are to go forward. On the playing side we have never been in a more recent vulnerable position, particularly if Martinez gets it spectacularly wrong as he almost did this season. The two must go hand in hand if we are to compete. Rick Tarleton 3 Posted 23/04/2015 at 09:00:39 Everton are very much a mid-20th century club. In the twenties, thirties, sixties and eighties we were a force in the land, possibly the top club. In those days we broke the transfer record fee with regularity as we signed truly top class players. However, post Heysel and with the mysterious demise of the Moores/Grantchester familyÂ’s role in the club, we have drifted, not just in playing terms, but in financial and business. Above all, the Kings Dock fiasco best sums up Everton and its inadequate business vision. The key to our progress is above all a new ground, with the corporate potential that a 21st century stadium should have. But itÂ’s not just the economic lift that a new stadium would provide, itÂ’s the morale-boosting feeling that a modern stadium would provide. When I come to Goodison and nowadays (distance, age and cost limit that to three to six visits per season) it looks sad, outdated and the oft-quoted limited views all hamper the experience. I remember Goodison with 75,000 spectators and when it was the best club stadium in England, but times have moved on and it is time to leave.If the present board is unwilling to make this decision, they owe it to the club, which our actor director professes to love so much, to make a sincere effort to sell the club to someone who will make this a reality. We are IÂ’m told No 20 in Europe in terms of turnover, a better prospect than Leeds, West Brom, possibly even Villa. We need owners and a board who are looking to the future, rather than living with the nostalgic "If You Know Your History" mentality. Bill Kenwright, "Boys Pen" Bill, "Billy Liar" etc is not the man to lead us into a brave new world. Rick Tarleton 4 Posted 23/04/2015 at 09:33:02 Thank you , Lyndon for your balanced and cogent summary of the crisis facing our once great club. You and Patrick Hart have analysed the dilemma and the issues brilliantly. Mike Allison 5 Posted 23/04/2015 at 08:58:46 The one simple thing this club should be doing is prioritising the Cups. I donÂ’t understand why we so meekly surrendered at Swansea in the League Cup. Martinez should have been hung out to dry for that, but it seemed even the fans didnÂ’t really care.To not win the league is completely understandable, I canÂ’t see it happening whilst the Man City and Chelsea Â’billionaire train setÂ’ regimes are in place, but we can stick 11 (actually 14 Roberto, take note) blokes on a pitch to compete with anyone in one-off cup games. That we didnÂ’t even try to get back into the game at Swansea is probably my worst experience as an Evertonian in a long, long time. IÂ’ve seen plenty of poor Everton teams in my time but, until then, IÂ’d never seen an Everton team that wasnÂ’t trying.To be clear, IÂ’m not even talking about rotating players in the League Cup, I think that rotating is a good idea and the back-up players should be hungrier and eager to prove themselves at that point in the season, I mean that the management had clearly made sure the players knew it wasnÂ’t a priority and that they would accept defeat, presumably so that we could focus on Europe instead. This is the one genuinely disgraceful thing about our season so far.The FA Cup is a slightly different story, we gave it a seriously good go and lost on penalties to a team that was on decent form at the time, but it just goes to show, you need to keep all your irons in the fire, because when plan A doesnÂ’t work, youÂ’ll need to be able to turn to something else. (Roberto, take note of that as a general principle as well please.) Patrick Murphy 6 Posted 23/04/2015 at 09:37:28 Mike, Phil Jagielka agrees with you, he said earlier this week that the Capital One Cup will be prioritised next season, hopefully, not to the exclusion of all other competitions. But you are correct, beggars canÂ’t be choosers, every cup-tie has importance particularly to the fans and even more so to those that travel to watch Everton. The basic remit for each season, should be a top 10 finish and to progress to the quarter-finals of each cup competition but obviously winning either cup and finishing in the top six would be most welcome. Eric Myles 7 Posted 23/04/2015 at 10:06:45 Southampton... "is such a potential blueprint for clubs aspiring to challenge the hegemony of the "new Big Five" without a multi-billionnaire backer."Not too many seasons ago, it was us being lauded as that blueprint. Chris Regan 8 Posted 23/04/2015 at 10:24:18 Again, this is a good article.I thought I would relay a conversation I had with a young Blue (in his early 20s) not more than three weeks ago. He stated that he didn’t want big investment and was happy with the odd cup run, he seemed to think winning the FA Cup or League Cup might be nice but that would do him.This is only a couple of young fans’ opinion but it left me with the feeling that perhaps too many settle for the mediocrity. Seeing us genuinely contest more semi-finals and finals domestically, in my opinion, would be a good way to raise expectations.That’s why I agree with Mike Allen’s first paragraph: The one simple thing this club should be doing is prioritising the Cups. I don’t understand why we so meekly surrendered at Swansea in the League Cup. Martinez should have been hung out to dry for that, but it seemed even the fans didn’t really care.Raise the fans’ expectations. Phil Walling 9 Posted 23/04/2015 at 10:15:55 Make no mistake, moving away from Goodison – even if it heralds a new era in commercialism – will be the end of Everton as we know it. Perhaps the same could be said of the replacement of our revered chairman.Â’GoodÂ’! I hear so many saying. And I have to admit, my own frustration at the whole scene is what is driving me to move my principal place of residence far away from Goodison Park.But amongst these feelings of disappointment in my club across the whole range of its operations, is the suspicion that many of my fellow supporters are more than happy with things as they are. Comfortable. Just about. And what the hell can they do about it if they arenÂ’t?Unlike that other lot, we donÂ’t get too excited because being an Evertonian has the inevitability of eventual disappointment etched into your genes. And ToffeeWebbers illustrate this more than any other collection of the clubÂ’s followers.After all, we may want success but not at any price. Too risky. As Lyndon says above, Leeds and Pompey tried that... and look what happened to them! Better the devil you know by far. Another full house has spoken. Dan Nulty 10 Posted 23/04/2015 at 10:46:06 A well thought out and constructed piece, thanks.I agree, it is a fine line between chasing a dream whilst not harming the future of your club financially. Whilst this board have made some bizarre and extremely conservative decisions, you can see that everything they have tried to do has been to preserve the club in the premier league and ensure our finances were sustainable. Evidence of Leeds and Portsmouth who chased a dream and then blew up is what we have to be careful of. IÂ’d rather we were in the position now of paying down our debt, able to attract decent players and trophyless, than having enjoyed myself for a couple of days 5 years ago having won the FA Cup and now watching us play away at Aldershot and Rushden and Diamonds.I think there is a real opportunity now to use this money to set the club up for the future, sort the stadium issue out once and for all, attract sponsorship and reduce the season ticket price for fans, as per West Ham. I do think we have a really positive future as Evertonians. Patrick Murphy 11 Posted 23/04/2015 at 11:25:54 Dan - That West Ham Season Ticket price for the 2016-17 is such a red-herring but a brilliant piece of marketing by their board, 㿣 is the cost for Evertonians for the privilege of watching the Hammers take on Everton at Upton Park next month. It so happens that the Hammers will be moving into their shiny new stadium at the beginning of that Â’reducedÂ’ season ticket prices season, which will ensure that they preserve their attendances and probably fill the new arena, so itÂ’s not all that altruistic on their behalf. Kevin Tully 12 Posted 23/04/2015 at 12:12:34 The Liverpool Echo are an embarrassment to journalism. Even today, we have a headline Â’Liverpool FC fans are right to boycott trip to Hull.Â’ (Over ticket prices) Two days ago, it was made public we had no discernible business plan, also, the majority shareholder and chairman didnÂ’t actually want to sell the club, 13 years after embarking on a Â’24/7 search.Â’ to find a buyer. The subsequent minutes and report on the meeting has now disappeared off the Echo website, along with the four comments it allowed on the subject. How could any sports reporter ever stand up in public and call themselves a Â’journalistÂ’ whilst working for that piece of tripe? It would put some North Korean publications to shame. Patrick Murphy 13 Posted 23/04/2015 at 12:28:28 Kevin, They havenÂ’t taken it down as such it has its own place outside of the Live forum; with the new title "Everton urged to become Arsenal of the North". There are a about a dozen comments attached to it. But there has been no real scrutiny of the original article and no comment by any of the reporters as to what it all means. Andrew Ellams 14 Posted 23/04/2015 at 12:46:54 Patrick, this is the article that you are talking about:Arsenal of the North.But what this guy fails to mention is that (a) Arsenal are not the club they were; and (b) they have had 17 consecutive years of Champions League football to supplement their huge Premier League income. Clarence Yurcan 15 Posted 23/04/2015 at 14:10:12 Good article, Lyndon Scott Hamilton 16 Posted 23/04/2015 at 15:42:20 IÂ’m not sure if anybody has posted this already but Sky has published its "Ultimate League" based on teamsÂ’ league positions in each of the last 50 years:The Ultimate League TableWeÂ’re 4th by the way... Tim Michael 17 Posted 23/04/2015 at 16:10:00 IÂ’m really not sure why the Echo created that headline. As I said in an earlier post, its not a realistic objective at all. Highbury is long gone and sold off for exclusive apartments. No comparison there to the GP site. Emirates is now an established size of stadium that EFC will never achieve. A high profile shirt sponsor that is generating four times our income. A commercial income that we couldnÂ’t match and finally more importantly a season ticket price double of ours for next season!!!The urgent priority must be commercial income and growing it on the back of the success of the PL. Its got to get a lot better. Rick Tarleton 18 Posted 23/04/2015 at 18:45:07 Do you know what, Lyndon, youÂ’ve produced a brilliant analysis of the Everton problem and after so many hours 17 replies have been posted. If youÂ’d asked who takes the penalties, youÂ’d have been inundated with replies. I think we know why weÂ’re in the mess we are.Long live, "Boys Pen Bill"! Andy Crooks 20 Posted 23/04/2015 at 19:10:37 Mike # 5, spot on. The performance against Swansea where we didnÂ’t traverse second only to the surrender at Southampton. Two of the worst shows I have ever witnessed as an Evertonian overseen by the worst coach in our history. Mike Walker got sacked for less. Murdo Laing 21 Posted 23/04/2015 at 18:44:16 Great article, Lyndon, look forward to Part 3. You should retain it as a whole piece on the TW archive and we can all look back in, say 2018 and reflect on the passage of events that had led to the slightly rocky ship that is Everton FC 2015. ItÂ’s hard to disagree with a lot of the observations in the thread here regarding commercial income, the ground, etc, but IÂ’m interested to your reference (Lyndon) in the concluding paragraphs that it will most likely be some sort of shift in attitude/action the fan base which is most likely to engender change? You may well be right... but, right now, IÂ’m sort of finding it hard to know what to think, and like most Evertonians, my first inclination is to support the club at the match, whilst also voicing my dismay (on here) at the teamÂ’s Jekyll & Hyde performances this season, coupled with the managerÂ’s never-ending stream of somewhat hollow positivity. I am sure the hard core fans of "proper" clubs like Leeds and Pompey love their club as much as we do, but in the latter case, it did quite literally end up being the fans who had to rescue the club from oblivion. I canÂ’t see it coming to that with us, there has been a fair deal of financial probity which has made us more stable, but we are approaching stasis, and I cannot help thinking weÂ’ve all lost patience with the "jam tomorrow" utterances from both manager and the club PR machine? Trevor Peers 22 Posted 23/04/2015 at 18:58:12 I think total apathy and sheer frustration at EvertonÂ’s situation are behind the lack of posts, Rick, so far, to what is a great piece by Lyndon, an amazing amount of detail and research has gone into it. After reading the article, IÂ’ve come to the conclusion BK is untouchable as long as he chooses to stay as chairman.The latest futile attempt of putting some pressure on Kenwright to relinquish ownership on change.org, which I put my name to, has only 374 signatures to date, barely enough to even raise an eyebrow.With the Sky money guaranteed for the next few years, I would've thought it was an ideal time for him to look for a new owner, before the gravy train comes to an abrupt halt. But that would be just thinking the unthinkable, as far as BK is concerned; he will just hang on to the club till death do us part. Martin Mason 23 Posted 23/04/2015 at 20:17:42 An exceptional summary of the current position of the club Lyndon and one which IÂ’ve echoed many times. YouÂ’re a lifeboat of reason in a sea of what is often unreasonable and unfair negativity.You mention Southampton and Koeman, once 2nd Division compared to the aristocracy of Everton yet they are now our peers. Dave Abrahams 24 Posted 23/04/2015 at 20:02:45 Another very good article which paints the club exactly as it is, I feel like I would be banging my head at a brickwall with not renewing my season ticket, IÂ’d be spiting myself. Then again, I donÂ’t want to see another puerile season next year that mirrors this one.Patrick that was my thoughts concerning West Ham and their reducing season tickets when they move, but what if the reductions are enacted, will other Premier League clubs follow suit?. Anthony Lamb 25 Posted 23/04/2015 at 21:19:45 Mike (5) is spot on in my opinion. In the 1950s, Newcastle were always regarded as the cup team as I think they won it two or three times in a few years. To the best of my knowledge, they never won the league during that time but the winning of the cups gave the whole club, its support base, and the town itself a terrific focus.As Mike says, it is amazing that club with EvertonÂ’s resources has not been able to target the cups as primary objectives. In the current ludicrous situation of billionaires bank-rolling clubs such as Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool and the obscene inflation and contradiction on so many fronts of the Champions League (after all, it is not even a competition that lives up to its billing – so it is yet another corruption!) it is highly unlikely that Everton will again win the League itself without a drastic change in circumstances on so many fronts. Of course Everton can "aim to be the best of the rest" so to speak but a logical strategy would surely be to apply oneself to winning the 5 games or so that take you to cup finals. Anyone who remembers the thrills of going to finals etc (I am 70!) will know what a tremendous lift it gives to everyone concerned. When one looks at the clubs who have managed cup runs in the last 30 years or so it is a disgrace that Everton have never even been able to win whatever the so-called lesser cup competition is now called! Winning cup competitions a little more regularly than has been achieved over so many recent years would bring much needed stability on all fronts. It would keep Everton much more in the wider national and international eye; give real focus for the support base and do something to nurture the younger fan base which is being eroded by the lamentable failures over so many years such as those already mentioned.....and so many more! Nothing succeeds like success in sport and successful cup campaigns can give a club of EvertonÂ’s history, but with limited resources at present, a real platform to move on to strengthening their performance levels in the league itself and perhaps further. I simply have a feeling that we have neglected the importance of the national cup competitions to our own great cost and been seduced by the con that the Champions League is the only Holy Grail in town. That is only ever going to feed the bloated coffers of a few clubs and their corrupt paymasters at club and International federation levels. In the first instance let us begin our journey of renewal closer to home because like in many things in life home is where the heart is.ps: Sorry to leave it so late but very well written submissions by Lyndon, thank you. Robin Cannon 26 Posted 23/04/2015 at 21:58:37 Trevor (22) - "I think total apathy and sheer frustration at Everton's situation are behind the lack of posts"I think thatÂ’s probably right.I can also kind of see the point of the young fan Chris (8) mentioned who has "accepted mediocrity".I donÂ’t want "big investment" either – at least, not in the way that it seems so often to be. I donÂ’t want Everton to every be some oligarchÂ’s plaything, and I really really donÂ’t see the point even if we picked up an Arab billion and won the league. Just wouldnÂ’t matter that much to me. WouldnÂ’t be Everton.And yet, given the current state of football, that seems to be the only practical method by which to win championships. So weÂ’re caught between having the kind of history that means we demand/expect success, and the kind of uniqueness that means success coming from a billionaireÂ’s pocketbook means less.What the current board have just about achieved is consistent "a bit better than average". For all the talk of Southampton being a model club, a couple of years ago that was someone else, and a couple of years ago that was someone else, and so on. WeÂ’ve been the only consistent "best of the rest" for over a decade, but getting over the hump to the next stage... I genuinely donÂ’t know. Darren Hind 27 Posted 23/04/2015 at 21:46:54 Part 1 was the talk of the alehouse last week, Part 2 will be no different, Anybody can provoke a load of responses, Half truths and ignorant clams will do it every time.Thank you, Lyndon. You have clearly taken time to research and present these superbly balanced articles. Jay Harris 28 Posted 23/04/2015 at 22:46:16 Lyndon, both of your pieces so far raise more questions than answers, and rightly so, as that was what was intended... but, as Evertonians, we need to start DEMANDING answers.Every business or institution has to have a statement of intent and some leadership to achieve progress. Sadly our board has provided neither or hid it so well we are all confused.When RM was appointed Billy Liar said he promised us CL. That looks as remote as everyone on ToffeeWeb winning the lottery and, with the (lack of) quality of players we have brought in, I think we will struggle to maintain the glass ceiling that Moyes took us to consistently. James Marshall 29 Posted 24/04/2015 at 00:13:21 Phil Walling@9 says.."Make no mistake, moving away from Goodison – even if it heralds a new era in commercialism – will be the end of Everton as we know it. Perhaps the same could be said of the replacement of our revered chairman."Absolutely right - we need to move from Goodison to usher in a new era. The club is stagnant and needs to change to get into the 21st century. Goodison Park is dying on itÂ’s arse, and Everton with it. We need commercialism, and corporate backing. A new stadium, a new Everton - not the dusty old Everton of the 20th century. Andy Crooks 30 Posted 24/04/2015 at 00:29:25 Another good piece, Lyndon. It seems to me that we must maximise what we have got. The best coach we can afford.The best marketing team we can afford.The best players we can afford.The best coaching staff we can afford.In my view we have none of the above, yet there is no reason why we should not. Michael Winstanley 31 Posted 23/04/2015 at 22:40:44 Great article, Lyndon.As things currently stand, we are reducing the debt and have a promising squad which contains some very good players. WeÂ’re now seen as a passing team and the players are more comfortable with the ball; I see this as progression. There is now an expectation for the academy to produce players to challenge for the first team squad. Will it be enough to challenge the monied elite? Time will tell but we donÂ’t have another option but IÂ’m pleased we have a plan.If we start winning games and click into a decent football side again, then with the experience of this season, plus a few new faces, we could have a half-decent chance next season. Big 'if', the way this season has gone... but I live in hope rather than expectation. If Man City were to lose YaYa Toure, Aguero & Silva they wouldnÂ’t be able to attract the same quality of player. Yet they will spend millions trying to maintain a Champions League qualification place. I would love it if Man City finished fifth. I donÂ’t want our club to be spending 𧴜Â’s of millions on player transfers just to try and get into the top four. IÂ’ve never known that type of behaviour so it seems alien to me.I do expect us to take the cups far more seriously, winning things is what they play for. As for the league, I always think weÂ’ll win it but itÂ’s usually a short-lived reality. Anywhere between 1 and 9 will do me in the league – preferably nearer first than ninth. Kristian Boyce 32 Posted 24/04/2015 at 03:20:42 IÂ’m sorry, but using Southampton as a model just goes to prove all that is wrong with football. So itÂ’s a model club that left its iconic but small ground to a modern stadium twice its size which they struggled to fill for many years. The financial burden and a few unsuccessful years saw them plunge through the division and sink them into administration. Only when they were on their knees did a Swiss billionaire come in and save them, then pumped millions into gaining back to back promotions. Then they fired the manager who got them there, then replaced him with a relative unknown foreigner. Whilst still pumping money into the team, that manager after a couple of years jumps ship, along with half the team of English players. Much of the discontent was due to the owner dying and his wife wanting shot if the team. The departed players were then replaced by relatively expensive foreigners. ItÂ’s this the dream of all Premier League teams??Also with the much praised youth team, this is also part of a sham as well. SouthamptonÂ’s catchment area pretty much covers the whole south of England. With no other decent competition for these young players, they have been vacuuming up the cream of the crop for years. ItÂ’s going to be interesting with the academy rules and the expansion of recruitment areas for PL teams, how many Gareth BaleÂ’s will they be able to nurture? Michael Evans 33 Posted 24/04/2015 at 07:01:04 Excellent article. Kieran Fitzgerald 34 Posted 24/04/2015 at 07:21:23 A big part of our success in recent years was MoyesÂ’s ability to buy a gem of a player for little or nothing. In todayÂ’s climate, how much would we now pay for Lescott, Jagielka or Cahill? Even what at the time was a mid-priced Fellaini, 㾻M, would be beyond us now. I know we never got the very best out of him as Van Gaal seems to have, but there was a beast of a player in there somewhere.Everton will still have the same transfer fund as under Moyes but players are more expensive to buy. Even last seasonÂ’s purchase of Lukaku wasnÂ’t the splurge that it seemed as we are paying off the fee over three to five years. I think that we will have to promote some of the younger players this summer. Free signings like Cleverly, while not a top drawer player, will add to the squad if we get him. We have a big chance of getting Lennon and he has already shown that he will bring a lot of positives. At ٥M, it wonÂ’t break the bank to sign him either. Dan Hollingworth 35 Posted 24/04/2015 at 10:52:20 Â’That has led to calls for the Liverpool Echo to ask tougher questions of the Everton Board but they are limited in how far they can go. Owned by Trinity Mirror, who publish the clubÂ’s match programme and official magazine, they have a clear conflict of interest that precludes real scrutiny of the inner machinations at EvertonÂ’This is the same Trinity Mirror who own (unsurprisingly) The Mirror. They donÂ’t give any consideration to us when trying to sell all our players (and have done for about 5 seasons): McCarthy to Spurs, Coleman to Man Utd, Rom to Wolfsburg no longer than 8 weeks ago. They even ran a "Roberto to Barca" story last Christmas when we were 3rd. They have never done us any favors! They donÂ’t mind printing that tosh! Why can't they ask questions of the board? Helen Mallon 36 Posted 24/04/2015 at 11:17:10 Until a high profile ex-player writes something on social media and I mean a Lineker or Reid or Gray (especially Gray and his side kick Keyes), Asking all the questions you have posed, Lyndon, then this debate will roll on and on. (But they all think Bill is wonderful, so it won't happen.) John Crawley 37 Posted 24/04/2015 at 13:30:39 Another excellent article, Lyndon; however, I really do think you let the Echo and its journalists off far too easily. They need to be asking the difficult questions and pointing out what isnÂ’t working well. IÂ’m really not sure how much of an insight Journalists get from access to manager and players. Most of the EchoÂ’s stuff is just regurgitated from press conferences, you could write 95% of their articles by logging onto the clubs websites, watching the video interviews and reading the written interviews! The content on ToffeeWeb for example is far more informative and interesting and you have no real access to Everton staff. Personally, a fans' boycott of the Echo until it gets some proper coverage would be a start. I donÂ’t buy it anymore and I wonÂ’t until the journalists and editors actually show some professional integrity."In the absence of a tycoon owner, the Ajax model of developing an entire stable of top-class young players groomed to play with the perfect blend of flair, technique and versatility is another far-horizon approach that could be a sustainable alternative." This is one idea that we should be trying, we would need to blend it with some signings but this should be possible. However, the current manager (and the previous one) just doesnÂ’t trust youth players, in my opinion. Until this is part of a business plan/vision then we are going to get nowhere unless Bill somehow appoints the right person by complete accident! I personally donÂ’t want some multi-billionaire to take over but I would like a reasonably wealthy Evertonian who actually has a plan and a vision to take over because it is blatantly clear that Kenwright is just running the club day by day without any strategy whatsoever! Roger Helm 38 Posted 24/04/2015 at 13:34:32 Future predicting is always a bit of a guess but I would be surprised if the present avalanche of money into the EPL continues. The crazily-overpriced Sky deals will probably not go on. Why spend 𧴜 a month when you can see it for nothing on your live-screening internet-connected smart TV?Also, is there any reason to think the current billionaireÂ’s vanity projects will continue? What do they get out of it other than abuse and headaches?I think in 10 years time all this nonsense will have abated, and Everton, with its size, fanbase, history and club ethos, will resume its rightful place at or near the top of the English game. Provided we donÂ’t implode Leeds/Pompey style with bad financial decisions.Until then, we have to develop as much young talent as we can, and focus on Cup competitions, as the League Title is out of reach. Jay Harris 39 Posted 24/04/2015 at 16:20:40 Don't hold your breath, Roger.The Premier League has been televised for the last 25 years with increasing amounts of TV money going to the clubs.While everything has a life cycle, the corridors of power will ensure this is maintained and nurtured.What is to say the internet avenue will not be blocked in some way with fees to be paid to view?30 or 40 years ago the threat of abuse of copyright was forecast to lead to the downfall of music and musicians yet there is even more money in that industry now.No, the answer for me is for Everton to make more of this gravy train while we are still big enough to do so. Stephen Brown 40 Posted 24/04/2015 at 16:44:09 This really is a thought provoking article! I can honestly say I donÂ’t like what football has become especially as we have been left behind! I agree with the posters advocating targeting the cups! However, in my 30-odd years supporting the team, this is the most apathetic I have ever been! My 7-year-old daughter asked me the other day who my favourite player is? I had to really stop and think! In years gone by, that would have rolled off the tounge – Cahill, Arteta, Ferguson, Watson, Sharp, Reid, Sheedy etc. The current crop are oky but are a demonstration of what we are – mediocre! IÂ’m an optimist by nature so who knows what the future will bring but I think a new owner and a new ground are a must! Brian Harrison 41 Posted 24/04/2015 at 17:01:05 Lyndon, as usual, this is a well thought-out and well written piece. However, I have to disagree with your assumption that RM has the potential to be a vision to revolutionize Everton from the ground up like Ajax. You go on to say that you would envisage RM developing a stable of top class young players. Well, can you tell me what gives you the belief that he is anywhere near capable of achieving this? He has hardly played any of the youngsters and shows no appetite to do so. Out of our young players, the only player he has used at all on more than a one-off basis is Garbutt, and because of his reluctance to give him the game time he asked, there is a strong possibility that the lad will leave in the summer. Before someone mentions Barkley well he had played games before RM appeared so can hardly claim credit for him.I don't think he is a visionary; far from it. I can't think of anything he has ever said since becoming our manager that would make you think he is a visionary. I think the football his team has played this season is the most dire I have seen at Goodison for a very long time. I do find the sell out games very puzzling as it surely isn't because of the scintillating football. I think that is more down to the loyalty of our great fans. Trevor Peers 43 Posted 24/04/2015 at 17:51:58 When Lyndon said Roberto had the potential to revolutionise Everton from the ground up, he was saying that more in hope than anticipation. That was probably the ambitious plan Roberto had when he first took over.Having witnessed his second season, whatever plan Roberto had has now been abandoned and he has reverted back to DM-type tactics that proved so effective in keeping us in the top half of the table.As for his plans of bringing through youngsters of high quality to develop an entire stable of top-class young players groomed to play with the perfect blend of flair, technique and versatility. ItÂ’s extremely doubtful if more than one or two youth players are capable of making the leap upward to become even a reasonable Premier League player. Tim Michael 44 Posted 24/04/2015 at 18:19:20 You could well be right, Patrick. HeÂ’s talking about a man that seems to be assured that he will remain EFC manager for the foreseeable future. Talking up DNA and "we are Evertonians" in his Echo article. Personally whilst I understand that he can in no way agree with JoeÂ’s assessment of the EFC position, I thought it would be more advisable for him to leave it be. Issues such as the inadequacies of our commercial revenue generation have been a problem long before RM arrived. ThereÂ’s no doubt that the last four results has made him much more bullish but its on the field of play that he needs to concentrate on. We wonÂ’t break the top four ceiling but we are perfectly capable of winning either of the domestic cup competitions if we take them as serious as we did the Europa Cup. Andy Crooks 45 Posted 24/04/2015 at 18:43:57 Roger (#38), quite a few years ago, I wrote a piece about the imminent implosion of the Premier League. The reverse happened, I couldnÂ’t have been more wrong. I would love to think you are right but I fear not. The Premier League sailed through the worst recession in generations. I expect it to grow and grow. Our role as supporters will be to provide atmosphere at the match for the entertainment of a world audience.I have a dream of a Corinthian Everton with a nucleus of local lads changing the face of football. Players who will settle for financial security for life and being part of a community. Real fan Evertonians.It is never ever going to be more than a dream. Bobby Thomas 46 Posted 24/04/2015 at 17:54:32 Those saying we should prioritise a cup: we did, the Europa. To be fair to Martinez, and I rarely have this season, he couldnÂ’t prioritise the League Cup this year with the size of squad we run. The squad was on its arse with the mini Europa run, I was personally glad we exited the League Cup when we did this season as we donÂ’t have the necessary squad strength.Next year, with just a league campaign, it should be a focus. Bobby Thomas 47 Posted 24/04/2015 at 19:44:35 Goodison... these days, it just makes me feel sad when I'm there.It symbolises the lack of ambition, the inability to drive the club forward and a bye-gone era for both the club & British football.It defines us as yesterday's men. Ray Said 48 Posted 24/04/2015 at 19:47:54 Really good article.The ground issue has been raised in a couple of posts. The ground is only an issue because of the board and lack of vision/money/talent. The Â’footprintÂ’ could easily be extended. The Mayor publicly offered to assist the school to move as part of Building Schools for the future initiative and to get the lease of the car/lorry place by the Bullens. No people's homes to be lost. Add that to the existing space behind the Park End and there is easily enough space for a Â’proper Â’board to borrow the funds to build a 55k+ seater stadium by rebuilding each stand over a four-year period. The Park End could become a 25k+ Â’Blue WallÂ’ stand like Dortmund have. That would allow us to keep all the key features of the Old Lady, to stay in the heartland and to have a place that brings in revenue on a daily basis.If only we had such a board. Trevor Peers 49 Posted 24/04/2015 at 20:15:32 Good point, Ray, most Blues fans agree. The board probably canÂ’t see any massive profit for themselves to be made out such a project, if they ever decided to sell. Ray Said 50 Posted 24/04/2015 at 20:40:56 True, Trevor — although if they did borrow and invest in that way, it would instantly make the club more valuable and more attractive to buyers.They are like them fellers who watch the house they have bought and which is the biggest outlay in their lives deteriorate around them and fall in value because they won't spend a few quid on it. Dicks the lot of them! John Hughes 51 Posted 25/04/2015 at 13:19:27 I agree with Ray (48) about bringing Goodison to a bigger capacity over 4 years no away supporters till the Bullens was complete, it could easily be done in this day and age. Eric Myles 52 Posted 25/04/2015 at 13:55:33 Michael #31, what makes you think we are reducing debt? In the last accounts our borrowings increased by ٟM over 2013 and our total owed to creditors increased by about 㾶M. Lyndon Lloyd 53 Posted 26/04/2015 at 05:02:21 Thanks for responses and kind words, folks. Some replies below while I take a break from Part III...Eric M (52): "what makes you think we are reducing debt? In the last accounts our borrowings increased by ٟM over 2013 and our total owed to creditors increased by about 㾶M." This is actually a good point and itÂ’s an area that needs a little clarification. Our net debt is down because our cash in the bank and treasury deposits is up by ~㾾m from the 2013 accounts. Short-term debt (loans due within a year) increased by 㾶m – perhaps to carry us over until the next tranche of Sky money? – but longer-term debt is down by ~٣m.So while that cash in the bank could go to paying off debt – and probably will do/has done to service that short-term loan – it wasnÂ’t reflected that way in the accounts.Martin M (23): "You mention Southampton and Koeman, once 2nd Division compared to the aristocracy of Everton yet they are now our peers."To echo RobinÂ’s (26) thoughts, IÂ’ve often shaken my head at how clubs that have so recently been promoted can be around us or higher than us in the table given that weÂ’ve had two-decade head start on them. Reading, Swansea and Norwich spring to mind from recent years and look where two of those three are.Still, like Swansea now, I think Southampton under Koeman have a shot at being consistently competitive in the top half. He has a nose for a good player, has draw in the Eredevisie which has produced some very good players, and he is experienced and pragmatic.John C (37): "I'm really not sure how much of an insight Journalists get from access to manager and players. Most of the Echo's stuff is just regurgitated from press conferences"A couple of things on this: Not all of the press conferences are broadcast and not all of them are covered by the national press so the Echo definitely serve a purpose for Evertonians in that respect. Through their access to the players and club staff, they are able to undertake interviews and glean information that wouldnÂ’t otherwise make it to the light of day.Without their access, we do all we can to aggregate all the various news items in one place for our readers but I think itÂ’s worth acknowledging that a good deal of it comes from the Echo. And while their focus is clearly stacked towards Liverpool FC, both in terms of content and readership (click on any story and the "Most Popular in Sport" links are always 100% LFC), IÂ’m sure the Everton share of their income is significant enough that they could ill afford to lose it.Brian H (41): "However, I have to disagree with your assumption that RM has the potential to be a vision to revolutionize Everton from the ground up like Ajax. You go on to say that you would envisage RM developing a stable of top class young players. Well, can you tell me what gives you the belief that he is anywhere near capable of achieving this?"What Trevor (43) said! Martinez has occasionally talked of his visions for Finch Farm (overnight quarters, etc) and injecting all levels of the squad with his footballing philosphy. If that means passing, technical, attacking football played by versatile players like what we saw last season, then that is a potential way forward for the club to become self-sustainable.It wasnÂ’t intended so much as a statement of belief in Martinez because my faith in him has been badly shaken this season. In that respect, this summer is extremely important, in my opinion. Laurie Hartley 54 Posted 26/04/2015 at 05:25:07 Andy @ 45 - "A Corinthian Everton" that is a wonderful dream. As the saying goes - "Never give up on your dreams".I am looking forward to part iii Lyndon - who is going to lead us the promised land? Tony I'Anson 55 Posted 26/04/2015 at 08:25:19 Just a point about billionaires and buying football clubs. Is it not more cost effective for them to buy rather than sponsor a club, providing an instant route to a global market for their related businesses, whilst retaining control of the main brand too?Thought provoking article Lyndon. Looking forward to part 3. George McKane 56 Posted 26/04/2015 at 09:19:02 Many many years ago, I worked in an office; my life was a bit dull and I was generally not maybe unhappy but certainly frustrated and almost lost and certainly unrecognisable from the rest of the herd.Throughout this, I always went to the game – I have been watching Everton since 1959 – it was my escape from the mediocrity of my working life. But I always wanted to do something else, and to be responsible for my own life, and indeed to create the world I wanted to live in – not liking that world I worked and lived in.I dropped out over 30 years ago and set up my own Charity (www.yellowhouse.info) and within that I have created the world I want with the ideals I believe in. I have no money and have seriously struggled but I am deliriously happy going my way and doing things the way I want to.So what has this got to do with Everton? Well I donÂ’t like the modern game and most of what it stands for – SKY, Agents, phoney players, playing to cameras every second (players, fans, referees...) and total dependence on money. I thought briefly when Martinez came and said something like "you donÂ’t need money to win the League" that we had a dreamer in today's harsh world of reality.I still believe in dreams – my life is a wonderful dream – and hope and wish for Everton to make a giant statement about being and doing something different. Yes, a "Corinthian Everton" sounds beautiful to me. We ainÂ’t gonna beat the system anyway so letÂ’s do it our way.William Blake – "I must create a system or be enslaved by another man's; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create."Rave on, Mr Blake. Thy Holy Fool. Eric Myles 57 Posted 26/04/2015 at 09:51:02 Tony #55, the advantage of ownership over sponsorship is surely that they can pour loads of money into the club they own in the form of sponsorship and bypass FFP regulations, just like Fenway have done with our neighbours and the arabs at Man City.I wouldnÂ’t be surprised if the sponsorship was a tax write-off in the host country also, and probably in ours too! Denis Richardson 58 Posted 26/04/2015 at 09:50:00 The top 4 is not a pipe dream and, whilst the moneyed clubs have managed to monopolize the places, the likes of Atletico, and Dortmund in recent times show what can be done with a world class manager and a bit more savvy from the board (neither Klopp nor Simeone were widely known before being appointed).As for Everton, I would much rather we finally won something rather than chasing 4th, which even if we manage to achieve, would likely see us knocked out at qualifying anyway.How can it be that in 40 (yes forty!) attempts at domestic cups in the last 20 years, weÂ’ve managed one solitary final? Our record in the League Cup has to be one of the worst in the Premier League. We still I believe hold the record for most semi-final appearances in the FA Cup, although most of those were well before Moyes's or MartinezÂ’s time. Why are we so shit in the cups nowadays? Is it because we focus too much on the league?Once England loses a CL place, the house of cards and wages in the Premier League will become unsustainable. The likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd can handle the odd season out of the CL but not 2 or 3 three years on the spin and 5 does not fit into 3, nevermind Spurs. ItÂ’s like us to focus on winning a cup, end of. Stop playing the kids and reserve players in the League Cup and take it seriously for once. ItÂ’s a hell of a lot easier to win the League Cup than finishing in the top 6, nevermind the top 4. You only have 2 rounds before the quarter finals.Is that really too much to ask for? Paul Jeronovich 59 Posted 26/04/2015 at 18:37:29 Need to look forward now after todayÂ’s tremendous result and performance. Dave Abrahams 60 Posted 26/04/2015 at 20:10:00 IÂ’m hoping that West HamÂ’s decision to cut the Admission prices when they move to a new ground will be taken up by all the top leagueÂ’s teams.The clubs should let the players know they have had a good run, more than a good run, and it is now the supporters turn to benefit from all this television money.I know it seems a pipe dream but if it doesnÂ’t happen now or in the near future it will never happen, I believe football as a whole will really benefit if it does. Bobby Thomas 62 Posted 27/04/2015 at 21:34:38 Dave #60West Ham have cut some prices for the first season at their new ground so they can fill it. Long & short of is if they were staying where they were they wouldnÂ’t be dropping prices. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads , placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); Find out how to browse ad-free and support ToffeeWeb © ToffeeWeb