Why Monday night was a massive missed opportunity

The reason for the protest was to inform Moshiri that many fans aren't happy with him or his board, which hasn't altered because of last night's result or lukewarm protest, in fact, last night emphasised that the fans (all of them!) play an extremely important part in the fortunes of Everton Football Club.

The owner would be extremely daft to ignore the fans, but he doesn't have to pander to every gripe or respond with ill-thought-out decisions made in the heat of the moment, but he should be advised that the club comes first and that he and others should refrain from interfering in matters relating to the playing staff, which should always be left to the professionals he's hired to do the job to the best of their abilities, and if those professionals aren't giving of their best, he should replace them with people who will.

That extends to every facet of the club, and it will be the only way that the club will turn its fortunes around and alleviate some of the fan's concerns.

Moshiri has to listen to the complaints, decide if they have merit, and then take any appropriate action that he deems necessary, he should then explain to the supporters and shareholders how his actions or decisions not to act are in the best interest of the club. Coherent communication should be done directly to the people via the club's communication platforms and not via a text to Jim White.

The logistics of the protest had been ill thought out by the organisers. Once in the ground and watching the game not many are going to leave, the concourses around Goodison are tight to say the least. For myself in the Lower Bullens - well no one would notice me leaving anyway apart from the 6 people I would disturb to get to an aisle.

If we are to protest, and I am all for it, it must be something we can all do in our seats and be clearly visible. On the other thread someone suggested turning our backs for one minute, for me the perfect solution again as suggested else where would be to wave something white at the allotted time, a la Real Madrid.

There are more devotees of the contemporary Moyes/Kenwright "existence" plan than care to raise their hand with the trophyless one being called for at every difficult period.

Acceptance of mediocrity will never be admitted but the evidence is clear whenever anyone tries to rally behind the NSNO flag they get hammered. First the Blue Union and now the 27 minute crew.

The moral is Evertonians will NEVER protest en masse till the day we are relegated. Indignation at not being a big club by trophy winning standards has given way to satisfaction at existing in the Prem - just the way it is.

I feel sympathy for those getting it off the crowd at least they're trying but I do wonder if they've been paying attention - we've been like this for decades

The time to protest, if warranted, is at the end of the season when there are no more points at stake. In the meantime our supporters should not be doing anything which undermines performances on the pitch.

The essence of an effective protest, if that's what you have in mind, is not to disengage by getting up and walking out (or posting a blank message on the Forum... gee, how I regret missing that!).

Effective protests are about increased engagement... more presence, not less.

I'd have been proud to be among 40,000 passionate Blues turning towards the owners' box and registering their desire for a stronger team and a stronger club by singing their lungs out.

But a "missed opportunity" to take a hike or post a blank? Nah. To me, that's the ultimate empty gesture. Delighted that most of Goodison took a pass on that one.

I think many Evertonians would have had a great deal of sympathy for the sentiment behind this protest, but very few would be able to find it in them to turn their backs on their team in its hour of need. Not when 3 points were at stake. A protest would have been fair, but the nature of this one was ill-advised and could easily have gone the other way.

To make your point, you have to take the emotion out of protests. That can't really be done during the match. It's easy to turn your back, or protest against individual owners, directors and managers, but deserting your team will for many, feel like deserting their club. It's not happening.

Protest before or after a match by all means, but by protesting during a match, you are only filling the mouths of the RS-loving media. They love the sight of a divided Evertonia.

To those who walked out on Monday, either to the concourse for 5 minutes or out of the ground, that was their choice and good on them.

My argument, from when this protest was first announced, and continues to be, is against anyone saying that those protesters, whatever they say or do, are somehow lesser supporters, not real supporters, kopites, left wing militants and all the rest of this shit.
God knows we had enough of that crap during the day's of Tescodome.

So, serious question, just what type of protest, if any, is deemed to be acceptable to show displeasure as a fan? Before a game, after? During? Bring back cushions?

Michael?

As far as I'm aware, this was not broadcast anywhere as I'm sure the numbers would have been significantly higher than the 50 - 60 who turned up. Whatever, but this is the kind of protest that the fans should be planning – not some stupid walkout during the match when the fans are needed more than ever.

Bring our own cushions, and save them for the protest maybe? Because one man who will still be able to remember those days is our chairman, Christine, and he's treated thousands of us like we are soft, for years.

The Kenwright cushion, might give Moshiri something to sleep on?

Although the reasons behind it I fully support, protest after the game, as Tony suggests, is the appropriate mechanism, and I am sure would sit more comfortably with many.

However, past history has shown that Everton fans will not protest in numbers either before or after games. If we couldn't summon up the organisation and commitment to do so in the last 27 years through the Kings Dock and Destination Kirby debacles, zero investment and success under Kenwright, then we won't now.

If we are excluding any form of protest during the game as well, then we can safely let apathy reign and perhaps stop complaining so much on ToffeeWeb about the parlous state of affairs at our club.

Secondly, and I disclose this with considerable hesitance, the Blank Out was a hoax. I think it was Pat Kelly's idea actually.

I thought you were going to advocate something like following the example of the Red Army Faction or the Serbian Black Hand Gang but you actually hit the nail on the head.

I agree that Moshiri has been let down by the people he trusted to make our squad of players better quality. Hindsights a wonderfull thing though, very probably Brands and those before him tried to sign the top players but received the reply, no thanks.

Do I think the club can be run better, undoubtably yes, but I don't have a solution to what are the mains reasons we are stuck as also rans.

* applies damp flannel to forehead

Some great posts on this thread, but Darren and Rob said it best.

Bill #30, I understand the sentiment but there are two problems with the "yelling" approach. One is that there is no unanimity in the fan base as to who, exactly, is the most responsible and the most worth firing. (There's a sizable anti-BK contingent here, but many fans feel otherwise.) And the other is that Moshiri comes out of a lifetime of business autocracies and is not, in my view, likely to be amenable to yelling from the public. If he's anything like Usmanov or Abramovich or the Glazers, he'd be more likely to dig in his heels and tell the critics to go pound sand.

Am I reading the third sentence of the thread correctly? Monday night was misery after misery? I must be reading that wrong.

Fantastic to see the players show some fight and bottle, something we've not seen often enough. And the fans, as ever fantastic.

I agree with Jay (BRZ) on another post in that I can't criticise the intent, want or need to protest.

But I also fully agree with Darren's sentiment. You capture it bang on my money. There's a way, time and place. And, in my opinion, that isn't during a crucial match when the team needs us more than usual.

What I would like to ask is how do we go about any future ones, to make our feelings known about Kenwright.

If it is a night match,people not local will have trains or coaches to catch, others travelling by Car will be equally in a hurry, to try and avoid traffic jams, so after a night match or even an afternoon kick off would be hard to make a huge impact after a game.

We have already touched on the during a game a no, so how and when could we realistically go about it.

You could say at ht, but a lot of fans go the toilet or a drink and bite to eat at ht.

Banners are certainly worth a shout, but we need to come up with something, getting rid of Brands,the crowd as it was on Monday which was great, followed by Bills face at ft to me and others who could not attend the game, sent a message that everything is fine, now Brands has gone, if Moshiri was watching the game on tv, he would have picked up the same message.

The fans did their part on Monday, superb backing and support.

However Bill has dodged a bullet and for now got away with it, if things turn again he will next throw Benitez under the bus, so how do we get our message across that enough is enough, with our Chairman.

The only viable option I can see, is after the Leicester game, with a 12 o,clock kick off, it gives people more of a chance of staying behind a bit longer to make a peaceful protest.

I am all ears for anyone who can come up with a suggestion.

While we may not win the Cup this season I sense no appetite among the vast majority of match-going fans to participate in any form of protest at this stage. Depending on how the rest of the season pans out there may be an appetite in May but only if there are no signs of progress on the pitch.

As regards Benitez, it won't be Bill Kenwright who decides to throw him under a bus.

I sometimes think that what makes EFC unique is its fans - chomping away and blaming Kenwright for the weather.

I took the bins out for my mother one night and had never felt so low in my Evertonian life. It was the early 80s too, so not a great place to be in general and probably a major factor in me joining the Army at 16 years old.

Genuinely, the Catholic in me looked to the heavens on a clear crystal, star sparkled night and pleaded with the great Evertonian in the Sky to help us out. Dark times

5 months later I was at Wembley twice and watched us lift a trophy. He delivered. God is an Evertonian. He will deliver again.

Regardless of how dark it sometimes seems, never say never.

I think experiences like that of the late 70s / early 80s and what I saw in the 90s make for interesting discussion with my son and younger brother. They won't have it, but sadly I've seen worse than what we're seeing now!!

As Evertonians we have to stick together, if you are for Bill that is up to you, I will only speak about Bill direct of all the failures and lies, through his time there, not for one minute, would I think of bashing a fellow Evertonian, in writing, who have differing views.

At the same time, it is not a case of let's blame Bill for the weather etc, everything I have ever said about Bills failings, lies and deceit, is all there in the public domain, by people who know, people at the club, fellow Evertonians.

So by all means defend Bill, give a reason, but respect other posters views.