Bill Kenwright is the soul of Everton and there aren't many football men left like him

The usual abhorrent pant sniffers in the media up to their old tricks, I see. Lazy journalist was never so fitting for these cranks. Can’t stand them.

Nick,

Holt is an incurable drip. There is no damp cause to which he will not put his name.

Nick.

I see that this article was written by Oliver Holt. Now I may be putting 2 + 2 together and getting 5, but he is bound to be in favour of everything Kenwright does, simply because his mother, Eileen Derbyshire, played Emily Bishop in Coronation Street, probably around the same time that Kenwright was in it.

Maybe Holt met Kenwright and instantly took a shining to him. Coincidence, probably, but you never know??

Oliver Holt must get a free season ticket to all the plays in London! What a gushing beatification of our esteemed chairman! I wonder if he knows anything at all about the history of the club we support? Especially since Mr Kenwright gained power in Everton FC.

Rob - could be his dad...

Will, just what I fleetingly thought!

Will, it took a while (well about thirty seconds) to get what you mean, but yeah, Bill could well be the father. 😁😁😁

Great minds, Jim, always.

Will,

That's a very unsettling thought about the improbable and extreme possiblity of Oliver Holt being the product of a passionate liaison between Eilleen Derbyshire and Bill Kenwright. Ughhhhh!

Hahaha! Will,

How can they write such unadulterated rubbish? If he's the soul of Everton, well, I'd just been reading Peter's wonderful post that involve him talking about how he bumped into some great lad who'd done a painting of our place. Peter told about his nephew writing the book "Faith of our Families" – That's what Everton is about and knocks that bloody, so-called journalist's twaddle into a cocked hat.

Sorry, Barry, hope you weren't eating.

It's low-grade stuff, Jim. I thought it read more as a snipe at the fans than a defence of Kenwright.

Never heard of "Faith of our Families" 'til now but will look out for it.

Can someone please tell me what the constant criticism of Kenwright actually achieves?

Do you think he will suddenly say, "Look, ToffeeWeb posters want me out, I'd better go."

it's pointless and pathetic. Move on – and if you want to get on someone's back, try the players.

Pull your head out of your arse, Paul, it’s dark up there!

Paul,

The constant criticism of Bill Kenwright achieves nothing in the short term.

In the long term, this site creates a valuable archive.

Therefore, I would like it to be archived, that, in my opinion, Bill Kenwright is a liar, a thief, a charlatan and a man whose malign influence puts him up there with the worst who have ever claimed to be a Blue.

Andy Crooks

Can I write an endorsement for your archived post?

Paul Hewitt,

I think what the posts concerning Kenwright's running of this club do achieve is just what Andy has written. I don't see it as pointless or pathetic.

Kenwright lost us the King's Dock, then said "Well, I'll know better next time." He then tried to take us to a shopping centre in Kirkby and we would be housed in a "world class, almost free, Stadium."

You see how Manchester City have done since being taken over... guess who sent him on his way to Manchester?

Then there's the little episode of him trying to foil his mate in taking over the club, seeing what a mess Kenwright was making, and (unfortunately) succeeding, then getting a feller called Samuelson (a True Blue Evertonian!!!) to evidently be interested in buying into the club. "The money's in the post" was the response when Samuelson, that "True Blue Evertonian" was asked where the money was. It's still floating round the universe.

I think he also stated that we'd have to go to Kirkby because Goodison Park wouldn't pass the ground safety certificate.

There's probably other things as well, but it's fair to say that what Oliver Twist wrote was slightly lacking in any of these facts.

I think that justifies Evertonians to ensure these things are not forgotten.

Snake-Eyes Bill coming out out of all this fiasco with all guns blazing. "Look what I've done." Yea, sure, Bill. Granted he never wanted Benitez but he'll be there, arms around Lampard, cringy as hell.

If this doesn't work out, he won't know what way to turn because this is the Last Chance Saloon; otherwise we are doomed.

Could not have put it better myself Andy Crooks.

That's the problem Jim, every Evertonian knows about all Bill's little tricks and scheming like you have mentioned, yet outsiders like Oliver Holt and Carra are blowing up his backside, and having a pop at matchgoing Blues.

We can have as many protests outside the ground, sit-ins, but Bill is going nowhere until he has cut that ribbon for the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, then cashed his remaining shares in when the valuation sky-rockets.

That will be Bill's final bow, hard-hat on, hankerchief and teary eye, as he cuts the ribbon..., you will have to drag him screaming before then, because he will not pass up the opportunity of a lifetime, of opening the new stadium. So, until then, sadly we have another few years yet of the guy.

David,

Did Bill dictate that column in a London-based rag?

David Pearl, Billy’s calling in old debts and favours in a bid to save his neck.

Holt is an idiot. Never mentioned the fact Kenwright has never put a penny into the Club but by God has got millions out of it!

Continual lies and on a massive ego trip is our Bill. In any other business that's been overseen by incompetence for so many years, the Chairman and Board would have long gone.

Didn't bother reading the link - but my comment on the headline is yes, there aren't many of him around. Football has moved own from being owned by the local butcher. It's a high-stakes global commercial enterprise.

When surrounded by an exasperated mob, I would have preferred to hear our owner say "Yes, we failed to meet our targets but we have a plan to solve it" rather than "We've had good times". We need a pilot, not cabin crew.

Jim #17, not sure if it was intentional or a predictive text error but Oliver Twist would know more about Everton than Oliver Holt it seems.

We know Kenwright is a great Evertonian but so is well over half of Merseyside's football fans. We have all seen him arrive and leave Goodison with his various London luvvies showing off ‘his' club.

It's rather time he stopped making decisions most of which have been disastrous for us and kept us as a middling club whereas we should be Top 5.

Sadly Duncan hasn't been effective either. What's he been doing whilst we've through all these managers? He doesn't want to upset Bill either.

This Evertonian divide is becoming rather sad. Fellow blues it is time to get behind the team. Those upstairs do not kick the ball.

Brian (19) I'm not so sure every Evertonian knows about Kenwright's little adventure. Going by the applause he gets when his gob is flashed on the big screen quite a few have no idea. They appear to just accept what he says.
But what got my rag, is reading Holt's article in the Mail. His either misrepresentation of what Kenwright is to our club, or he knows bugger all about his shenanigans since he took over. either way, it's a load of tosh.
I agree with you though, the man who was going top leave when he was 70, will be writing his speeches as he cuts the Blue thread to open the ground.

Another thing, isn't Dave Prentice rorm the Red Echo coming on board the good ship Everton, as communications officer, or something. He's the man who wrote a back page special on how we won the League in 62/63 because all our players were on drugs!! Now anyone l;ucky enough to see the great football played, know we had a special team and he maligned them all, when it was Albert Dunlop, the goalie, who was evidently involved in flogging Purple Hearts.

Never bought an Echo since...so I wouldn't be surprised if he's another apologist for the Great Chairman.

Derek,there's a difference between getting behind the team, and all the pos ters on here, do so, and putting their views on the record of the dealings of the current Chairman

Neil...brilliant!

John @ 23 your final paragraph, Yes, he should own the situation that we are in but yet again he failed. So sad.

Read that this morning and just shook my head, more disappointed in fans like Paul@(13) who have read or heard about the way Kenwright has performed as a director and chairman at Everton and either disbelieve them or just dismiss them and don’t want to know about these abuses of trust.

Unfortunately Paul is not in a minority of fans like this, not by a long shot, I’d say more think he has done a good job as the guardian of Everton FC than those of us who are absolutely sure he has looked after his own interests much,much more than he has protected Everton FC’s well being.

Great post Andy (15) you were born in Belfast but are so much more “ One of Us “ than Kenwright could ever hope to be, best wishes Andy, see you soon I hope.

Oliver Holts piece comes as no surprise to me, he is a total Red Shite fan. Any comments from him, Souness or spit the dog Carragher needs to be consigned to the bin. No intelligence or impartiality amongst the despicable RS pundits.

We should invite Holt for an interview with ToffeeWeb - Lyndon or Michael? Set them straight. Col’s old post on Kenwright is a good opener. I’m sick to death of the vilification of Evertonians by the media, national and local. Why shouldn’t we expect better? This is exactly the narrative that Kenwright has created and worn us all down with over the past 20+ years. It’s like we’d never won 9 league titles. It’s like Orwellian 1984 with these bastards rewriting history (the absolute worst being the chip-on-the-shoulder reds over the park, who know exactly what they’re doing).

Had to read the title twice as the word "arse" seemed to be missing!

Dennis #32 - very good! That prompts ideas for a statue when the time comes.

or a bike rack, Brent!

Typical bullshit from the bastard son of Emily and Gordon the moron 🙄

Dennis, maybe that one before his time comes!

The problem with slating Bill is the idea he held us back; that without him, we would be in a better position. Possibly... but we just don't know.

I readily admit he lost me over Destination Kirkby – a move that was terrifying in the potential to kill the club. Kings Dock was another "what might have been" moment; it might have crippled us financially or we might have won the title 3 times in a row because of it. Again, we just don't know. Mansoor, do we know for certain he chased him?

And this is the problem with Bill – you either blame him on circumstantial evidence or absolve him because he's a fan, conscious of the fact that a version of Moshiri 15 years ago might have had us doing a Leeds.

I really dunno. His pact with Moyes looked like confirmation of an idea that Premier league Everton was an investment dripping with unlimited riches for himself whenever he sold and, as a businessman, he was right. But for maybe the second half of the Moyes era, I think that consideration, combined with the unambitious safety blanket of Moyes, did hold us back.

The truth is beyond places like this fans don't analyse, think, dissect the avenues the club picks and certainly don't enjoy criticising their club. Hence Bill's visage on the Jumbatron is greeted with applause.

In summary, he's a businessman who happens to be a fan – which whitewashes a helluva lot of dirty linen with the faithful.

I'd still shake his hand if I met him.

Barry, I hope you wash your hands.

Alas Kirkby was not circumstantial, nor the inquiry, nor the lies – you see, that's just the problem: despite all the evidence, not circumstantial, there are fans who refuse to see the man he is.

Evertonian or not – makes no difference. Time takes the edges off truth and allows a more palatable version to be acceptable. But to many of us, there was more than enough truth to be found in his reprehensible actions.

The article would have been more accurate with a small change to the headline.

"Bill Kenwright is the scourge of Everton and there aren't many football men left like him - thankfully"

Teams that have won silverware since Blue Bill took over in 2000, with in his words – A Plan.

Leicester City - Premier League Champions, FA Cup and League Cup winners. Other FA / League Cup Winners - Wigan, Swansea, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Portsmouth.

It's not Bill's fault, after all, we've had some good times!!!

Barry (37) Kenwright was 90% a business man and10% an Everton fan.

Evertonians reading the Tory propaganda rag, the Daily Mail.

Shakes his head in disbelief.

I know it's difficult but some people really need to read up on what actually happened concerning King's Dock.

Some people need to accept that not everything wrong with our club is Kenwright's fault. It blows my mind how obsessed some are.

I am not blind to what has gone on, but right now is (yet another) new start, and one that it seems more of us are comfortable with than other recent appointments.

Time to start being positive and giving newcomers our full support. Not time to get our knickers in a twist about some horseshit printed in a vile Tory rag.

Andy, 15, funny and very clever retort!

I only hope Don Alexander doesn’t get the Mail; this hagiography could finish the man off!

Martin #43,

I am one who does not know that story. Can you post a link?

Thanks!

Having friends in the media is more important than anything, because these people can try and help to turn anything around.

Great suggestion that, Nick @31.

This Chairman should have been hounded out a long time ago, we all know how he fits his narrative with the media.
The last few weeks have had the good name of one of the greatest clubs in English football dragged through the mud & the fucking media are blaming the fans?
You couldn’t make it up ffs,
He should have been run out after Kings dock & the fleecing of the Greggs but for me it was the selling of Rooney.
Keep up the pressure & let’s get this twat out of the club, the truth will prevail, it has to sooner or later.( hopefully)

The cheque’s in the mail, Ollie. Don’t spend it all at once you gormless Mancunian tw@!

I never new he was the bastard offspring of Emily and Gordon. What a shithead.

Christine 38

I said he lost me over Kirkby and believe it would have killed us but we don't know for sure because it is opinion not fact.

As such the conclusion it was definitely a bad move has to come from the cupboard marked "circumstantial" close to the used mars bar wrappers left by the guy on a diet (allegedly)

Rubbish.
In the same sentence he says fans were 'relatively respectful' and 'an angry shouting mob' - not worth reading.

I read this yesterday and wasn't going to comment, but it's biting at me just how much money Holt was given by Kenwright to publish that piece!

Reading the Daily Mail is like being told off by your very strict Aunty Derek @42.

However don't turn to politics. Otherwise I guess the criteria for supporting Everton would be that we need to be left side of Labour voting? Or their international equivalents, which would make it difficult for our US comrades as their Democrat party is akin to the Conservatives here in my opinion.

Come on. This is Everton and football. I'm sure on this site alone, there are blues who are Conservatives, Labour, Liberal, Green and down right militants. That's their political choice. Their football choice is that they are Evertonians. And very loyal ones.

Barry
Circumstantial evidence??
Sorry mate the lies have all been laid bare
Mortgaged his house?
No safety certificate?
Fortress fund?
It’s endless
I don’t know what some Evertonians need to show this charlatan up for what he is
Unbelievable

I have been a subscriber to Private Eye for many years and the headline reminded me of a typical spoof from the magazine.
After reading the article via the link I am convinced it really is a spoof.

I think Oliver Holt was obviously dictating the headline through a transcriber and he's been misheard.
If there's an "ar" (by sound) inserted in the appropriate place the headline makes perfect sense,

Brian (57) yes makes sense to me: Our Soul, could be Oursoul!!

Dave, was hoping someone would twig to it. Shoulda known it'd be you or our Tony!!

The sooner he is gone, the better. Denise is going into overdrive trying to put some substance into this failed and disastrous for Everton Chairman.

Good Article by Holt.

Bill Kenwright over-stretched himself trying to deliver what was hoped of him. Yes, he has made plenty of mistakes but my opinion is that he has always tried his best for the club. Fallen short many times and has probably had to backtrack on his dealings.

Ultimately, he has kept the Club going when it may have been in the lower depths a long time ago.

Phil - what evidence do you have of any of that?

Ken, what evidence do you have that anything that BK has ever done was not in the interest of EFC? I Agree with the article, EFC run by an Evertonian is the perfect set up. What could make this wrong? The myths that Evertonians live their lives by that's all. I've changed my mind again about BK.

Everton have the third highest Director renumeration in the Premier League and the smallest number of Board members.