New ownership, and the opportunity for renewal & future excellence at Everton

The opportunity for change

Whilst recognising the challenges, we should never underestimate the opportunity for change that new ownership can offer, particularly if well resourced, competent and with a clear vision.

Incoming investors or owners are at their most powerful and influential the moment they walk through the door of the business they have bought. What happens in the immediate period post purchase goes a long way towards establishing the new future for the acquired organisation.

Of course, everyone assumes that there will be change. The big question, and the question that determines whether a change of ownership is a success or not, is what exactly changes, and in what order do you expect those changes to occur?

In other words, what are the priorities of an incoming owner? Some may be driven by necessity, for example financially, paying down debt that is due or becomes due as a result of change of ownership, or that is too expensive for the business to bear. Other changes may be in personnel, especially in a business that is under-performing or whereby the existing management identifies too closely with the former ownership. 

Cultural change is important too. Almost all new owners want to impose their own cultural identity, especially those with a successful business behind them and who are used to growth by acquisition. Inevitably cultural change means a change of management starting at the top of the business. This is typically imposed on the business by the new owners. Middle ranking executives and workers further down the corporate structure usually make their own decisions based on the changes imposed upon them. Some may adapt, many cannot and move on of their own accord.

A modern football club — what is it?

More fundamentally, new business owners have to look at their product and the markets in which their product is sold. On the face of it a football club has one product – its football team.Historically, the performance of that team determines the success of the football club. It would be a cliche to say that the Friedkin’s success at Everton will be determined solely by winning silverware. That’s how football has typically been viewed and success defined. Success on the pitch should always be the greatest priority. However from my perspective to just define the success of Everton Football Club in that sense alone is (i) incredibly narrow minded and (ii) hopelessly limiting and dated thinking.

I stress, I am not for a second suggesting that what happens on the field is not a priority, it clearly has to be. I am suggesting however, that there’s so much more to running a modern football club successfully than the 38 league games, European competitions (remember them?) plus cup runs thrown in. 

There are many facets to the modern football club. Professional male (and female) football today is simultaneously:

• a professional sports based performance business in terms of its primary product, football and all that is required to be competitive
• a recruitment business – the sourcing of players and management 
• a product development business – the development of players, coaches and management
•  an intellectual property rights business in terms of the methodology behind creating and executing a club wide footballing strategy
•  a retail business in terms of merchandising
• A licensing and brand exposure business in terms of its sponsors
•  an events business in terms of selling football games and other sports or non-sporting events
•  a facilities management business in terms of stadia, utilising the stadia and its hinterland
•  a content delivery business in terms of producing 24/7 content for which there is an insatiable global appetite 
• an economically significant local employer
• a community based business that provides local identity, provides community services and resources, and at an individual level, at best, a huge contributor to well-being, mental health and potentially physical health through out-reach programmes

There’s much more to add to the list – for example all professional football clubs should be seen as and able to offer themselves as a huge educational and motivational resource to children and young people. At best they should be educational and transformational in providing life lessons in high performance, local identity and platforms for diversity, multiculturalism and equality.

Equally, in the same manner that State acquired clubs use their football clubs for soft power purposes, Everton, of all clubs – given our history, our connection and significance to our city and above all else our authenticity in terms of our fan-base, represent a huge soft power opportunity for the Friedkins and by association, our city to provide an identity, an actual demonstration and progression (not just marketing and slogans) of the qualities of our club and region.

The opportunity ahead

The Friedkins, with their reputation as successful business operators, their professionalism and commitment to excellence in their core businesses have an incredible opportunity to integrate all those qualities with the platform, opportunity and potential that Everton provides. 

There is not another football club that provides such a canvas upon which to present recovery in the first instance (ie resolving the financial, reputation and governance issues surrounding our club in recent years); future excellence in all the areas mentioned above and then finally success on the pitch, the ultimate expression of excellence.

It is only through excellence across all the areas mentioned above we can hope to be a success by any measure in the future.

That’s what we need to work towards, that’s what we must expect from our new owners. Whilst it is likely to take a long time to differentiate ourselves once more on the pitch due to the huge competitive gap that has grown over the years, we have a much nearer and achievable set of objectives surrounding our qualities and how we go about operating in the modern game.

Assuming the financial and managerial resources are made available, the canvas is so blank, and is set against the backdrop of our brand new stadium. It requires high quality management, it requires real vision and ambition, indeed it requires not just ambition but a carefully thought through executive recovery plan to achieve our aims. As stated all too often on these pages, it requires huge financial resources to make good the damage of recent decades, accelerated in the Moshiri years.

 It also requires the support of the fanbase. That’s the one thing that can be assured moving forwards. It’s a fanbase starved of success, many of us horrified by the way our club has been treated by previous owners and management, who has dragged the club through many crises. We are all determined, desperate indeed, to work alongside owners who share our values, and our vision for what a future Everton should look like.

This article started by mentioning the opportunity for change that is presented in the early days of new ownership. Prioritisation is key alongside ambition and the means to achieve it. I, for one, eagerly look forward to the Friedkins presenting that in the very near term, and the ensuing recovery!

Up the Toffees!

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