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http://www.mirrorfoo...icle217665.html

 

In the car the other day, I swear I had to pull over and, well, err, swear at the radio.Some punter calling himself an Everton fan was on a phone-in, saying that the club's injury crisis showed that it was time for chairman Bill Kenwright to go.

 

His - frankly mental - argument went along these almost unintelligible lines. Everton have 11 players out, but should still have the resources to cope, and they don't because Kenwright is standing in the way of a sale that would bring massive investment in the club.

 

Apparently, there are loads of billionaires out there, queuing up to buy the Blues and throw sacks of money at the cause to make them biggest club in the world. But Kenwright isn't interested because he only wants the glory of running the club he has supported for 50 years.

 

Hmmmm. Some argument.

 

I'm sure Liverpool, or Newcastle, or Portsmouth, or another 15 or 16 Premier League clubs would love to meet these billionaires, as indeed the doughty Kenwright himself would, after searching relentlessly and passionately for new investment into the club he loves.

 

Now let's examine the other side of the debate. Without 11 players, nearly all of them first team regulars, Everton drew against Aston Villa two weekends ago, after outplaying them for large parts of the game, and deserving victory. True, they were then outclassed by Benfica, with the same number of players missing, and then they beat West Ham at Upton Park.

 

This is an Aston Villa side who will go into the top four if they win their game in hand over the clubs above them, and a club that has pretensions of playing the Champions League next season. It is a West Ham side who took points off Arsenal at home.

 

When the freak injury crisis that has hit Goodison is over, they will have so many top class players to choose from, that manager David Moyes will have a genuine headache about who to leave out. Why?

 

Because Kenwright has shown remarkable skill in stewarding the club and providing support to a remarkable manager in Moyes, who has built a powerful squad that the rest of the Premier League would be envious about.

 

Virtually no other club could cope with such injuries as Everton have done. Just look at Liverpool and see the effects of injury problems on results. Yet Everton remain in a good position in Europe, and not too far off the pace in the league.

 

It is because they have a fine manager, and a fine chairman, who balances his love of his club with the financial realities of football in the 21st century. And for that, he deserves praise from genuine Everton fans, not the nonsense that was spouted on the radio last weekend.

 

 

One for the Kenwright bashers

Edited by Louis
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There are probably 50% for, 40% against, and 10% Dont Knows, it just boils down to another person voicing his opinion. ;)

You're probably about right Bill when it comes to Evertonians, but the writer (as far as I know) isn't one.

When it comes to people without an emotional interest looking at our situation from the outside it's probably more like 95% thinking our board and manager are doing a good job.

 

People will no doubt argue that that's because they don't know enough about it :) .

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People here know that I'm not a Kenwright basher. I always give him a fair shout and try and argue against the severe cynicism and negativity that some fans attribute to every one of his actions.

 

But seriously, how can ANYONE of any position - on Kirkby, Kenwright or any other Everton 'political' position - manage to read that article without see more bias to one side than the Leaning Tower of Pisa?!

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http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/football-banter/2009/02/why-david-moyes-not-guus-hiddi.html#comments

 

it's clear that the man thinks we should be grateful for what we have, know our place, shut up and let the press decide what is right for the club and state where sit amongst the elite.

 

In the article attached he suggests Moyes would be the ideal manager for Chelsea, really? "But Mr Maddock, we want Moyes to have a crack at managing our club with some money to spend??? - can we keep him please?, and whilst you are there can you not publish any stories saying that Man Utd are the ideal club for Jack Rodwell to continue his development, we don't want other clubs to think we are there just to supply them with future talent"

 

The article above clearly shows the detachment between fleet street journo's and the true fan. Yes some true fans are prepared to stick with Bill, fine. I'm not. It's got to the state now that journo's see our fans as ever loyal, happy go lucky, comically ambitious. The only solution to this is to get some serious investment and wipe the sarcastic smiles off their faces, maybe we will even get more than 2 mins on match of the day.

 

Nil satis nisi optimum is not just a nice latin banner, it is what we should expect, and no journalist has the right to tell us otherwise.

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Here is a piece by a blue who replied to his article:

 

 

In fairness to the radio caller, Bill Kenwright should leave the club soon but not because of his lack (in comparison to other club owners) of money. He simple has nothing to offer the club any more. The people who has he brought to the board in Robert Earl and Jon Woods also don't seem to offer much other than bums on seats at the AGM.

 

He was on the board when Everton missed the boat when selling shares to Premium TV (NTL subsidiary) but spent the money on players anyway. He's also been Chairman during several high profile errors. Alex Nyarko signed a 5 year deal despite holding a 4 year work permit meaning Everton paid almost £1million in wages for a player we couldn't even play. He fell out with a director who offered to move Everton to a city centre 55,000 capacity stadium. He took a loan out for £30million to consolidate debts which will cost £69million to pay back - Everton spend over £2million a year on this. Since 2002, we've spent £17million on interest and only £4m from the initial money borrowed.

 

He has overseen the sale of the Eileen Craven site, seemingly mortgaged training facility Bellefield and used Goodison park as collateral against the £30million loan. He mislead shareholders over a loan from Singer & Friedlander and told them it was an "advance from sky". He gave the impression that he had employed someone to find a buyer for the club ("Keith Harris is out there looking for me"), he hadn't. He also oversaw the sale and lease back of the Finch Farm training facilities.

 

He has not even given a reason why Keith Wyness resigned. I don't want to mention the Fortress Sports Fund debacle, I think they ended up investing in dog food in Eastern Europe.

 

The club's debt is at it's highest level since the sale of Rooney, we have secured the mortgage against next season's television money, this month took on another loan from Investec.

 

He obviously cares for the club and is popular with the older generation of fans, but I think he is inhibiting the long-term ambitions. If the Kirkby stadium relocation collapses I can't see him being involved with the club this time next year. Some fans who oppose the stadium in Kirkby attended a Public Inquiry and gave evidence against the plans because they feel it's simply not in the club's best interests.

 

Put simply, over the past decade but has made too many mistakes. He does however, deserve much praise and gratitude for employing David Moyes.

 

 

 

eek, it seems we have people armed with more info than the journo's, tin hats on Bill!!!

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Here is a piece by a blue who replied to his article:

 

 

 

 

 

eek, it seems we have people armed with more info than the journo's, tin hats on Bill!!!

 

 

I doubt it, his mistakes will be swept under the carpet.

 

He's not a bad man, he's just made mistakes and has no money, but those things shouldn't be ignored simply because he employed David Moyes and is a blue. Why settle for second, third, fourth best?

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the problem is there are evertonians out there that know millionaires but hardly any know billionaires and thats what we need.

 

I don't think it matters that BK isn't rubbing shoulders with Bill Gates, while I don't completely like the idea and the way things are going, Football loving Billionaires are going to buy any club they can to turn into their own real life fantasy football side. If Pompey and even Man City can get a massive buyout while being in the Championship less than a decade ago I find it hard to believe that no one at all is interested in buying a club with a passionate fan base, a good solid base squad to build on and has continually overachieved in term of league finishes over the past few seasons. Over the last two years there have been reports of billionaire or consortium's looking to buy our club. September 08 we had reports of the Indian bloke, Anil Ambani and even in April this year we had a UAE group sniffing around.

 

While the media, in particular the British media do not always tell 100% of the story all the time, these stories can not just be pulled out of thin air on a slow news day, there has to be some base fact to the rumor/story.

 

I understand that Bill loves this club, as we all do, but if he really does then how can he sit back and see us slip from knocking on the door for the four to a mid table, mediocre club? While we are not a big club our good players and bright prospects will be poached by bigger clubs with more money (Rooney, Lescott and Rodwell may be next). If we do not attract the right investors then that's exactly what we will be doomed too, no matter how good our manager is, if he too isn't tempted away by a club not just on his pay check but to spend in the market.

 

BTW this has to be a joke right; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes%27_list_of_the_most_valuable_football_clubs

 

Forbes has us in the top 25 richest clubs (24 this year) and the past few we have been up to 21..

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Did you know that PJ once put off Joe Lewis (the billionaire) with his high asking price? He asked for £70million in 1997.

 

Nice first post Tristagi, welcome to TT.

 

I think the reason Everton are valued so highly is because the money derived from television is so high. I don't think the '2010' edition will show Newcastle in such a positive light.

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i like the fact that the poster had read this thread, especially as they used my nil satis closing piece. I would like to say it was me on sos but it wasn't. It is important that we as fans question any grey areas going on in this club. Once exposed to lying or otherwise, you can expect the following outcry to deter any further mismanagement or lies. Our story of recent years has been similar to brawn in f1, the good fortune will ultimately run out once a need for cash surpasses the success we have enjoyed due to our competitors missing a trick or two. A net spend of 4 million per year really does send alarming signals.

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i like the fact that the poster had read this thread, especially as they used my nil satis closing piece. I would like to say it was me on sos but it wasn't. It is important that we as fans question any grey areas going on in this club. Once exposed to lying or otherwise, you can expect the following outcry to deter any further mismanagement or lies. Our story of recent years has been similar to brawn in f1, the good fortune will ultimately run out once a need for cash surpasses the success we have enjoyed due to our competitors missing a trick or two. A net spend of 4 million per year really does send alarming signals.

 

Or you used his. :D:D

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I have to say I find all of this really, really depressing - football fans reduced to talking about 'success' as selling their club to the highest bidder, because that's what most of the people on here wanting Kenwright out are doing, when it boils down to it. You can talk about it being the realities of the modern game all you want, but it's bollox.

 

I can name one football club in England who can currently claim any kind of 'success' on the back of a mega-money buy-out - Chelsea. The Glazers' take over at Manure hardly counts, they were already the most successful club in the country having gradually built an enormous global brand over 30 or 40 years. Man City may go on to enjoy huge success, but who knows - they've thrown money all over the place before, and ended up in the third tier. Out of all the others - Liverpool, Newcastle, Portsmouth, QPR, West Ham, Fulham, they've achieved eff all (When Gillett & Hicks took over the shite, btw, their debts were valued at £250m - how high are ours?). Even Aston Villa, one of the only teams I can think of who can be really pleased with the guy who has taken them over, are not achieved any more than us. And who knows what will happen to Chelski when the Russian takes his ball home.

 

It makes me laugh that you're all slagging off a journalist for standing up for Kenwright when most of you are just blindly following the line the media peddles day in, day out - in football, money = success. Where's the evidence?

 

In the Premier League era, the title has only been won three times by teams who aren't Manure or Arsenal, and yes, both Blackburn and Chelsea pretty much bought the title following sudden, rapid investment. But 3 out of 17 titles is hardly a fabulous ratio. On the other hand, Manure, and to a lesser extent Arsenal, have followed a different model - I'm not disputing money has played a part, but there's been no sugar daddy's, no headline-grabbing takeovers, no putting backroom matters before football. And that's the secret - both clubs have put football first, picked managers with a vision, backed them to deliver on their promises, and managed to turn on-field success into off-field commercial success which generates enough cash from the footballing brand to make success self-perpetuating. That is the model that works in English football, end of.

 

What infuriates me is how few people give Kenwright credit for trying to follow this model. Clearly he hasn't been as successful at it as, say Martin Edwards or David Dein. He'd probably hold his hand up and admit he's not the businessman those two are, and yes he has made some expensive mistakes. But he has taken us from relegation fodder to a team people, maybe with a hint of surprise in their voice, now recognise as a force in English football again. It took Man Utd nearly 20 years from their lowest point in the 70s to winning a title again. We've had less than a decade since we were on everyone's favourite for the drop list year in, year out. The first part of the mission has been accomplished - we're back somewhere in the vicinity of where a club which is one of the 25 richest in the world should be.

 

I'm not necessarily saying Kenwright is the right man to lead us through the next phase of our journey back to the top. Given that he isn't, by his own admission, the smoothest of operators in the commercial world, and therefore hasn't done enough to guild Everton FC back up into a brand which will attract investment, probably not. But some of you sound dangerously close to calling on him to sell up to the first shiek or oligarch who rolls up with enough gold, and if that's how you are thinking, I'd politely ask you to remove your heads from your backsides and have a good look at how football really works. Kenwright has said he'll only sell to the right man - and 99% of rich men who want to invest in a football club are not the right man for Everton FC. Why? Because they want their club to be a plaything, they want it to help boost their own profile, inflate their own ego - in other words, its not the club that bothers them, its how it reflects on them. What we want is someone who is absolutely committed, heart and soul, to making Everton FC the best club in the world - talk about what Nil satis nisi optimum means, then that's it, we want the best. That is a long, hard, even selfless project, and not one we want some super-rich ego anywhere near. It will take a special kind of person to take the club to the next stage, the stage we as fans expect, and they're not going to come along very often.

 

In the meantime, I say be patient. Kenwright might not be the saviour but he has given us steady progress over the last decade, so i don't really see what everyone's moaning about.

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It would be seeing as you agree with his view though wouldn't it Mike?

 

Kenwright can't afford to back Moyes and Moyes deserves to be backed, it's as simple as that.

Of course. But as I've said before it's quite possible to broadly agree with it and also agree with your second sentence :) .

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It's all getting tiresome, the Kenwright conversation just goes around in circles - same shit, different day. You get a pro- or anti-Kenwright post and then people agree and then people put their rebuttals in. Yawn.

True, but it's one of those things that ain't going to go away (even after Bill's long gone I shouldn't think).

Like Ferguson and Fellaini....splits us right down the middle :) .

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It would be seeing as you agree with his view though wouldn't it Mike?

 

Kenwright can't afford to back Moyes and Moyes deserves to be backed, it's as simple as that.

 

Its very hard not to agree with such a well thought out view, based around historical facts and common sense

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Never before has the need for finance been so crucial in recruiting the best players in the world. And never before have we been so far behind in terms of recruiting top talent. If it's not the fee it's wages, if it's not the wages it's none champions league football. And we can not provide this without real investment in the playing staff. I don't know any empire or industry that has gained strength from selling their key assets, nor do i know any industry that improves by having someone who admits having no business brain as chairman. It's almost like playing monopoly, selling your assets to the player who needs them so they can start building houses and hotels, you are not going to win. We need to land on free parking, get all the lovely free cash in the middle, and laugh at the other players when they make silly cash offers. I can see bill landing on free parking after he has sold park lane and mayfair i'm afraid.

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I'd politely ask you to remove your heads from your backsides and have a good look at how football really works.

that works both ways. please politely remove your head from your arse, and realise how football works nowdays!

you need money to succeed in the game! we dont have money, we wont get better until we get it.

even back in the 80's we had money.

 

dont forget all of the assets the club have sold under bill, we only have goodison thats worth anything.

 

i like bill as a bloke, hes a nice chap, but he cant do anything for the club anymore.

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that works both ways. please politely remove your head from your arse, and realise how football works nowdays!

you need money to succeed in the game! we dont have money, we wont get better until we get it.

even back in the 80's we had money.

 

dont forget all of the assets the club have sold under bill, we only have goodison thats worth anything.

 

i like bill as a bloke, hes a nice chap, but he cant do anything for the club anymore.

 

 

Technically we don't own Goodison, it's in negative equity. If we sold it we still wouldn't cover the loans secured on it.

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