Everton board member Graeme Sharp has told the Daily Mirror that some of the fan protests against the club's hierarchy have been 'over the top' and has defended the work done by chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale.
The Blues are currently battling to avoid relegation from the Premier league for a second season in a row. Saturday saw Everton lose 2-0 to West Ham which leaves the club two points adrift of safety.
Last week, prior to Everton’s home match against Southampton, the club’s board of directors were advised to not attend any further games at Goodison Park until further notice due what the club called a “real and credible threat to their safety and security".
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The club issued a statement explaining the warning follows “malicious and unacceptably threatening correspondence”. It also pointed to incidents of “targeted physical aggression”.
The list of Everton’s board of directors includes Chairman Bill Kenwright, Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Finance and Strategy Officer Grant Ingles and Sharp, who is a Non-Executive Director.
Sharp, who is the club’s second-leading goalscorer in history behind Dixie Dean, has explained his sadness at being denied access to watch his former club after what Everton called a "safety assessment carried out by security advisors."
“It was a sad day for the club,” Sharp told The Mirror.
“It’s still uncertain whether we will get the go-ahead to attend the next home game against Arsenal on February 4. No one could ever have envisaged things getting to this state where you are actually in physical danger.
“I don’t want to miss games, Everton is in my blood. Of course, fans can have their say and I can understand the frustrations, but some of the protests have gone over the top.
“For instance, no one works harder than Denise. In addition to the day-to-day running of the club, she is also working tirelessly on the new stadium. For her to be targeted is so unfair.”
Sharp went on to claim that he thinks Everton are “in turmoil”, and made reference to some of the protests that have happened at Goodison.
Fans stayed behind after the 2-1 loss to Southampton to stage a peaceful sit-in protest. After the same game, Everton players Anthony Gordon and Yerry Mina were confronted by some supporters regarding the team's poor form - the former saw his car stopped by some fans and the latter engaged in some dialogue with supporters.
“The club is in turmoil,” said Sharp. “It needs unity with everyone working hard for the cause, supporters included.
“It’s really disappointing when I’m advised not to attend a home game because of safety issues. We will now have to see what transpires in the next week or so before Arsenal arrive at Goodison.”
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