Confusion reigns over Everton’s future. But while the camps representing the super-rich money men involved come out with conflicting claims, it’s the Blues’ loyal but long-suffering supporters who are left in the dark over what’s really happening at the club they love.
It’s been quite the rollercoaster of emotions for Evertonians in recent months but just when they thought they’d got off their white-knuckle ride, somewhat dazed but able to finally crack a smile at the scary situation they’d seemingly come through but survived, they’re told to strap themselves in again for another perilous journey into the unknown.
Just over a year ago, Farhad Moshiri made the most-controversial managerial appointment in the history of English football’s most-passionate football city when he hired former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to replace Real Madrid-bound Carlo Ancelotti as Everton manager. Many Blues were made to swallow their pride and take the bad medicine that this Kop Idol was supposedly the best man for the job. But in the end the Spaniard’s previous Anfield connections became a mere sideshow to what was becoming a headlong plunge toward the Championship by the midway point of the season, with director of football Marcel Brands having already departed in December.
READ MORE: Farhad Moshiri and Peter Kenyon consortium at odds as confusion continues
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Those now long-since past glories with the Reds – secured more by super-human performances from Steven Gerrard, the now Aston Villa manager who was allowed to sign Lucas Digne from Everton just three days before Benitez was sacked – rather than any tactical acumen, provided no consolation for a run of just one win in his last 13 Premier League matches as Blues boss, form that chairman Bill Kenwright subsequently admitted was “unacceptably disappointing”.
In his wake came Frank Lampard, a manager who at least had the backing of the rest of Goodison Park’s hierarchy and a figure able to unite a fractured fanbase. But ultimately it was as much down to those in the stands as an under-achieving squad, widely reported as having the highest wage bill in the Premier League outside of the ‘big six’, that Everton were spared what would have been their first relegation in 71 years.
With the Blues going into their home fixture with Chelsea on May 1 some five points from safety, supporter groups – including the Everton Fans’ Forum, one of the club’s official arms – organised a passionate welcome outside the stadium for the team bus as it made its way down Goodison Road. Thousands lined the streets long before kick-off to cheer their heroes and the cauldron of noise continued inside the ground throughout the game as Lampard’s side secured a crucial backs-to-the-wall 1-0 victory over his previous employers and reigning European champions.
Similar scenes outside of Finch Farm saw the Everton team off on their way to Leicester City – where they achieved their first Premier League away win since August – and Watford as vociferous fans went the extra mile to drag their side over the line. At half-time of the final home game of the season against Crystal Palace, their incredible efforts appeared to be in vain as the Eagles led 2-0. But again the emotion within ‘The Grand Old Lady’ helped the Blues turn the tide after the break and snatch the 3-2 win that secured their top-flight status just five minutes from the end.
The outpouring of emotion from players, the manager and fans on the Goodison turf after the final whistle was one of relief rather than celebration as finishing with just 39 points – the joint lowest equivalent total in the club’s 134-year Football League/Premier League history, along with 2003/04 – was nothing to cheer about and Mr Moshiri himself, who hadn’t attended a match since the 5-2 capitulation against Watford on October 23 last year, admitted as much in an open letter to Evertonians on June 8.
In a rare direct public statement, the majority shareholder declared: “Mistakes have been made and for that I want to apologise to all of you. It has not been good enough and we need to do better. You have given us incredible support that helped us over the line when we most needed it, and we must repay that support and show that lessons have been learnt.”
Mr Moshiri added that he was “committed to securing the future success of the club” but just five days later, the news broke that he was in talks with a US consortium fronted by former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon and including real estate tycoon Maciek Kaminski and his family, as well as John Thornton, non-executive chairman of the Barrick Gold mining firm and PineBridge Investments, over a potential Everton takeover. While the development came as a shock to many Blues – understood to include even other high-ranking club officials who only found out in the period after the open letter – it became clear that the Monaco-based businessman, who has held a controlling stake since 2016, a period in which he has gone through seven managers, had been in discussions for some time.
Negotiations with the group had begun over potential funding for Everton’s new stadium currently being built at Bramley-Moore Dock, which remains on schedule to open in the 2024/25 season, but had progressed into the prospect of a full-blown sale. Follow up reports stated how heads of terms had been signed and a period of exclusivity were agreed by both parties and, as recently as Thursday, the ECHO’s business of football writer Dave Powell had an article published that stated how the consortium were aiming to complete a deal as soon as possible, and had eyed a potential positive conclusion by July 21, when Everton take on Minnesota United as part of their US tour in the city of Minneapolis, the home city of Kaminski and his family.
Such progress then came to an abrupt halt less than 24 hours later with the period of exclusivity ending and sources close to the owner stating that talks had ended and the deal was “dead ”. At the same time, representatives of the Kaminski group insisted their position hadn’t changed and despite the prospect of other interested parties now entering the fray, given that the chance to buy a club the size of Everton is a relatively rare occurrence, they remained “the only show in town”. Supporters were again left wondering what was going to happen next to their club in what has become like a real life soap opera that they’re unable to switch off.
All this came towards the end of a single tumultuous day in which fans’ favourite Richarlison was sold to Tottenham Hotspur; it emerged that Everton were trying to sign a near 30-year-old free agent as a potential replacement for him; former director of football Brands had given an interview in which he’d spoken of the difficulties when trying to work for the Blues' “easy to influence” owners; and the complaint by Burnley and Leeds United to the Premier League over Everton’s finances was finally dropped. Meanwhile, across Stanley Park, Liverpool supporters were again in a party mood, ecstatic over star man Mohamed Salah penning a new contract at the club.
Evertonians quite rightly loathe to be defined merely by what their neighbours do – as the lyrics in Blues anthem ‘Grand Old Team’ state: “We don’t care what the Red side say” – but there’s absolutely no getting away from the reality of being acutely aware of what ‘the other lot’ are up to, especially for the many thousands of locally-based fans. There’s nothing like having your rivals’ success rammed down your throats to give you an incentive to do well yourself, and this kind of ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ helped Everton and Liverpool both remain at the forefront of English football for at least 80 years, unlike other regions which were traditional hotbeds but fell away because each of their clubs had long fallow periods, like Sheffield or the North East.
As recently as 1971, Everton were in joint first place for the most League Championships won (seven at the time), alongside Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal in a four-way tie. But while the Reds subsequently took off and have, along with the other pair, remained part of the game’s elite ever since, the Blues have found the past half-century tougher going. Over the intervening period, Liverpool have won a further 12 titles, Manchester United 13 and Arsenal six while Everton have added two, the same number as Derby County, who have been struggling just to survive of late.
Yet, despite this now global football franchise existing on their doorstep less than a mile away, Evertonians, who can justifiably claim to be English football’s oldest major fanbase given that the club enjoyed the highest average attendances throughout the first 10 years of the Football League, continue to offer their unwavering support. Goodison regularly sells out for all Premier League matches, there’s a season ticket waiting list in excess of 10,000 and when the Blues do move to their new 52,888 capacity riverside home by the banks of the Mersey in two years’ time, they could be playing in front of the biggest regular crowds in their history despite currently enduring their longest-ever trophy drought to date.
Mr Moshiri, whose ambition has ensured that Everton’s new stadium dream has finally become a reality, is correct when he acknowledges that these fans deserve much more. When he told Evertonians, “I am committed to securing the future success of the club”, a mere 25 days ago, many would have been forgiven for assuming that such a pledge would include himself at the helm.
However, for whatever reason, the benefactor who has already pumped in over half a billion pounds into the Blues has since seen fit to seriously consider cutting those ties by entering takeover talks. If the offer is not right and this particular group, spearheaded by Kenyon, are not deemed to be suitable future custodians of this grand old team – and we still don’t know a great deal about them or their credentials – then so be it. Perhaps the owner is in fact protecting Everton by ending discussions. But the uncertainty and contradictory claims being put out by the respective factions are just leading to more confusion and anguish for those who are the lifeblood of the club.
As Mr Moshiri also acknowledged in his open letter: “More than any other club in England, Everton is the club of its people, its community and its fans, and always will be.” For those exact same reasons, they require clear, solid leadership and transparency over the path the Blues intend to take to create a successful tomorrow, not more traumatic days and sleepless nights.
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