So, another year, another takeover rumour? Not quite, if reports in both the local and national press are to be believed. Everton, we are told, are closer to investment that at any other point in (reportedly) ailing chairman Bill Kenwright’s reign.
I must acknowledge that, like many others, I was initially skeptical when I heard the news- we Blues have had our hopes dashed too many times when it comes to potential takeovers- yet with every day passing day it seems like Everton are moving closer to securing the all-important investment needed to compete long-term in what is an ever-growing, upwardly mobile Premier League.
Indeed, a quick glance at recent events highlights a worrying trend. With the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham ready to move into new, state of the art stadia in the next five years, and recently established sides Crystal Palace and Bournemouth attracting substantial investment from overseas- not to mention neighbours Liverpool’s ambitious Main Stand redevelopment- the Toffees risk missing the boat and being left behind if they do not strike soon.
After buying the club for an initial £20 million in 1999, majority shareholder and chairman Kenwright stands to be the be the main beneficiary of a deal that, as a result of the increasingly lucrative TV monies, could well see Everton’s final value swell tenfold. Quite a return for the boyhood Blue who, as of yet, is yet to invest a single penny- contrary to popular belief the theatre impresario did not mortgage his house to fund his takeover -in the day-to-day running of the club.
Consequently, it stands to reason that the most significant point of discussion when it comes to negotiations should not be the overall valuation of the club, but rather the suitability of said investors to deliver for Everton Football Club in the short, medium and long-term. This is about more than Bill Kenwright making a hefty profit. If he loves the club as much as he says he does, he’ll look beyond money, at other crucial factors before deciding. Top of the agenda must be ringfencing funding towards a stadium of our own- for all its charm, Goodison Park is a majorly flawed entity commercially, and will either need to be redeveloped or replaced by a newer model elsewhere if the club are to hang onto the coattails of the division’s pacesetters.
Of course, there will be some that will urge caution, and rightly so, for the future of this great institution hangs on the choices to be made in the coming months. Quite simply, we’ve reached a watershed moment in the history of EFC- it’s now sink or swim time for one of the most decorated teams in the land. With this in mind, instead of biting the hands off the first investors to show an interest in the new, ‘post-Kenwright illness’ era, it would surely be worth hanging fire and assessing the relative merits of the numerous (as we’re led to believe) potential heirs to the Goodison throne.
I say this because some associated with John Jay Moores’ previous sports team, San Diego-based baseball side ‘The Padres’, suggest that the 71-year-old entrepreneur hailing from Texas may not be whiter than white, and, for want of a better phrase, looks to make a quick buck where possible. If this is the case (and I’m not saying it is) then it’s Kenwright’s duty to invite other interested consortia to the table once Moores’ period of exclusivity runs out. Perhaps Sporting Kansas City FC KEO Robb Heineman, who has established ties with the current board, can be coaxed into reviving his interest?
To conclude, what I’m saying here is that above all, the onus is on the current incumbents to not only get it right when it comes to choosing the future owners, but also to do so quickly enough to enable the Toffees to set the wheels in motion regarding any stadium move. I just hope and pray they get it right….
