Everton FC AGM 2007 Minutes

8/14/2019 Everton FC AGM 2007 Minutes

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AGM Report

10/12/2007

The Alex Young Suite, Goodison Park December 4

Viewed in advance by many as being the most important AGM in Evertons one

hundred and twenty nine year history, with a firm focus on debating the issues

surrounding the Kirkby move proposal, an attendance in excess of three hundred and

fifty people filled the Alex Young Suite for the one hundred and twenty eighth Annual

General Meeting of The Everton Football Club Company Limited.

The meeting opened with chairman Bill Kenwright reminding all present that the

format for the evening would be as usual with the formal business on the agenda

taking place first, after which the AGM will close and you will have an opportunity

to ask questions to the Board, and the manager. The media were then formallyinvited.

The Directors Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st May 2007

were approved, a simple procedure each year. Mr Kenwright went through the process

of explaining the accounts as published in the Annual Report. He then asked for

questions from the floor, with one shareholder asking him about the outsourcing

Chairman, you did say that the turnover would drop, and it did drop, Im just

wondering why the creditor position which last year was 9m is now up to 16m

shouldnt that have dropped as well? Good point, replied the chairman, who

passed the baton to Company Secretary Martin Evans to field the query by stating

that the increase isnt related to the outsourcing, especially in relation to player

transfers some of which are deferred and paid over a period of years clearly

with significant investment in new players in the last year, that would go up as we

have more payments deferred into the future on those players, thats the reason.

The re-appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Auditors to the Company and to

authorise the Directors to fix their remuneration was merely another formality.

Jon Woods found himself re-elected to the Board though there was a significant show

of hands opposing his re-election. The new man on the block, Robert Earl, was

elected with little opposition.

The fun and games then started with Item 5 of the Agenda (the formal business).

Item 5 To transact any other business which may be transacted at the Annual

General Meeting of the Company. One shareholder demanded to know why the

official minutes of the meeting would not record what was said with the

commencement of the questions and answers session between shareholders and the

Board. The Chairman, with one eye on legal advice nearby, offered that the meeting

was now closed. Finished. Which, in laymans terms, meant that the one hundred and

twenty eighth annual general meeting of Everton Football Club had ended in less time

it takes to watch an average episode of Coronation Street, despite the fact that Item 5,

listed on the Agenda, clearly indicated that any other business would be transacted.


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Quite simply, it wasnt. Something perhaps for the Shareholders Association to

consider for next year perhaps?

It may have been a wise tactic on the part of the Board this year to run straight into

this questions and answers session. We were not treated to a PowerPoint presentation

from Mr. Wyness. In previous years we had both Mr. Wyness and his deputy RobertElstone using pie charts, and bubbles, to indicate Evertons financial well-being

and where we need to be. None of that this year, and for good reason too most of us

suspect.

As ever, with these meetings, it only got going with the Q&A session between the

floor and the top table. Media reports have suggested it was a feisty affair with

animated comments aplenty from the floor solely on the hot topic of relocating

outside the City boundary, to Kirkby. Personally, I thought the comments from the

floor were relatively restrained, considering how divisive this issue remains amongst

Evertonians.

The Board wheeled out a Mr Chris Potts, from Savills, planning consultants working

with Everton Football Club. We were informed by Mr. Potts, a Director of Savills,

that Goodison Park could not be developed in such a way to accommodate a capacity

in excess of 37,500. Bill Kenwright added that it would cost more to develop at

Goodison than at a new ground. The claim from Mr Potts was instantly challenged by

shareholders, one pointing out that the current chairman had been part of a group that

had paid Terry Ward, the man responsible for the redevelopment of Twickenham, to

draw up plans proving that Goodison Park, on its current footprint, could indeed be

redeveloped to accommodate a capacity in the region of 55,000. And furthermore, that

was over ten years ago! Mr Potts continued to struggle, informing the meeting that the

Bestway / Loop proposal was also too expensive, citing the necessity to build a plinth

and the required infrastructure changes as but two reasons for it being a non-runner.

Some shareholders tackled him over his comments on the Bestway / Loop proposal

after he re-iterated that it was not feasible. Mr Potts admitted hed not seen HOKs

report, on the Bestway / Loop proposal. Both Bill Kenwright and Keith Wyness stated

likewise, theyd seen no HOK report.

The shareholder asking the question, tackling Mr Potts considered opinion on the

Bestway / Loop proposal, produced a copy of the report and offered to give it to the

top table! Both Mr Potts and Bill Kenwright claimed then to have spoken with HOK,

with the chairman saying that he had been told (by HOK) it would be hugely hugelyhugely costly to build a stadium like this. He added, if what youre saying is we

need a plan B, and we need a plan C, and a plan D, Im more than happy if plan A

doesnt work, we will obviously revisit Goodison. Asked why we (the shareholders

and the fanbase in general) were not given the option at the time, the chairman stated,

we (the Board) were asking you to vote on Kirkby. He added, on behalf of the

Board, as a plan B, Goodison, as a plan C, if you want to, well look at the Bestway

again

Another shareholder then queried the chairmans comments from last years AGM,

whereby the chairman, then, had stated he would require a 60% mandate to go to

Kirkby. Youve got a 40% mandate to go to Kirkby, he claimed, adding, WhereKeith Wyness is talking grandly now about 75,000 you must be concerned that


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11,000 couldnt be bothered to vote. Youre going to fill a new stadium on that? Were

one of the big clubs in the country we want to be an Arsenal, we want to be a

Manchester United Arsenal have just moved across the road, United have

redeveloped Old Trafford; Tottenham have just declared they are going to redevelop

White Hart Lane. The clubs that have moved out of the area, like Bolton, Coventry

and Leicester, are all struggling away. I honestly feel that this will be the death ofEverton your main legacy here.

The following shareholder, on a similar theme, stated that Everton Football Club

deserved a greater stadium than what was being proposed. He said, Were going to

end up with a ground like Coventrys ground, Pride Park, St. Marys. Evertonians

deserve something better than that. If Stanley Park is going to cost 300 -

400million, if the average cost is something like that, how can we build one for a

fraction of the price and then hold ourselves up, what future does that give the club? If

we set our standards with such a low quality stadium in comparison to the big four or

five clubs, when David picks his team he aspires to be as good as Chelsea, Arsenal,

Manchester United etc., youve got to set that same standard with the stadium,because this is the biggest decision the Clubs going to make as were going to live

with this over one hundred years; if we muck up on the team its a ten / twenty years

transition possibly. You cant afford to mess this one up. The chairman replied,

Couldnt agree more

The next comment from the floor came from a shareholder who didnt want to be

talking about directors ripping the heart and soul out of the club, moving the club out

of the city. Expressing an interest in Mr Potts comments about the HOK report, the

shareholder opined that it was probably only the Board of Everton FC, and Mr. Potts,

who had not yet seen this report. The shareholder agreed with the Board that it (The

Loop) would be very expensive but he countered that by claiming, in his

consideration, that it would be more expensive to build a stadium on a landfill site

that was full of toxins and other poisons, costing millions to decontaminate that site.

Mr Potts replied, in agreement with the shareholder, that the proposed HOK Loop

development would need a plinth built, the cost of the Kirkby project have been

assessed in terms of ground conditions; theres a detailed ground investigation report;

theres a remediation strategy. Thats all been costed and put into the business plan.

So, certainly, in terms of has it been looked at, has it been factored in, the answer is

yes.

Bill Kenwright interjected, saying I understand the emotion, but what I would likeyou to do, what I would ask you not to do is belittle the work of the people who are

trying to sort this club out. You mightnt agree with it and I understand that. I

absolutely understand that. But, an awful lot of man hours, extraordinary man hours,

weve had a long long meeting today with architects have gone into what we think

should be our move and we have a fantastic team behind us who are working very

very hard, Chris is one of them and I think he deserves our applause and not

brickbats. The shareholder, from the floor, who asked the initial question, replied,

endorsing the chairmans comment but stated that the point he was making was that

he knew that the HOK proposal for the Loop was very expensive to build on the

Bestway site because it needs a plinth. Its common knowledge, everybody knows

that, but equally it will cost a fortune to build a stadium in Kirkby on a landfill sitethats lying dormant. We know you have factored it in but the question is (for Chris


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Potts) that I would actually suggest its more expensive to decontaminate that site for

Everton to build a stadium on and that was the point I was making.

Mr Potts, somewhat unbelievably, replied saying, Certainly construction costs are

not my discipline. The shareholder jumped in saying youve just said it will be very

expensive to build a plinth and now youre saying youve no experience? Mr Pottsrallied citing once more the cost of the Bestway / Loop proposal and furthermore it

wasnt big enough a site. He claimed that after visiting the presentation of the

Bestway / Loop proposal (at St. Georges Hall) the costs would prove to be too

expensive for such a small site, a very bespoke design that certainly wont be as

good as at Kirkby. He ran through the potential costs of the Loop proposal but the

shareholder returned oncemore to his initial query: the cost of decontaminating the

Kirkby being potentially greater than the costs involved at the Bestway proposed site.

The next shareholder laid it out plain, you said it yourself, Bill Everton, Scotland

Road, The Loop, has a ring to it; Kirkby, Everton, Tesco, has no ring to it; Everton,

Goodison Park is the only ring that were interested in, Bill. I would acknowledgewhat has just been said, said the chairman, Im not quite sure where the badge of

dishonour that Tesco is getting in this. Im not, Im being honest with you, a great

Evertonian met me at the Manchester City 5 Everton 1 game and he said hed like to

help us if he could. A few years later he came up with a scheme that he believed

would help us, as simple as that.

The next question from the floor came from a shareholder who wanted to ask Mr Earl

about naming rights. Would you get more money from naming rights in Liverpool

city centre, Goodison Park or Kirkby? Mr Earl, in reply offered, Im afraid that the

answer to that question wont please you. The answer to that question will be

determined by the sponsors. in the context of attendance, how many times the name

is going to be written, how successful David and the team are on the pitch, a lot of

different factors determined whether Emirates Airline wanted to pay x million pounds

a year for the shirt and the naming rights to the stadium. It wouldnt have been the

geography. It would have been the attendance a lot of people have commented that

the attendances outside of the city would be lower.

If that were the case then of course the sponsorship would be lower. But obviously the

belief here is that were going to do the business on the pitch and that the attendances

in this brand new stadium over 51,000 I dont know where the figure of 75,000

comes from the quality of the stadium that Bill Kenwright obsesses on every singleday. He added, Ive personally had meetings with Warren Bradley, you can see my

phone bill to see conversations Ive had. I know Malcolm Carter as well; Ive had

conversations with Carter. Ive had conversations with John Kelly who knows a lot

more than Councillor Bradley and hes the gentleman who controls the purse strings

and he says they are not repeat, not available at this moment, over a series of

years. There might be grants available and I dont know why Bill is not sharing all

that but he has exactly the same emotions as you this is the most heart-wrenching

thing; and when he hears from you guys, which I fully fully understand how you feel,

it is breaking his heart as he shares the same view. But hes made this decision.

The shareholder interrupted Mr Earl, sorry Robert, the question I asked the mainincome in any football club is the marketing income. This County Road is a major


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arterial road into Liverpool city centre. Scotland Road is a major arterial road into

Liverpool city centre. If you could place an advert I dont know the number of cars

that drive along this road (County Road), every day of the week and look up this

street, and there it says, Everton Football Club. Where do you think from your

experience youd get major income? Mr Earl replied saying neither of those factors

would be a determinant, Im afraid, in the investment. I know you wont like theanswer again. But, Emirates Airline are having an orgasm over the amount of press

because Arsenal are top of the League and Emirates Stadium is mentioned every

single hour in press everywhere globally - and because the name is on the shirt and

theyre getting an enormous amount of TV time and so it goes around the world. So

whether you like it or not, those are the factors that determine it. Yes, I agree, the

geography, but that is just local regional advertising and that isnt the reason that

multinational and national corporations will put the type of money in that the club is

now expecting. Im sorry, but thats my view on that.

A Kirkby resident was next to stand and question the Board. She informed the

meeting that she was resident in one of the seventy three houses, and a nursing home,earmarked for demolition, to make way for car parking spaces.

The next shareholder tackled the top table, saying, when we were given the vote you

said we were dying if we stayed at Goodison Park. Thats what we were being told,

and maybe the vote would have been different. You should be ashamed, you should

resign. The City is absolutely booming. Theres one billion pound being spent by

Grosvenor. Would they spend that in Kirkby? They wouldnt spend it. The City is

booming. Terence Leahy, in the Echo last night said that he cant believe the

transformation in this city since he left in the seventies. The City is on the way back

up, Bill, and everyones going towards the town, and you want to take us to the

moon? You may as well take us to Mars as youre going to erode future generations of

Everton supporters. The West End of London, to the outskirts why do you put on

shows in the West End? Because its a catchment area and the centre of Liverpool

is a catchment area, and the centre of Kirkby town is not. The chairman responsed

citing he takes far more money in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool. He was

interrupted by calls, from many, that they were cities!

The next shareholder asked the chairman to answer the previous question from the

Kirkby resident who highlighted how her home and another number of properties

were due to be demolished, to make way for a car parking facility. The chairman

claimed he did not know about the proposed demolition of the Kirkby houses, andnursing home no, I wasnt aware of it.

The next shareholder highlighted the drawings presented at St. Georges Hall, detailing

the projected redevelopment of Goodison Park. I dont understand why you dont

have a set of plans for it (Goodison Park), and you should have a set of plans for it. I

think that Goodison Park has got the footprint of the Emirates, he offered. Mr

Kenwright replied, as I said five minutes ago, we have a team of experts and if

you think we havent that, youre wrong. It does not have the footprint of the

Emirates. We could never get to 60,000 at Goodison Park. We could, on our latest

investigation, get to 37,500 if we included the kind of things that we would want to do

over a period of four years and it would be massive income on the way, and costing of


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more than if we move to a new ground. Once again, guys, I know what youre saying.

I get your letters, I understand you, but youre wrong.

The next shareholder highlighted the potential car parking problems arising in Kirkby,

casting doubt over the number of parking spaces being made available to matchgoers

in a parking area cateringly mainly for shoppers. Mr Potts fielded this question. Theclub have taken quite a number of feasibility studies on obviously Goodison Park,

whats the potential, whats the opportunity, what can be done but certainly if the

club is going to make a major investment, it wants to make sure it has the best

facilities, of Premiership stadia. It has to have the right hospitality, the right players

facilities, and the spectators facilities. We go to a lot of stadia now and the quality of

the benchmark is forever being raised. If the club are going to spend this amount of

money they have got to hit a satisfactory benchmark, there just isnt enough room

within the Goodison Park footprint to achieve that and as Mr Kenwrights indicated,

the latest study weve had which has been done in recent months show them applying

all the latest guides that you would apply, putting in the hospitality youd need,

putting in all the Premiership facilities you would expect, with sub 40,000 capacity.

Add to that, any redevelopment that would be done, as the gentleman indicated, stand

by stand, as and when its needed, the implicational cashflow of taking out a stand

year by year is phenomenal. Plus youve got no enabling development; its all coming

out of the clubs funding itself. So actually, the financial equation looks very very

grim. The club have looked at it. Ive certainly seen reports by architects and cost

consultants etc. over the years and I can assure you that the latest one which is done to

see what can we do, how can we take this forward, on cost and design, we cant get

above 40,000 so that we can give you a Premiership stadium for the players. So, we

have done the work.

A shareholder questioned these reports, mentioned by Mr Potts, asking him precisely

what hed viewed, at the club. Mr Potts replied saying that the most recent report has

been produced by a company called KSS Design who arethey transformed the

Commonwealth Games stadium in Manchester for Manchester City. They are the

designers for Spurs. Theyve done work in the past for Chelsea and Fulham. The

shareholder, in response, said but things have moved on since, havent they, because

the council have basically said that the footprint can be extended. Now, the reports

youre referring to are talking about the existing footprint as it is. Now, just before

you answer me, I was privileged to be part of an opposition group, which confronted

Peter Johnson with the help of our present chairman Bill Kenwright to stop similarmoves to Kirkby, and Bill was very much behind us at that point in time. We proved

at that time, we got an architect in called Terry Ward from Ward McHugh, based in

Sheffield, who obviously you know, and he worked on Twickenham, as you all know,

and we proved here, to Peter Johnson, that given the footprint extended you could

build easily 50,000 and 55,000 here on this wider footprint with all the corporate

facilities youre talking about, with all the first class Premiership facilities youre

talking about - and we didnt do it last week, we didnt do it last year, we done it ten

years ago. And the club have had that document sat there collecting dust and pushing

it under little papers every time we change chief executive, or chairman, or another

member of the Board, because lets be honest weve had no ambition at this

club, since we won the trophies and then we had a lull theres been no ambition at allto move this club forward. We missed the bubble, for other reasons, but weve let this


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ground crumble, deliberately. Its a ploy, I dont know why, but I want you to realise

that we shouldve done a Manchester United, we shouldve done an Aston Villa, we

shouldve done a Newcastle United, and we should do what Tottenham are now doing

and rebuild Goodison. No comment forthwith from the top table.

Richard Lewis, from the Everton Shareholders 2005 group, wondered where we weregoing to find the money. He said, In the heart, wed all love to stay here. It would be

my wish. Id also, in an ideal world like to stay in the City of Liverpool. But the

reality is, somebody has got to pay for everything and Im hearing everything being

spoken tonight but nobody is saying well, the guys down here, or us as a group of

shareholders, are we going to pay for it? The club are attempting to produce a

deliverable option circa 75m, which I presume is going to be funded. But say, you in

an ideal world, want to go to the Loop site and we build a stadium on a plinth, God

help all the commuters from the Wirral, of which I am one coming into Liverpool

every day. However, how much would that cost? 400m? Are we going to pay for it?

Reality is we cant pay for it. Our club, sadly at the moment isnt popular enough,

thats maybe why weve gone behind other clubs over the years. Revenue is not ashigh. We have a football stadium that cant produce enough income per match, weve

got to do something about it.

Trevor Skempton took up the baton, so to speak, and told Mr. Kenwright and the top

table about Newcastle United If I can just come back on the stadium issue, with a

little bit of history, I was working in Newcastle for the city council in 1990. At that

time Newcastle had 4,000 seats and an average attendance of 23,000. Their ground

was the worst in the old Second Division. The Magpie Group took over the club, but

before they took over, the old Board issued a document, which I have at home, saying

that they could only accommodate 33,000 in a stadium at St. James Park. We were

asked to look into it and we said that they could expand the ground even as far as

80,000 if they were prepared to do it in certain ways. The club was taken over and I

dont see anybody having poured money into a black hole in Newcastle. Average

attendances are now over 50,000. This has been built up, gradually, by a business

plan. Sound business principles. Its a pity they havent got a manager like David

there or thered have been no stopping them. The fact is that theyve built up their fan

base, everybody talks about them being a big club but theyre no bigger than Everton.

They were averaging 23,000 in 1990. Kevin Keegan started taking them forward; they

built it up bit by bit by bit. In the next few years they are building another stand at the

Gallowgate, to take their capacity up to 65,000. That is a club that has not been

bankrolled by a sugar daddy, it is a club that is run on aggressive but sound businessprinciples. Mr Kenwright replied saying I know all about Newcastle United, I agree

with a lot of what you say. Their success came actually on the pitch first before they

started moving into business Mr Kenwright at this point was tackled by many

from the floor for the comment about Newcastles supposed success on the pitch

first before any ground redevelopment at St. James Park.

The next shareholder wanted to know about the exclusivity agreement with Tesco,

how much of a done deal was it. He said, the last time I attended an AGM one

Christopher Samuelson was in attendance and we were in a similar sort of exclusivity

period with him, which appeared to be an elastic one that seemed to stretch on and on

and then disappear. You may recall I said to you that night Mr Chairman that I didntbelieve he was an Evertonian, he was lying about that, what else was he lying about.


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Just after that AGM, myself and a colleague, in private conversation with a Board

member, were told that no such exclusivity agreement existed and it was merely a

smokescreen to avoid awkward questions at the AGM. Can the Board provide

evidence, perhaps to the Shareholders Association, that this exclusivity agreement that

seems to have been used throughout the last few months to bat all the other proposals

aside, Ive heard more solid argument against the alternative plans tonight thananything Ive seen in the last few months because its all been down to weve got an

exclusivity agreement with Tesco, we cant discuss it, we cant discuss this, we cant

discuss that, and Im wondering if thats a similar ploy to deflect alternative

proposals, and for us to basically just say were not going to entertain anything else

because its a done deal. Ive spoken to people who have said theyve been involved

on Kirkby throughout the last eighteen months, at stages where they would normally

expect not to be looking at the feasibility of it, to be looking at it as a done deal, as

something that is going ahead no matter what, way before a ballot was even

mentioned.

CEO Keith Wyness, took this question, saying, If I could address the exclusivityagreement directly when this first cropped up, the whole Kirkby concept, I went to

Warren Bradley in the City and I said this is the situation, this is the offer weve got

Im going to have to go and seriously look at the Kirkby option but I want you to

again address what are the options in the City and see what there is. Three months

went by and we finally got a report back from the City, that addressed the two options

at the time that they looked at Edge Lane and North Liverpool - sorry, three: Long

Lane, Edge Lane and Speke, those were the three that they came back with and all

three were not feasible, and thats the opinion back from the Citys own professional

team. So, I felt Id been very open with the City and told them everything before we

went into any exclusivity agreement. But in order for us to actually get Tesco and

everyone else to take us seriously, and Knowsley as well, they understandably wanted

us to sign an exclusivity agreement. Otherwise we wouldve been used as a stalking

horse. Such an exclusivity agreement did not stop the City from still doing further

work on any other option and bringing forward any options that were viable and real.

And thats whats not whats happened. Weve not had one piece of paper that has

given us detail, or anything thats realistic about any other option that the City have

got. Our exclusivity agreement did not stop them from doing that work. They could

have come back. They could have gone ahead. Any time wed have been happy to

discuss with them whats going on, to keep them updated. Wed encourage them to try

and do that. Thats really as far as it has got.

The shareholder, in reply, said, Can I just come back to you on the details and things

like that? All that I have seen of Kirkby are pretty pictures and Alan Stubbs telling me

how great its going to be, when hes retired. Theres no numbers and that brochure

that went out was Andy Johnson saying its going to be great, Mikel Arteta, David and

Bill theres no numbers in it. The plans that Ive seen for the Loop and for the

redevelopment of Goodison have got engineering drawings, theyve got things like

that. Kirkbys got a few pretty pictures, a Tesco, and no transport plan. Wheres the

detail in the actual plan weve been presented with? Keith Wyness cut in, saying,

There is a great deal of detail that will be available shortly, in the planning

application. After we voted for it? replied the shareholder. Mr Wyness added, we

were still working on the detail at that time, and we asked for, the ballot was to


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actually ask us to go ahead and carry on negotiations on the Kirkby Project, which is

what we did.

The next shareholder reckoned a 40,000 45,000 stadium would be sufficient for

Everton. He wanted to know, from Mr. Potts, if anyone from the transportation

consultants was here tonight, as although Kirkby may be a deliverable stadium hewas unsure about the ability to transport 40,000 supporters there. Mr. Wyness

confirmed no one was present from the transportation consultants, but said, Steer

Davies Gleave, who are the best transportation consultants in the UK, have told me

they believe that the solution that we have for the Kirkby stadium may make us the

top transportation-wise delivered stadium in the north west. Amid an outbreak of

mirth the shareholder replied, you should try and get a bus from one side of

Liverpool to the other and if you can, Ill eat my hat!

Another question from the floor commented on the presence of Mr. Potts at this

AGM, wheeled in to talk about expense and trying to convince everyone that the

Loop is not an option, Goodison is not an option and Kirkby is the only option for theclub. He added, With all due respect to him, he just does not understand the

heartbeat of this football club. I sense in this room tonight so many people of dont

know how many generations who are all anti-Kirkby for a start. I meant to start by

saying, I know were outside the meeting but I would like it minuted that we all wish

the very best to Davey Hickson in his recovery, I meant to start by saying that, I wish

him the very best. Chris (Potts) just would not understand what it is to be an

Evertonian. I am now an out of town Evertonian. I have been following, living,

breathing this club for forty solid years. Its perverse in its irony that in a season

where Mr Moyes has produced an absolute cracking team, I just but one have

stopped coming to games because I am anti-Kirkby. I will reassess that if we

redevelop Goodison or stay in the City. We must stay in the City. This is the heartbeat

of the Club. Ironic I am following the last shareholder, as two years back he expressed

an opinion saying he didnt want to see Samuelson owning the club from overseas. It

was a charade. What was it, Mr Ross - A means to an end? A charade to fool all the

shareholders here on that night. Mr. Earl, and his company BCR Sports, based in the

Virgin Islands, you own almost 24% of this Club I would love to know who is

behind that, I wont expect an answer but thats almost a quarter of this Club thats

owned on sunnier shores. Is that a valid concern? Kirkby is so wrong. Mr. Earl was

happy to answer, saying, The beneficiaries (of BCR Sports) are the Earl family.

There was a call for the official minutes to recognise the more pertinent stuff thatwill go down the plughole now, because everyone will forget about it. The press are

not going to write about it and it should be minuted and Id like for next year that you

reassess the way you conduct these meetings. We need to know what you said tonight.

Ill remember it, a lot of these people here wont and the press wont report it and I

think its very very wrong. This should be minuted. Im sorry, its wrong. The

chairman replied, saying, Im sure you will read about it. Im concerned the press

always report what goes on!

The last shareholder paid tribute to the chairman, saying, Id like to conclude, weve

heard what youve done and what you havent done. What you have done is made the

Disabled Club a very happy enclosure and we must thank you for it. If you watch uson a Saturday night, at half ten as Artetas taking a corner kick in this corner here


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(Gwladys Street) youll see me waving my handsthe other week, there was seven

goals and they were all at this end!

The Chairman, in closing this part of the meeting, revisited words from a few years

back. Speaking about Mr. Potts presence at the meeting, he said, One thing I do

want to say is, Im glad that Chris wasnt wheeled in at all. Chris was at a meeting andI said to him, do you want to come along and answer any questions and he said yes

he would like to. He maybe doesnt understand the heartbeat of the Club but I do.

Mr Kenwright then called upon representatives of the Shareholders Association to

speak before the meeting. Richard Lewis, of the Everton Shareholders 2005 group,

acknowledged the regular contact theyd enjoyed with the Board. He then said,

thinking aloud, If youre in a stadium does it really matter where it is? He went

further, Seriously, a home is who is in the home, and a home isnt a home. He got

no further than that before the time honoured get down, sit down cackles won the

day! Oh, Anne, sorry commented the chairman, as the Chair of the Official Everton

Shareholders Association, Anne Asquith, was due to speak. She began bycongratulating the team and management for qualification for the latter stages of the

UEFA Cup, adding that the good name of Everton was being enhanced in Europe.

Tremendous so far, long may it continue, she added.

Closer to home, she expressed delight at the news that the National Lottery funding,

for The Everton Collection, is an excellent reward for all the hard work. Wed

particularly like to congratulate Tony Heslop, our vice-chair, who unfortunately

cannot be with us tonight because of work commitments, who has recently been

appointed as a trustee to The Everton Collection Trust, and has worked very hard.

Wed like to also congratulate the club on something thats not been mentioned

tonight the provision of the world class training facility and academy at Finch

Farm. Id also like to say thank you for the opportunity granted to some of our

members to tour the complex and I must say we were extremely impressed. It was

incredible. We feel that early problems with some ticketing issues have led to an

increase in transparency and we hope that this will continue. Were also extremely

pleased with the pricing policy for European matches which I think has ensured

fantastic support at those matches. And perhaps put in a little plea that this policy

could continue for other matches, like FA Cup? Looking forward very much to the

celebrations which were initiated by some Shareholders Association members, and

theyre now taking shape for the eightieth anniversary of Dixie Deans sixty goal

season. Its encouraging to have support of various organisations, not least the Club,and perhaps we could have a mention for Robert Elstone and those who have been

extremely helpful, so please say thank you for us. It is very appropriate that this does

coincide with the capital of culture and we do hope that all supporters and

shareholders will support these celebrations. Its been a sad year in many ways.

Again, weve already remembered so many but were very proud with the way that

the Club, and everyone concerned, paid tribute to Alan Ball. And also with the sad

loss of any other Evertonians over the year, it has been very impressive to see the

respect and attitude of the Club, and of the supporters, and I think this shows the

Everton family at their best. We were sorry to lose the services of Alan Irvine, he has

been a good friend to the Association, and would like to wish him well in his newpost. Very sad to see the effect of divided opinion on Kirkby, which I think has been


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so evident tonight. Shareholders, supporters, everybody really theres a split down

the middle we did ask the Board last year if they would keep us all onside. I know,

probably, you tried your best, but it obviously isnt happening. Its all very sad, the

bitterness and mistrust amongst Evertonians. The opportunity to vote was very much

welcomed at the time. Unfortunately, the result of the vote not the outcome the

result of having the vote, in a way, has just exacerbated the whole thing. We wouldjust like to say that we do hope that bridges can be built, that we can be reconciled

and Id be very happy to offer as shareholders, if theres anything we can do to help to

heal these rifts, please let us know. Finally we would like to echo the comments

sending our very best wishes to Dave Hickson, and his family. I think the whole city

was absolutely stunned by the news, very concerned. Thank you very much.

The chairman of the Everton Former Players Foundation, Laurence Lee, asked then to

say a few words. He began by saying; Id like to thank not only the Board but all

those who come to the dinners, for the former players. I just want to say a few things

about what were about in case anybody doesnt know. Were the only club in the

country, in fact, probably beyond the country, Europe-wise, that has its own registeredcharity that looks after, primarily, the needs of footballers, former players of Everton,

who have played a minimum of one game going back as many years as they survive,

who have fallen on hard times. Although most of them remain confidential we look

after all their needs whether its physical needs, new knees, new hips, rehabilitation

after strokes. More and more of our former players have suffered Alzheimers and we

look after them as well. He then went into greater detail, highlighting one individual

case of a former player. He thanked the Board again, I dont know if everyone knows

this, but every other season the pre-season friendly at Goodison, all proceeds go to the

Former Players Foundation. Now, that is tremendous, that is unique, I dont think

theres another club in the country that would do that for the former players. Not that

many other clubs have a former players foundation as strong as ours. Not only are we

at the forefront in Britain but also were at the forefront of Europe. Weve joined

forces with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Leverkusen to be on the executive of

the European Former Players Association and I can assure you that I put the name

of Everton forward, particularly in Barcelona, all the Board have got Everton scarves,

they love us over there and I put forward every year the work we do for our former

players and everybody envies us. But it wouldnt be possible without the support of

all of you here, give to us, and all the Board gives, and we will do our best to keep

that going.

The chairman then invited the manager David Moyes to speak. Mr Moyes began,saying, Ladies and gentlemen, were going to talk about football for a change here,

much to the amusement of all. He continued, Ill try to bring you up to date, where

we are now, where weve been. Some changes, some improvements, and also some

bits of other news, which well hopefully, if you dont go there, Ill bring you up to

date. Let me start with last season last season was another strong season, a sixth

finish saw us reach the UEFA Cup, magnificent effort from the players. Im really

fortunate with the group of players weve got. Theyre right behind the team, theyre

right behind the club. And as you can see, you know, recently, by the amount of

people who are deciding to stay longer and sign longer, shows you the ambition of

staying at Everton Football Club. The big part of last season, obviously, was the finish

and the enjoyment we all got from reaching the UEFA Cup. What weve now got is areal stable football club.


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"When I took over we had ten thirty year olds in the side, I think now were down to

four or five. And Ive got to say, theyre all very good the ones that Ive got at the

moment and they do play their part. But what we have been trying to do is change the

age group around. Weve now got an average age of twenty five years in the Premier

League. For me its not low enough yet, I think were probably about fifth or sixth in

the Premier League. So my aim is to keep bringing in young players, keep improvingthem and when we came in here five and a half years ago, my plan was that we had to

change it around. And I did say to most of the people that I dont expect to be given

time, no manager can come into a football club and expect to be given time

especially a football club of this size. But, along the way, youll need a little bit of

patience, and I think you only need to see the way managements going at the moment

in football. In a lot of ways I hope that you think that youve got a good football club

and a stable football club and you might have your diverse opinions on different

situations but youve got a great football club here. And never forget that. I think

partly the Board have to take credit for that as well because they had moments Im

sure where they could have thought differently, but hopefully the rewards for them are

bearing fruit now.

"Theres some changes I needed to take place with the scouting department. What

weve done over the years is, weve tended to look mainly at home for our players.

When I took over the important thing for Everton was to stay out of the bottom six.

Thats where they had been for nearly all of the campaign, whatever Premier League

(season) that theyd started, theyd always been in the bottom, the bottom ten of the

Premier League. So the players we were buying was really to make sure we werent in

the bottom six. Whats changed since then is that were now buying players to try and

get us into the top six. So that is change, my scouting department Im having to

increase were having to look in a different pool. Weve done an awful lot of our

fishing in the lower leagues in England Joleon Lescott, Tim Cahill, Andy Johnson,

to a lesser extent, so were now having to start spreading our wings much further

afield to make sure we get the right players in. Thats not to say that we still dont

prefer to buy from our home ground, our homeland I should say, but we have to make

sure we get the best in. So there will be extensions to that department and hopefully

you will see that in the future bearing fruit as well.

"One thing I think we have done is, weve been very prudent in the transfer market,

you know I keep hearing about spending, were not big spenders but were good

spenders. Hopefully well be careful with everything we do. Im a Scotsman (laughs!)

and Ill treat the money like my own, thats what it is but dont think for a minutethat I dont push Bill Kenwright every day to give me every penny I can to try and get

better players or more players that we need. To be fair, Ive got to say that the Board

have been excellent any time Ive come to them regarding that. What also happened, I

must mention, from last season that I missed out from my notes the emergence of

two young players, and they were already out but the likes of Victor and James

Vaughan, who were already know, already seen bits of them, I think their emergence

coming through as well as another two of our young boys.which leads me on nicely

to the youth, and what were hoping to do with the youth.

"As I said before, we need to keep continuing bringing young players in because it is

the future and we need to make sure we keep lowering that age. Partly because wewant to have resale value on the pitch and as Bill mentioned earlier on, when I came


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in here five years ago, there was no sale on the pitch. We were very fortunate we had

Wayne Rooney here, and it moved on and we did have money and that but apart

from that we had no other value in the squad. I would hope youd all think that its

different now from what weve got on the pitch. But thats taken time, which I asked

for, well I didnt ask for but I mentioned earlier, which would happen. The other part

of the youth side is the academy. The academy continues to produce players here, aswe mentioned the two before. Weve got one or two others who we think in the

future.and not forgetting to mention the likes of Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman,

who have been here five or six years now, and nearly becoming experienced players.

When theyve come through their own ranks as well. Its something we should be

proud of, because the boys we can bring through ourselves; they get to know the

heritage of the club. They get brought up; they go to a lot of the dos that I go to, they

get to see what its all about so it is important to bring our own players through. One

of the things which will help us in that is the new training ground. The new training

ground is fantastic and Im really fortunate.

"Again, five years ago, I was only in the job a week and I had a great opening weekhere but I got taken to a farm, whish is now Finch Farm, and they said this is where

were thinking of having a new training site and I thought yeah, heard this before

if Im here in five years time, well itll be a miracle. Nevertheless, the club fulfilled

it; weve got a facility here that will match many. Theres lots of bits to get done, its

not all complete but you know what its like when you go into a new house, its never

all there. But Ive got to say that the players have had a great thrill from it. Its moved

everybody on. Im sure the press would tell you that the facility weve got is fantastic.

I do hope that shortly well try to give you a little bit more information, when we

finish off all the jobs we need to get done down there. Let me finish off by saying, this

season, this season started really well for us. Again, we brought in players in the

transfer market. Weve added to the squad, theres people went in the summer as well

and weve got a strong squad and the players now have real competition for places,

theyre playing well. We missed one or two players in the earlier part of the season

through injury.

"What I would say at this point of the season, were still in the cup competitions, I

hope that that is still the case after the New Year because if it is well have qualified

for, hopefully, the semi final of the League Cup. Well also, hopefully, be through in

the UEFA Cup as well, into the qualifying rounds of that as well. And as well as that

we have to keep our league position really strong. It is important that we have an

Everton Football Club that, as I said, isnt in the bottom six but here in the top six.What we have got this season, is twenty four points, it sounds okay. Last year, at this

time, I stood here and wed twenty one points and we finished sixth. So it gives you

an idea of the strength of the Premier League, that teams like Manchester City,

Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Blackburn are all in good positions and many of them above

us so its going to show that its going to take a strong team this season, its going

to be a tough year. Its going to be very hard to compete with all there but I do feel

confident with the players weve got. Let me just reaffirm my aims for Everton FC

my vision for Everton.

"When we took over five years ago there was a plan that went in place reduce the

age, get a better team, dont be relegation fodder, try and make Europe if we can.Most of that hopefully has come to fruition. We know there was one year that wasnt


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as good as it should have been but I think when youre trying to change a club like

Everton Football Club around, thats certainly isnt going to happen in one or two

years unless we were going to throw lots of money at it. Weve not. What we have

done, weve put our own plan in place, and I think it wont be long before other clubs

are wanting to follow the plan of Everton. Because it cant keep going on, where

people come in and theyre spending and spending and spending, so I think theres alot of that I think where the Board should get credit for the way theyve gone about

and handled that as well. Im very respectful of your views, Im very grateful of the

support I get from you and Ill never ever take that for granted but what I will say,

there was somebody said earlier, and I listened to it and I wrote it down, theres been

no ambition since the 80s to move this club forward. Well thats not talking about

David Moyes, and thats not talking about the team because that couldnt be further

away from the truth from what I think. The desire for me to make this club better will

be there until the times up and you think its no more.

"But at the moment, were getting there, were getting stronger, were getting noticed.

And the big part of Everton Football Club is the fanbase, and I spoke to a managertoday who joined a new club and the reason he went to the new club was the fanbase.

I tell you what, we were in Nurnberg and the players, we had a room in the hotel and

it was over the street. And we could hardly have this sort of final team talk, obviously

wed been talking a lot about Nurnberg but wed the final meeting about a quarter to

six at night before we went to the game, and you could hardly speak. So we done the

final bits of the tactics, corner kics etc., in the room. And then I said to the players,

do you want me to say anything or do you want to listen to whats outside? We then

went on the bus, we went and won 2-0. Your behaviour was tremendous, which is

really important when we go abroad in Europe. So I have to thank you and say, one of

the reasons this football club is great is because of the fanbase. If you go away its not

as good, we dont attract the players. So, keep coming in your numbers, keep filling it

for the European games, keep coming in the Saturdays. If you do that then it makes

my job easier, it makes the clubs job easier, and the players have got no excuses

when theyre out in front of full houses. Thank you, hopefully were going to finish

on a great note this season, lined up with something at the end of the season. Thats

my aim, thats my ambition and theres plenty of it here. Thank you.

After a great round of applause, questions for the manager began. The first

shareholder wanted to know where next summers pre-season tour would take place,

in order to book his holidays! I always say, I always want to give you that

information as quick as I can. I do the same every year. Last year, Keith will tell you,we thought we were going to South Africa. We got gazumped at the last minute. It

actually caused me a horrible summer, trying to plan at the last minute. So, as soon as

we know, as we did discuss it for five minutes, as soon as we know, weve always

favoured going to America because we tend to go there and do well when we come

back so thats probably my favourite choice.

The next question for Mr Moyes was in relation to Januarys transfer window and the

effect of the African Nations Cup on our squad, potentially losing a number of

players. Mr Moyes replied saying, Ive got plans to bring in more than loan signings,

its actually getting them that would be the thing, the availability. The January market

is normally not the best but youre correct in what you say that loan signings tend tobe the best way around, to get things through. We will lose Stephen Pienaar, Im


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nearly sure of that. We will lose Joseph Yobo. Im a little unsure whether well lose

Victor Anichebe or Yak at this present time. But certainly I would expect to lose two.

The bigger concern, I think we can probably cover defensively, regarding Joseph. I

dont know if we can cover through the middle of the park so that would probably be

an area, if we were going to strengthen, especially with the loss of those two players.

The shareholder asked the manager about Aiyegbeni Yakubu and his reporteddifferences with Nigerian manager Bertie Vogts, with news reports offering

conflicting reports. I spoke to the press earlier, said Mr Moyes, they say he had a

meeting. There was a meeting with all the Nigerian players, I think because they were

all playing in our game on Saturday (laughs). Theyd a meeting in Portsmouth after

the game and as far as I know Ive not heard anything to say any different, so I

couldnt really answer that, as I gave the same answer to the press today.

What qualities will you be looking for in your new assistant manager? asked the

next shareholder. Im glad youve said that. I have an apology in my notes here, as

you well know, people who stand up and speak sometimes you dont remember

everything you should have. And written down here is to mention Alan. Alan Irvinewas an excellent assistant manager, extremely loyal, conscientious, hard working, all

the things anyone whos a boss would want from a number two. But Alan always had

an ambition to be a manager and he was forty nine years old and if he didnt take that

opportunity now, it might never have come for him. So I have to apologise for not

mentioning him but I also have to say I have to give him a big thank you for the

period he has been here. We are now actively looking to bring somebody else in. Ive

got varying different views on it. Im not going to make a rush appointment. The only

thing I will say is that Ive got a busy period coming, as you supporters have all got a

busy period coming as well, so it might be something I look to try and get in the next

few weeks. Again, weve got several different avenues which were pursuing.

The meeting then ended and all were invited to attend the buffet upstairs.

Everton FC AGM 2007 Minutes

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Transcript of Everton FC AGM 2007 Minutes