The 27 Campaign in open letter format, a year on from their initial walkout at Goodison, call for
Farhad Moshiri, 94% shareholder of Everton Football Club to address the growing concerns of the Everton fanbase, not only with regards to on-field performance, but increasingly off-field in relation to Finances, Ownership, Leadership and Direction (FOLD).
We believe the uncertainties and questions around finances, ownership, leadership and
direction directly impact performance on the pitch.
Open Letter to Farhad Moshiri
Wednesday 7th December 2022
Dear Mr Moshiri,
Change required
Since our open letter in July 2022, we respected your request to all Evertonians to “judge you at
the end of the (summer) window”. We gave you the benefit of the doubt. We have continued to provide the manager, Frank Lampard, his team and the players, the very highest levels of support particularly on match days, home and away.
A year ago, the 27 Campaign was formed to highlight the time since our last trophy win. Our actions, alongside other fan groups, then and since are driven by concerns as to the financing, ownership, leadership and direction (#FOLD) of our great club. We believe that issues surrounding finances, ownership, leadership and direction directly relate to our performance on the pitch.
Regrettably, given the absence of communications and any degree of change in the running of the club, we have in an open letter format, to ask you the following questions:
Finances: Other than the minimum statutory requirements, the club provides no information on
its finances. On the back of constructing a new stadium, having extensive, continued losses,
and profitability & sustainability issues, it is reasonable for shareholders and fans to expect
regular updates on our finances. Our finances directly relate to our ability to compete.
Ownership: Since the summer, messaging from the club has been confused. Is the club for sale? Are you seeking new investors to fund our working capital requirements? Other Premier League clubs seeking new investment or owners have appointed investment banks to handle their requirements. They have been clear with their communications. What is your intention, what are you doing and when will you communicate it clearly?
Leadership: In the near seven years since you acquired your initial shareholding you have persisted in retaining the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. There is nothing in the club’s governance, commercial, financial and indeed footballing performance, that suggests they warrant continued employment. As a result of huge losses and the squandering of resources, our competitive position declines on an annual basis in all respects. How can you justify their performance?
Direction: What are your ambitions (if any) for the club? The building of a new stadium, in isolation, will not cure the ills that have befallen Everton in recent years.So much more is required for us to be a competitive Premier League and ultimately European competitor once
more.
Change
We have short term, immediate requirements, namely survival in the Premier League. But if that is not to be the limit of our ambitions in years ahead we have to see change at the football club. Change in the leadership, change in the culture that exists.
You, as the majority shareholder, are the only person who can bring about that change. Surely you, with the financial commitment you have made, must recognise that change is necessary?
With respect, we ask you to directly answer the questions put to you. Tell us what changes are to be made to change the direction the club is heading.
Yours Sincerely,
The 27 Campaign
Categories: Everton finances
100% behind everything said above,thank you Paul.
Hi Paul, everything in your letter is correct and to the point.
We know the outcome of this unfortunately but at least there’s a chance for Moshiri to at least reply.
Absolutely agree the current board and chairman’s need to step aside and allow Everton FC to move onwards and upwards in line with what the incredible fan base deserves.
COYB BOYS
Fully support this.
Succinctly delivered.
Spot On Paul.
Perfectly articulated Paul.These are the fundamental issues at the very heart of the of the issues at the club. Watching with interest for any sign of response but i am not holding my breath. Thank you for raising them.
Thanks Paul, 100% behind this
Spot on Paul. Baffling to understand why more fans are not 100% behind the campaign
I agree hole heartily
Os fãs do Brasil apoiam essa Carta. Estamos juntos.
Well said, totally agree 💙
Well said. Clearly expressed and demanding answers. Thanks
Well said and put across suucinctly. Behind all that’s been said, and hoping he has some decency and replies to you.
I am saddened and distraught that the tragic Comedy of Everton continues.
There is nothing useful or productive coming from those you have rightly identified. Still. Despite the same regurgitated false promises / silence.
The years have been shameful.
Every manager under the auspices of Peoples Club have been starved of what is obvious for survival let alone success. An abundance of goal scorers.
In fact certain clubs have more strikers this season than we have had in total over the past decades.
The stale years of this chairmans woeful incumbency have been one universal embarrassment and gigantic failure.
This behemoth board relies on the unparalleled loyalty given in abundance vocally and financially by its awesome fanbase.
They have bestowed dishonour upon our motto and our club.
I would hope these concerns are addressed in the near future in the name of openness and clarity.
We need to stick together, give Lampard time and funds, we cant keep sacking managers, Silva, doing well at Fulham, Martinez goes on to manage Belgium, Koeman goes on to Holland, one thinh they all have in common is working at this pathetically run club. I agree with all the points above, its almost like a gentlemans club where no one os held accountable because they are all mates, we are in a very serious relegation battle yet again. We have strikers who would not look out of place in Division 2 or the dog and dart in Rondon for example. What a joke, every decent club needs 2 or 3 strikers chomping at the bit and hungry we have 0, Calvert Lewin is made of glass and is not in the top 10 of strikers in prem anyway, very poor decision making from top to bottom but at least Lampard seems to have sorted the defensive side out at least. Our fans and all of you on here are simply amazing, thank you for keeping up the fight and thank you for giving me belief that we can make the changes required.
Simple questions need simple replays but unfortunately this is Everton football club showed in secrecy for years uncle bill’s gentlemens club detest this man so much smirking on the front row of the directors box game after game getting his annual retainer fee he’s the root of Everton’s problems and has been for years
Fully agree I seen a tweet before stating before moshiri got here our average league position was 7th since he has been here it’s dropped to 11th.
I commented on Toffeeweb but I can see on GOT forum there’s one or two still don’t get it. If we’re building a new ground, can we rebuild the club brick by brick too? We need change. We need it now. Because even now is too late. We needed change yesterday, 5 years ago 10 years ago. We needed the club to have people in place making us number 1 again when we started to drift away in the early 90’s. We got Kenwright. Need I say more.
Excellent questions driving to the heart of our club’s decline. Sadly, the response will be not forthcoming as the owner will not admit to such failure, preferring to cling to the belief that the new stadium will be a panacea for all ills. It may unravel if the team slip into the bottom 3 in the coming weeks and a meltdown at the club might remove the leadership but there is risk. It might also exacerbate market confidence in the financial situation. Will this strengthen the likelihood of relegation and leave the club as an unwanted financial risk, certainly for the big players seeking investment at the top table of European football? A Bleak House!
until kenwright goes nothing will change he is the cancer in our club.
Finances:
So only the minimum required info on finance has been provided so what is it you want? We know the club sailed pretty close to the wind last season with regard to FFP and many people believe there was a little bit of creative accounting involved to get us through this period I don’t believe exposing any dirty/soiled laundry would have helped, just let them get on with their jobs.
Ownership:
Regarding ownership, what is it you would like him to do, maybe he should invite you to his office sit you down and explain everything to you in detail, is that what you would like? How do you know that he hasn’t appointed an investment bank to work on his/Everton’s behalf?
I believe he will show us his plans when the time is right.
Leadership:
If you are referring to Bill Kenwright here then I just don’t get it, a few years ago he fended off quite a few rumoured takeovers, he resisted them as he considered they were not right for Everton, and by doing so he forfeited his chance at that time to become a multi-millionaire and instead he raised as much money as he could which including remortgaging his own home. I believe he has been a very chairman of Everton, he lives and breaths Everton and does his best at all times
Direction:
I believe Mr. Moshiri does seem to have some ambitions for the club and to date, he has backed that up by coughing up £500,000.000 for players plus any payments to managers, etc. oh yes and by the way, he is also financing our new Stadium to the tune of another 500,000.000. By my reckoning, that amounts to a Billion pounds and I would say well done Mr. Moshiri.
When Martinez arrived he was lauded as the best thing since sliced bread by the supporters but unfortunately, he lasted less than three years, was this Moshiri’s fault? Then came Ronald Coleman, a brilliant midfielder I’m sure we all agree, he was greeted by fans and press alike as a masterstroke by Everton, oh what a manager he is going to be everyone said, once again it was not to be, he lasted just over a year. Next, we had Fat Sam he was just on a rescue mission and was thankfully gone after about six months or so. Next up was Marco Silva, once again eighteen months or so, then he was gone. And now along comes Carlo Ancelotti a world-renowned and highly respected manager, what a coup for Everton (Kenwright and Moshiri) he was doing quite well but after his second Xmas here things started to go downhill somewhat and then he departed for Madrid. Was it always Carlo’s intention to go to Madrid or maybe he was driven out by Moshiri?
In between, we had Big Dunc for a couple of games and a similar scenario with David Unsworth.
Was it Moshiris’s fault that they failed at Everton, all those managers who were lauded by fans when they arrived and were backed to the hilt with cash by Mr. Moshiri, well I don’t think so, no I can’t blame Mr. Moshiri?
I can blame him for Benitez though.
Change
I believe there was a major change in January when the board appointed Frank Lampard and it was a change for the better I’m sure.
He brought in new backroom staff and identified that the defense was a disgrace so he went about strengthening the defense when he didn’t have all the resources at his disposal, due once again to FFP rules.
He had to be a little creative with some of the signings and I and many others believe he has done a good job. We now have the January transfer window upon us so let’s see how it goes.
I understand your disappointment with the current situation but let’s not throw the baby out with bath water, as they say, Frank needs at least this winter transfer window plus another one in the summer to try and set the house/team in order.
Try to be a bit more positive.
Regards to all Blue Noses.
Thank you for asking the right questions Paul and for carrying the good fight.
I’ve a question Paul why was Lord Grantchester so against Kenwright? The only link to the Moores family.