“All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume.” ―
And so it appears at Everton Football Club. Where is the fan fury over the running of our football club? Rightly, the Premier League felt the fury of the Everton fan base over the handling of the profitability and sustainability breach, and no doubt will do so further as the results of the next Commission’s findings are published in the coming week.
Yet, the people (person, perhaps?) responsible for the decisions and actions over recent years that have resulted in the breaches, the person directly responsible for Everton’s current position, the person who saw, knew of, the forthcoming existential crisis; the person responsible for the uncompetitive position we find ourselves in football-wise; the person whose choice of prospective owner hugely threatens Everton’s future regardless of whether 777 Partners are approved or not gets a virtual free pass.
Yes, Farhad Moshiri – the man who is responsible for our ills, who if memory serves me right has only spoken to the shareholders association or their representatives a couple of times plus largely ignored the fan advisory board and individual representation to him in over eight years. Yet, the very same man buckled several times under pressure from the 27 Campaign and others, responding with ill-considered remarks and responses to open letters.
In the understandable and highly laudable desire to get the club “over the line”, fans have been extra-ordinary in their support of the players and football management teams. It is undeniable that our survival in the Premier League would not have been possible without the backing of us, the fans. Something that the football management and players willingly and freely acknowledge.
Therefore, why cannot that collectivism be carried over to peaceful, polite but strong protest as to the running of our club? The demand for accountability? It doesn’t follow that criticism of the ownership or directors of the club impacts the performance of the manager and players. It’s inconceivable that the management and those players who care for the club’s future don’t have the same concerns? The management and players must be more aware than any as to how well or not the club is run? How does the running of the club compare to other clubs, for example? They know the answers to those questions, as do others elsewhere in football.
Fan engagement
Much has been made in recent years of the progress made in fan engagement, the progress driven initially by the fan led review under Tracey Crouch MP, the (as always) self-congratulatory, “we are first” claims of Everton FC to set up a Fan Advisory Board. Yet, the reality (certainly at Everton) is that the accountability of owners and directors has reduced further, and the belief that the fan base can influence any significant event not promoted by many parties, including fans and even some independent media channels is dismissed and rubbished.
The ability to, and the channels available to fans to protest, to raise concerns, has reduced, not increased. The very creation of the fan advisory board was formulated by a process designed and approved by the club. The structure, composition and remit has created a channel that by design promotes majority held views and all but negates the prospect of minority, often independent views from being heard. A board that has no legal standing or construct.
It also allows the club, its owner and directors to fall back on the “you have a process, you have “elected” representatives and we engage with them” shield of unaccountability and deniability.
I ask this question not because I want to have a go at good, well-meaning, hard-working Evertonians who voluntarily dedicate time and effort into the structures permitted by the club. I ask, because I see no evidence from the club that supporter concerns are in any way taken into account, especially over critical issues such as the club’s finances and its future ownership.
The club, its owner and directors hide behind the commercial sensitivity argument, the “we are in a regulatory environment therefore cannot comment” society and frankly too few Evertonians challenge this line of thinking. I know many Evertonians are desperate with worry over the future of the club, yet no information is made available to us, and the logic behind Moshiri’s choice of future ownership never explained or justified.
Moving on?
There’s a perceived logic that says once the decision over 777 approval or not is made then we can move on. The reality is far from that. Everton’s challenges the day after approval or denial will be equally great and our future equally uncertain. This is the position Moshiri has got us to.
The six month, and counting, directors and ownership test decision making process has materially weakened Everton’s position regardless of outcome. We are in a worse position than we were six months ago, and a future owner who has had to spend six months to convince of their suitability is undeniably in a weaker position generally, and in the case of 777 Partners specifically. A point which the club, the Premier League and Farhad Moshiri fail to acknowledge. Whatever minimal credibility 777 Partners had six months ago has vanished – vanished with the avalanche of disturbing news and evidence as to how they are run, their finances, their legitimacy and their very own questionable future.
We, the fans, have to use the evidence presented and reported upon in the last six months (and earlier) to bring this process to a halt. Even in the bizarre circumstances that the Premier League granted approval (something that is not happening) 777 couldn’t solve Everton’s deepening problems. Our management demands and financial condition has deteriorated significantly at a time when 777 have lost many key management personnel and critically, their finances have deteriorated by an even greater degree. So we now have a target company (Everton) in a much weaker position than previously being targeted by a company (777 Partners) whose capacity to provide solutions for Everton has reduced significantly and will reduce even further in coming months.
This is the issue that Moshiri fails or refuses to recognise. It’s something eventually (possibly this week) that the Premier League must formally recognise. In doing so, it removes one problem, namely 777 Partners – it does not provide a solution however. Additionally, I have no confidence in Moshiri’s ability to provide an additional, alternative solution.
The role that fans have to play, now
This intolerable situation has to be publicised and requires the attention of independent, individual fans, fan groups and the fan advisory board. It, in my opinion, requires the shareholder association to recognise the seriousness and immediacy of our crisis and add their weight and voice to providing a solution. It requires the creditors of Everton football club to realise that their position deteriorates over time, and that Moshiri’s proposed solution to them (777 Partners) is not the solution that works in their best interests.
It is an incredibly tough time to be an Evertonian – it has been incredibly tough for many years, particularly the last few. Yet despite the exhaustion we can’t give up, as frankly there’s no-one but us to fight our cause. Moshiri, 777 Partners, the Premier League all want us to follow