As is often the case, the arrival of news so eagerly anticipated and prayed for, campaigned for, for so long and with so many people having committed huge resources, particularly time and effort in getting the solution we sought, the news itself is temporarily at least, almost anti-climatic.
Premier League Statement
The Premier League Board has approved The Friedkin Group’s 98.8 per cent acquisition of Everton Football Club, following the completion of the League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
Having been agreed by the Board, the takeover has now been ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel.
The club’s new owners and directors have also signed the Premier League’s Owners’ Charter. Link
The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the satisfactory completion of the transaction.
– Ends
There is so much to go into regarding the future of Everton under the Friedkin Group and that will be analysed in due course.
But today is a day for thinking of what so many Evertonians and others have done to keep the club going, to hold Moshiri to account and ultimately achieve the financial security and professional management so desperately needed for decades.
The list of people involved in bringing Everton’s difficulties to light, in maintaining pressure on the former owner Farhad Moshiri, his directors and executives is long, lengthy but inspiring.
Evertonians and others, ordinary fans, journalists, fan media, professional advisors, people with the ability to finance the club when we so, so nearly went to the wall, none of them will necessarily want public recognition for what they did. They did it for the love of our club, they did it as a professional duty (in the case of journalists) and for some as a result of a sense of duty. A sense of duty to the hundreds of thousands of Evertonians past and present. The 10’s of millions that attended games at Goodison, the former players, the architects of the Football League, and even the Premier League. For the hundreds of thousands of future Evertonians. For the game itself.
Thankfully, in the cold light of day, Everton was too big a club to be ignored, to be left to rot as has happened so sadly to much smaller, less storied (but no less worthy) clubs.
With the support of so many, we got through the crises created by the appalling mismanagement of our club. Mismanagement that lasted for decades but accelerated under the madness of the Moshiri reign.
The time for analysis of the past, and of course, expectations for the future will come in the days ahead. Today, in my mind at least, is for thanking all those that stood tall when called upon and ensured that the club survived long enough to be passed to appropriate, future custodians.
Thank you everyone who contributed to that effort.
Categories: Opinion
thank you Paul for sharing you thoughts and highly regarded opinions on all things EFC and for banging the drum for much need change for our club, give yourself a well deserved pat on the back and and a celebratory drink today, good health to you and your family.
UTFT
Your modesty Paul restricts you from taking credit for being a key leader of the fan challenge to Moshiri. Your role, however, in informing us, the fans, of the dark arts of financial management, along with others, has helped the fanbase shape/express concern, frustration, anger and helped us focus a narrative that challenged those in power at Everton, holding their feet to the fire in failing to uphold our proud motto. All Evertonians are realistic as the takeover solves nothing other than enable a different approach from a more secure position. We should not get ahead of ourselves, but for today, it is day 1 of renewed hope and that is the best Christmas gift any Blue could hope for at the moment. A big, big thank you Paul for your dedication, often in the face of personal criticism. 👏👏👏 💙NSNO
Thank you Jeff that’s very kind of you. I like to think most blues did what they could do to help the club 🙏
Thanks go to you Paul for enlightening and encouraging many fans to keep up the pressure for change.
I suspect a more cheery tone in an upcoming “Talking the Blues “ podcast !
Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year
Thanks Spencer, hopefully George will not feel the need to moon the Friedkins. All the best to you and yours too mate
I tip my hat to you too Paul. Well done.
Thanks Steve – here’s to the future
Thank you Paul for all insighs you have given me regarding my beloved CLUB! I close this charter of EFC history and open Chapter 2 for the future,NSNO!
Thank you Anders – yes better times ahead
All the best mate
Congratulations Paul Quinn MBE!…. Member of Blues Elite
You’ve been the authority on financial and corporate matters at EFC for a long time Paul, and your resiliance in continuing to highlight the short sighted decisions and future peril, often in the face of people laughing, insulting and generally hating you for doing so, is commendable. Turns out you were right all along and Uncle Alisher was never coming to the rescue!
I hope today proves a watershed moment. And that you can enjoy much more peaceful times ahead.
Thanks Karl, that’s very kind of you. Many others have worked behind the scenes to secure today’s position. All the best mate, and to better times ahead
Well Done to you Paul and all those that have taken up the baton to inform us mere mortals.
I never liked the old regime but I also took some convincing (in the early days), that despite their protestations, they were not acting in the best interests of the club or indeed the fans.
I’ve enjoyed some face to face calls with Paul and had some interesting discussions around Moshiri, 777 and ACAP. We haven’t and shouldn’t always agree on everything but we must all rally around one point – we want to see Everton winning football games and returning our great club to the top table of British and European football.
Well Done Paul
Up The Friedkin Toffees.
💙🧢💪
Thank you mate. I have always enjoyed our conversations and indeed your contributions. It is good to be able to discuss opposing views. All the best for Christmas!
Thanks for everything Paul.
As someone of the “worst age” (just too young in the mid 80s, but old enough for the fall from grace), I’ve seen all the false dawns come and go. Your realism sometimes attracts abuse, as it is seen as pessimism, but it’s so clear where your loyalties lie. I’m not overstating – I think you and others have saved our club from destruction. I hope today gives you pause to take a breath and actually enjoy being an Evertonian. I hope today is a positive day in our history.
Whatever the challenge, Blues have proved ourselves more than its equal. We are the difference. Let’s hope TFG harness this and better times are ahead…
Thanks Tim, that’s very kind of you. Numerous Blues stepped up to protect the club from Moshiri’s worst suggested outcomes. He was an appalling custodian of our club
Better times ahead mate
At 80 years old I have witnessed and been part of the good times and the longstanding fall from grace and so welcome today as a new start with hope and expectation. Your contribution in recent times particularly has kept me up to speed with the diabolical way we have been run. Thank you for that and do keep up with your informative musings on our Club.
Thank you Peter, that is very kind of you. May the genuine good times return very soon
Thanks for all your insightful and thoughtful analysis Paul, I have spent many an hour listening to your analysis trying to keep my steps up 🙂 – from Everton Business Matters to Talking the blues and the frequent specials in between. Not always positive but, unfortunately, a realistic view of the Moshiri tenure, warts and all. I hope we don’t spend too much time looking back in retribution but look forward and analyse the TFG actions to the same degree – no doubt some of their decisions will be disliked by some Evertonians just because they are more business focused, but so be it.
A new era after the errors
Thanks Steve. I think you arr 💯 correct. Time to look forward 👍
You were always at the forefront of our fight for survival mate, those who know, know 💙👍
God Bless
Thank you so much Stephen for all your support over the years. You are a true blue. Wishing you much health in 2025 💙
Thanks, Paul, for the countless hours you must have dedicated to analysing the chaos of the Moshiri era and endeavouring to make some sense of the financial mess the club descended into.
Hopefully, we can now all look forward to a root and branch overhaul of the whole club commercial and playing operation. Difficult times may still lie ahead on the playing front but at least we can, at last, be optimistic that that the club will be professionally run.
Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
Bill