Everton take extreme measure as next home fixture against Arsenal classed as ‘high risk’
Everton have taken extreme measures in classing their next home fixture at Goodison Park against league leaders Arsenal as ‘high risk’, as the unrest surrounding the club intensifies, according to reports in the Daily Mail.
The Toffees’ 17th position in the Premier League table, their underachievement and the lack of activity and transparency from the club board have led to rapid unrest and anger from the club faithful.
So much so that the Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright, chief executive, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance officer, Grant Ingles, and non-executive director Graeme Sharp were instructed by the club’s security advisors not to attend the 2-1 defeat by Southampton because of what the club described as “a real and credible threat to their safety and security”.
Chief executive Barrett-Baxendale was also reported to have been placed in a headlock by a disgruntled fan after the dismal 4-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.
And according to Dominic King, reporting in the Daily Mail [16 January], the club have taken the extreme measure of placing their next Goodison Park fixture against high-flying Arsenal as high risk, with the protests and unrest intensifying.
The report goes on to state that the club want the board to be present against the Gunners on 4 February and are working on security measures to ensure it can be a normal matchday experience for them.
Toxic
All of these reports surrounding the support and leadership of the football club have been utterly ridiculous. It is evidently clear that the club has become toxic which is certainly sad to see.
How the Toffees plan to move forward after all this is uncertain, and there is a desperate need for much change from the owner Farhad Moshiri and the club board. They need to act now in appeasing the fans and backing their supposed support for Frank Lampard.
Whatever backing the former Chelsea boss needs to turn things around on the pitch, they must provide it to avoid a relegation nightmare come to the end of the season.
However, saying all that comes with risk, considering the poor recruitment the club have undergone in recent seasons, they are suffering from that right now. Indeed, January is a tough window to do much quality business but it is clear Lampard cannot work any magic with the player he possesses at his disposal.
The fans need some sense of hope, rather than this endless despair, which is leading some fans to resort to unnecessary and needless violence. The club board certainly don’t deserve the alleged threats thrown at them, it shouldn’t have to come to that.