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Graeme Sharp told to speak out on 'shocking allegations' at Everton
Everton fan group the NSNOW Campaign have urged non-executive director Graeme Sharp to speak out on the “shocking allegations” surrounding the headlock incident involving CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale.
The Toffees’ 18th position in the Premier League table, their continual underachievement and the lack of transparency from the club board have led to rapid unrest and anger from the club faithful.
Barrett-Baxendale was reported to have been placed in a headlock by a disgruntled fan after the dismal 4-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.
And the Toffees fan group The NSNOW group have written [Liverpool ECHO, 10 March] to Sharp urging the non-executive director to address those allegations.
They wrote: “We have reached a position where the owner has not attended a home match since October 2021, the board including yourself instructed (by whom?) not to attend home matches, and we, the fans, believe that our reputation has been deeply damaged by the club.
“As you know, there have been shocking allegations of the CEO being put into a headlock by a fan, which have neither been substantiated nor withdrawn.
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“Despite all of this the fans remain committed to putting their full support behind the team. However, there is the danger of becoming completely exhausted after our efforts last season to pull Everton out of the relegation zone and the recent attacks on our reputation.
“Yet, despite the deep crisis that the club currently finds itself in, we have heard nothing from the Chairman, CEO or board of which you are a member.”
Transparency needed
This has become a long-running theme in regard to the Toffees board.
We’ve seen countless correspondence and letters written to the club chiefs where the supporters have urged them to update them on club activity and to address recent club failings, but to no avail.
Things were made even worse when Everton majority owner Farhad Moshiri took a swipe at the Goodison Park faithful in a live talkSPORT interview [12 January] with Jim White, stating that most of his managerial decisions have been “driven” and influenced by supporters.
Where have those allegations surrounding the CEO being placed in a headlock come from? The club’s fans deserve answers, they deserve transparency and ongoing updates as to the state and business of the club.
For too long now, the Toffees board have been silent which is leading to further unrest. It’s time someone like Sharp who knows the club inside out having spent the best part of his successful career there, comes out and provides the fans with news or better yet, goes directly to Moshiri to put right the board’s ongoing incompetence.
The fans deserve that much.