Bill Kenwright and Denise Barrett-Baxendale ‘trigger’ Everton fans over ‘unsavoury’ events – Sky Sports pundit
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale are the two names that “trigger” the fans the most, especially after “unproven” and “unsavoury” issues this season, says Kevin Campbell.
The former Goodison captain believes the broken relationship between the board and the supporters won’t be fixed until certain members of the board move on, amid ongoing protests and the hierarchy not attending home games.
Allegations of threats to their safety ahead of the game against Southampton on 14 January, followed by the claim that Barrett-Baxendale was put in a headlock on the way out of the ground previously [Liverpool Echo], have been roundly blasted, with Ian Wright accusing the board of “throwing the fans under the bus” as they remain unsubstantiated, and Campbell thinks it is two characters in particular that are the real issue for the fanbase.
The Sky Sports pundit spoke exclusively to Goodison News on the subject of Kenwright and Barrett-Baxendale and said: “Yeah I think those specifically, those two names, trigger the fans.
“They do, they trigger the fans. Obviously there’s been some unsavoury things that have come out, bits and pieces like that.
“Some things that have come out that are still unproven.
“So I just think that is the big wedge between the board and the fanbase.
“The club have to find a way for how to move forward.
“You could see the fanbase [on the final day], the relief, and then they turned to the board because they want change.”
There is plenty of blame and ill-feeling to go around at Everton after two seasons of struggle on and off the pitch, but while the likes of Farhad Moshiri and Graeme Sharp find themselves in the firing line at times it feels like it is Kenwright above all and secondly Barrett-Baxendale who cause the most upset.
Given their key positions at Goodison Park, and without the spending that the owner can reasonably point to as a contribution, or the goals that the former striker can, it is perhaps no surprise.
But with MSP Sports Capital’s money starting to come in and board seats on the cards, it seems that the change that fans want is now not far away as the two board members are tipped to go.