‘Successful’ Everton fans among four names in frame to replace Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Bill Kenwright on board
Four names are in the frame for seats on the new Everton board after three resignations and an expected fourth, The Guardian reports.
Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Grant Ingles and Graeme Sharp all left on Monday (12 June), while chairman Bill Kenwright is expected to join them within 48 hours of the original move.
MSP Sports Capital’s investment is thought to be the trigger for the departures and the two representatives of the American consortium, Jahm Najafi and Jeff Moorad, are both potential new board members.
Additionally, two Everton fans in George Downing and Andy Bell are also on the cards to be appointed – Bell is the owner of Blythe Capital through which Everton have already received recent investment.
The Guardian report: “MSP’s co-founders, Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi, could take places on the board after their initial investment.
“Either way, two successful local businessmen, the property developer George Downing and investor Andy Bell, who are Everton fans, are understood to be in the frame for board positions as part of the deal.”
New look
MSP Sports Capital have been widely expected to get board representation as part of their investment deal, and the way is now cleared for them to do so.
That this has come about in such a dramatic fashion after a few weeks of relative quiet behind the scenes might suggest that the departing members aren’t delighted by the situation.
On the face of things it would seem like a positive development for the American investors to join with their local counterparts in the boardroom as Everton look to recover from a chaotic period.
Whoever the new appointments turn out to be it should pave the way for a thawing of the relationship between the fanbase and the board, and it is surely likely that the hierarchy will start attending games at Goodison Park again.
The supporters will give the incoming figures a chance, but their patience will certainly not be limitless in the context of the past few years and the overall situation at the club still.
Najafi, Moorad, Bell and Downing, if they are to have a key hand in the running of the club, will have to prove sooner rather than later that they can get better results than those they replaced, by directing Everton out of trouble.