Everton legend Neville Southall delivers passionate defence of Graeme Sharp amid board drama at Goodison Park
Everton legend Neville Southall delivered a split stance on Goodison Park board room figures Bill Kenright and Graeme Sharp, with the latter now removed from his role, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Southall was involved in a Twitter exchange with a fan regarding his former team-mate Sharp, one of three board members to have left the club last week, as well as chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale and chief finance officer, Grant Ingles
As for Kenwright, the successful theatre and film producer remains in his position as club chairman amid intense scrutiny and demands for change at the club.
Southall was honest about his personal relationship with Sharp, even though his loyalty didn’t mask his own wish for change.
“Sharpy will be my friend to the day I die. We have gone through thick and thin together,” he said.
“Nothing will ever break that friendship. I sit down and wonder what I would have done
“The honest truth is I don’t know. I think I do but I am guessing.
Then in response to a question about his opinion of Kenwright, he was straight to the point.
“Times up.”
Leadership required
Southall has remained a high-profile voice for the fans, in the campaign for change at the club and his position hasn’t changed.
In regard to Sharp, he hardly attacked him due to their friendship which is understandable but at the same time, he certainly didn’t support his retention. The split approach represents this difficult, fraught saga at Everton that shows no sign of ending just yet.
Last Monday, it was confirmed that Barrett-Baxendale, Ingles and Sharp had all vacated their positions and that a further statement would be made within the next 48 hours.
Here we are, a week later and still nothing on the chairman role and the other related, interim appointments, to the board in what perfectly encapsulates the dysfunction running right through the Toffees’ hierarchy.
Change, direction and leadership are urgently required.
Only when that happens can the club move forward, on and off the pitch, as well as ahead of the huge transition to the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.