Andy Burnham ‘concerned’ about Everton future as 777 Partners ramp up charm offensive
Andy Burnham is “concerned about the future” of Everton, but says he will not rush to judge 777 Partners should they complete their takeover of the club.
777 last month agreed to acquire Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% share at Goodison Park, but that must first be ratified by the Premier League before officially going through.
Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and also an Everton season ticket holder, is anxious about what new backers could mean for the club.
“I’ve been careful not to rush to judgement. We’re all concerned about the future of the club,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
“You feel that so much when you go to the match. We’re anxious aren’t we? I always knew that when Everton did change stadium, it was going to apply stress to the club. That has come to pass, we’ve been living through that.
“I think there shouldn’t be a rush to judgement. There should be scrutiny and challenge. I think if you look at the open letter to Evertonians at the weekend, you can see at least a communication there that is an improvement on what we’ve had recently.”
The right choice?
Burnham is not alone in feeling anxious about the future, with many wondering just how much 777 Partners can be trusted in wake of what we have been told about the American investment fund’s shady past.
In the view of many, it does not matter who is in charge of the club as long as it is not Moshiri. For others, it is a case of better the devil you know.
777 did at least reach out to supporters at the weekend with an open letter on the club’s official website in which they talked up their success at the other clubs in their portfolio. Standard Liege and Vasco da Gama fans will no doubt beg to differ.
Co-founder Josh Wander labelled media reports regarding 777 as “misleading and concerning”, but supporters will not know just how reliable the prospective new owners are until they are in place.
Ultimately, fans will not stop feeling anxious until the takeover goes through and the dust settles. Let’s just hope it proves to be the best for the club in the long run.
In other Everton news, Peter Reid has reacted to a “frustrating” injury development at Goodison Park.