Paul Gregg statement released to fans' sites.

"I am releasing this statement today to the fan's websites so I can directly speak to the people who are most important to this Club to fully explain my vision for the future of Everton.

I share your frustrations, we have all had enough of rumour and speculation, now is the time for plain speaking.

I have been a loyal supporter of Bill Kenwright and I would like to put on record my respect and admiration for this great Evertonian.

He has been the heart and soul of this Club and a true Blue. I sincerely hope that Bill's ability, inspiration and passion will be a part of Everton's future. My passion is success and you are hungry for success. Now the time has come where head must rule over heart if we are to make this Club great again.

My immediate priorities are to deal with the Club's urgent need for new investment and financial stability to invest in the rebuilding and strengthening of the team.

It is vital we keep Wayne Rooney at the Club, he is the world class asset around which we will build a great team.

In October I will call an AGM to get the shareholders approval for a new issue of shares to create an additional £15 million investment for our Club. In 18 months time, when the new Board has proved it can deliver and has earned your trust and confidence, I will seek your support to widen the share ownership, giving you the opportunity to have a real stake and voice in our Club.

A new Chairman will be appointed at the AGM and a new committed Board put in place to bring fresh energy, professionalism and ambition to our Club.

A new Chief Executive will be appointed who will lead and motivate the management team. We already have a talented and committed team of staff. What we need now is strong and decisive leadership and a modern professional organisation to ensure success both on and off the pitch.

I will appoint a new Business Director with the sole responsibility for fundraising and sponsorship to fulfil our ambition for a state of the art training ground and youth academy to nurture the Wayne Rooneys of the future.

Everton is one of the world's greatest football Clubs, reflected in the passion and loyal commitment of our greatest asset - you.

Evertonians are rightly proud of our Club's past and glorious achievements but now we must look to the future. Football has changed, our future success will be founded not only on passion and ambition, but also on professionalism and on sound business sense.

Now is the time for change. We must work together to make it happen."

If you haven't done so yet, you may wish to express your reaction to the above in the poll on the right hand side of this page [the poll that asks about whom you would like to see at the helm].

"And Radzinski must score!" [football commentator then groans]. It's 2nd time lucky for Cahill.

Welcome to Hell.

We have agreed an undisclosed fee [c.£2m?] with Millwall for Oz international, Tim Cahill. He's not very famous but is 24 or 25 years old [stories differ] and plays in midfield. Unfortunately, he has been named in the Australian squad for the Olympics, so you know what's going to happen there, don't you?

Go on now go, and let the door-knob hit you, where the Good Lord split you.

Rad's finally got his ticket and is bound down saarf [c£1.75m]. He'll no doubt win loads with Fulham. Au revoir Tomasz, of late, it's been average.

Linderoth's probably next, FC Copenhagen look likely to get him for £1m.

On paper, this leaves us with the same number of strikers as we had last season. However, if you consider the fact that Campbell and Ferguson are unlikley to ever again be 'as good' as they were last season, you could be forgiven for thinking that we're actually going to be two strikers down. Unfortunately, money excepted, we don't play on paper.

50 ways to leave your lover.

In perhaps a monumental act of sour grapes by the agent, who may be frustrated at not being able to bank any transfer commisssion yet, Rooney is supposed to have asked Everton 50 Nr questions.

Aberdeen And-us?

Wyness of Aberdeen is flattered to be linked with us, but denies that an offer has been made. I wonder whom [from Gregg or Kenwright] approached him? Apparently the bloke is an Economics graduate, should have no problem answering Rooney's 50 Nr questions then.

On the football front.

We're away to Burnley tonight, who'll be fancying their chances, and yes, I see they're 1:0 up...

Quite possibly THE definitive poll about our wishes for the short term future of Everton Football Club

I was sent this email today. If you are not already a member, I recommend that you get over to Bluekipper pronto and register, in order to vote.

It's included below and is self-explanatory.

The following is an email sent to you by an administrator of "bluekipper.com Everton FC Fans Forum"...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKD [sic*] ME TO CONDUCT A POLL ABOUT THE ABOVE NAMED PEOPLE. THEIR [sic#2*] SEEMS TO BE A BOARDROOM POWER STRUGGLE AT OUR CLUB. CAN YOU ALL PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL, SO WE CAN GAUGE THE FEELING OF ALL EVERTONIANS.
CHEERS
MACCA
(FORUM ADMIN)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everton [a] to Crewe and The Turning of the Sc-Roo.

Talk about pictures painting a thousand words...
 
The S*n Newspaper online posted this photograph tonight.
 
If there's a wound, you can always count on the Red Tops to agitate it ... you see, that way it bleeds better and produces more 'dollar shots.'
 
We lost 2:1, with Campbell netting in the 78th min. It doesn't matter as it's all about fitness at the mo'
 
 

The dominoes are in motion.

Arthur Abercromby has resigned from the Board of Directors. This resignation was not wholly unexpected, but the timing, coming shortly after the loss of Birch and around 24 hours after Gregg's statements should prove significant.

Surely, the rate of change will now gather momentum.

Gregg backing or greenbacks?

Virtually all of the Everton news today centres around Gregg's comment on BBC Radio 5 last night and information published in the Liverpool Echo. Gregg said that it is incredibly sad that the club is forced to contemplate the sale of Rooney. Red Tops [and those who should know better] are reading a great deal into that particular comment. However, his statements didn't actually give anything new away; the bleeding obvious is, in effect, all that was given. The main content may be read and listened to here [click on the 'Audio' link on the BBC page and you'll be able to hear the interview in full].

The actions are much more interesting than the words however. The gloves can most definitely be deemed 'off' by virtue of a single fact alone - Gregg's trip up north. To make such a rare visit spells that the matter is, at long last, being taken seriously. Kenwright's key play has been to request greenbacks from a hitherto unconsidered source [?] Something that he has denied. Expect a quick, clean resolution, with the 'loser[s]' walking away with the minimum consolation of their expenses having been covered.

The 'will he, won't he' matter looks to be on a knife-edge according to the layers. Betfair has proved interesting, but not too telling a guide, with regards to the Rooney transfer saga. The previously reported big money [£5,000 placed at odds of 1.5, for example], in favour of him staying put, has long since gone.

On the pitch, we're away to Crewe tonight, I may yet get there.

Much match-making and an absence of grace.

It was very saddening to hear of the tragic deaths of Alex Cole and his friend. The official site sums up the feelings of us all, I am sure.

In-out

Today's rumours, decanted from the internet, radio and good old fashioned hard-copy:

In?
Hemdani from Marseille [£1m]
Gregg [is it true that he got lost on his way to Goodison today?]

Out?
Grav. to Celtic [£2m]
Linderoth to FC Copenhagen [£1.5]
Kenwright [tba]

PS. Ipswich's Royle denied any interest in Duncan Ferguson. Fingers crossed...

Sick of shopping in Netto? Try M&S.

Turning to Rooney, I'm still firmly of the opinion that any thought of his £50k per week deal 'costing the club' much, if anything, is naive.

Hey, Red Tops! I've got a notion.

The world's most exciting 'new' player will offer Everton incredible commercial potential. Anyone, placed on a football club's board and in possession of a minimum of GCSE Maths and Economics would, I suggest, be able to devise ways and means of employing Rooney at a profit. I know that those qualifications are beyond many of the Red Top journos, but be assured, they're working to a different and heinous agenda. By any means necessary, they need Rooney to be playing for one of their P5 cronies next season, hence their continual sniping and the remorseless accentuation of our negative attributes.

Turning to a big local news item that broke today...

No Grace

No I'm not talking about Steve Bruce.

Parochialism may be a prime mover once more, as yet another high profile waterfront scheme sinks? The King's Dock died, but it didn't matter to the Council because they were going to build an Arena and a Fourth Grace !

Not any more they're not.

A Stairway to Heaven or Jacob's Ladder?

You may chart the rise and fall of the infamous balloon project, a veritable Lead Zeppelin, by using the following links:
1 2 3a 3b 3c

So come '2008' and all that, what's it gonna be? A huge car park has got to be the current fap.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday.

Sunday seems to be the day when most in the media decide to start 'making the fun.'

I have found a relatively obscure article [in a Staffordshire-only paper] by Alan Hudson. To me, it is a cut above the rest of today's sensation, spin and/or twaddle. Whilst not agreeing with all of it, I consider it honest and well-meaning. See what you think.

I was working near Widnes Vikings Rugby League stadium today. Widnes are a once great and mighty club [i.e. the days of Dougie Laughton and of Frank Myler] that has, of late, fallen on hard times. Familiar?

It was hilarious listening to the beaten Widnes fans' comments as they left the stadium, once more the losers, today the loss being in their very own RL version of a football 6-pointer! Some of the comments were near word-perfect copies of my own, spouted after too many of last season's Everton matches. It doesn't seem to matter what their passions are; people really ARE alike all over.

Many Widnes RL fans also follow Everton. Jeez, imagine what life's like for them right now?