By Colin Wilkes [colin.wilkes@gmail.com]
EVERTON FOOTBALL TRUST Response to Comments
As the author of the article, THE PEOPLES CLUB POWER TO THE PEOPLE, published on Everton Blog and NSNO regarding the establishment of an Everton Supporters Trust I feel now is the time to answer some of the comments I have received and seen posted on the net.
Whilst all of the emails I have received on the subject have been of a positive nature there has been many negative remarks made on some of the Forums. From what I can glean from some of these remarks there exists an undercurrent of dislike for a certain Mr Colin Laphan and that he is seen as the author of this material. He is not the author. I am and have sole responsibility for the contents.
I do not know nor have never met Mr Colin Laphan. I have however received emails from him on the subject of a Supporters Trust. He has answered certain questions I have posed to him regarding the Everton Council. This is an organisation I did not know existed until the 1st November 2004. Its existence, I have come to believe, was started by a group of EFC shareholders and had its first full meeting on 28th August 2004. This meeting took place in the old EFC Supporters Club City Road. Publicity for the event was so well broadcast that it attracted almost twenty five (25) people.
During the last week I have been learned that the EFC Council is to merge with a newly established Everton Supporters Trust. Control of this organ has been filched from the hands of the people by elements within the present Everton Shareholders Association.
At the time of writing my original article I never envisaged an Everton Supporters Trust to be for the present shareholders of EFC. That view still holds good today as it did then. Those who are fortunate enough to own shares in EFC at the present time have an organ at their disposal in which they can channel and vent their opinions and suggestions regarding the running and related issues of EFC. That organ is the Everton Shareholders Association. The present shareholders should maintain their present positions within that association and not involve themselves in an Everton Supporters Trust. After all said and done they cant even organise themselves properly judging by the shenanigans of the EGM.
Why then are these people hijacking the potential for the rest of us supporters who do not own shares in EFC? Personally I have no answer that can be considered cast iron. I like most of you can only guess. Needless to say, however, that where Supporters Trusts exist at other clubs they exert power and influence. Maybe it is this power and influence they wish to arrest for their own purposes. And how it fits into their grandiose scheme of things. The term Megalomania springs to mind. Or maybe they want to just seize control and therefore head of any possible pressure, unrest and disquiet, so as to save paternalistic Bill's bacon, from an organ that would have such influence and power. After all its only the supporters, you know those people who pay the wages of all.
With regards to the Everton Supporters Trust being a shareholding organisation. This is something that only the members can decide upon once the Trust is formed and established. There is no prerequisite for share ownership nor the absolute need for the members of the Trust to be shareholders in the future. If the members want the facility to own shares then negotiations with the club could proceed. If an individual did not want to purchase then there should be no pressure to do so. Free will and personal choice rule. Unless the megalomania fascists seize control.
If it was decided by a majority vote for the Trust to negotiate share ownership and enough people wanted to purchase there could be a possible £10-£30 million going into the club. How this would be spent would depend on the share owning membership of the Trust. There could be no way any single decision, on such monies be left in the palm of some fools hands, chairman, director, CEO or whatever. The majority of the Trust shareowners would have to vote and ring fence any funds for what they, and in collaboration with the club, decide to do with those funds. I most certainly cannot = envisage such funds being used to bail out some clown's bad economic housekeeping. Personally I would not like to see any Trust fund monies used in the transfer market. Rather it should be used as an investment in a capital expenditure project. Here again on a personal level it must never be used on any collaborative undertaking involving forces from the dark side should a ground share be forced upon us. God forbid. However the majority may want a ground share and I would abide by the majority decision. That does not mean I would ever enter the place. I would have to absent myself.
Reference has been made to an initial membership payment. On this point I have an open mind but every club I have been a member of has required a membership fee. Just what these memberships fees would be put to use for I don't really know. Money is available from the government backed Football Trust for initial set up costs such as stationary postage etc etc. Incidentally the main man at the trust is the Labour MP for Leigh who happens to be a very good Evertonian.
My reason for originally writing the piece on an Everton Football Trust was to open up some debate. I think that has been achieved to some degree. I do believe that had the team not been playing so well then the response would have been greater. So it's thanks to the teams good performances there are not more points for discussion here.
I am hopeful that more debate can be generated from this piece. I know there is a genuine interest in the establishment of an Everton Football Trust. That interest has to grow and come to fruition. With all becoming involved in the democratic decision making process that will and only be to the betterment of Everton Football Club.
colin.wilkes@gmail.com
