Graham Sanders 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

For all their financial and footballing travails, Everton represent an attractive proposition for an intelligent investor because of the number of people who are so passionate about the club. Takeovers are all about the money but Everton are worth buying because they mean so much to so many people. The numbers to look at are not only financial but also those who live and breathe Everton. If Dan Friedkin needed to do due diligence into the heart and soul of Everton Football Club he need only look at the number of staff and fans signing up for the Goodison Sleepout on October 11. They’re again fund-raising for local kids at risk of homelessness. Or Friedkin could look at the 60+ other vital initiatives that Everton In The Community are involved in, including mental health projects, suicide prevention, education interventions and empowering disabled people. Just because the tenure of majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri descended into shambles, especially on recruitment at certain times, didn’t mean the club was inherently flawed. There is plenty right about Everton. Clubs are so much more than a first team, even if footballing fortunes dominate 90% of headlines. Managers, players and owners come and go. A club’s heartbeat is maintained by the people who stay, by loyal supporters and selfless staff. Friedkin will learn why Everton are known as the People’s Club, a beacon of hope and force for good in local wards amongst the most deprived 1% of neighbourhoods nationally. Friedkin will see the passion of the fanbase, and the number of good people who have fought for the club, whether protesting against points deductions, calling on Moshiri to show some accountability or backing the team. (Some fans did barrack players at London Euston last month but they’re very much a minority). The sight of Julie Clarke, a member of the club’s Fan Advisory Board, sitting behind Premier League CEO Richard Masters during a DCMS hearing in January showed the lengths Everton supporters will go to protect their club and hold power to account. Clarke, FAB chair Dave Kelly, a tireless presence at the match-day food bank outside Goodison and Anfield, and the countless others who share their passion are the lifeblood of Everton. Friedkin buys into a strong and often very vocal family. He buys a distressed asset but an asset with huge potential for recovery because of the people. He famously flew his own Spitfire in the film “Dunkirk” so he’s used to getting historic British institutions off the ground. Everton fans have been down so many promising pathways that turned into cul de sacs that there will inevitably be an element of caution amidst celebrations. Friedkin has to pass assorted tests of the Premier League, FA and the Financial Conduct Authority. Fans will also be looking at events at Friedkin’s other club, Roma, in turmoil after the controversial sacking of coach and legend Daniele De Rossi and resignation of CEO Lina Souloukou. But they will certainly be delighted to see the back of Moshiri. There are many other attractions to Friedkin, including the historic nature of the club, one of the founding members of both the Football League and Premier League. Everton have a manager in Sean Dyche widely respected within football, despite recent criticism following poor results and performances (and the caveat here is that new owners often like new managers). They have good players like Jarrad Branthwaite, Jordan Pickford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner, Iliman Ndiaye, amongst others, although the squad still needs further strengthening in January. Everton have a magnificent new stadium rising on the banks of the Mersey which will add to the city’s skyline, tourism traffic, employment market and businesses. Bramley-Moore Dock – the Blue Camp - will be a stunning home for Everton, a revenue stream by the river, and a symbol of a new era. And the stadium will be full. Even if dropping into the Championship, supporters of the People's Club will turn up in numbers. #EFC