Everton FC: Bill Kenwright's Best EGM Quotes

Everton FC: Bill Kenwright and his board of directors set to face third  EGM

Chairman

Since William Kenwright CBE eased himself in to the Everton chairman's seat back in 2004, the former Coronation Street actor has faced some searching questions from the club's minor shareholders. 

Despite the Everton hierarchy's best efforts to gag any form of dissent - both AGMs and EGMs being effectively banned as the  clubs Articles of Association were 'tweaked' - the small shareholders, having overcome the obstacles put before them by their chairman and board, have successfully forced a third EGM in nine years.

The Shareholders Association's reasons for forcing this EGM are simple and clear. They were left with no choice by an Everton chairman and board of directors who flatly refused to voluntarily reconvene an Annual General Meeting.

Now, on the eve of a meeting called with the aim of holding the current custodians to account, OTS brings you a selection of the best quotes from the 2004 EGM. And in doing so, perhaps offer a small insight into exactly why Everton Football Club's hierarchy were so keen to make it nigh on impossible for small shareholders to call for a minimum of corporate transparency. 

The Everton Football Club Company Limited, Extraordinary General Meeting, Thursday September 9, 2004

 

Bill Kenwright: "Of the hundreds of thousands of fans all over the world – and I meet them everywhere – on the streets of New York, on the streets of Australia, on the streets of Brixton. Someone’s always coming up to me and saying,“Hello Blue, how are you? How’s the team?" 

"The directors of Everton Football Club have also been deeply concerned with the current state of affairs and have been working 24 hours a day to make the club successful again. We obviously haven't succeeded – we’re not fools, we know that too - but it certainly hasn't been for the want of trying"

 

"We were close to doing a media deal with NTL when NTL went bust, out of  business in that particular area of its activities. It was literally on the day that we were accepting a cheque  for over £30m. Literally on the day. That was the very final major deal, not to be completed in this case, but after that there was no other major deal so we were in the ……whatever."

"Trevor Brooking said on television quite recently, 'I believe Bill Kenwright and his gang are the very last of the breed of chairmen who put their own money into football clubs.'  

"I don’t believe that will ever happen again."

"What’s clear going forward is that if we are to compete then we have to drive the revenue line forward rapidly. Our income is far far far under what it should be, what it has to be, what it’s got to be. 

In short, we have to come to accept that performance off the pitch is the only sustainable way to drive performance on the pitch and by that I mean the performances of the directors in knocking even more doors down – taking even more blondes out to supper."

"The People’s Club has to communicate with its supporters. There has to be an end to this kind of EGM. Other EGM’s…..smashing……but an EGM where you say, ‘hey guys, you’re crap, you’re doing it badly, we want you out’. If we’re to stay in, if we’re to run this Club there has to be better communication."

"I would say to you that if you had a Jack Walker, if you had a Jack Hayward, if you had a Roman Abramovich………..if you had one of those, you should go for it. 

I don’t think you have, I don’t think they’re around." 

“He (former CEO Trevor Birch) left the football club after seven weeks. I became chairman on the day he became chief executive. I’m not going to go into the private reasons why he left.”

 

Unknown: “Why not?”

Bill Kenwright: “Because I’m not going to."

Unknown: “Transparency?” 

Bill Kenwright: “It’s not transparency that Trevor desires.” 

Unknown: “He’s been silent.” 

Bill Kenwright: “He has indeed and he’s going to remain silent.”

Unknown: “Is that part of the deal?” 

Bill Kenwright: “And he’s going to remain silent.” 

Unknown: “But you won’t tell us why?” 

Bill Kenwright: “I will not.” 

Unknown: “Perhaps when this CEO goes you’ll tell us why?”

Bill Kenwright: “Thank you."

Unknown: “No answer I see.” 

Bill Kenwright: “No, you got a perfectly good answer. 

I’m not going to tell you.”

“The reported deal, the Fortress Sports Fund, is an absolute possibility and hopefully will be sewn up in the next few weeks.”

"I got the Private Eye thing that you sent to me and thank you very much for sending it to me. I got it checked out immediately and I think it’s going to be the subject of a court case. And obviously as a football club we’ve done all of the searches that you need and all the names mentioned, they’ve all come out A1"

"To find a Geneva based institution that has got a lot of money; that is interested in putting money into the football club. It has been a long hard trawl. It’s something to be celebrated personally.”

"There’s going to be a new share issue. So they (Fortress Sports Fund) are not going to give the money to go into the football club. The idea is, contract, is for two share issues of a year or two years which will hopefully bring us about £30m – and from the way I talk to them, that will be a minimum and they want to invest again."

“You know, and I know, I am not going to answer that question.Because of confidentiality but Philip Green has been an extraordinary supporter and worked by my side for the last three months, and I’ve needed it, believe me.”

“I will remain the Chairman. I suppose if you put a lot of money in…..does Abramovich have control of Chelsea? Yes, he absolutely does. If they get fifty one per cent……..but they’re not going to get fifty one per cent."

More quotes from the second forced (2008) EGM can be read here.

The third forced EGM will be held in the Liverpool Philarmonic Hall,
Hope Street on Wednesday June 26 at 6.00 pm.

By changing the Articles of Association to remove Annual General
Meetings from the agenda, the current major shareholders of Everton
have enjoyed 5 years of unaccountability. This week, a number of
Evertonians will be attempting to overturn this self-serving decision.

We wish them all the very best.

NSNO

Everton FC: Alan Myers Comes Back In To The Everton Fold

Everton Announce Alan Myers Will replace Paul Tyrrell As Communications Director

The New Man

Lifelong Evertonian, former club press officer and current Sky Sports North West Bureau Chief, Alan Myers, has been unveiled as the new Everton FC Director of Communications. 

As is the norm these days, Alan broke the news first through social media as he expressed his joy at his return to the club on his Twitter timeline. 

Myers was also quick to grasp the nettle that is the abomination of a new badge, as he told the official Everton website:
 
"There is lots of work to undertake in the short, medium and long term and one of my first priorities will be to work with our fanbase directly on the 2014/15 Club Crest. 

"As our fans know, our Chief Executive has said that the next crest will be developed by Evertonians for Evertonians and I am confident we will be able to achieve that goal together.”

The club's management have split the Everton fanbase on many issues over the last decade and more, however, the almost total rejection of the new club logo by Everton supporters, may well have gone someway to healing those fractures. 

The fury surrounding the new badge (and possibly the new, as yet officially to be released new 2013-14 kit) is however only the tip of a very big iceberg when it comes to Everton and 'communication' with supporters. 

Yes, there has been a lot of talk about 'openness and transparency,' but talk is all it has been.  Fellow Evertonians will rightly expect the new Director of Communications to immediately tackle that particular issue.

While Everton have announced Alan will take up his post in August, Evertonians everywhere will expect the die hard Blue to follow the example of the clubs former manager David Moyes, who, despite being under contract, was not averse to a bit of moonlighting for his new taskmasters at Manchester United. We are sure Sky won't mind Alan!

In other news, we haven't sold or signed anyone yet.

Goodison - The Grand Old Lady part 3

 Everton 3 - 1 Bayern Munich

“Get it into their box and the Gwladys Street will suck the ball into the net.” - Howard Kendall

With an FA Cup triumph sandwiched between two First Division titles, Everton Football Club prospered under the chairmanship of Sir John Moores (1960-1973). The financial backing Moores afforded the club enabled Everton to compete for the best players, as transfer records were broken at an unprecedented rate. 

A bankrolling of Everton by the founder of Littlewoods, would see them break the club transfer record three times in 1960 alone. A trend continued throughout the decade, and one which would earn Everton their ‘Mersey millionaires’ tag.

Moores vision for Everton was not exclusively directed towards building a winning team on the field, and, as the decade came to a close, the chairman would announce ambitious plans to redevelop the ageing Goodison Road Stand. Plans that would see Goodison Park arguably undergo the most drastic transformation in the stadiums long history.

Built in 1909 to an Archibald Leitch design, the double tiered Main Stand on Goodison Road would be demolished in stages throughout the season, with work on the new triple tiered structure carried out simultaneously. A stark contrast of new replacing old, as Everton Football Club entered a new decade as First Division champions. 

Leitch’s Main Stand, built in 1909 at a cost of £28,000, and due to its sheer size, described at the time as “the Mauretania Stand,” would be dwarfed by the £1 million development. The new triple decker stand, capable of holding upwards of 15,000 supporters would become the largest of its kind in Britain.

The stark contrast as new Main Stand replaced the old

The 1969/70 First Division championship was the last trophy to be secured by Everton for another 14 years. The final great side of the previous decade had been broken up by Harry Catterick, with legends such as Alan Ball and Howard Kendall sold. 

Catterick, then the most successful manager in the clubs long history, had been in charge at Goodison for 12 years. Eventually he was persuaded to ‘move upstairs’ after suffering a heart attack, to be replaced in 1973 by the former Everton player and Northern Ireland international, Billy Bingham.

In his first full season, Bingham’s Everton finished a respectable seventh, just missing out on UEFA Cup qualification. His rebuilding of the squad saw him bring in signings such as Martin Dobson and Bob Latchford, and Everton looked nailed on to reclaim the First Division title in season 1974/75. 

However, a disastrous run in, Everton picking up just one win in their last five games, would subsequently see them finish fourth, just three points behind eventual champions Derby County. An 11th placed finish in 1975/76 was the beginning of the end for Bingham and he would ultimately pay the price the following January, as a sequence of eight league games without a win resulted in the sacking of the Northern Irishman.

Bingham’s replacement, Gordon Lee, who resigned from Newcastle United to take up the Goodison Park hotseat, had arrived at the club with a no nonsense reputation. 

The former Aston Villa player was recognised for his hard working, functional approach to the game, something the Goodison faithful, brought up on the famous ‘School of Science’ philosophy, would always fail to come to terms with. Nevertheless, Lee’s five year tenure as Everton boss produced third and fourth place top flight finishes, as well as a League Cup final and two FA Cup semi-final appearances.

Perhaps somewhat spoilt by winning three major titles within seven years in the 1960’s, the following decade is a period remembered by Evertonians of a certain age as being a particularly bleak one. Yet, despite the decade being barren in regards to winning trophies, the 1970’s under Bingham and Lee, when compared to Everton’s current trophyless run, the longest in the clubs history, makes for interesting reading. 

Between them, the much maligned pair, managed 4th, 3rd and 4th place top flight finishes in seven years. Maybe the telling factor for the dark memories Evertonians have of the Seventies, was the emergence of bitter rivals Liverpool as a major domestic and European footballing force.

On 6 May, 1981, on the back of 19th and 15th placed finishes, Gordon Lee’s reign at Everton was terminated. Whilst the tenure of his successor, a 1960’s Everton legend, was not short of early difficulties, the 1980’s would see a phoenix like rise for Everton Football Club both at home and abroad. 

Howard Kendall would launch the club towards the most successful period of its long and illustrious history, and into a tumultuous game under the floodlights at Goodison Park. Widely regarded as one that has never been matched, before or since.


 

Everton vs Bayern Munich, Goodison Park - Wednesday April 24 1985, at Goodison Park

Attendance: 49,476

Everton 3 (Sharp 48’, Gray 75’, Steven 86’)

Bayern Munich 1 (Hoeness 37')

Everton: Southall, Stevens, Van Den Hauwe, Ratcliffe, Mountfield,
Reid, Steven, Sharp, Gray, Bracewell, Sheedy.

Bayern Munich: Pfaff, Dremmler, Willmer, Eder, Augenthaler
Lerby, Pflugler, Matthaus, Hoeness, Nachtweih, Kogl.

Referee: Erik Fredriksson, Sweden.


Everton’s campaign in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup Winners Cup had seen a largely untroubled passage to the semi-final stage. Howard Kendall’s charges had been flying domestically whilst playing some of the most outstanding football ever seen at Goodison Park. 

Now, just two games away from the clubs first ever European final, Kendall’s Everton would have to face their sternest test yet, the might of German footballing superpower, Bayern Munich.

Drawn to play the first leg away from home, Everton ground out an excellent 0-0 draw in front of 67,000 at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. With the teams topping their respective leagues (both eventually going on to be crowned champions), as well as reaching their cup finals, the return leg at Goodison Park, the first ever European semi-final to be played at the historic stadium, was set up perfectly to be a classic encounter. 

The match, arguably the greatest game to be played at The Grand Old Lady, did not fail to live up to expectations, it blew them out of the stratosphere.

With the Grand Old Lady packed to the rafters, captains Kevin Ratcliffe and Klaus Augenthaler led the teams out of the tunnel and into a cacophony of noise. Howard Kendall’s talk of his side having to show patience was swiftly revealed as pre-match mindgames, as his players, roared on by the 50,000 inside Goodison Park, besieged Bayern Munich with an authority and aggression that visibly rattled their German opponents. 

Kendall would later acknowledge his game plan was to get the ball forward to Sharp and Gray, to bombard Bayern and crucially, be first to the second ball. Munich coach Udo Lattek, who would in his career lead Bayern to a total of six Bundesliga championships and a European Cup, had bemoaned Everton’s overly aggressive approach, yet would, in the aftermath of the match, declare Everton as “the best team in Europe.”

Within three minutes of the kick off, Everton had carved Bayern open, only for mercurial right midfielder, Trevor Steven, to screw his angled shot agonisingly wide of Jean-Marie Pfaff’s right hand post. 
 
The surge of Royal Blue attacks continued as Bayern were confined to sporadic forays forward. A wayward Dieter Hoeness header being the most a shell shocked Munich could muster in the opening quarter of the match. From yet another ball into the box, Graeme Sharp rose to flick on to Kevin Sheedy, the Irishman was about to pull the trigger when the seemingly stray hand of Wolfgang Dremmler made contact with the ball. 

Sharp, Sheedy and the Park End screamed for a penalty but Swedish referee, Erik Fredriksson, waved away the vociferous appeals. Mr. Fredriksson would soon be centre of attention once more, as Everton number 9, Andy Gray, on the end of a forceful challenge from behind by man marker Hans Pflugler, lashed out wildly at the German defender. Gray was fortunate he had made no contact, although this did not stop Pflugler rolling around in apparent agony. The Goodison crowd let their feelings be known as the referee ordered the defender to his feet before booking both players.

Gray would give Pflugler a torrid evening and the two clashed again as the abrasive Scot was brought down outside the Bayern penalty area. Free kick specialist Sheedy stepped up and scraped Pfaff’s left hand post from 25 yards. 

It was all Everton now, as Bayern Munich struggled to cope with the constant bombardment from the Everton flanks. Once more, the Germans failed to deal with a Gary Stevens long throw from the right. Initially allowing the ball to bounce in the box and then leaving Graeme Sharp to connect with a firm header. The grateful Pfaff watched on as Sharp’s effort cleared the crossbar.

Eventually, Bayern began to get a foothold in the game, with the pace of teenage left winger Ludwig Kogl becoming a prominent outlet. Kogl was again involved as Lothar Matthaus tested Neville Southall with a stinging shot from outside the box. It was a warning sign left unheeded by Everton when on 37 minutes, Goodison Park, aside from the 300 travelling Bayern fans, was stunned into a deathly silence. 

A long kick by Southall was gathered by Kogl who, after playing a one-two with Matthaus, found himself clean through on Southall’s goal. The keeper thwarted the young wingers attempt to round him, however, Southall’s touch fell into the path of Dieter Hoeness who despite facing two defenders on the line, maintained the composure to roll the ball into the Gwladys Street net. 

The first goal Everton had conceded in the competition. If the supporters inside Goodison were concerned about how their team would react to going a goal down, within minutes of the restart, Kendall's men would quickly put those concerns to bed.
 
Paul Bracewell, receiving the ball in the Bayern penalty area, after a  typical mazy run by Trevor Steven, saw his cross blocked for a throw in on the Everton right. With the Germans having struggled all night with the long throws of Gary Stevens, the jam-packed Gwladys Street turned the volume up yet another notch. 

Stevens launched his throw and as Andy Gray got up early at the near post, his flick on was met by strike partner Sharp, whose deft header found the back of the Gwladys Street net. Goodison Park erupted with a snarling wall of sound enveloping the famous old stadium as never before.

At 1-1, and with Bayern still ahead in the tie on away goals, Udo Lattek’s answer was to bring on another defender, however, the fleeting initiative gained by Bayern through the Hoeness goal, had been well and truly consumed by a ravenous Everton. There was from now on, only going to be one winner. 

Paul Bracewell snapped into another tackle on Soren Lerby, continuing his run as Peter Reid drove forward. Managing to release the ball a split second before being cynically mowed down, Reid found an unmarked Bracewell once more but the midfielder's effort was sliced horribly wide. The Toffeemen were now in total command, Bayern’s Kogl threatened intermittently but it was never enough to stem the unstoppable tide of Royal Blue dominance. 

Graeme Sharp, collecting a deft lay off from Gray after a precise Pat van den Hauwe cross, hit a goalbound low volley, only to see Pfaff make an excellent stop to his right. A save that would for Bayern, be no more than a delay of the inevitable. On 72 minutes, inescapably, the floodgates were opened as Bayern’s resistance was conclusively broken. A straight ball into the Munich box was controlled by Sharp but before the striker could get his shot off, Pflugler was able to clear for another Everton throw. 

Up stepped full back Gary Stevens to launch yet another missile into the Bayern area. In his halftime team talk, Howard Kendall had famously told his players if they got the ball into the box, the Gwladys Street End would suck into the net. The manager’s promise came to fruition as Bayern keeper Pfaff, hindered by two of his own defenders, misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing Andy Gray to gently stroke the ball home and make it 2-1 from two yards out. Goodison celebrated in a scene of complete pandemonium.

If it was the raw force of sheer will that led Kendall’s side to overturn a 1-0 deficit, the third goal, a seal on the game, displayed Everton’s class of ‘85’s ability to mix it up with the very best Europe had to offer. 

As the clock ticked through 86 minutes, Kevin Sheedy intercepted the ball in the left back position. Despite being put under pressure, Sheedy, moving effortlessly forward into space, picked out a pinpoint pass that allowed Andy Gray to feed the run of Trevor Steven. Now clean through on goal and facing the onrushing Pfaff, Steven took one touch before sweeping the ball past the helpless Bayern goalkeeper. 

The Gwladys Street End became a wild blue seascape of bodies as the pressure cooker atmosphere was finally released in a dynamic cacophony of jubilant noise and movement.

Those 50,000 inside Goodison Park had been fortunate enough to have witnessed the greatest night in The Grand Old Lady’s enduring and distinguished history, yet make no mistake, they had also played their part in Everton’s triumph. As for their heroes, the great Everton team of 1985, they would of course go on to take the trophy in Rotterdam, with a 3-1 win over Rapid Vienna.

Goodison Park - The Grand Old Lady

 

Goodison Park's Main Stand

Goodison Park is more than a stadium, more than a gathering place for football supporters. She is a part of the very fabric of a community, a great historical monument in a great, historical city. Witness to high’s and low’s crossing three centuries, Goodison Park is more than bricks and mortar, more than a building. She is a cornerstone, a place of worship, a home. 

The Grand Old Lady of English football, an invaluable insight into our social history, to be respected, cared for and treasured. Our past, our present and our future. 

Acknowledgements:

Everton Results

@stevejohnson95

The Everton Collection

Official Everton DVD, Everton 3 - 1 Bayern Munich

Oh, and me. As I was fortunate enough to have been there!

First seen @thesefootytimes

 

Everton eBook

Your Everton Story Published!

A call to Evertonians across the globe.

Do you have an Everton related story or anecdote? Of course you do.
 
Have you ever wanted to see your story published? Why wouldn't you?


Read more here.

Everton FC: Liverpool City Council Buy Finch Farm

Property Management Company DTZ Were Entrusted With The Sale Of Finch Farm

 

 

Finch Farm Training Complex Changes Hands For A Third Time

While rumours of the possible sale of Finch Farm, the training complex rented by Everton FC have tonight been unsurprisingly confirmed, the name of the proprietor, Liverpool City Council, has certainly come as an unexpected turn up for the books. 

Previous owners, Hudson Capital Properties had back in October 2011 put the land and complex up for sale for 'offers in excess of £15,356,000.' 

According to a Land Registry document, Liverpool City Council bought Finch Farm on May 24 2013, for a knock down £12.925m. The terms of the lease arrangement, with previous owners of the site Everton now tied in to a 50 year tenancy, including fixed rental increases, remain in place. 

A rolling 5-year option for Everton to buy back the property, one they refused to implement in 2012, also remains within the lease agreement.

Given the more than frosty relationship over the last decade and beyond between Everton and Liverpool City Council, the clubs hierarchy will no doubt be aiming for a more amicable business relationship with their new landlords.

Neither Liverpool City Council nor Everton FC have as yet commented on the multimillion pound deal. 

In other news, The Everton FC Shareholders’ Association have announced the Club has confirmed the date and venue for the forced Emergency General Meeting. The EGM will take place in
the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street on Wednesday 26th June at 6.00 pm.  

With a capacity of 1700 at 'The Phil,' the show of hands to (re)amend the Articles of Association to force the reinstatement of the tradition of holding formal Annual General Meetings will not be a close run thing. 

I'm going for 1695 'for' and 5 'against.'

Goodison Park - The Grand Old Lady Part 2

 

Goodison Park 1939-1940

 

Everton FC: The Story Of The Grand Old Lady

 

“Goodison Park is for me the best stadium of my life.” - Eusébio

The intervening years between Dixie Dean’s record breaking season and England’s hosting of the 1966 World Cup, had seen Goodison Park subjected to numerous changes, development and reconstruction. 

As integral as anybody in the metamorphosis of the stadium was Scottish architect Archibald Leitch whom, in the first half of the 20th century, was the British Isles foremost football stadia architect. 

Leitch, who was responsible for part or all of the stadium designs at more than 30 clubs up and down the country, had in 1938, with the completion of the new Gwladys Street stand, achieved his 30 year Goodison Park dream. The ground had now become the first entire two tiered stadium in the country.

On September 18, 1940, the Grand Old Lady had also, by the skin of her teeth, survived the Luftwaffe blitz of Liverpool. Confirming the near miss in the Everton Football Club Minutes Book, the secretary’s recordings allow a fascinating insight into the event, as well as a clear understanding of the ‘keep calm and carry on’ attitude towards the German bombing of the city. Raids that would span more than two years in total:

War Damage

 

'The Directors inspected the damage done by enemy action on the night of the 18th inst. & it was agreed that the Secretary make arrangements to have necessary repairs made. 

It was also decided that Messrs A. Leitch be instructed to value the cost of complete renewal of damaged properties & that a claim should be forwarded to the War Damage Claims department within the prescribed 30 Days. The damage referred to included:

The demolition of a large section of the New Stand outer wall in Gwladys Street destruction of all glass in this Stand; damage to every door, canteen, water & electricity pipes and all lead fittings, perforated roof in hundreds of places.
 
On Bullens Road side, a bomb dropped in the school-yard had badly damaged the exterior wall of this stand and the roof was badly perforated here also. 

A third bomb outside the practice ground had demolished the surrounding hoarding and had badly damaged glass in the Goodison Avenue and Walton Lane property. The Secretary estimated the extent of the damage at about £1,500.'

Goodison Park had survived, and with her, the magnificent legacy of Archibald Leitch. One that lives on as vividly today as it has throughout the last hundred years. 

The signature Leitch criss-crossed steel balustrades remaining as much a part of Everton Football Club’s iconic history as the great Dixie Dean, the Toffee Lady and the depiction within the clubs famous crest of Prince Rupert’s Tower.

The Greatest Show On Earth

 

1966 Golden Boot Winner The Legendary Eusebio

The summer of 1966 in Liverpool must have been heady days indeed for supporters of both the city's football clubs. As the red half of the city were still celebrating a first division championship, the blue half returned triumphantly from Wembley after seeing their heroes overturn a 2-0 deficit, to snatch the FA Cup away from opponents Sheffield Wednesday. 

Only a matter of weeks later, the greatest footballing show on the planet rolled into town as Goodison Park, selected as a host stadium of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, welcomed seven nations onto her hallowed turf.

Playing host to five World Cup fixtures, including three group games, a quarter-final and a semi-final, the stadium witnessed the magic of footballing greats such as Pele, Garrincha, Beckenbauer, Haller and the tournaments outstanding player and Golden Boot winner, Portugal’s Eusébio da Silva Ferreira. 

The Benfica striker would fire six of his nine goal haul at Goodison Park, with four of those coming in one of the most extraordinary football matches in the history of the game.

July 23 1966, Portugal vs North Korea, Goodison Park

 

The unknown and secretive North Koreans, who, despite having earlier shocked the tournament into life with a giant killing 1-0 victory over Italy, arrived for this World Cup quarter-final as the overwhelming underdogs. 

They would meet Eusébio’s Portugal who had, four days earlier put pre-tournament favourites Brazil, to the sword at Goodison Park. Those fans fortunate enough to be inside Goodison that day, could never have imagined the rollercoaster of a football match they were about to witness.

Belying their status in the game, and seemingly indifferent to their opponents’ reputation, the Koreans immediately went on the attack and within a minute of the kick off, a sensational strike at the Gwladys Street End from Pak Seung Zin, had put the minnows in front. 

Portugal were shell shocked and with the 40,248 inside Goodison Park roaring them on, North Korea were seemingly unstoppable.

A swift Korean counter on 22 minutes, after Eusébio had failed to convert a Portuguese attack, saw goalkeeper Pereira badly misjudge a cross and when the ball was returned, Li Dong Woon was on hand to send the Koreans and Goodison Park into raptures. 

Incredibly, the underdogs were not finished there as just three minutes later, Yang Sung Kook, following in on a deflected shot, composed himself and arrowed the ball into the far corner of the Portuguese net.

Three down after 25 minutes and with his team in disarray, it would be left to Portugal’s best player, top scorer and captain to almost single handedly drag his team back into the World Cup. 

Eusébio, the man nicknamed the ‘Black Pearl,’ gave his country some much needed hope, finding the top corner of the Park End goal before racing back to the centre circle with the ball under one arm.

On 43 minutes, Eusébio converted from the penalty spot after centre forward Jose Torres was brought down in the box. By the 56th minute, Portugal were level.

Picking up the ball in his own half, Eusébio drove forward and after playing a one-two, the ‘Black Pearl’ slammed a shot past Li Chan Myong in the Korean goal. Just three minutes later, the Portuguese were in front as the unstoppable Eusébio scored his fourth goal and second from the spot. 

The North Korean dream was eventually ended as the four goal hero turned provider, with his corner kick finding Jose Augusto to make it 5-3 to Portugal.

Eusébio’s Portugal would fall in the semi-final to eventual World Champions England, however his remarkable performance that summer afternoon will forever be enshrined in the annals of legends who have graced this historic stadium.

Likewise, the 1966 North Korean team, who shocked, thrilled and enthralled the world, at the Grand Old Lady of English football, Goodison Park.


1966 FIFA World Cup Games at Goodison Park

 

Group Games

12 July, Brazil 2 - 0 Bulgaria
15 July, Hungary 3 - 1 Brazil
19 July, Portugal 3 - 1 Brazil

Quarter-Final

23 July, Portugal 5 - 3 North Korea

Semi-Final

25 July, West Germany 2 - 1 Soviet Union


Acknowledgements:

The Everton Collection
Planet World Cup

​
Coming soon On OTS: 
A look back at the all conquering Everton of the mid-Eighties:

Goodison Park: The Grand Old Lady - Part 3



Goodison Park - The Grand Old Lady Part 1

 

Goodison Park - The Home Of Everton Football Club

Everton FC: The Story Of The Grand Old Lady

 

“It wouldn't matter if we had Dixie Dean playing for us, it's always a bloody nightmare going to Goodison Park.” - Sir Alex Ferguson

On 28 September, 1884, Everton Football Club beat Earlestown 5-0 in their brand new home. Due to the rapidly growing interest in Association Football and the sheer numbers of spectators Everton home games were attracting, the club had no choice but to relocate the short distance from Priory Road to a new venue owned by local landowner Mr. John Orrell.

A friend of the club, as well as Everton chairman Mr. John Houlding, Orrell had offered land to the club for a modest payment in rent.

The inaugural Football League match at the ground, played almost four years later on September 18, 1888, was contested between Everton and Accrington. 

Everton’s tenure at the stadium would see the club turn professional, become a founder member of the English Football League, first compete in the FA Cup, introduce goal nets to Association Football and be crowned Football League champions for the season 1890-91. The following year would be Everton Football Club’s final season as tenants of Anfield.

The reasons behind the clubs relocation from Anfield were many and complex and are well documented. Boil those reasons down and the conclusion as to why, is as relative now as it was over one hundred and twenty years ago; cold hard cash. Some things it seems, actually never do change. 

The irreparable fracture of the clubs board of directors forced Everton out of Anfield, a break that would in 1892 see director George Mahon lead the club to England’s first purpose built football stadium.

Albeit not for the want of trying, and failings, of more recent chairmen, 121 years later, Goodison Park, remains the home of Everton Football Club to this day. 

In this special feature, we recall three 20th century matches played at Goodison Park, each one, for very different reasons, a defining moment in the long and glorious history of the Grand Old Lady of English football.

The Unbreakable - Broken

In season 1926/27 of the English second division, Middlesbrough and later, England centre forward, George Camsell, in his first full season at the club, scored a remarkable 59 league goals which would fire Boro’ to the championship and promotion to the top flight. It was a goal scoring achievement many thought would never be broken.

Only a few months later, in the second match of season 1927/28, Camsell’s Boro met an Everton team led by another colossal young centre forward, William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean. The newly promoted second division champions came away with a famous victory, with George Camsell firing all four goals in a 4-2 win. 

However, it would be Everton who went on to be crowned first division champions that year, whilst Boro were relegated. Incredibly, aged just 21, Dixie Dean would go on to take George Camsell’s ‘unbreakable’ scoring record, by just the one solitary goal.

05 May, 1928, Everton vs Arsenal, Goodison Park

 

Legendary Everton Centre Forward William Ralph 'Dixie' Dean

You could be forgiven for thinking the Evertonians who had crammed into Goodison Park on that early May afternoon, had done so solely to salute the newly crowned English first division champions. There was however, another very specific reason for the 48,715 supporters to make their fortnightly pilgrimage that fateful day.

The final game of the 1927/28 season at Goodison Park would see Harry Cooke’s Everton meet Herbert Chapman’s revered Arsenal side, yet all eyes would be transfixed on just one man, Everton’s record chasing centre forward Dixie Dean. 

His race to surpass George Camsell’s ‘unbreakable’ feat had been on course throughout the season. Dean had found the net in all of the first nine games, including a consolation goal, as Camsell netted four for Boro, as well as banging in all five in a 5-2 rout of Manchester United. 

By the turn of the year, the footballing fraternity began to believe in the unbelievable, when on New Year’s Eve at Sheffield Wednesday, the goal hungry Dean bagged his 32nd and 33rd goals in just 23 games. The Birkenhead born centre forward’s unquenchable thirst for goals continued unabated into 1928. With a run of 11 strikes in the following eight games, the highlight of which being a hat trick in a 3-3 draw at Anfield.

Those three goals however, would see Dixie Dean and Everton go on a four game run without scoring. Suddenly the tilt at George Camsell’s season old record was thrown into doubt. A Dean double at Derby County put a halt to the poor run of form, yet despite further braces against Blackburn, Sheffield United and Aston Villa, Camsell’s record haul would stand, unless that was, Everton giant Dean could find seven goals in his final two games.

Everton’s penultimate fixture, a short journey to face Burnley at Turf Moor ended in a 5-3 victory for the men in Royal Blue. The Lancashire derby would see Dean grabbing four of the seven goals he needed. Now, with 57 goals in 38 games, it was as if Dixie Dean had written his own thrilling script. The final act of which was to be played out in front of the adoring Evertonians at Goodison Park. One game to play, three goals to score......

Arsenal, who had not travelled North to make up any numbers, came quickly out of the traps, scoring the opener within a couple of minutes. Everton, the champions, replied with an inevitable Dixie Dean header and then, just on half-time, Dean equalled George Camsell’s record goal haul. 

After being dragged down in the box, Dean stepped up to convert his 59th goal of the season from the penalty spot. As the clock ticked ever down and with just minutes left to play, the 60 goal dream was hanging by a thread when, on 85 minutes, Everton forced another corner. The Toffees Scottish outside-left, Alec Troup, floated his cross into the danger area and, as time stood still at Goodison Park, William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean rose majestically above the Arsenal defence to bury his header past the Gunners goalkeeper, William Paterson.

With that Goodison goal, Dixie Dean had overhauled George Camsell’s record. A truly astonishing accomplishment. In the 39 games the Everton legend appeared in that season, Dean found the net in 31 of them, with 14 braces and 7 hat tricks, including a 4 and 5 goal haul against Burnley and Manchester United respectively.

An eyewitness account, as documented in his ‘History Of The Everton Football Club 1878/9–1928/9,’ by Everton historian and author Thomas Keates, epitomises the sense of unbridled joy, unchecked wonder and no little relief experienced by all who attended the Grand Old Lady that spring afternoon in 1928. 

Those Evertonian souls lucky enough to have witnessed Dixie Dean’s mind blowing achievement.

"You talk about explosions, and loud applause; we have heard many explosions, and much applause in our long pilgrimage, but, believe us, we have never heard such a prolonged roar of thundering, congratulatory applause before as to that which ascended to heaven when Dixie broke the record."

The Dixie Dean Monument At Goodison Park

Dean’s record of achievement, at both domestic and national levels, is extensive and beyond remarkable. However, it surely has to be his extraordinary feat of scoring 60 English top flight league goals in one season, that shall remain the most celebrated record of them all.
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Acknowledgements:


Everton Results

@stevejohnson95

The Everton Collection

Thomas Keates, History Of The Everton Football Club 1878/9–1928/9, Desert Island Books



The Grand Old Lady Part 2

Everton FC: Paul Tyrrell Has Resigned His Post As Everton’s Director Of Communications.

Or Ignore Social Media At Your Peril (parts One, Two, and Three)

Paul Tyrrell's Everton Legacy

 

Revelations of 'supporter blacklists' compiled by the former Liverpool FC employee have left Paul Tyrrell nowhere else to go.

News of the demise of Paul Tyrrell broke late last night across social media as The Telegraph reported the ex-Manchester City, ex-Liverpool and now ex-Everton director of communications had stepped down from his position at the club.

Tyrrell's position at Everton had become untenable once documents compiled whilst in employment at Anfield were revealed across the internet and picked up by thousands of Liverpool and Everton supporters on social media sites.

The dossier, compiled by Kopite Tyrrell, revealed the former communication officer had labelled well known Liverpool supporters and journalists such as Tony Evans (The Times), Tony Barrett (The Times) and Andy Hunter (The Guardian) as 'a sporting version of the Khmer Rouge' and 'Trotskyist independents' who were, according to Tyrrell, 'prepared to allow Liverpool FC to plummet down divisions, go bust and reform in a pure socialist form.'

Gone

Supporters named in the dossier have confirmed to the local press they are considering taking legal action over a number of the claims made within the 'Tyrrell document.' The Farm frontman and well known Kopite, Peter Hooton also told supporters on web forums he would be "getting his lawyers on to this."

Tyrrell's short career at Everton has been similarly shadowed by controversy. None more so than the appalling treatment of primary school teacher and Everton supporter and season ticket holder Richard Knights. Richard has been passionately opposed to Everton FC's 'free school' and had organised public meetings and lobbied both the club, local politicians, those involved in the school project and even Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, who had praised Richard's passion and tenacity. 

To his amazement and disgust, Richard Knight was then treated as a criminal by the club he loves. More importantly, the steps taken by Paul Tyrrell had put Richard's very livelihood in jeopardy. Read more on the ongoing Richard Knights story here.  

Paul Tyrrell has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor out of the Goodison Park door. Former director of communications, Ian Ross having also left the club in similar and embarrassing circumstances.

The hope now for Evertonians has to be the appointment of a communications director whose agenda is not to dictate but to, well, communicate. 

As Tyrrell and Ian Ross before him eventually discovered, dictating to Evertonians will invariably lead to the exit door.

In other news, Roberto Martinez is the new Everton manager.

Everton FC: The Curious Case of The Missing Major Shareholder

 

Robert Earl: Have You Seen This Man?

Curiously, in 1958, London born crooner Monty Leigh, going by the stage name of Robert Earl, hit the charts with a stirring rendition of the ballad, ‘I May Never Pass This Way Again.’ Whether Monty was a conduit for premonitions and prophecy is unknown, at least to me. However, the title of the number 14 hit could well have been penned for his offspring’s current state of directorship at Everton Football Club. You see, 55 years later and Robert Leigh, now going by his father's stage name, Robert Earl, may indeed ‘never pass this way again.’

The last sighting of Anglo-American Robert Earl Jr. at Goodison Park seems to have been more than two years ago, this despite his offshore investment vehicle BCR Sports, a ‘company’ registered in the tax exempt British Virgin Islands, owning 23% of Everton Football Club. 

Strangely, he does apparently make a habit of attending Everton’s yearly fixture at White Hart Lane, a pointed indication of the Florida based entrepreneurs Tottenham Hotspurs leanings. 

Earl’s peculiar involvement at Everton has its beginnings in a very public falling out between current Everton chairman, Mr. William Kenwright CBE and ex-director and former major shareholder Paul Gregg.
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The long drawn out and very public spat, triggered by the fallout of the demised Kings Dock Arena project, finally came to a head in 2006 when Kenwright, desperate to remain in control at his beloved Everton, found a buyer for Greggs 23% stake in the club. 

Not for the first time, Kenwright turned to ‘my friend and yours,’ Sir Philip Green for help. It would be the billionaire retail mogul, who would line up fellow Spurs fan Robert Earl to acquire Paul Greggs 23% shareholding in Everton Football Club.

In his article, ‘Another Spin Of The Wheel,’ an expose of some of London’s most exclusive casino’s, Mark Hollingsworth gives an intriguing insight into Green’s role in brokering Earl’s involvement in Everton Football Club.

‘It is the early hours of the morning at Les Ambassadeurs Club, the Mayfair casino overlooking Hyde Park, and Sir Philip Green is on a roll. Surrounded by envious Arab and Chinese punters, the flamboyant retail billionaire is playing roulette and the winnings are piling up. Nervous managers look on as the wheel spins in his favour. Suddenly, Sir Philip reaches for his mobile and the fellow gamblers are surprised to hear him call his wife Tina. At that very moment she is also gambling at the Casino Monte Carlo near their main home. They discuss their evening’s exploits and chuckle at their good luck.

Sir Philip Green And Robert Earl

The billionaire is a prolific gambler and the club’s best customer, although he also frequents The Ritz casino. In one night he can win or lose up to an estimated £8 million. He has incurred losses but wins more than he loses. He also links his business deals to the gaming tables. When his friend Robert Earl paid £9 million for a stake in Everton FC last year with his backing, he half-jokingly described the amount as ‘no more than a bad night at Les A.’

Earl’s arrival at Everton was welcomed in a somewhat vague yet typically ebullient style by theatre impresario Bill Kenwright. No doubt buoyed by his recent boardroom victory, Kenwright claimed Paul Gregg had ‘made the correct decision’ in selling his shares to Robert Earl, although the Everton chairman was reticent or perhaps simply unable to explain exactly the role Earl would play at the club. 

His initial comments however, allow some comprehension of how Kenwright, notwithstanding a 23% stake in the club changing hands, perceived himself as the man who controls Everton.

“For everyone concerned, it was the right decision. Paul (Gregg) has wanted to get rid of his shares for some time now and I believe he has sold them to the right person. No decision has been made yet on whether he (Robert Earl) comes on the board. Basically, there will be no change whatsoever in the running of the club.”
 
In July 2007, nine months after purchasing his shareholding, Robert Earl was appointed as a member of the board of directors of Everton FC.

If Kenwright was initially doubtful whether Earl would become a member of the board, he was similarly ambiguous as to what exactly the founder of the Planet Hollywood group would bring to the club. Apart of course, from assisting Kenwright in tightening his grip on Everton FC.

“Robert will in that way be a passive investor, but I don't have to spell out the man's attributes. He is a visionary and his focus on branding and marketing is second to none. That is where he believes, and we hope, he will figure. It is far too early to speculate on what might happen, but the focus of the club is to help David Moyes and the players.

It is wrong for people to think of this as a takeover or a Roman Abramovich-style situation. Has anybody said to me here's a cheque to invest in the team? No, that hasn't happened. I cannot see any negatives in this, I can see only positives. He (Robert Earl) is a very clever man. He works on a world stage and I think he can help sell Everton's brand.

He knows where you can take a brand globally and that can have spin offs for the club.”

It appeared Earl himself had a similarly enigmatic view of his future role as a major shareholder of a Premier League football club. Albeit, he was clear enough on his intention to introduce some razzmatazz to his latest ‘investment.’

“My involvement with Everton is to support. It's an endorsement of Bill Kenwright, an endorsement of David Moyes - it is not a takeover. I believe in the club and I believe in its potential. I definitely will be bringing some of the biggest movie stars in the world to Everton. Sylvester Stallone absolutely loves soccer and I spoke to him about the deal last night. He said he wants to come.”

Sly and Bill Kenwright Getting It On!

This was one promise Robert Earl delivered on. Sylvester Stallone, draped over the wall of the directors box, gagging on a plastic cup of coffee whilst Everton struggled to snatch a late equaliser in a dull home draw vs. Reading, is an image that will certainly endure.

Still, the question remains, why would a successful businessman such as Robert Earl, with an estimated fortune of £270 million and whose past reveals little interest in football and absolutely none in Everton FC, acquire almost a quarter share of the Club? 

The following quotes, taken from the Liverpool Echo, may lift the lid on that particular intrigue. If Earl was not encouraged to ‘invest’ in Everton on the promise of returns linked to the doomed to fail Everton/Tesco/Knowsley deal to relocate the club to Kirkby, then the timing of Earl’s acquisition of shares in the club is a coincidence of startling proportions. 

Earl’s vision for Everton FC in Kirkby, also blatantly exposed his conspicuous lack of local knowledge, demographics and geography. The town of Kirkby maybe many things, but a new ‘Vegas of the North’ it certainly is not.

“Anything that helps the economic model, and in turn gives David (Moyes) a better pool of talent, is something we want to do. The more financial stability we can give the club, the better.

If there's to be a new stadium, and if that stadium merits having great restaurants and a casino, let's go for it.”
 
Conspicuous by his continued absence at Goodison Park, it was Robert Earl’s involvement in the Kirkby debacle that may well prove to be his most active role in his tenure as a director of Everton. 

Throughout the club’s long history, few, if any issues have served to be so divisive as the board of directors attempt to relocate Everton from the City of Liverpool, to the town of Kirkby. One of Earl’s first visits to Goodison Park just happened to coincide with the December 2007 AGM. A tumultuous meeting dominated by the Kirkby issue, when Kenwright’s plans to leave Goodison Park remained in full swing.

Introduced by the local press as a ‘mogul who makes things happen,’ and boasting of his ability ‘to do billion dollar deals,’ Robert Earl was adamant on the only way forward for Everton FC, it was essential the club moved away from Goodison Park.

“I understand all the emotions. I really do. I don’t have to be an Evertonian to understand the emotions. The AGM didn’t surprise me at all. If anything, it was probably less venomous than I thought it would be. Some very good points were made but unfortunately a lot were based on limited amounts of information that people react on. 

If I saw an article from a Liverpool city Councillor that said a site was available in the city of Liverpool, I would react the same way. Unfortunately, in the time we had at the AGM, we could not explain that every possibility has been explored thoroughly.

I feel comfortable that Bill exploited every possible avenue to stay in this city. I have personally had a lot of meetings and made a lot of calls.        

I have met with the development teams; I have looked at sites and examined all the practicalities. And I concluded that there was nowhere. There was nothing available for us to move to. Yes there is land but that land has to go through a million stages and have funding grants attached to it, else it was impractical, and those boxes could not be ticked.

Unfortunately, the fans are not getting that information flow and I feel sorry for them. I understand totally. But I have been out to the new site in Kirkby. It is only about eight minutes in a car from Goodison. 

Earl's Everton Dream

I have studied the plans, I have been to the training ground and I have spoken at great length to Knowsley Council. As far as I can see, it is a win, win, win situation for everyone. 

Yes it’s a win for Tesco but they are doing fabulous things for Everton. I don’t think the fans appreciate that yet. The cloud of moving away from the city and the stigma that it has occurred can’t be seen past at the minute. But that area is absolutely swamped with Evertonians.”

Clearly, Robert Earl had been convinced the proposed deal with Tesco to relocate the club to Kirkby was a lucrative business opportunity. His over-enthusiasm for the doomed scheme was capped with his describing of the now infamous suggestion that Tesco Stores LTD were about to hand Everton Football Club a £52 million non-reimbursable cheque, as “manna from heaven.” 

Whilst this would be his first and final public utterance on the scheme, privately, as revealed in an email exchange obtained through a Freedom of Information request by concerned Evertonians, Earl was involved in the scheme at the highest level. 

In the May 2008 email, with the relocation proposal under imminent threat of being called-in for a public planning inquiry, Knowsley Borough Council’s CEO, Sheena Ramsey sought assurances from Robert Earl concerning Chairman Bill Kenwright’s continuing support of the scheme.

The email, one which the Council sought to suppress on the grounds of ‘commercial sensitivity’ surrounding a ‘potential third party investor,’ exposed Earl’s high level private involvement, revealed the nervousness around the proposals and gave an insight into the somewhat affectionate relationship between the flamboyant, multi-millionaire Everton director and the Chief Executive Officer of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

From: Ramsey, Sheena CEO
Sent: 23 May 2008 13:08
To: r..@planethollywood.com
Subject: Kirkby Development

Dear Robert, thank you for ringing yesterday, I really appreciate the reassurance as this feels like a very tense time at the moment. The issue we are faced with at the moment, as I said yesterday is doing everything we can to ensure the project can go ahead with the minimum of risk to any of the partners and in particular the people of Kirkby. We are however, being advised by our planning QC that there is still a high chance, despite everyone's best efforts that the application will get called in. If this is the case we need to be absolutely certain that Everton will be standing with us at that enquiry hence my concern about having a note to confirm commitment. I have been advised here that it must come from the Chairman, of the club and I have a call into Bill’s office and a draft to send him I should know in the next hour or so how that has gone and will hopefully be able to send you a copy of what I am requesting. The key issue for us at the moment is ensuring we have everything in place to enable the Planning Committee to fully assess the application on Monday 9th June so time is of the essence as the report will have to go to our Members Thursday of next week.

I hope you are well and enjoying glorious sunshine and blue skies, it is not entirely like that here but I have your island on my ‘favourites’ on the Internet so can look at that to capture that feeling back here in Knowsley!

Best regards
Sheena

It would be many long drawn out months before the final nail in the Destination Kirkby project was delivered by Communities minister, John Denham. Since then, you would be hard pushed to find any public involvement in the dealings of Everton Football Club by Robert Earl. 

Throughout the divisive Destination Kirkby years, the Everton chairman and board of directors were accused by small shareholders and supporters alike of ‘misleading’ the fans on Kirkby. The accusations, based on information given to supporters within the ballot brochure and through the local press, were primarily focused on the broken promises of a ‘world class stadium,’ ‘the best transport links in the UK,’ and a ‘£52 million gift’ from Tesco. 

Given Robert Earl’s continued absence from Goodison and his lack of activity in the boardroom since the scheme collapsed, it seems Earl shares a certain empathy with those ‘misled’ supporters.

Through his spokesman, Robert Earl made clear his past and future intentions for Everton in a January 2009 article, written for The Guardian by respected football journalist, David Conn.

“A spokesman for Earl said he had contributed financially by providing personal guarantees so that Everton could extend their bank borrowings and sign new players. He does not, the spokesman said, intend to put further money in until Everton are in a new stadium, when the club could be in a position to attract further investment.”

More than four years on from Conn’s article, and without a penny invested in the club, Robert Earl has been as good as his word. Yet, with the current Everton incumbents search for a stadium solution seemingly as far away as it has ever been, the obvious question is why Robert Earl, apparently no more than a shadow director, would simply sit on his £9 million stake in Everton FC? 

Perhaps the recent revelation on TalkSport of the club being valued at £120 million, may in this case, have done more than a little to persuade Earl that doing nothing is sometimes the best business plan of all. However, as with the stadium issue, and despite Bill Kenwright’s insistence of the club being for sale ‘since the day I took over,’ a buyer for Everton FC is similarly nowhere to be found.

Kenwright Has Failed To Sell Everton

The apparent lack of serious interest in Everton FC is an on-going conundrum that continues to baffle all connected to the club. Maybe the answer to selling Everton lies with deals made around the high stakes gaming tables of London and Monte Carlo. 

After all, when in real danger of losing control and desperate enough to find a buyer for 23% of the club, it was on those tables where Chairman Bill Kenwright, thanks to ‘friend of the club’ Sir Philip Green, curiously found his perfect fit in Robert Earl.

Everton FC - Major Shareholders

W Kenwright CBE (chairman)
Shares owned: 9,044 - 25.84%

R Earl (director)
Shares owned: 8,146 - 23.27%

J Woods (director)
Shares owned: 6,622 - 18.92%

Other shareholders: 11,188 - 31.97%
Total shares: 35,000 - 100%