In an official statement, Everton have confirmed that Bill Kenwright will stay on in his position as Chairman of the club, whilst majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri will join the board as a Non-Executive Director.
The news follows the club’s previous announcements of the departures of three directors, namely Chief Executive Officer, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Finance and Strategy Officer Grant Ingles and Non-Executive Director Graeme Sharp.
Replacing Barret-Baxendale as interim Chief Executive Officer will be Colin Chong, who is currently Chief Stadium Development Officer, whilst James Maryniak, currently Director of Finance, will take the role of interim Chief Finance Officer.
Meanwhile, subject to Premier League approval, Moshiri will be joined as Non-Executive Director on the board by John Spellman, who the club describe as “an experienced Chartered Accountant, successful businessman and Evertonian.”
The future of The Toffees’ Chairman position has been in doubt for several weeks, with Kenwright and other members of the board previously having been advised by local police to stay away from Goodison Park on safety grounds earlier on in the season, partly due to fan protests against their running of the club.
Despite this, the British-Iranian owner has decided that Kenwright, who has been on the board at Goodison Park since 1989, will be staying on, with Moshiri stating: “I wanted Bill to remain as our Chairman during this important period of transition for the Club and I am delighted that he has accepted my request to do so. Bill’s knowledge and vast experience will be crucial for us as we look to reset, deliver on external investment and position Everton for a successful future.”
The “transitional period” likely refers to the exclusivity agreement that American investment firm MSP Sports Capital have signed with Moshiri to provide investment into the Merseyside club, which is set supply them with the funds required to plug a gap in the financing of their new £760m stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock, as per The Athletic.
Furthermore, as the agreement indicates, MSP are said to be interested in a potential minority stake in Sean Dyche’s side, and are expected to take a number of seats on the club’s permanent board.
Having narrowly escaped relegation in the 2022/23 Premier League season with a 17th place finish, the Everton faithful will hope their side can turn their fortunes around in the coming season, which will begin on Saturday 12 August as they host Marco Silva’s Fulham at Goodison.
Travis Levison | Get Football
