Kenwright urges patience

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright has asked Toffees fans to be patient as he continues to search for the ‘right man’ to take the club forward.

Kenwright, who has supported the club his whole life, admitted that they stand to lose 4-5 million pounds a season until they find a new owner.

“I think Evertonians would rather stay with me, with all my drawbacks, if they knew that a potential new owner would saddle the club with debt,” Kenwright said in an interview with the BBC.

“Maybe there’s a downside to having a chairman who is a football fan. We lose 4-5 million pounds a year; that’s a lot of money, that’s a player to [manager] David Moyes.”

“Our history is second to none, but until I find the right man, and I will find him, you’re better off with me.”

Kenwright did admit that Everton could have been an attractive prospect to the likes of Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners had they managed to move from Goodison Park to a new stadium.

”If I’d been in the right place at the right time, then yes [Everton could have been more attractive than Manchester City],” he said.

The theatre producer did play down the extent of his team’s financial difficulties, however, citing a strong relationship with banks willing to lend to Everton.

“You don’t get an overdraft unless the bank thinks you can look after yourself, you don’t get millions of pounds unless they rate you,” he said.

“We have a very good relationship with our bankers, and there is a feeling of real respect from them for what we have done.”

“It’s a fallacy to say that we have the sword of Damocles hanging over us.”