Everton to address Bill Kenwright future following trio of board departures
The club escaped relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.
Everton have begun overhauling their board by announcing a trio of departures led by chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, with the future of chairman Bill Kenwright set to be addressed in the next 48 hours.
Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp have left their roles a fortnight after the club escaped relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.
Everton will announce their interim replacements, along with a decision on the future of Kenwright, this week.
Along with Kenwright, the three directors had been prevented from attending matches at Goodison Park since mid-January because of fan opposition that entailed “threats to safety and security”.
“The outgoing directors have worked tirelessly over recent months to assist with the preparation for a transition to a new board,” an Everton statement read.
“The club is very appreciative of this generous accommodation, which is both characteristic of them and entirely in the spirit of the best values of our club.”
Everton have cumulative losses of more than £430million and the exit of the directors was seen as inevitable with American investors MSP Sports Capital poised to buy into the club.
“We have worked tirelessly alongside our chairman in what has been a challenging period to deliver some of the most significant projects in Everton’s history – projects that will safeguard and sustain the commercial future of the club for generations to come.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as directors. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us during our time here. We wish the club we have loved to serve every success in the future.”
The PA news agency understands American investors MSP Sports Capital are poised to buy into the club, taking a reported 25 per cent stake, and they are expected to insist on significant representation on the board with potentially two new members.
Kenwright’s retention, for now, is linked to regulations which state the club has to have at least one sitting member of the board.
The fact his future will be addressed over the next couple of days would suggest the proposed new investment is being pushed through and could be finalised later this week.
