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| Kenwright (left) has faced protests from Everton fans, despite the club spending £28m on Lukaku |
EVERTON have long searched for a new buyer but Palace chairman Steve Parish warns supporters they would be foolish to jump into bed with just anybody.
"If the right person stands in front of me and wants to take this club forward, then I will sell," Bill Kenwright said in November 2007.
Eight years on and the wait continues: for Everton, for Bill Kenwright, himself, and for some supporters.
The Goodison Park club has challenged to qualify for the Champions League, graced the Europa League, reached an FA Cup final and broken their transfer record on numerous occasions in the intervening years.
Yet while football gorges itself on even more money, a buyer remains elusive.
It has become a point of contention for a minority who, prior to Everton's eye-catching 3-0 victory over Southampton last weekend, paid for a light aircraft to fly over St Mary's trailing a banner calling for the board to stand down.
Around 30 protestors congregated outside the ground before Sunday's defeat to Manchester City.
The aircraft stunt rankles, but Kenwright, who does not need the hassle let alone the abuse - that comes with running a Premier League club, would concur. That is the easy part.
The aircraft stunt rankles, but Kenwright, who does not need the hassle let alone the abuse - that comes with running a Premier League club, would concur. That is the easy part.
Everton were one of the Big Five along with Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Tottenham when Sky was negotiating to administer its grip on the game in 1992.
Yet it is interesting to view how the Premier League landscape has changed since Kenwright, and True Blue Holdings, officially took control of Everton on Boxing Day, 1999.
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| Crystal Palace co-owner Steve Parish believes Kenwright must sell to the right buyer |
He was the chairman and owner the Everton supporters, unhappy with the excesses of predecessor Peter Johnson who overspent and then had to sell players, wanted.
The 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland that day was straight from the sort of script the theatre impresario might have penned himself.
Of the 19 other clubs in the Premier League back then, only one has not been taken over since. Middlesbrough remains under the control of Steve Gibson.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United have all changed hands with plenty of success. Arsenal and Liverpool followed suit, but have found silverware rather more elusive.
A list of the other clubs, some of which have been bought and sold more than once, makes interesting reading: Leeds, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Leicester, West Ham United, Tottenham, Newcastle United, Coventry City, Southampton, Derby County, Bradford, Wimbledon, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford.
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| A protest banner which flew over St Mary's during Everton's 3-0 win against Southampton |
The fluctuating fortunes of 12 of those suggests a takeover does not provide a panacea. The plights of Portsmouth and Birmingham City would stand as other examples.
"If there is a chance it could be 5pc better, then it could also be 95 per cent worse," said Steve Parish, chairman and co-owner of Crystal Palace, a pertinent voice given the perception has built in some quarters that Everton are in danger of being usurped by the south London club.
"It is not difficult to get relegated from the Premier League. It doesn't take much mismanagement to do that."
Kenwright did not attract the Abu Dhabi billions which have transformed Manchester City or The Glazers at United.
But neither has he acted like Peter Ridsdale did at Elland Road in pursuit of what proved an impossible dream and knowing who not to sell to has proved as important.
Everton have been close to being bought out once since Kenwright said he would sell. An American company was in talks, but the financial markets crashed and the deal subsequently collapsed with it.
More recently, takeovers have been less prevalent.
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| Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner wants to sell the club for £150m but has struggled to find a buyer |
Randy Lerner cannot sell Aston Villa, West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace suspended talks with an interested party last month because the "potential purchaser is unable to fulfil the terms of that agreement at this time" and Palace, themselves, saw talks over potential investment break down.
Lerner has been looking for around £150m-£175m for Villa a similar price to what Everton might fetch. Roberto Martinez's squad is far superior to the one Tim Sherwood boasts, but Villa Park is better than Goodison Park.
However, if £150m was needed to buy Everton then that would have to be supplemented by money to cover the debt around £40m new signings and a new stadium.
Unless the new owner is a billionaire, he might find fifth is as good as it gets. That is the harsh reality.
"You want to meet some of the nutcases who want to buy a football club," continued Parish, speaking exclusively to the Daily Express.
"I have met everyone possible. For everyone one person who might actually be in a position to help, you have 20 complete nut cases. Nut jobs. Fantasists.
"They know someone who has the money and they are putting together consortiums.
"At best you are taking a desperate leap into the unknown. At worst, you lose your Premier League status and then drop down another division.
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| West Brom owner Jeremy Peace suspended talks with a buyer last month when trying to sell the club |
"Everton have been challenging for the Champions League against clubs like Manchester United - who boast the biggest commercial income in the world Liverpool who have won so many European Cups and still have a huge overseas interest and income.
"Arsenal is a massive London club and it is different down here in London with regards to income and ticket sales.
"And then you have two other clubs who have been bankrolled to unbelievable expense.
"If Everton fans are wanting a Roman Abramovich, or a sovereign wealth fund like Abu Dhabi, then I am sure Bill will want that too. But these people don't come around very often.
"They are very, very rare and because it has been done here in England that makes them even rarer.
"Qatar bought Paris St Germain because they didn't want to go head to head. It is hard to compete against two are already doing it."
However, there is a chink of light according to investment banker Keith Harris, who has worked for Everton in the past and brokered Abramovich's purchase of Chelsea, Lerner's takeover of Aston Villa and more recently helped Shadid Khan buy Fulham.
He believes the television deals the Premier League has negotiated domestically and is attracting overseas will see investors circling English clubs again.
"I used to say people investing in football clubs are just inviting themselves to carry on writing cheques," said Harris. "That is not the case anymore.
"People can seriously see an investment has all the old fantastic characteristics of the fun, enjoyment and high emotion, but this time when they buy they shouldn't have to put any more money in and they can actually see the chance for a good return.
"I believe that is going to happen. People ask,'why has it taken so long?' Well, this is not like selling old dining room furniture on Ebay, but it is not far away from that.
"These are very bespoke assets and all have very different characteristics. Those people who have stuck in with their ownership for a long period can now see an exit, or a partial exit, and it is going into good hands and there will be deals done. Absolutely make no mistake.
"We are entering a new and tempting environment for investors. Bill has not been a personal stumbling block. He has been very public in saying, "I will embrace a takeover provided they are better than me."
"He is not animpediment to money coming into the club and he has many more supporters than detractors."
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