Everton’s world collapsed 12 months ago – what happened next felt impossible
Everton FC correspondent Joe Thomas reflects on the past year’s events, including the collapse of the first Friedkin
Group takeover attempt, in his most recent Royal Blue column.
The Liverpool ECHO’s Everton FC correspondent is Joe Thomas. He provides match reports, analysis, and insight
into occurrences at Goodison Park, Finch Farm, and other locations as a Blues fan. Joe worked on award-winning
investigations and covered a wide range of topics pertaining to the Hillsborough tragedy, including the subsequent
criminal convictions, during his more than 10 years as a Merseyside news reporter. He can be reached at
joe.thomas@reachplc.com and on Twitter at @joe_thomas18. He is always appreciative of advice and comments.
As word got out on the train to Sligo, faces sank and the songs sounded lifeless. Twelve months ago today, on July 19,
2024, at exactly 11 a.m., Everton and The Friedkin Group declared that the acquisition offer the US company was
considering had fallen through.
The Blues had found a lifeline and a path to stability after years of upheaval when TFG’s interest in the team
surfaced.
Then, just like that, hours before the club’s first pre-season friendly of the summer, the dream was over. I remember
pressing send on my story then watching as the news swept through the Everton supporters who, like me, were
crossing Ireland to watch Seamus Coleman’s return to the club David Moyes so famously bought him from for just
£60,000.
I explored the serene banks of the Garavogue River after arriving in Sligo. As club employees processed the news in
Finch Farm and the Royal Liver Buildings, the cheerful flowerbeds and friendly cafes and restaurants stood in sharp
contrast to the grim surroundings on Merseyside.
Surrounded by startled club officials, I was the lone reporter who had travelled from England for the game. It was an
unwanted subject when I spoke to Sean Dyche on the pitch a few hours later; besides, what could he say?
It was just one of many odd, tumultuous days when the team swung between potential investors. As Farhad Moshiri
looked for a way out, the fourth period of exclusivity came to an end. Suitors came and left, including the Kaminski
group, MSP, and unstable 777 Partners.
I spent my lunch break on the first day of the season telling Football Focus that John Textor’s quest for the club had
encountered seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but there was still time for more games and enjoyment. Only now,
about a year later, has he made progress in selling his Crystal Palace share, which is the main obstacle to potential
Blues ownership.
While Textor is only just making progress, the story is quite different for Everton.
Unlike a year ago, the club is no longer fighting for survival on and off the pitch. The return to the table of TFG
brought with it the stability so many – inside and outside the club – have craved for so long.
At Finch Farm, a new leadership team has been established, and the £27.5 million entrance of Thierno Barry and the
£4 million addition of Mark Travers marked the start of a new cycle of PSR calculations that are not entirely
hampered by previous spending. There will be more.
Not that there haven’t been hiccups along the way. Sean Dyche’s departure was made possible by the team’s dismal
performance throughout the new year, which gave the impression that another relegation battle was inevitable.
However, the reaction was logical, and the improvement on the pitch under David Moyes’s leadership has benefited
owners, players, and supporters.
If Everton wants to capitalise on its recent success, they have a lot of work to do this summer. The team needs to be
rebuilt, and Moyes needs help everywhere on the team, but especially on the right side.
However, it’s important to remember the progress that has already been done if you’re looking through the transfer
gossip pages and wondering if the pace has to pick up.
When Everton was travelling to their first summer friendly twelve months ago, it seemed as though everything had
fallen apart. The heavens opened as I travelled to Accrington Stanley on Tuesday, but everything appeared to be
going well.
Read more news on https://www.sportupdates.co.uk/
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