he would inform us what he was prepared to do respecting his Ground.
Drawing his attention to Mr. Orrell's offer which had been made in
writing also to stands & erections. To this be replied as long as the
Everton Club paid him his rent, he would not disturb them next
that he would not deviate from the arrangement recorded in your
minutes dated July 24th 1888 (which is an informal agreement
of tenancy). We then, considering these replies unsatisfactory
invited Mr. Houlding to put into writing his ultimatum for
submission to the Committee on the following Monday, but no
reply has, so far as we know, been made.
In consequence of this, & under further instructions from your Committee
we again on the 28th Sep. waited on Mr. Houlding and invited from
him a final reply in writing. He replied that as long as the Everton
Club could afford to pay the £250 per year rent he would exact
it, but in the event of the finances not being sufficient to meet this,
he would meet such emergency by accepting a reduced rent.
We again invited him to put into writing any offer which he wished
to make, so that the same could be submitted to the Committee.
But we failed to obtain any promise that he would comply
therewith. We drew his special attention to the advisability of his
granting a lease to run concurrently with Mr. Orrell's and the
emphatic feeling of the members that he should forego any claim to
the Stands & Fixtures. We did not suggest any rental to Mr.
Houlding in either of our interviews, not having any authority
from your Committee to do so signed by A. T. Coates, J. C. Baxter,
John Atkinson & W. Jackson - October 5th 1891.
Mr. Houlding's
statement The following was read to the Committee.
I bought the land for the purpose of Football and imposed the
following conditions 1885:
(1) I nominate a member of Committee.
(2) The Committee pay me what rent they could until a maximum
was reached of about 4% on the cost.
