THURSDAY JUNE 27 1957 [Mutual admiration mood at Everton F. C. meeting] BY "DAILY POST" REPORTER SCARCELY a ripple disturbed the annual general meet- ing of the Everton Mutual Admiration Society- officially the Everton Football Club - at the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce last night. Which was not surprising, considering the way the seventy-odd shareholders present were continually told what wonderful chaps the directors were, what tremendous economies had been effected in the finances and how magnificent the new floodlighting was. The only suggestion of any- thing approaching discord came as Everton, along with other after the meeting had been in clubs. had found to their cost. progress three quarters of an The Shareholders clapped hour when shareholder Mr W. politely as Mr Balmforth Macaulay. commenting on a finished reading and then Mr C. drop of £22,000 in gross League H. Askham. on behalf of the receipts, suggested that it was Maintenance Committee shot a because the first team was not multitude of Figures at them to playing well enough. explain how much it cost to When he was forthright keep a ground like Goodison enough to suggest that the only Park in repair. way to bring the missing spec- tators back was to get a good £4,600 tender: Job team together, this roused the done for £2,000 apparently somnolent share- holders to a faint "hear hear." The total came to £27,886 and but Mr Macaulay's point lost Mr Askham had a particularly much of its sting when chair- good word to say for the club's man Mr R. E. Searle blandly permanent maintenance staff. admitted that the directors They had, for instance, painted knew the first team was not as the Gwladys Street stand for good as it should have been. But £2.000. whereas a contractor it would be improved, he had tendered £4.600. promised. Mr Searle spotted Alderman Maybe the shareholders were John Braddock in the room and partially anaesthetised right at suggested he might like to say the start by director J. C. something of what he saw when Sharp's resolution that a divi- he and other shareholders, Were dend of five percent,free of tax taken round the ground recently be paid. This was approved. Alderman Braddock said he Mr Sharp, as chairman of the could not think of any more Finance Committee, then went improvements which could be made on to explain just how the made. expenditure had been kept There was evidence that down, and how major items maintenance of the ground were a matter for the full Board during the last few years had and could only be sanctioned by been badly neglected. them. From what he could see, the As an instance of the eagle ground was in first-rate con- eye the committee kept on its dition, and those responsible money, Mr Sharp said that, were to be congratulated on owing to the high cost of spending large sums of money electricity, the committee had on work that should have been recommended the Board to seek done years ago. some alternative method of heating. When Mr Macaulay said a Mr Sharp paid special good first team was more impor- tribute to his colleagues Mr. C. tant than ground maintenance. E. Balmforth, Mr. N. W. Coffey Mr Searle said they had had and Mr T. C. Nuttall-all of Mr Nuttall's assurance as to whom were due to retire and what was being done. all of whom were re-elected Not only that, but that very without dissent-and assured afternoon, the directors had the shareholders that the spent an hour discussing new Finance Committee were doing players ... the Press were their utmost to keep a close present and Mr Searle did not watch on the club's finances. want to elaborate. "We are alive to our weak- Floodlights Scheme nesses." Mr Searle told Mr ahead of schedule Macaulay. "Come and have a coffee some time and we will have a chat." Then it was Mr. F. Mickles- field's turn. On behalf of the Remedy without Maintenance Committee, he going to bank dealt at length with the new floodlighting scheme, details of Mr Macaulay was not to be which, he reminded the share- put off with coffee and a chat. holders, he had given exhaus- He insisted that the reason why tively, at the last annual the gates had fallen was meeting. because the team was not good Installation of the floodlight-enough. The players insisted ing system, Mr Micklesfield in playing across the field said, was about six weeks instead of towards goal. ahead schedule. "Anyone would think the A start had been made goal posts were on either side rather earlier than was first of the field instead of the intended, and the first two ends." Mr Maccaulay said. pylons were up before the last "That state of affairs can be season ended. remedied without going to the The lights would be finished banks." by the end of the four weeks and Mr Searle: "We have our on two pylons they were ready coach. Give him a chance. You for focusing. gave the other people seven The first tests of the lights years and you didn't grumble. would take place about the This brought Mr Macaulay to middle of August, when the his feet at once. "You must days got a bit shorter. excuse me from that." It had been decided, Mr Mr W. Dickinson (secretary) Micklesfield announced, to said that Everton drew a lot of install more lights in the stands, their supporters from far away on staircases and at the exits places and they came by car. and these would now total 170. when petrol rationing was The Cost of running them introduced they did not turn up. would be about £2 4s an hour. Bad weather on Boxing Day Mr Micklesfield said it was and matches with attractive not the club's intention to play opponents which had had to be any mid week matches in the put off until mid week had afternoon in the winter. They robbed the club of several would all be evening matches. thousands of spectators. Mr Searle asked for questions Mr Macaulay had an answer about the floodlighting, but the to that."They stayed away on shareholders appeared to be Boxing Day because the B.B.C. satisfied and there were none. broadcast the Christmas Day The report of the Playing game at Tottenham, and every- Staff sub-committee should one heard the six goals going have been given by its chair- in the Everton net." man, Mr T. C. Nuttall, but he is Mr Micklesfield tried to come in hospital and a speech was to the rescue by pointing out read for him by Mr Balmforth. that up to petrol rationing, the club's average gate was 42,367. Club best run by By the end of rationing it dropped to 31,500. sub-committees Mr Macaulay was not to be put off. Waving a cutting About fifteen months ago, the from a newspaper, he said: speech said. there arose a situa-"This is a chart of popularity tion which compelled the board away from home. Everton are to assume direct and complete at the bottom." control of the club's affairs. The magnitude of the task Prepared to Wait was enormous, but the board 2 or 3 years decided to face up to their responsibilities with the utmost Mr Askham agreed that resolution. some of the criticisms about It was decided that the bad play were justified, but affairs of the club could best be claimed that all clubs had had run by sub-committees. reduced gates. For some years, the playing Mr Burgin, another share- and training staff had been holder, suggested that they subjected to an almost omni- should be prepared to wait two potent control and the problems or three years and see what Mr. which had to be faced had to be Buchan could produce. At least, handled with tact and younger players were getting understanding. their chance. First, the sub-committee had Mr Searle announced that regretfully to recognise that letters expressing a wish that several members of the playing they would soon be well had staff were past their usefulness been sent to Mr Nuttall and Mr as First Division players. E. Green, both of whom were while at the same time there in hospital. was an inadequate supply of The meeting finished with a even partly experienced players few shareholders complaining of the requisite standard in that they could not always get the reserves. the seats they wanted in their There was, therefore, an stand because children and urgent need for-a complete re- other with complimentary assessment of the club's tickets had got there before resources, and it was decided them. to follow a somewhat bold Mr Searle promised to see policy- which may not have what could be done about this. pleased everybody- of includ- ing in the League team some of the young men who had, for Retiring from several years, been languishing in the junior teams. Dunlop, Birch, Rea, Kirby, P. S. N. C. after Llewellyn. Thomas and Temple were examples. Other promising youngsters 49 years were also introduced and it was felt that the promise of some of those boys had, to some extent, justified the policy. Whether they would all make the grade only the future would tell, but they must not be denied the opportunity of doing so. Another pleasing feature of the policy had been its effect on the other young players, several of whom had shown marked progress during the past season. This was attributed to the fact that they realised that there was now room at the top at Goodison Park for any lad who had what it takes to make a First Division player. In the last fifteen months in young players had been introduced into the first team. Some had expressed the view that too many inexperienced boys had been played last sea- son. The answer was simple— Mr D. C. Davies better that than allow the young potentials to rusticate Mr D. C. Davies assistant for years and lose heart in the manager of the pacific steam junior teams. Navigation Company, is to The board were determined retire at the end of this week to persevere with and intensify after forty nine years' service their youth policy. with the company, which he The emphasis from now on joined in 1908 as an apprentice, would not be on the preaching serving principally in the about its advantages, but on its freight departments. practical and live application. On return from service with the Royal Navy in 1919 Mr Davies joined the Inward Team places on Freight Department, and sub- sequential for many years, was merit alone head of that department. In 1952, he was appointed assis- From now on names and tant manager of the company reputations would have no and the same year was made meaning in the club's plans. a director of The Port of Liver- The men who would hold pool Stevedoring Company. their places in the League team In his younger days Mr. would do so on merit and on Davies was a keen outdoor merit alone. sportsman, and is also a mem- Competition for places would ber of the Liverpool Rotary obviously be keen but to Club. He lives at 57 Winchester young players with the desire. Davies. Wallasey. determination and ability to get the top and stay there. they would give the utmost Heather Queen encouragement. Eurwen Roberts, twelve-year- The building of a successful old daughter of Mr and Mrs first team was not something Evan Roberts, Cae Du, Rhos- that could be done overnight by hirwaen, has been elected the wave of a magic wand. Heather Queen of South Neither could it be done by aernarvonshire. She is a pupil means of an open cheque book at Bottwnog Grammar School.