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.
