20th JUNE. 1958 EVERTON BOARD UNDER FIRE FROM improved by the acquisition of SHAREHOLDERS these players we will not be disturbed by that fact." said Mr. Candidate's nomination Askham. is challenged Soil heaters will beat frost Ground expenses and main- tenance cost £24,247, and included £9,000 to be paid for remaking of the playing pitch. "During the remaking of the pitch completely automatic soil heating was incorporated six inches below the surface. "It is not an experiment," BY A "DAILY POST" REPORTER said Mr. Askham. "Manweb and Bingley Turf Research Institute -both experts in their own EVERTON Football Club directors faced a vigorous spheres, have proved to their bombardment of criticism from shareholders at the own satisfaction that the annual general meeting of the company in Liverpool last system of soil heating which night. has been put in at Goodison Right from the start, the shareholders were in militant Park will keep the ground free mood, and when Mr. C. H. Askham, one of the directors, from frost and its consequent emerging from a tussle over figures in the balance sheet, dangers, and will prevent snow suggested he might have more success in proposing a 5 from covering our playing per cent tax-free dividend, the body of shareholders lustily pitch for more than an hour rejected the proposal. or two." Moving an amendment that ------------------------ Mr. Macauley, referring to an no dividend be paid, Mr. W. C. have no objection to his being income of £13,430 for players' Macaulay declared: "I think, in elected a director of the club." transfer fees, said it might view of the players we have got, Mr. Macaulay, calling for the have been better to replace the we should do without and let date of his resignation, sug- experienced players they had us suffer with our supporters." gested that if he still held the sold rather than have this sum. Mr. M. Tickle seconded, and position on May 1, the date on "There are quite a lot of us the amendment was carried on which nominations were due it here would much sooner we had a show of hands, although the was a relevant point. the best team in the country cheques were ready to go out. Mr. Dickinson replied that the than the best ground." he The saving: £97, for which the date of resignation was observed. directors had made provision irrelevant. What mattered was The difficulty of getting in the accounts. the present position. players was emphasised by Mr. Mr. Parry said he did not C. E. Balmforth (Playing Staffs No personal consider the matter had been Sub-committee chairman). ill-feeling satisfactorily cleared up and he Firm refusals proposed to read a copy of the and high prices Next move of the rank-and- Football Association's letter. A list of men had been drawn file shareholders, led this time (Shouts of "Hear, hear."). up who it was considered might by Mr. Peter L. Parry (secre- When Mr. Dickinson inter- strengthen the team, but for tary of the club's shareholders' vened to say that perhaps he months on end they were met Association), was to challenge could clarify the position. he with firm refusals at any price, the eligibility of one of the was greeted by a chorus of or such prohibitive prices that men nominated for election as "No" and "Sit down." even Everton's assets would not a director-Mr. E. Holland Permission was have bought. Hughes, of Edenholme, Garth refused "Names we are now seeking Drive, Liverpool 18. must obviously remain hidden Mr. Parry made it clear there The F.A.'s letter said that as it is in the interests of was no personal ill-feeling following application for per- everybody that we should try towards Mr. Hughes in raising mission to propose Mr. Hughes and get these negotiations the matter, but they wanted to for election to the club's board, through before the market is be sure they were acting the F. A. Consultative Commit- spoiled," he said. "We are after correctly. tee had decided consent could another player of international Stating that the club had not be given and that the calibre, and we very much received a letter from the Foot- application be refused. hope we will sign him within a ball Association on June 2 say- The letter went on: "In view week or two (applause). ing Mr. Hughes was ineligible of your letter dated May 30, "We have by no means for election to the board, he stating that Mr. Hughes has finished our quest for players, asked whether anything further resigned his position as We have reorganised our scout- had ensued. secretary of the Pools Pro- ing system under Mr. Harry Mr. W. Dickinson (club sec- moters' Association, on receipt Cook (chief scout), and our retary): "We have received a of an assurance from Mr. system now covers the whole of letter from the Football Hughes personally that he has the United Kingdom." Association stating that in view resigned his connection with He said he was not making of Mr. Holland Hughes' resigna- the association, the committee any excuses for the indifferent tion from his position as will be informed accordingly." standard of players in the team secretary of the Pools Mr. Parry then asked for a during the year, but the club Promoters' Association, they subsequent letter from the F. A. would be blameworthy if they to be read. did not take every conceivable Mr. Dickinson: "I have not step to strengthen the position. got a copy with me. But you "It's very easy to decide you surely don't think that the want more men and certain directors would put up a men, but it's very difficult candidate if they thought there getting them." was any doubt in the minds of Mr. R. E. Searle (chairman) the F. A.?" also stressed the difficulty in The F. A. had stated in the getting players. They had set subsequent letter that they had off in desperation in one case no objection to Mr. Hughes with £35,000. but came back being elected in view of his empty handed, he revealed. And resignation as secretary of the when it came to talking to Pools Promoters' Association, Middlesbrough about Clough, he added. Newcastle had sent an open cheque. Let us know Shareholders seemed happy our candidates with the Floodlighting Com- mittee report presented by Mr. The club's solicitor, Mr. W. H. F. Micklesfield, who said the Robinson, said the only point at club had the best floodlighting issue was whether Mr. Hughes system in the country, and met with the approval of the possibly in Europe. F. A. At the time of the But they unleashed one proposal he did not, but since parting shot before the final then he had resigned the office whistle. When Mr. G. H. Garner which disqualified him. and Mr. W. H. Sawyer proposed During the debate, Mr. a vote of thanks to the board Macaulay remarked: "More and praised them for carrying and more this club is coming out their difficult task so well under the influence of certain during the year, a handful of individuals. As shareholders we shareholders voted against the have a right to know who our proposal. candidates are and what they ____________ are." When the election of direc- tors was put to the vote there was a further outcry from the body of the hall. After a show of hands, Mr. Searle demanded a poll, and Mr. H. E. Burton declared it was ridiculous for them to have been asked to vote by show of hands in the first place. But Mr. Dickinson said they were only complying with the law. Then Mr. D. J. White questioned why the ballot papers should have been numbered. But at last the poll took place. With retirements and the deaths of two directors- Mr. E. Green and Mr. T. C. Nuttall- there were four vacancies, for which there were six nominations. The men they elected Mr. J. C. Sharp and Mr. C. H. Askham, the two retiring directors, were re-elected with 1,249 and 1,242 votes respec- tively. The other two vacancies were filled by Mr. Hughes with 1,195 votes, and Mr. R. A Joynson, of 37 Riverbank Road, Liverpool, with 1,235 votes. The other two nominees, Mr. William Birch and Mr. Donald Murdo McPhail, received 400 and 390 votes respectively. Later, thanking the meeting for electing him, Mr. Hughes said he would not enter into further discussion about his eligibility, as the board and legal advisers were satisfied. "May I say that any question that may have position. I don't take in a personal way," he said. "The gentlemen who enter- tained these views were per- fectly entitled to express them." Earlier, Mr. Askham (Finance Committee and Maintenance Committee chairman) presented the reports of those committees, and financially the news was good. "Our income is up from £151,000 to £172,000. Thanks once again to loyal support from our long suffering spectators (with whom I sym- pathise), a profit of £35,122 takes the place of last year's loss of £20,401. "The Board would have liked to have spent a considerable sum of money on new players before the end of our financial year, but unfortunately we could not get the players we wanted by that date. So our expenditure on Parker and O'Hara will come into next year's accounts, but as long as the team is considerably __________