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
__________
