‘I can only come to two assumptions,’ says Neville Southall of 777’s Everton contract.
ECHO IS EXCLUSIVE Everton writer Chris Beesley speaks with Blues great Neville Southall about 777 Partners’ potential acquisition of the club.
Everton veteran Neville Southall confesses he is perplexed by the club’s current ownership troubles, but feels the Blues represent a “great opportunity” for potential investors.
Farhad Moshiri, the club’s current main shareholder, has agreed to sell all of his 94.1% holding to 777 Partners, subject to regulatory approval. The Miami-based investment group is new to football, but it already has a global portfolio of clubs that includes Genoa (Italy), Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Standard Liege (Belgium), Red Star (France), Melbourne Victory (Australia), and Hertha Berlin (Germany).
However, their previous attempts into the sport have been marred by fan outrage over the amount of money 777 is putting in their teams, as well as questions about where their money is coming from and whether they have enough. Southall is baffled as to why more organizations have not stepped up.
“I don’t understand, with the club, its history, the successes it’s had in the past, the fanbase that we have, why there isn’t a queue of people lining up to buy Everton,” he told the ECHO. Why are only odds and ends being released?
“Yes, the team needs money, and everyone knows that, but if you look at Everton as an overall brand with the new stadium, I’d be thinking ‘wow,’ if we can get this right on the pitch, that club is going to fly, and it could be Champions League.”
“All you have to do now is find a team that matches the ground because they always make money once they make the move.” It is not a question of ‘who is coming in as an investor?’ for me. That is why there aren’t more of them lining up to seize a potentially lucrative chance.
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