What is NSNOW?
Many fan groups associated with Everton Football Club have come together, known collectively as ‘NSNOW’.
Everton’s motto reads ‘Nil Satis Nisi Optimum’ in Latin, or ‘Nothing But The Best in English.
For 30 years, the club has come nowhere near to delivering these standards.
The motto is not in place to set a standard of being the best, but at least keeping standards within the club high enough to compete at the highest level.
An open letter to Farad Moshiri
The NSNOW collective calls for change from Farhad Moshiri. In an open letter directed to the Chairman, the group call for change in ‘the culture of the club, change the chair, board and executive.
They acknowledged Moshiri’s investment but urged him to ‘bring in competent, experienced professionals who can reverse our decline & make us competitive once more’.
The Chairman
First addressed in a call for change was the chairman, Bill Kenwright,. For many, he is the epitomising figure and the man who best represents the prolonged failures of Everton Football Club.
Since he became majority owner in 1999, the club has been on the decline. Overlooking Farhad Moshiri’s tenure for now, in Kenwright’s 17 years of ownership the club showed zero ambition.
Under Kenwright the club started to settle for mediocrity. He was happy to watch the club coast, never really making a dent to the league.
Managers were dealt poor hands in terms of spending money and were unable to keep up with the growing financial superpowers around them.
Many believe he has never had the best interests of the club at heart and would rather see himself profit financially than invest in the club’s facilities or staff, or even in a better playing squad.
It took a new billionaire investor for the club to ever spend significant money. Whilst this money was spent horrifically, none of it was his, and he also received a huge fee and turned a mass profit on the sale of some of his shares.
Kenwright has been a divisive figure for some time and in the last few years his Incompetency and ignorance has been more apparent than ever.
In January last year he was approached by angry fans following a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park to Aston Villa. The efforts of the 27 years campaign were ramping up and pressure on the board at the time was higher than it’s ever been.
One fan confronted Kenwright, raising to him that it had been 27 years since the club had won any silverware. To the crowd’s distain he replied, “It’s not 27 years – we’ve had some good times”.
Good times? To Bill Kenwright, ‘good times’ for a football club who have amassed nine first division titles, have been a few short ventures into European football and narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship.
Challenging Bill Kenwright
Ex-defender and former skipper Alan Stubbs recently came out against Kenwright. In a Radio 5 Live interview, he said that “Bill’s way of dealing with that is to stop you going to watch the team you’ve supported as a boy, which will never happen”.
This was in response to him being asked about how Bill Kenwright reacts when someone disagrees with him or calls him out. He seems to be a bit of a bully and can’t stand being challenged. Very much, ‘my way or the highway’.
Mr. Kenwright, if you love the club as much as you claim to, let go. Everton Football Club would be delighted to see the back of you. Under your supervision the club has done nothing but fail. Your incompetency’s as a chairman have left us where we are today.
The Board of Directors
Next to be addressed in the letter was the board. Grant Ingles joined Everton permanently as Finance Director in 2013. Financially, Everton have been the worst run of any Premier League clubs in the last six-to-seven years.
He is responsible for all financial aspects of the club. As it stands, Everton are in the process of constructing a new stadium on the docks of Bramley Moore. A stadium that we’ll likely be debuting in the Championship.
Secondly, Graeme Sharp. Once a hero in blue, scoring goal after goal and taking in the roar of the Goodison crowd. He was part of the squad who won the 1985 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Now, he serves as a ‘yes man’ to Bill Kenwright. His title within the club and on the board is a ‘Non-Executive Director’. What does he do? Who knows. What we know for sure is that it’s another face in the board room to smile and nod at those above him.
If Graeme Sharp had any love for this club, he’d be doing something about it. Surely, he can’t enjoy sitting by as the club is ran into the ground. Speak out Graeme.
The CEO
Lastly addressed was the CEO, Denise Barrett-Baxendale. Denise has been watching the club rot for years from her padded seat.
She has no clue the state that this football club is in or is simply ignorant to it.
On Friday 23rd of December, Everton released an article entitled “CEO on Everton progress in 2022”. This is an astonishingly naïve response.
Everton Football Club is in a state of disarray. Supposedly, in 2022 ‘the strategic review initiated by myself and the Board this time last year provided a roadmap for change in our footballing operations and our approach to recruitment’.
It is important to note that Denise summoned the ‘strategic review’ alongside all the other failing board members. They wouldn’t dare target the real issues. They sit in their comfy seats and look for anything they can blame bar themselves.
They will never acknowledge their own shortcomings. As seen in the strategic review, as seen in Bill’s comments to fans and his dealing with well-voiced ex-blues who dare to challenge him.
Not to mention so called ‘Communications Officer’ David Prentice who is paid a handsome salary to do absolutely nothing. The communication between the fans and the club is deafeningly quiet.
Nothing changes until the board does. Managers come and go and have all failed, if you look above them, you’ll see where the fault lies. Enough is enough.
The first protest
Following Everton’s next Premier League fixture against Southampton, there will be a peaceful sit-in protest after the game finishes. Regardless of results, NSNOW need your support as fans of the club to make a difference.
Every day more fan groups associated with the club sign on with the movement, and the Goodison faithful can band together and send a strong message to whichever board members decide to show up.
During the game also, let the board know how you feel. Everton have been run nearly into the ground but there is a short window of hope we still reside in which could see us escape the grip of those accountable.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum is worn on the chest of every player who dons that blue shirt, but it’s also sewn into the fabric of this club. Don’t let the board take that away from our beloved Everton.