'Kenwright's passion for Everton was unquestionable'
- Published
Bill Kenwright, who has died aged 78, was the lifelong Everton fan who made the journey from Goodison Park's infamous 'Boys' Pen' to the boardroom as chairman and owner of the club.
Kenwright's passion for Everton was unquestionable but it was a sporting love story with an unhappy ending as the club plunged into footballing and financial crisis under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri, while Kenwright remained as chairman, in his latter years.
Even those of us who have been critical of his time at Goodison Park could never dispute that, along with the theatre and those closest to him, Everton was a great love of Kenwright's life. He was desperate for Everton to regain their place among the Premier League elite.
As an influential and highly successful West End impresario, Kenwright loved a good tale with a dash of romance but his ambitions that his time as Everton chairman would write the perfect storyline with a first trophy since the FA Cup win in 1995 never materialised.
In an open letter to fans last season, the hurt that Kenwright and his then fellow board members felt at being unable to attend games at Goodison Park since January - citing security concerns - was clear. It was also an indication of how he had become an increasingly divisive figure among supporters throughout the course of his chairmanship.
