So, re-registered on this board just to comment on this load of crap. Ken, I don't know you from Adam, and we are all entitled to opinions on most things - football especially, but to call someone "spiv-like" when the meaning of the word "spiv" is:
"a man, especially one who is well-dressed in a way that attracts attention, who makes money dishonestly"
... is just ridiculous. Maybe you didn't know what the word "spiv" meant when you typed it? I don't know. The guy is an accountant, he's not a movie star, he's not flashy. How would you like him to come across in his first interview for the club, do some magic tricks for you, or maybe some juggling, or maybe make a load of empty promises before he even knows the place? He's still getting his feet under the table, he will do his research and due diligence and then come up with a plan to move us forward.
I think he comes across as someone who has worked hard, has gained a lot of experience across a range of businesses both in and out of the sporting sector, but most importantly was the CEO at Everton from 2009 to 2017 - 8 years in the job of one of the most consistant clubs in the Premier League era, despite not having a sugar daddy owner (during that period). How we have managed to get the guy to come to a 5th tier club, I don't know, but the owner must have sold him a vision which was good enough for him to come to us. We are so lucky to have a guy with this sort of experience at OUR club, why can you not see that?
According to Wikipedia, his roll as deputy in the 3.5 years preceding his appointemnt as CEO, involved the following:
"developing an efficient organisational structure, securing and empowering a strong management team, ensuring appropriate levels of financial reporting and accountability, delivering commercial growth, principally via filling the stadium at higher yields and securing new sponsors"
If we can get bigger and better sponsors (I love Home Run Pizzas, but their sponsorship is not going to get us up the leagues!). We need serious commercial activity, and this guy has been there and done it.
Can you not see that the new owner is putting people into place to make us a force not just now but in the future? Success cannot just be one guy running half the football club (sorry Jim - absolute legend for what you did for us, but we need to move on).