Kenright wins Everton power struggle

Everton owner Bill Kenwright has finally won his two-year battle to oust rival Paul Gregg from the Goodison Park board.

The Barclays Premiership club have announced tonight that Gregg and his wife Anita – who was also on the board – have sold their shares to BCR Sports.

Everton will not reveal the names of the people behind BCR Sports, but the deal has been brokered by Kenwright.

A source at the club said: “The people involved are fully supportive of the current chairman and the management of the club.

“Bill will be able to go to this weekend’s match at home to Sheffield United relieved that he has won this battle, and he will be able to relax.”

The deal is believed to have seen Gregg get back the £7.2m (€10.8m) he paid for 23% of the club’s 35,000 shares which he owned jointly with his wife.

Gregg and Kenwright were involved in a spectacular fall-out just over two years ago after forming a group, True Blue Holdings, to run the club.

Kenwright and fellow director John Woods owned over 50% of the shares between them, and as a partnership were always able to outvote Gregg on the board.

The row over the future of the club erupted in the summer of 2004 and started a power struggle between Kenwright and Gregg, who wanted to take over control of the club.

He famously made a speech on the steps of Goodison Park calling for Kenwright to resign.

There has been an uneasy truce since then, with rumours of boardroom rows over expenditure and boss David Moyes’ transfer targets.

Gregg, 62, was introduced to the club by Kenwright when the Kings Dock saga started.

The plan was to build a new stadium and entertainment arena on the Mersey river front as a new home for the club and a venue for major showbiz events.

That plan eventually collapsed and the arena has been built to a smaller modification without a football stadium.