Everton chairman Bill Kenwright has passed away

Everton Football Club announced today that club chairman Bill Kenwright has sadly passed away.

The club had recently released a statement that the 78-year-old was recovering at home following a prolonged period of recovery in intensive care after undergoing surgery related to a cancer diagnosis.

Kenwright had been chairman of the Toffees since 2004, having joined the club’s Board in 1989 just before the Blues last won a trophy, the 1995 FA Cup. The Merseyside-born theatre producer has long been a fixture at Everton games, but recent disagreements between the fanbase and the club’s leadership on how the club is being run have led to his withdrawing from public life.

He took over the leadership of the club at a difficult time when successes on the pitch were rare, and made a number of genuine attempts to better the club while trying to move the club to a bigger and better ground. While those efforts were to prove eventually fruitless until the eventual move to Bramley Moore Dock was confirmed.

In footballing terms, the appointment of David Moyes as manager would be considered his biggest achievement with the Scotsman making the most of the period of frugality and taking the Toffees to the brink of the Champions League group stages.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

The vacancy at the chairman position comes at a decisive time for Everton with American-based investors 777 Partners in the process of taking over majority shareowner Farhad Moshiri’s stake in the club. Kenwright was widely-expected to be replaced as chairman once the new regime was in place.

Our sincere condolences to Kenwright’s family and friends on the news of his passing. His legacy at Everton should not and will not be forgotten.