On Kenwright’s induction, France added:
“I was criticised by some for including him on the shortlist, but I was always confident that the voters would show fairness. It’s a part of our royal blue pedigree.
“To his credit, Bill has steered us through some extremely turbulent times during which the club and the business of football have changed. Thankfully, he provided stability and an enthusiastic voice for the club. But more than anything, we did not forfeit our Premier League status.
“He invested everything he had into the club when no-one else was prepared to do so. Others kept their hands firmly in their deep pockets as the club faced the abyss.”
It's utter guff like that quote above that shaped the thoughts of so many over the past few years.
He's right, the business of football changed. Everton didn't. That's Kenwrights cuddly culture.
We didn't forfeit premier league status because David Moyes worked miracles on a zero net spend budget, making the decline almost imperceptible.
The last paragraph is the greatest myth of all. He didn't invest anything. He borrowed the money off Paul and Anita Gregg, who offered to write off that loan and inject more funds for KD in exchange for greater influence. Kenwright instead got Robert Earl to pay off the Gregg's.
Still, at least we had Rocky on the pitch. Good times!