What Everton business reshuffle could mean for sale of women's team

What Everton business reshuffle could mean for sale of women's team

Changes could also pave the way for The Friedkin Group to consider the sale of Everton Women and Goodison Park within its portfolio of businesses

Katja Snoeijs of Everton scores her team's first goal from a penalty kick during the Barclays Women's Super League match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park in November. Photo by Jess Hornby - The FA/The FA via Getty Images

Changes within Everton’s business structure are intended to help the club’s women’s side deal with greater external investment, club sources state. Documents filed with Companies House point to a separation of interests between the club and subsidiaries linked to Everton Women and Goodison Park.

Blues insiders claim the intention is to handle the greater investment in Everton Women that is expected after the move to Goodison and with new owners The Friedkin Group (TFG) intent on raising its profile. Another consequence is the changes could make it easier for TFG to sell its women’s team and Goodison Park within its network of businesses.

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Paperwork submitted to Companies House, made public on Tuesday, amounted to the removal of any undertaking from Everton to the separate entities of Everton Football Club Women Limited and Goodison Park Stadium Limited.

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Each of those companies remains within the wider club portfolio and one consequence of the changes is that investment in Everton Women can not be used as security for lenders to the wider business.

Club insiders say the amendments - and the recent creation of another company within the Everton network, EFCW Holding Company Limited - represent a restructuring that would allow for the club to better manage the increased external investment expected in Everton Women.

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TFG are understood to be determined to back Brian Sorensen’s team and signed off a tranche of signings to boost its hopes in January, including the acquisition of France international forward Kelly Gago.

That investment has continued into the summer with Sorensen and his assistant, Stephen Neligan, both being handed new deals. Japan centre-back Rion Ishikawa signed this week, following further recruits Rosa van Gool and winger Ornella Vignola as TFG look to inspire progress for Everton Women having signed off on the team’s move to historic Goodison Park for next season. Roma Women won their first league title under investment from TFG, which added Everton to its portfolio of clubs in December.

Royal Blue newsletter - subscribe now The Royal Blue podcast logo The Liverpool ECHO has launched the Royal Blue newsletter - the latest way to get the inside track on the Blues. Created by Everton correspondent Joe Thomas, it will provide in-depth insight on the major talking points - on and off the pitch - through an exciting, historic period for the club as the first team moves to the Hill Dickinson Stadium and Everton Women enter Goodison Park. The idea is to step away from the treadmill of press conferences and player ratings and instead offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the club - and on Joe's travels up and down the country following Everton. Royal Blue is delivered to your inbox every Wednesday and completely free. To take a look and subscribe, check it out here

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The internal workings of the club are said to be part of a restructuring process designed to leave Everton Women better prepared for investment as it enters a new era.

The moves could also make it easier for Everton Women and Goodison to potentially be sold within the Friedkin Group, however. Chelsea and Aston Villa have both moved to sell their women’s teams to their parent companies in recent years. In both cases, the agreements provided a significant boost to the clubs’ positions in relation to the Premier League’s spending rules, the Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).

A sale can be included in a club’s accounts even if it takes place after the June 30 PSR cut-off providing that, in principle, a deal had been agreed in time.

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