alan ball
Player Valuation: £70m
Dear Friends,
As most of you will know, I've been supporting Everton at every level for many years. By every level, that is senior, to reserves, to youth. In recent seasons I've recorded youth match reports, (never, ever critical of any young player) on Grand Old Team which have been tremendously received and I thank you all sincerely for the support you have given me.
I write this with a tremendous heavy heart. I write this in response to all of you who have asked why my U18s match report have stopped. The reason is Everton have took the decision to ban me. Let me explain.
In September 2011, I was denied access to Finch Farm on the grounds that I was from ToffeeWeb / GrandOldTeam. I had been attending and writing for over 12 months but someone at the Club decided enough was enough. Thankfully, the Club changed their mind on banning me and I was allowed to support the Club.
Fast forward 13 months to October 2012 and I received a letter from Mark Rowan head of media and communications on 5th October telling me that with immediate effect I would not be allowed into Finch Farm to write match reports for Grand Old team or any other source for reasons classed as "inappropriate contact" with academy members on the social networking site Twitter.
I was absolutely amazed at the clubs accusations and immediately demanded a meeting with personnel from Everton Football Club to explain this letter and their accusations as I found these comments very disturbing as did my family.
I was asked to attend a meeting at Finch Farm on Monday 15th October at 2pm where I was met by Adam Green the head of safeguarding who chaired the meeting, Darren Griffiths and Mark Rowan both media and Mike Dickinson who is development\education officer were also present.
I can be totally honest and say that "Tweets" that I had sent players were innocent one's such as if a player was injured I would enquire about the extent of his injury.
Another one I sent was to the Swedish U19 International Johann Hammar congratulating him on his call up for his country, that was classed as "Inappropriate"
I would also ask players if that were looking forward to the next game and was training okay nothing more than that.
I commented that Twitter was a social networking site and therefore if they did not want to be contacted then they should not be on there.
I was also told by the club that I was too friendly with parents of the academy players even though many of them would approach me to tell me how much they had enjoyed my last match report etc.
Another issue they had with me was the fact that I wore Everton attire down at Finch Farm which made me look like an Everton employee.
I was then told that I had requested tickets from the backroom staff which was ludicrous.
I had been down to London to watch the first team in January at Tottenham which was a rearranged fixture due to the London riots in August.
I came home from Spurs then went back down to London for the second day to watch the Academy play at QPR in the FA youth cup so I asked for a ticket to help me with my expense as the two trips were not cheap..
I also went to Scotland in pre season to watch the first team at Motherwell then staying overnight in Glasgow to watch the U21's play at Partick Thistle the next day and was left tickets on the gate.
Whatever was on their agenda that day there was nothing down for me, they wanted me and Grand Old Team out of the picture.
I made a suggestion that I could be accommodated in an area designated for me so that I was not in a position to bother anybody but still it fell on deaf ears.
Their decision was to ban me but I am still allowed to watch the 18's away from home but not at Finch Farm.
As far as I was concerned they could have banned me from Goodison as well because I didn't deserve this treatment after being such a loyal fan.
I e mailed the club in the summer requesting that for their piece of mind that for their benefit I would like to be CRB checked financing it myself also I was willing to attend a safe guarding course but both requests were ignored.
I also collected the team sheets from the games as I am an avid collector of everything to do with Everton, I received an e mail from the club 2 weeks later telling me that I was no longer being sent them which I thought was very petty and how much more could they do to destroy my love for the club.
I decided to contact Robert Elstone which I did by letter and the item was hand delivered by myself to the Goodison reception on the day of the Merseyside Derby on the 28th October telling him how unfair this treatment was to a lifelong blue.
I waited for nearly three weeks for a reply which never came so I rang Robert Elstone's secretary who informed me that the letter was never received and was I able to write another letter.
I wrote it and sent it as an e mail to which I received acknowledgement that she had received it. Within a few days I received a letter from Robert Elstone sent by recorded delivery and the contents of the letter said that he had consulted his staff and therefore was going to withhold his decision and I was not still allowed into Finch farm.
I Used to be an Everton lottery agent from 1978-1989 and was selling 500 tickets a week which earned me Agent of the year in 1987 and was presented with a trophy by Bobby Mimms before a league game.
I have been attending Everton since 1968 and been a season ticket holder since 1977. To anyone that knows me, they will tell you that Everton have been a big part of my life, I met my wife watching the blues and my son is a season ticket holder also, my daughter has attended before now but far from a regular.
I have been very upset with recent events with the so called "PEOPLES CLUB" which is far from what you fans think
As most of you will know, I've been supporting Everton at every level for many years. By every level, that is senior, to reserves, to youth. In recent seasons I've recorded youth match reports, (never, ever critical of any young player) on Grand Old Team which have been tremendously received and I thank you all sincerely for the support you have given me.
I write this with a tremendous heavy heart. I write this in response to all of you who have asked why my U18s match report have stopped. The reason is Everton have took the decision to ban me. Let me explain.
In September 2011, I was denied access to Finch Farm on the grounds that I was from ToffeeWeb / GrandOldTeam. I had been attending and writing for over 12 months but someone at the Club decided enough was enough. Thankfully, the Club changed their mind on banning me and I was allowed to support the Club.
Fast forward 13 months to October 2012 and I received a letter from Mark Rowan head of media and communications on 5th October telling me that with immediate effect I would not be allowed into Finch Farm to write match reports for Grand Old team or any other source for reasons classed as "inappropriate contact" with academy members on the social networking site Twitter.
I was absolutely amazed at the clubs accusations and immediately demanded a meeting with personnel from Everton Football Club to explain this letter and their accusations as I found these comments very disturbing as did my family.
I was asked to attend a meeting at Finch Farm on Monday 15th October at 2pm where I was met by Adam Green the head of safeguarding who chaired the meeting, Darren Griffiths and Mark Rowan both media and Mike Dickinson who is development\education officer were also present.
I can be totally honest and say that "Tweets" that I had sent players were innocent one's such as if a player was injured I would enquire about the extent of his injury.
Another one I sent was to the Swedish U19 International Johann Hammar congratulating him on his call up for his country, that was classed as "Inappropriate"
I would also ask players if that were looking forward to the next game and was training okay nothing more than that.
I commented that Twitter was a social networking site and therefore if they did not want to be contacted then they should not be on there.
I was also told by the club that I was too friendly with parents of the academy players even though many of them would approach me to tell me how much they had enjoyed my last match report etc.
Another issue they had with me was the fact that I wore Everton attire down at Finch Farm which made me look like an Everton employee.
I was then told that I had requested tickets from the backroom staff which was ludicrous.
I had been down to London to watch the first team in January at Tottenham which was a rearranged fixture due to the London riots in August.
I came home from Spurs then went back down to London for the second day to watch the Academy play at QPR in the FA youth cup so I asked for a ticket to help me with my expense as the two trips were not cheap..
I also went to Scotland in pre season to watch the first team at Motherwell then staying overnight in Glasgow to watch the U21's play at Partick Thistle the next day and was left tickets on the gate.
Whatever was on their agenda that day there was nothing down for me, they wanted me and Grand Old Team out of the picture.
I made a suggestion that I could be accommodated in an area designated for me so that I was not in a position to bother anybody but still it fell on deaf ears.
Their decision was to ban me but I am still allowed to watch the 18's away from home but not at Finch Farm.
As far as I was concerned they could have banned me from Goodison as well because I didn't deserve this treatment after being such a loyal fan.
I e mailed the club in the summer requesting that for their piece of mind that for their benefit I would like to be CRB checked financing it myself also I was willing to attend a safe guarding course but both requests were ignored.
I also collected the team sheets from the games as I am an avid collector of everything to do with Everton, I received an e mail from the club 2 weeks later telling me that I was no longer being sent them which I thought was very petty and how much more could they do to destroy my love for the club.
I decided to contact Robert Elstone which I did by letter and the item was hand delivered by myself to the Goodison reception on the day of the Merseyside Derby on the 28th October telling him how unfair this treatment was to a lifelong blue.
I waited for nearly three weeks for a reply which never came so I rang Robert Elstone's secretary who informed me that the letter was never received and was I able to write another letter.
I wrote it and sent it as an e mail to which I received acknowledgement that she had received it. Within a few days I received a letter from Robert Elstone sent by recorded delivery and the contents of the letter said that he had consulted his staff and therefore was going to withhold his decision and I was not still allowed into Finch farm.
I Used to be an Everton lottery agent from 1978-1989 and was selling 500 tickets a week which earned me Agent of the year in 1987 and was presented with a trophy by Bobby Mimms before a league game.
I have been attending Everton since 1968 and been a season ticket holder since 1977. To anyone that knows me, they will tell you that Everton have been a big part of my life, I met my wife watching the blues and my son is a season ticket holder also, my daughter has attended before now but far from a regular.
I have been very upset with recent events with the so called "PEOPLES CLUB" which is far from what you fans think
