John Houlding exacerbated the unhappy situation at the end of 1891 by suggesting that Everton FC should become a public limited company, something that the majority of the Everton FC members did not agree with. Joseph Orrell’s Uncle, John Orrell, wanted to lay an access road on the strip of land he retained at the perimeter of the ground, something that would have caused significant disruption as standing enclosures had been built there. The solution John Houlding came up with was to form a limited company and by the sale of shares to purchase both John Orrell’s strip of land and John Houlding’s land, which was the main part of the ground. In the first instance at the committee meeting on 27thAugust 1891 this was agreed, but after further consideration at an extraordinary general meeting of members on 15thSeptember 1891 it was opposed. Both Houlding’s and Orrell’s land had by this time depreciated in value.
Everton FC’s executive committee had to ensure they could stay at the ground until the end of the season to preserve their Football League status so approached John Orrell directly and arranged a ten year lease for his strip of land for £120 per annum. At a special general meeting on 25thJanuary 1892 Everton FC offered to pay John Houlding £180 rental per annum for a ten year lease with a stipulation that he would not have a nominee on the committee. Predictably, Houlding refused, it would have resulted in both a financial loss and also remove his power in the governance of the club -
