Everton directors miss Southampton game over safety threat
- Published
Everton fans displayed banners showing their unhappiness with the club's ownership during the defeat by Southampton
Everton's board of directors missed Saturday's Premier League game against Southampton because of a "real and credible threat to their safety".
The club said the directors were advised not to attend Goodison Park following "threatening correspondence".
Everton sources said club chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale was manhandled by a male fan after last week's 4-1 home defeat by Brighton.
"This is an unprecedented decision," a club spokesperson said.
"Never before has our entire board of directors been ordered not to attend a match on safety grounds."
Everton said there have been "increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour, including targeted physical aggression" at recent home games.
They said the board "reluctantly accepted the outcome of the safety assessment carried out by security advisors".
The fans' mood was not helped as Everton were beaten 2-1 by their relegation rivals, leaving them 19th in the table and level on points with bottom club Southampton.
The Toffees have not won in nine matches in all competitions and have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions.
They narrowly escaped relegation last season and dropped into the relegation zone with the loss to Brighton.
This month the Everton Fans' Forum (EFF) wrote an open letter to owner Farhad Moshiri asking for "sweeping changes at chair, board and executive levels".
In response to the letter, Moshiri said he had faith in manager Frank Lampard and the directors.
More than 67 fan and social media groups, plus 21 official supporters' clubs, have combined for the #AllTogetherNow campaign.
For Saturday's fixture against Southampton, Everton fan groups said they would back Lampard and the team with "full-blooded support" during the game.
However, banners showing their discontent with the board were unfurled during the game and some fans staged a sit-in protest after the match to "highlight Farhad Moshiri's failure to change and strengthen chair, board and executive positions at the club".
Following the club's statement on Saturday, the EFF said, external: "Everyone involved in our campaign and indeed every reasonable Evertonian utterly and completely condemn any threats to any Everton employee and/or officials and directors of the club."
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp were advised not to attend Goodison Park following safety advice
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