Everton’s board of directors will not attend Saturday’s game with Southampton due to ‘a real and credible threat to their safety and security’.
Fans are staging a sit-in protest against the Goodison Park hierarchy after the match, which could see their side further mired in the Premier League’s relegation zone.
Under the banner of #AllTogetherNow, disenfranchised supporters are urging majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri to make ‘sweeping changes’ at executive level.
Moshiri reaffirmed his support for the Blues’ beleaguered board as well as Frank Lampard in a letter to the club’s official Fans’ Forum earlier this week.
But chairman Bill Kenwright, CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, finance chief Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp have all been advised to stay away from the game.
Everton confirmed their board members accepted security advice after ‘malicious and unacceptably threatening correspondence received by the club’.
A club spokesperson added: “This is an unprecedented decision for Everton Football Club.
“Never before has our entire Board of Directors been ordered not to attend a match on safety grounds.
“It is a profoundly sad day for Everton and Evertonians.”
NSNOW, the organisers of the post-match demonstration, condemned the threats but added: “Every fan and group we have engaged with re: the sit in protest have been clear it would be peaceful.
“We are not aware of any threats. It is now clear that the relationship between the board and fans has broken down beyond repair.
“Their position is untenable.”