Marc Watts was announced as a board member at Everton and the club's new executive chairman after the Friedkin Group takeover
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General view outside Goodison Park prior to the Premier League match between Everton and Brentford.
General view outside Goodison Park prior to the Premier League match between Everton and Brentford.
(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
A new era has dawned at Everton after The Friedkin Group completed its takeover of the club. The announcement of TFG’s completion of the acquisition of 98.8% of the club’s shares was communicated on Thursday morning.
The statement that accompanied the development that Everton fans had been longing for, with the Farhad Moshiri era now over at the Toffees, gave some insight into what to expect for fans under the ownership of TFG.
Strengthening the men’s team, maximising the new stadium, creating more home-grown ‘superstars’, respecting traditions, growing the brand globally and improving the commercial offering of the women’s team were all mentioned.
READ MORE: Everton new executive chairman Marc Watts writes open letter after Friedkin takeover with six key goals
Also revealed was the make-up of the board in the immediate aftermath of the takeover, with the first words spoken to fans from the TFG side not from the company’s chief, US billionaire Dan Friedkin, who will serve as chairman, but the newly-installed executive chairman Marc Watts.
He said: “Today marks a momentous and proud occasion for The Friedkin Group as we become custodians of this iconic football club.
“We are committed to leading Everton into an exciting new era both on and off the pitch. Providing immediate financial stability to the Club has been a key priority, and we are delighted to have achieved this.
“While restoring Everton to its rightful place in the Premier League table will take time, today is the first step in that journey.”
Watts, an attorney by trade, is a trusted figure within TFG, having arrived at the company back in 2011 as president following his time as vice chairman and managing partner of the Houston office of the 700-attorney Texan-based law firm of Locke Lord LLP, amassing over 26 years of experience in corporate and securities law, governance and related matters.
Watts currently serves on the board of a private real estate company, Highland Resources, Cabot Oil and Gas, Service Corporation International, and various civic and community boards including Greater Houston Partnership and Methodist Hospital Foundation.
He attended both Texas A&M University and Harvard Law School in 1980 and 1984, respectively, and, like Friedkin, is an extremely keen golfer, holding memberships to multiple US clubs.
He is also on the board of directors at the TFG-owned AS Roma, along with Ana Dunkel, TFG’s chief financial officer who will also be joining the Everton board.
Watts joined the Roma board immediately after the takeover of the Italian side by TFG in 2020 and will have become well versed when it comes to the inner workings of major football clubs, while Friedkin’s position on the main board of the European Clubs Association has provided TFG with a seat at the table when it comes to matters of governance, something that falls very much into Watts’ wheelhouse, and with the Everton having had their well-documented battles with the Premier League over PSR, having the kind of expertise that has arrived on the board will be a boon.