 Welcom na toffi TV, mi yn John Blane yn y siwdo i'r reactyn yn trwy'r sad news that chairman, editing chairman Bill Cownwright has passed away aged 78 after suffering from an illness for quite some time in varying forms and John, it is a sad day, you know, obviously Big Adatronian chairman of the football club, it's a sad day isn't it? It is indeed, it's a classic end of an era isn't it really, I mean was it 89? 89 he got on the boards, was that 34, 35 years wherever, it's a long long time and that is critics, absolutely yeah, but you know two careers I suppose, the football one which football fans know and the theatre side which the theatre people know. And he was, I mean let's be honest, he is in theatre, the theatre world, he's a giant isn't he, in terms of what he's done, the stuff he's born in, very well. And I think to be honest, because I've spoken quite a lot, I think he struggled with, he spoke to one community and it was like oh Bill, and the other community was the exact opposite that's the fanaticism of football I guess and the way football fans relate, but yeah, I mean. I mean for you John, obviously you were the evidence shareholders for a long time and Willough and I've had obviously lots of dealings with Bill, kind of you knew him better than any of us. You know I had dealings with him very briefly as an evidence employee, you know once in a blue moon you'd see him. But you knew him, I'd say that you knew him quite well or well enough to be able to form an opinion of how he was away from what we saw. So I mean how did you find Bill? Whenever I went to see him it was funny because often it would be clearly for shareholders stuff because it was the chair for ten years and sometimes it was difficult conversations. I mean I remember going to see him to basically say if you don't call General Meetings we're going to make you and he'd clearly been briefed by his people that we couldn't make him so he was very polite as you do whatever you think is right. And I think that's one way to make the link really, but for all the failings we as Everton fans might think of him as a chair, as a person who's an Evertonian for sure and everything he did in his own mind he believed was doing the right thing for Everton really. But I'd go and see him for half an hour, be there two and a half hours later. I know people will pull your leg about with stories about the boys' pen and all those sorts of things. But he would talk for long periods of time and lucidly about football in general, Everton in particular and people who knew him inside football they kept in touch with him. You hear players talk about him, managers, I've been there when David Moyers rung up after Moyers had gone to United, all sorts of things. So hopefully as time passes it will be remembered as an Evertonian who did his best and sadly has gone just a little bit too early because whenever any of us go it's too early but I'm sure he'd have loved to have been at the new stadium because ever since the king's dock and the like I'm sure apart from finding a mythical billionaire which didn't turn out the way we wanted it to getting that stadium sorted was obviously something he would have been greatly proud of. So sad day, absolutely. No it is a sad day and I don't want to go too deeply into the stuff but there will be lots of people who are disappointed with Bill Kenneight's reign as an Everton owner and chairman. I mean as an owner Everton got through it, FAQ final, a couple of semis, a couple of semis in the league, cup were never able to win a trophy so as such but do you think he just stayed a little bit too long? I think that's what I'm trying to say. Would it have been right for Bill Kenneight at that time and on a personal level as well I think for him to went far out of my sheer he took over to have said right and passing that baton on. Stay around Everton as whatever, doesn't mean he has to break all the ties but should he step down from a role like that? What do you think for people who will say that? I think his family probably believe he stayed too long because certainly the illnesses he had and obviously they caught up with him eventually meant that his family rather thought particularly with the stick he used to get should he just step away a little bit? So that's the family thing and I suppose whatever people think he couldn't let go and one of the reasons he couldn't let go was because he was a real Evertonian. As far as timing I think Sunur's Meshiri had bedded in perhaps for the end of that first season when Meshiri arrived wherever it was three or four months before the end of the season during that summer he said you know what I've done my bit now I've found the guy, this is the guy and in that moment don't forget everyone was very very pleased and then become some honorary role or something and then he could have spent the last six or seven, eight years enjoying the football notwithstanding but you know what I mean not having to live and breathe it to the point where and you know this from your day job live and breathe it to the point where you can't really enjoy it if that's the right word because it's actually part of what you're trying to do as well so yeah I think he should have gone sooner told him that in not just recent times but over a period of time that there was nothing for him to gain and they'll offer him to lose in respect and people's perceptions and stuff like that because if you are the chair whatever's happening on the pitch whether people like you are not on your fault isn't it but it's still sad though and we were talking where we'd be earlier today and it's the last of a breed almost you know of local guys almost made good who end up owning their football club Jack Walker's of this world and Alice I guess at Villa and those sorts of people all of those and the games changed so much and I think he didn't change with it to be honest it's a strange obviously listen I respect everyone's opinion on this I hope and I'm sure Evertonians will remain dignified and all of that and it's a strange day obviously because he was still the chairman of the football club and we move on now and it'll be interesting to see what the football club does and I guess that's a discussion for a different day with what's going on it's a loss mate I'll be honest it feels very weird it is what it is it's part of life isn't it death unfortunately is part of life it feels a bit weird I must admit it does because he rung me last to tell me he was going to have the operation which clearly hasn't got the best outcome he and the family wanted and that was the last time I spoke to him he's not here now we've all sort of expected it over time depending on how close you were and what was going on but even so when it happens it happens and it's still a tremendous shock and I think you're right I spoke to some of the media early in the day because they start trying to prepare for these things and I said Evertonians are fabulous and ultimately almost to a man, woman and child if you will, genuine people and they'll respect the circumstances and what's gone on and the stuff about successful or not will be relevant right now because it isn't No listen you're absolutely right on we've all suffered loss and will suffer loss like you said before it's a horrible part of life it's still someone's husband someone's dad, someone's granddad, someone's friend and like I said before he's obviously two worlds one it was the football side of him and the other one was obviously a very successful career in the theatre film as well you know a bit of film an actor of course was in Coronation City all of those people who have worked with him being closer obviously will all be will all be suffering that loss as well today so we wish obviously Jenny, his partner, all his family his kids, his friends and everything obviously we send our best wishes but it is a sad day that Evertonshire and Bill Kenwright has passed away at age 78 See you later