Bill Kenwright
Encyclopedia
Bill Kenwright CBE
(born 4 September 1945, in Liverpool
, Merseyside
, England
) is a leading West End theatre producer
and film producer
.
He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club
, an English
professional football club from the city of Liverpool
.
He attended Booker Avenue County Primary School, and then Liverpool Institute High School
from 1957 to 1964 and appeared in school productions (including Shylock
in The Merchant of Venice
) on the stage in the Mount St. building (predecessor to LIPA
). He was also treasurer of the Christian Union at school.
In 2007 Kenwright was a judge in the BBC1 television series "Any Dream Will Do
."
hit Blood Brothers and the record breaking tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
. Other recent productions have included West End runs of Whistle Down The Wind
at the Palace Theatre
, Festen in London, on a UK tour and now on Broadway, The Big Life, Elmina's Kitchen
, Scrooge - The Musical, The Night Of The Iguana, A Few Good Men, A Man For All Seasons
alongside UK tours of Jesus Christ Superstar
, Tommy
, Whistle Down The Wind
, Tell Me On A Sunday
, and This Is Elvis. He produced the London revival of Cabaret
at the Lyric Theatre in September 2006, starring Anna Maxwell Martin
, James Dreyfus
and Sheila Hancock
.
He has helped start the careers of many current West End theatre producer
s, including Mark Rubinstein and Marc Sinden
. It has been estimated that he employs more actors in a year than the BBC.
He also directs many productions, including Blood Brothers, Whistle Down the Wind and more recently, was asked by Andrew Lloyd Webber
to make changes to the direction of Love Never Dies
.
Current and recent productions include:
cast recording of Scrooge starring Tommy Steele
and the 2006 Lyric Theatre Recording of Cabaret were joined in February 2008 by the debut album of Kenwright's new boy group Dream On.
Dream On, comprising five runners up from the BBC's Any Dream Will Do
- Craig Chalmers, Lewis Bradley
, Chris Crosby, Chris Barton
and Antony Hansen
was formed in January 2008.
He began his music career in a band known as The Chevrolets. Perhaps less known is Bill's recording career both solo and with a group
Bill Kenwright and the Runaways:
and solo, as Bill Kenwright:
In 1969 Bill tried his hand at record production, producing 2 singles for Manchester band 'Money', who also worked as his backing band for several cabaret gigs in Oldham and at 'Allinsons' Liverpool. The first record, Come Laughing Home, was the title music for Bill's first foray into Theatrical Production with Reginald Marsh (also a Coronation Street Star) as co-producer. The show starred Anne Reid who at the time was playing Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street. It was the first time a Coronation Street star worked in live theatre whilst still in the series. The show opened at Blackpool's Grand Theatre. Surprisingly, the single was also released in Argentina.
. His early successes included a role in Coronation Street
, as Gordon Clegg who was introduced in April 1968. Kenwright left the show after a year to pursue his producing career in March 1969, although he did return to the show on occasion throughout the 1970s for guest appearances. He made brief stints in other shows, such as The Villains and The Liver Birds
and in Carry On films
.
. He succeeded Littlewoods
director Philip Carter in the role. Kenwright has been on the Everton board since 1984 and became the second largest shareholder in 1999 when Peter Johnson sold his shareholding in the club after the Football Association told to him sell his interests in either Tranmere Rovers or Everton as he was breaking the FA's rules. He became the largest stakeholder in the club in 2004.
-based Peter Johnson. Kenwright's consortium had assurances from the Everton owner's family head Lady Grantchester that the Moores family would sell their stake in the club.
Kenwright's proposal was dismissed as "The Manchester Consortium" in the Liverpool Echo
, the rivalry between Liverpool
and Manchester
was enough to deter supporter's support. Kenwright's consortium included Manchester based Tom Cannon
, Tony Tighe (who later went on to create The Everton Collection
) and Mike Dyble whilst building magnate Arthur Abercromby was Cheshire based. Abercromby offered a £2million interest free loan to the club for purchase of players.
Kenwright, who had been a director at Everton for ten years, had an opportunity to sway the board members to accept his bid but chose not to because he did not want a public relations battle with the more affluent Johnson. Tighe, in an interview with a journalist David Conn
, said: "Bill didn't want a public row, that's why he didn't go to press much. He wanted the board to be unanimous. As he saw it, he didn't want Everton's name to be dragged through controversy."
Peter Johnson's bid was accepted by the Everton board; in a bizarre twist Johnson installed Kenwright as vice-chairman and Sir Philip Carter was re-instated as Chairman.
, Jimmy Mulville
, Jon Woods
and Willy Russell before it was dissolved in 2004.
Mihir Bose
, the former Sports Editor of the BBC reported that Anita Gregg lent up to £7million to Bill Kenwright.
Upon completion of the deal, Kenwright said: "Acquiring Peter Johnson's shares is only the first step to restoring a great club to where it belongs - to where it should be. If you are going to run a successful football club you need two qualities: you need to be realistic and you need a plan. I'm realistic and I have a plan."
Bill Kenwright later said: "We should have had £42m not £22m. We bought and the money went into someone’s pocket. It didn’t go into the Club so we had no safety valve, we had no cushion."
One of the first major hurdles facing Bill Kenwright was enticing a media company to invest in the club. At the time, media companies NTL (Aston Villa, Newcastle United) and Granada (Liverpool) were purchasing large stakes in Premier League football clubs. NTL subsidiary PremiumTV were close to purchasing shares Everton but it never materialised. Kenwright said: "We were close to doing a media deal with NTL when NTL went bust, out of business in that particular area of its activities. It was literally on the day that we were accepting a cheque for over £30m. Literally on the day. That was the very final major deal, not to be completed in this case, but after that there was no other major deal so we were in the...whatever."
Everton had purchased several high profile players based on the expectancy of the deal to be completed including Alessandro Pistone
, Niclas Alexandersson, Steve Watson
and the return of Duncan Ferguson
. Chairman Sir Philip Carter wrote to shareholders stating: "It should be remembered that a net £10m was spent last season on strengthening the squad in anticipation of our concluding a lucrative medial deal which unfortunately was aborted by the media group within hours of the anticipated signing." Francis Jeffers
and Michael Ball
were sold to appease the banks.
Alex Nyarko
had signed a five year deal with the club but his work permit was only valid for four years. The home office refused to extend his permit and the play had to be loaned to French clubs so Everton could avoid paying the full amount of wages.
He sacked former Rangers manager Walter Smith
after poor league performance in March 2002 and appointed Preston North End manager David Moyes
following Smith's recommendation.
In 2003, he attempted to relocate Everton to the Kings Dock on the riverside
but after a public feud with director Paul Gregg
over the proposal's finances and sale of Wayne Rooney
, the move fell through. Gregg had wanted to keep Rooney at the club and Kenwright reluctantly felt it was best he be sold to ease the club's financial burden. Paul and Anita Gregg later sold their shares to Florida-based businessman Robert Earl
. Kenwright's close-friend Philip Green
is believed to have helped him secure the club after being approached for help.
was appointed Chief Executive Officer to replace the outgoing Michael Dunford
.
Kenwright said that Birch would be his "sounding board" and that the new CEO should "dictate the policy of the football club". Kenwright stated that Birch had not been brought in to sell the club, but that a new investor can have his shares as long as they "have money to run the club".
Birch resigned six weeks later. He resigned after a meeting with True Blue Holding (Kenwright, Woods, Gregg and Abercromby) where the board opted to not to sell the club. Gregg claimed there was a refusal to relinquish control by other directors and that it was preventing progress at the club.
-based fund Fortess Sports Fund (FSF) were interested in buying a stake in Everton. Following the public fall-out with director Paul Gregg
, it was anticipated that Gregg's shares in addition to others would be sold to the fund. The Fund was initially set up to acquire a 40 percent stake for £20m million. Bill Kenwright backed FSF's proposals whilst Paul Gregg was looking else where for investment. Kenwright would stay on as Chairman if the FSF investment was accepted.
The deal was due to be agreed in August but Paul Gregg had not had time to inspect the proposals and indecision by the Everton board delayed the proposals.
The fund was established by Swiss-based English fund manager Christopher Samuelson, football agent Jerome Anerson
and a 23-year old Russian student Anton Zingarevich. Zingarevich, son of Russian print businessman Boris Zingarevich with a fortune of £182m, was praised by Kenwright as having an "encyclopaedic knowledge" of football.
A spokesman for the Zingarevich family announced that Zingarevich had no intention of investing in the fund but that Anton Zingarevich would be managing the fund.
In September, Kenwright described investment from the FSF as an "absolute possibility".
Prior to the AGM which was scheduled to take place on 7 December 2004, Samuelson said: "It's taken some time but we are nearly there now. The AGM will have to approve the investment in December, but after that the money will be available."
Kenwright and Everton director Jon Woods
were in favour of accepting the investment whilst Paul Gregg was sceptical and refused to endorse it. Gregg believed that the fund under-valued his investment, it was reported that the fund's bid was £12.8m for 29.9% of the club.
On 22 December Samuelson said: "Cash transfers can take three or four days and I hope it is with Everton by Christmas." However, it would need to be ratified at an EGM.
In January, Samuelson stated the money was ready and that the delay was because the FSF would be set-up as a financial mechanism known as a cell fund, a cell fund could only be create in certain countries with lax tax laws. Samuelson said: "The funds we have are made of private individuals. They don't want publicity for themselves,"
In February 2005, Keith Wyness
stated that the club had begun to look for other potential investors.
In April 2005, Samuelson stated that "the Fund is completed and registered" but Everton director Paul Gregg publicly questioned the FSF: "As a director I have not received any proof of funds - or that they even exist." Liverpool Echo described the FSF situation as a "farce".
Paul Gregg stated that he had been "led down the garden path and that the whole exercise has embarrassed the club."
Samuelson re-iterated that funds were ready; "The fund is approved and ready to go. I have not received the actual certificate of incorporation of the fund but that is a technicality." He stated that an EGM was necessary to confirm the FSF fund. "As far as I'm concerned it's a fait accompli - subject to the approval of an EGM of shareholders."
An EGM was never called and the question of investment into Everton from the FSF slowly fell away from the public eye.
In the aftermath of the deal collapsing, a press officer for Everton privately revealed in an email that Christopher Samuelson came through with "both the fund and the cash" but by that point the fund "had served its purpose" and that "Bill told him [Samuelson] to go away."
It continued "Why haven't we announced that small detail? ....because it doesn't really matter....what mattered was achieved."
The email stated that the fund was "designed to be used as a means to an end.......nothing more".
In November 2005, at the following AGM. Kenwright said that Samuelson "was someone who I believed could have come up with the money, he had his credentials and thought he could come up with a deal that was good for the club[...]but he didn't, like many many other people, come up with the goods."
He added: "I am spending 24 hours a day trying to raise finance for this club. I had a meeting today, three yesterday, all involving money that would dilute my shareholding - but I'm not interested in that."
was called by shareholders; "The shareholders of the Company express their deep concern at the current state of affairs in the Company". It called for the board of directors to resign if they did not address previous motions to the satisfaction of shareholders. Bill Kenwright is considered approachable by fans and prior to the EGM he contacted a fan website before the press regarding the meeting. Keith Wyness
was unveiled as the new Chief Executive Officer at the EGM.
which included a Tesco
supermarket and a retail park
. The pursuit of this project led to minor shareholders of the club calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting in 2008. After it was confirmed that the EGM would go ahead, Keith Wyness
resigned and was replaced by Robert Elstone
who was promoted to the position from within.
At this meeting, Kenwright revealed that he took business advice from retail industry leaders Sir Philip Green and Sir Terry Leahy. A vote was held on whether the club should pursue the project due to a growing number of concerns, the vote was on the basis of "one share, one vote" as is in keeping with normal shareholder's meetings, and the motion to abandon Destination Kirkby was defeated. The result of the ballot was 622 votes for and 26,553 against, representing 97.71% of all votes cast against the resolution.
In July 2009, Kenwright explained the club's financial position under his stewardship: "Our debt is a big debt and a worrying debt, but it is manageable because of our performance on the field".
from 1978 to 1980 and has a daughter and two grandchildren from his relationship with the actress Virginia Stride
. He is currently in a long-term relationship with actress and political activist Jenny Seagrove
. They live in London. He has many cousins, Tommy, Elizabeth, Barbara and Steven. Lauren, Holly and Lily are grandchildren of Elizabeth.
In April 2008, he agreed to produce Dixie: The People's Legend,a documentary on Everton legend Dixie Dean
produced by Liverpool-based company Tabacula.
Kenwright is also very fond of former players and considers many personal friends. He also invited several former players to Wembley for the 2009 FA Cup Final
as guests.
in London.
In the year 2000 Kenwright was awarded the CBE
for his services to film
and theatre.
In November 2008 he was awarded an Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Nottingham Trent University
in recognition of his outstanding contribution and commitment to British theatre.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 4 September 1945, in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a leading West End theatre producer
West End theatre producer
A West End theatre producer is a theatre producer who causes theatrical productions to be presented in one or more of the 41 West End theatres of London, as defined by the governing body of West End producers, The Society of London Theatre.Not to be confused with a Regional theatre producer who...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football club from the city of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
He attended Booker Avenue County Primary School, and then Liverpool Institute High School
Liverpool Institute for Boys
The Liverpool Institute High School for Boys was an all-boys grammar school in the English port city of Liverpool.The school had its origins in 1825 but occupied different premises while the money was found to build a dedicated building on Mount Street. The Institute was first known as the...
from 1957 to 1964 and appeared in school productions (including Shylock
Shylock
Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.-In the play:In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to his Christian rival, Antonio, setting the security at a pound of Antonio's flesh...
in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
) on the stage in the Mount St. building (predecessor to LIPA
Lipa
LIPA may stand for:*League for Independent Political Action, an American progressive political organization established in 1928*Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a performing arts university in the English city of Liverpool that offers training in acting, dance, music, sound technology, arts...
). He was also treasurer of the Christian Union at school.
In 2007 Kenwright was a judge in the BBC1 television series "Any Dream Will Do
Any Dream Will Do (TV series)
Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show...
."
Theatre
Kenwright is one of the UK's most successful theatre producers, best known for the long-running West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
hit Blood Brothers and the record breaking tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
. Other recent productions have included West End runs of Whistle Down The Wind
Whistle Down the Wind (musical)
Whistle Down the Wind is a musical based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Jim Steinman, known for his work with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.-Stage Premiere:...
at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
, Festen in London, on a UK tour and now on Broadway, The Big Life, Elmina's Kitchen
Elmina's Kitchen
Elmina's Kitchen is the fifth play from the British actor, playwright and broadcaster, Kwame Kwei-Armah. Set in a West Indian restaurant, Elmina's Kitchen tells a tale of family, drugs and crime on Hackney's Murder Mile. The play is centred around the character of Deli, the owner of a West Indian...
, Scrooge - The Musical, The Night Of The Iguana, A Few Good Men, A Man For All Seasons
A Man for All Seasons
A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt. An early form of the play had been written for BBC Radio in 1954, and a one-hour live television version starring Bernard Hepton was produced in 1957 by the BBC, but after Bolt's success with The Flowering Cherry, he reworked it for the stage.It was...
alongside UK tours of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, Tommy
Tommy (rock opera)
Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...
, Whistle Down The Wind
Whistle Down the Wind (musical)
Whistle Down the Wind is a musical based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Jim Steinman, known for his work with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.-Stage Premiere:...
, Tell Me On A Sunday
Tell Me On A Sunday
Tell Me on a Sunday is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-act song cycle, it tells the story of an ordinary English girl from Muswell Hill, who journeys to the United States in search of love...
, and This Is Elvis. He produced the London revival of Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
at the Lyric Theatre in September 2006, starring Anna Maxwell Martin
Anna Maxwell Martin
Anna Maxwell Martin , sometimes credited as Anna Maxwell-Martin, is a two-time BAFTA award-winning English actress who has won acclaim for her performances as Lyra in His Dark Materials at the Royal National Theatre, as Esther Summerson in the BBC's 2005 adaptation of Bleak House, and as N in...
, James Dreyfus
James Dreyfus
- Early life and career :Born in London, Dreyfus was educated at Harrow School and then trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His parents divorced when he was very young. He is openly gay....
and Sheila Hancock
Sheila Hancock
Sheila Cameron Hancock, CBE is an English actress and author.-Early life:Sheila Hancock was born in Blackgang on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Ivy Louise and Enrico Cameron Hancock, who was a publican. Her sister Billie is seven years older...
.
He has helped start the careers of many current West End theatre producer
West End theatre producer
A West End theatre producer is a theatre producer who causes theatrical productions to be presented in one or more of the 41 West End theatres of London, as defined by the governing body of West End producers, The Society of London Theatre.Not to be confused with a Regional theatre producer who...
s, including Mark Rubinstein and Marc Sinden
Marc Sinden
Marc Sinden is an English theatre producer, documentary director and actor. His father is the actor Sir Donald Sinden.-Theatre:...
. It has been estimated that he employs more actors in a year than the BBC.
He also directs many productions, including Blood Brothers, Whistle Down the Wind and more recently, was asked by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
to make changes to the direction of Love Never Dies
Love Never Dies
Love Never Dies may refer to:*Love Never Dies , an American silent drama directed by King Vidor*Love Never Dies , an Argentine romantic drama directed and written by Luis César Amadori...
.
Current and recent productions include:
- Blood Brothers - Phoenix TheatrePhoenix Theatre (London)The Phoenix Theatre is a West End theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located on Charing Cross Road . The entrance is in Phoenix Street....
, London and on UK National Tour, starring Helen Hobson and Steven Houghton - CabaretCabaret (musical)Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
- UK Tour, starring Wayne SleepWayne SleepWayne Philip Colin Sleep OBE is a British dancer, director, choreographer and panelist. He was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet and has appeared as a Guest Artist with several other ballet companies.-Early life:... - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
- Adelphi TheatreAdelphi TheatreThe Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
, London with Lee MeadLee MeadLee Stephen Mead is an English musical theatre actor, best known for winning the title role in the 2007 West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through the BBC reality TV casting show Any Dream Will Do...
winner of BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
1 Any Dream Will DoAny Dream Will Do (TV series)Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show... - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
- UK National Tour - currently starring Craig ChalmersCraig ChalmersCraig Minto Chalmers is a former Scottish rugby union footballer for Melrose.-International career:The fly-half represented Scotland and the British Lions at international level...
, Antony HansenAntony HansenAntony Stuart Hansen is an English actor, singer and composer who appeared in Any Dream Will Do.-Television:-Concerts:-Theatre:-References:...
, Henry Metcalfe and Tara Bethan - The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (2011 musical)The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The adaptation is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y...
- London Palladium, London (2011) - Jekyll and Hyde - UK National Tour (2011)
Film
- 2014 Broken (producer) (currently filming)
- 2011 Dixie: The People's Legend (executive producer) (in post-production)
- 2009 ChériCheri (film)Chéri is a 2009 drama film directed by Stephen Frears. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend, it is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by French author Colette...
(producer) - 2004 The PurifiersThe PurifiersThe Purifiers is a 2004 action film directed by Richard Jobson, and starring Dominic Monaghan.-External links:*...
(producer) - 2003 The Boys from County ClareThe Boys from County ClareThe Boys From County Clare is a 2003 Irish comedy/drama film about a céilí band from Liverpool that travels to Ireland to compete in a céilí competition in County Clare...
(executive producer) - 2003 Die, Mommie, Die!Die, Mommie, Die!Die, Mommie, Die! is a 1999 drag queen film written by Charles Busch, who also plays the lead role. Partly spoof and partly homage, it draws heavily on the tropes and themes of American "Grande Dame Guignol" movies from the 1950s and 1960s that featured strong, sometimes dominating female leads,...
(producer) - 2001 ZoeZoeZoe or Zoey may refer to:-People:* Zoe , an indigenous tribe of the Brazilian Amazon* Zoe Zaoutzaina, Byzantine empress* Zoe Karbonopsina, Byzantine empress* Zoe , Empress of the Byzantine Empire with co-rulers 1028–1050.-Music:...
(producer) - 1999 Don't Go Breaking My HeartDon't Go Breaking My Heart"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" , and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Tamla Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers...
(producer) - 1991 Stepping OutStepping Out (1991 film)Stepping Out is a 1991 musical-comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Liza Minnelli, written by Richard Harris and based on a play also written by Harris. Minnelli plays the role of a has-been Broadway performer who gives tap lesson to a group of misfits who, through their dance classes,...
(executive producer)
Music
Bill Kenwright has his own record label (Bill Kenwright Records), which has released three albums as of February 2008. The London PalladiumLondon Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
cast recording of Scrooge starring Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
and the 2006 Lyric Theatre Recording of Cabaret were joined in February 2008 by the debut album of Kenwright's new boy group Dream On.
Dream On, comprising five runners up from the BBC's Any Dream Will Do
Any Dream Will Do (TV series)
Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show...
- Craig Chalmers, Lewis Bradley
Lewis Bradley
Lewis Bradley is a British musical theatre actor, who came third place in the BBC reality talent show Any Dream Will Do. He was later chosen by Andrew Lloyd Webber to understudy the winning role of Joseph....
, Chris Crosby, Chris Barton
Chris Barton
Chris Barton is an English actor and singer who featured in the BBC talent show Any Dream Will Do, and has subsequently gone on to appear in numerous musical theatre productions in the West End and across the UK....
and Antony Hansen
Antony Hansen
Antony Stuart Hansen is an English actor, singer and composer who appeared in Any Dream Will Do.-Television:-Concerts:-Theatre:-References:...
was formed in January 2008.
He began his music career in a band known as The Chevrolets. Perhaps less known is Bill's recording career both solo and with a group
Bill Kenwright and the Runaways:
- "I want to go back there again"/"Walk through dreams" Columbia DB8239 (August 1967)
and solo, as Bill Kenwright:
- "Love's Black & White"/"Giving Up" MGM 1430 (July 1968)
- "Tiggy"/"House That Fell On Its Face" MGM 1463 (November 1968)
- "Baby I could be so good at loving"/"Boy & A Girl" MGM 1478 (January 1969)
- "Sugar Man"/"Epitaph"/"When Times Were Good" Fontana TF 1065 (October 1969)
In 1969 Bill tried his hand at record production, producing 2 singles for Manchester band 'Money', who also worked as his backing band for several cabaret gigs in Oldham and at 'Allinsons' Liverpool. The first record, Come Laughing Home, was the title music for Bill's first foray into Theatrical Production with Reginald Marsh (also a Coronation Street Star) as co-producer. The show starred Anne Reid who at the time was playing Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street. It was the first time a Coronation Street star worked in live theatre whilst still in the series. The show opened at Blackpool's Grand Theatre. Surprisingly, the single was also released in Argentina.
Actor
As a young man he became an actorActing
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
. His early successes included a role in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, as Gordon Clegg who was introduced in April 1968. Kenwright left the show after a year to pursue his producing career in March 1969, although he did return to the show on occasion throughout the 1970s for guest appearances. He made brief stints in other shows, such as The Villains and The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds is a British situation comedy, set in Liverpool, Merseyside, North-West of England, which aired on BBC1 from 1969 to 1978, and again in 1996. It was created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. The two Liverpool housewives had met at a local writers club and decided to pool their talents...
and in Carry On films
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
.
Everton Football Club
Bill Kenwright is the current chairman of his boyhood team Everton Football Club, where he used to watch them in the "boys pen" section of Goodison ParkGoodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
. He succeeded Littlewoods
Littlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
director Philip Carter in the role. Kenwright has been on the Everton board since 1984 and became the second largest shareholder in 1999 when Peter Johnson sold his shareholding in the club after the Football Association told to him sell his interests in either Tranmere Rovers or Everton as he was breaking the FA's rules. He became the largest stakeholder in the club in 2004.
1994 buyout proposal
Bill Kenwright was involved in a consortium to buy Everton in 1994, his consortium rivalled BirkenheadBirkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
-based Peter Johnson. Kenwright's consortium had assurances from the Everton owner's family head Lady Grantchester that the Moores family would sell their stake in the club.
Kenwright's proposal was dismissed as "The Manchester Consortium" in the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
, the rivalry between Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
was enough to deter supporter's support. Kenwright's consortium included Manchester based Tom Cannon
Tom Cannon
Tom Cannon is Professor of Strategic Development at the University of Liverpool Management School. He is considered to be an expert on Sports finance, economics and business notably professional sports like soccer, F1, cricket, rugby , tennis, horse-racing, American football and is often featured...
, Tony Tighe (who later went on to create The Everton Collection
The Everton Collection
The David France Collection is a collection of football memorabilia, consisting of more than 10,000 items related to the birth and development of Everton Football Club in Liverpool, England.- Overview :...
) and Mike Dyble whilst building magnate Arthur Abercromby was Cheshire based. Abercromby offered a £2million interest free loan to the club for purchase of players.
Kenwright, who had been a director at Everton for ten years, had an opportunity to sway the board members to accept his bid but chose not to because he did not want a public relations battle with the more affluent Johnson. Tighe, in an interview with a journalist David Conn
David Conn
David Conn is a sports journalist and writer who focuses predominantly on football. He writes for The Guardian.He has written two books, The Football Business: Fair Game in the '90s? and The Beautiful Game?: Searching the Soul of Football...
, said: "Bill didn't want a public row, that's why he didn't go to press much. He wanted the board to be unanimous. As he saw it, he didn't want Everton's name to be dragged through controversy."
Peter Johnson's bid was accepted by the Everton board; in a bizarre twist Johnson installed Kenwright as vice-chairman and Sir Philip Carter was re-instated as Chairman.
1999 buyout proposal and True Blue Holdings
Bill Kenwright's consortium secured 68% of Everton F.C. in 1999 from Peter Johnson for £20 million. In January 2000, a holding company True Blue (Holdings) Ltd was formed. The stakeholders in True Blue Holdings included Paul GreggPaul Gregg
Paul Gregg is an English multi-millionaire businessman and entertainment impresario, who built Apollo Leisure Group into the UK's biggest theatre owner....
, Jimmy Mulville
Jimmy Mulville
James Thomas "Jimmy" Mulville is an English comedian, comedy writer, producer and television presenter. Jimmy Mulville is best known for co-founding in 1986 the British independent television production company Hat Trick Productions with Denise O'Donoghue and Rory McGrath...
, Jon Woods
Jon Woods (programmer)
Jon Vincent Woods is a former UK based computer game producer. In 1984 he co-founded Manchester based software development company Ocean Software with David Ward....
and Willy Russell before it was dissolved in 2004.
Mihir Bose
Mihir Bose
Mihir Bose also referred to as Spermy ,is a British Indian sportswriter and journalist, who was the BBC's sports editor until 4 August 2009.-Early life:...
, the former Sports Editor of the BBC reported that Anita Gregg lent up to £7million to Bill Kenwright.
Upon completion of the deal, Kenwright said: "Acquiring Peter Johnson's shares is only the first step to restoring a great club to where it belongs - to where it should be. If you are going to run a successful football club you need two qualities: you need to be realistic and you need a plan. I'm realistic and I have a plan."
Bill Kenwright later said: "We should have had £42m not £22m. We bought and the money went into someone’s pocket. It didn’t go into the Club so we had no safety valve, we had no cushion."
One of the first major hurdles facing Bill Kenwright was enticing a media company to invest in the club. At the time, media companies NTL (Aston Villa, Newcastle United) and Granada (Liverpool) were purchasing large stakes in Premier League football clubs. NTL subsidiary PremiumTV were close to purchasing shares Everton but it never materialised. Kenwright said: "We were close to doing a media deal with NTL when NTL went bust, out of business in that particular area of its activities. It was literally on the day that we were accepting a cheque for over £30m. Literally on the day. That was the very final major deal, not to be completed in this case, but after that there was no other major deal so we were in the...whatever."
Everton had purchased several high profile players based on the expectancy of the deal to be completed including Alessandro Pistone
Alessandro Pistone
Alessandro Pistone is a former Italian footballer.-Early career:Pistone started his career at Solbiatese and Crevalcore, two small Italian teams who in recent years have slid to the lowest tier of professional Italian football, before moving to Vicenza for the duration of the 1995–96 season...
, Niclas Alexandersson, Steve Watson
Steve Watson
Steven Craig "Steve" Watson is a former English footballer, who retired after being released by Sheffield Wednesday on 15 May 2009. As of November 13, 2010, he is the Development Coach at Football League One side Huddersfield Town.-Playing career:Watson began his career with Newcastle United,...
and the return of Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Cowan Ferguson is a Scottish former footballer. He was notorious for his "hardman" image and nicknamed "Big Dunc" and "Duncan Disorderly"....
. Chairman Sir Philip Carter wrote to shareholders stating: "It should be remembered that a net £10m was spent last season on strengthening the squad in anticipation of our concluding a lucrative medial deal which unfortunately was aborted by the media group within hours of the anticipated signing." Francis Jeffers
Francis Jeffers
Francis Jeffers is an English football striker who currently plays for Newcastle United Jets in the A-League. In his career Jeffers has played for Barclays Premier League teams Everton and Arsenal...
and Michael Ball
Michael Ball (footballer)
Michael John Ball is an English professional footballer who plays for Leicester City, having previously played as a left-back for English Premier League team Manchester City....
were sold to appease the banks.
Alex Nyarko
Alex Nyarko
Alexander Nyarko is a former Ghanaian football player.-Football career:Nyarko started his career at Ghana, and in 1995 he joined FC Basel from Sportul Studenţesc, followed by Karlsruher SC in Germany; then RC Lens for two seasons, and in 2000 joined Everton FC for £4.5M, signing a contract until...
had signed a five year deal with the club but his work permit was only valid for four years. The home office refused to extend his permit and the play had to be loaned to French clubs so Everton could avoid paying the full amount of wages.
He sacked former Rangers manager Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
after poor league performance in March 2002 and appointed Preston North End manager David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
following Smith's recommendation.
In 2003, he attempted to relocate Everton to the Kings Dock on the riverside
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
but after a public feud with director Paul Gregg
Paul Gregg
Paul Gregg is an English multi-millionaire businessman and entertainment impresario, who built Apollo Leisure Group into the UK's biggest theatre owner....
over the proposal's finances and sale of Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
, the move fell through. Gregg had wanted to keep Rooney at the club and Kenwright reluctantly felt it was best he be sold to ease the club's financial burden. Paul and Anita Gregg later sold their shares to Florida-based businessman Robert Earl
Robert Earl (businessman)
Robert Ian Earl is the founder of the Planet Hollywood chain of fast-food restaurants and an Everton F.C. director.-Everton Football Club:On October 20 2006 Earl the sandwich king bought shares in Everton from major shareholders Paul and Anita Gregg, they resigned from the board following the sale....
. Kenwright's close-friend Philip Green
Philip Green
Sir Philip Green is a British businessman. Green was born into a Jewish family in 1952, beginning as a businessman at the age of 15. The first and last quoted company Green took lead of was "Amber Day", from which he stepped down as CEO and Chairman in 1992...
is believed to have helped him secure the club after being approached for help.
Chairmanship
On 1 June 2004, Bill Kenwright achieved his life long dream of becoming Chairman of Everton Football Club. On the same day as Kenwright's achievement, Trevor BirchTrevor Birch
Trevor Birch is an English football executive and former football player, currently serving as Chief Executive at Sheffield United....
was appointed Chief Executive Officer to replace the outgoing Michael Dunford
Michael Dunford
Michael Dunford is a football administrator, most recently employed as Chief Executive Officer of Premier League club Birmingham City. He succeeded Karren Brady to the post, which he resigned in April 2010, only six months after his appointment....
.
Kenwright said that Birch would be his "sounding board" and that the new CEO should "dictate the policy of the football club". Kenwright stated that Birch had not been brought in to sell the club, but that a new investor can have his shares as long as they "have money to run the club".
Birch resigned six weeks later. He resigned after a meeting with True Blue Holding (Kenwright, Woods, Gregg and Abercromby) where the board opted to not to sell the club. Gregg claimed there was a refusal to relinquish control by other directors and that it was preventing progress at the club.
Fortress Sports Fund
In August 2004, it was reported that a BruneiBrunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
-based fund Fortess Sports Fund (FSF) were interested in buying a stake in Everton. Following the public fall-out with director Paul Gregg
Paul Gregg
Paul Gregg is an English multi-millionaire businessman and entertainment impresario, who built Apollo Leisure Group into the UK's biggest theatre owner....
, it was anticipated that Gregg's shares in addition to others would be sold to the fund. The Fund was initially set up to acquire a 40 percent stake for £20m million. Bill Kenwright backed FSF's proposals whilst Paul Gregg was looking else where for investment. Kenwright would stay on as Chairman if the FSF investment was accepted.
The deal was due to be agreed in August but Paul Gregg had not had time to inspect the proposals and indecision by the Everton board delayed the proposals.
The fund was established by Swiss-based English fund manager Christopher Samuelson, football agent Jerome Anerson
Jerome Anderson (football agent)
Jerome Anderson is a football agent and the head of SEM , the company he founded in 1984. In 2009 SEM was reported to employ 20 people across offices in the UK, US, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain, and to represent over 150 professional footballers. "It's always been a people business," Anderson...
and a 23-year old Russian student Anton Zingarevich. Zingarevich, son of Russian print businessman Boris Zingarevich with a fortune of £182m, was praised by Kenwright as having an "encyclopaedic knowledge" of football.
A spokesman for the Zingarevich family announced that Zingarevich had no intention of investing in the fund but that Anton Zingarevich would be managing the fund.
In September, Kenwright described investment from the FSF as an "absolute possibility".
Prior to the AGM which was scheduled to take place on 7 December 2004, Samuelson said: "It's taken some time but we are nearly there now. The AGM will have to approve the investment in December, but after that the money will be available."
Kenwright and Everton director Jon Woods
Jon Woods (programmer)
Jon Vincent Woods is a former UK based computer game producer. In 1984 he co-founded Manchester based software development company Ocean Software with David Ward....
were in favour of accepting the investment whilst Paul Gregg was sceptical and refused to endorse it. Gregg believed that the fund under-valued his investment, it was reported that the fund's bid was £12.8m for 29.9% of the club.
On 22 December Samuelson said: "Cash transfers can take three or four days and I hope it is with Everton by Christmas." However, it would need to be ratified at an EGM.
In January, Samuelson stated the money was ready and that the delay was because the FSF would be set-up as a financial mechanism known as a cell fund, a cell fund could only be create in certain countries with lax tax laws. Samuelson said: "The funds we have are made of private individuals. They don't want publicity for themselves,"
In February 2005, Keith Wyness
Keith Wyness
Keith Wyness is a Scottish businessman, who was chief executive officer of Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen and then Premier League club Everton during the 2000s.-Early years:...
stated that the club had begun to look for other potential investors.
In April 2005, Samuelson stated that "the Fund is completed and registered" but Everton director Paul Gregg publicly questioned the FSF: "As a director I have not received any proof of funds - or that they even exist." Liverpool Echo described the FSF situation as a "farce".
Paul Gregg stated that he had been "led down the garden path and that the whole exercise has embarrassed the club."
Samuelson re-iterated that funds were ready; "The fund is approved and ready to go. I have not received the actual certificate of incorporation of the fund but that is a technicality." He stated that an EGM was necessary to confirm the FSF fund. "As far as I'm concerned it's a fait accompli - subject to the approval of an EGM of shareholders."
An EGM was never called and the question of investment into Everton from the FSF slowly fell away from the public eye.
In the aftermath of the deal collapsing, a press officer for Everton privately revealed in an email that Christopher Samuelson came through with "both the fund and the cash" but by that point the fund "had served its purpose" and that "Bill told him [Samuelson] to go away."
It continued "Why haven't we announced that small detail? ....because it doesn't really matter....what mattered was achieved."
The email stated that the fund was "designed to be used as a means to an end.......nothing more".
In November 2005, at the following AGM. Kenwright said that Samuelson "was someone who I believed could have come up with the money, he had his credentials and thought he could come up with a deal that was good for the club[...]but he didn't, like many many other people, come up with the goods."
He added: "I am spending 24 hours a day trying to raise finance for this club. I had a meeting today, three yesterday, all involving money that would dilute my shareholding - but I'm not interested in that."
2004 Extraordinary General Meeting
By September 2004, concerns amongst fans had grown about the future of the club thanks to the collapse of the King's Dock project, the sale of Wayne Rooney, growing amount of debt, low league position and a highly publicised 'media battle' between directors in the local press. An Extraordinary General MeetingExtraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs at an irregular time. The term is usually used where the group would ordinarily hold an annual general meeting , but...
was called by shareholders; "The shareholders of the Company express their deep concern at the current state of affairs in the Company". It called for the board of directors to resign if they did not address previous motions to the satisfaction of shareholders. Bill Kenwright is considered approachable by fans and prior to the EGM he contacted a fan website before the press regarding the meeting. Keith Wyness
Keith Wyness
Keith Wyness is a Scottish businessman, who was chief executive officer of Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen and then Premier League club Everton during the 2000s.-Early years:...
was unveiled as the new Chief Executive Officer at the EGM.
2007 Extraordinary General Meeting
In 2007, Kenwright announced that he would like to relocate the club to Kirkby as part of a proposal known as Destination KirkbyEverton Kirkby Project
The Kirkby Project was a proposed new football stadium in Kirkby, England for . The plan originated in 2006, was the subject of a Public Inquiry in December 2008, but was eventually rejected by central government in November 2009...
which included a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarket and a retail park
Retail park
In the United Kingdom, a retail park is a grouping of many retail warehouses and superstores with associated car parking. Its North American equivalent is a power centre. Retail parks are found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in highly accessible locations and are aimed at households...
. The pursuit of this project led to minor shareholders of the club calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting in 2008. After it was confirmed that the EGM would go ahead, Keith Wyness
Keith Wyness
Keith Wyness is a Scottish businessman, who was chief executive officer of Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen and then Premier League club Everton during the 2000s.-Early years:...
resigned and was replaced by Robert Elstone
Robert Elstone
Robert Colin Elstone is British businessman, who is the current CEO of Everton Football Club.He attended the University of Hull and is a qualified accountant. He was originally a financial controller at a Barnsley-based lead-processing plant...
who was promoted to the position from within.
At this meeting, Kenwright revealed that he took business advice from retail industry leaders Sir Philip Green and Sir Terry Leahy. A vote was held on whether the club should pursue the project due to a growing number of concerns, the vote was on the basis of "one share, one vote" as is in keeping with normal shareholder's meetings, and the motion to abandon Destination Kirkby was defeated. The result of the ballot was 622 votes for and 26,553 against, representing 97.71% of all votes cast against the resolution.
Financial performance
Bill Kenwright is sometimes compared to those who own other Premier League clubs and has said he can't afford to compete financially with some of the larger clubs: "People often say to me: 'Get your cheque book out, Bill. If these people think that I have a cheque book with tens of millions of pounds at my disposal, they have the wrong person. I could no more buy all of Peter Johnson's shares than play centre-forward this Saturday. These amounts are not in my personal ball park."In July 2009, Kenwright explained the club's financial position under his stewardship: "Our debt is a big debt and a worrying debt, but it is manageable because of our performance on the field".
Personal life
Kenwright was married to hotelier Anouska HempelAnouska Hempel
Anouska Hempel, Lady Weinberg , born Anne Geissler, is a film and television actress turned hotelier and designer. She is also a noted figure in London society.-Personal life:...
from 1978 to 1980 and has a daughter and two grandchildren from his relationship with the actress Virginia Stride
Virginia Stride
Virginia Stride is a British actress of stage and screen who first came to public attention on television in the 1960s...
. He is currently in a long-term relationship with actress and political activist Jenny Seagrove
Jenny Seagrove
Jennifer Ann Seagrove is an English actress. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and rose to fame playing the lead in a TV dramatisation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance and the 1983 film Local Hero...
. They live in London. He has many cousins, Tommy, Elizabeth, Barbara and Steven. Lauren, Holly and Lily are grandchildren of Elizabeth.
In April 2008, he agreed to produce Dixie: The People's Legend,a documentary on Everton legend Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
produced by Liverpool-based company Tabacula.
Kenwright is also very fond of former players and considers many personal friends. He also invited several former players to Wembley for the 2009 FA Cup Final
2009 FA Cup Final
The 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
as guests.
Honours
He received an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool’s John Moores University and is an Honorary Professor of Thames Valley UniversityThames Valley University
The University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....
in London.
In the year 2000 Kenwright was awarded the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his services to film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and theatre.
In November 2008 he was awarded an Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
in recognition of his outstanding contribution and commitment to British theatre.