Football: Kenwright may bow out

BILL KENWRIGHT, the theatre impresario and Everton director, hinted yesterday that he might withdraw his consortium's offer to buy a controlling interest in the club, even though he has reached agreement with the Moores family over their majority shareholding, writes Phil Shaw.

Kenwright, a former Coronation Street actor, admitted he had left Goodison Park 'feeling disillusioned' after Monday's home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday, because of abuse directed towards him by Everton supporters. 'What shocked me was the reaction of a section of the terraces - it sounded like 'Kenwright out',' he said.

'I'm now left thinking about my next move. If someone better than me is more acceptable to the Moores family and the fans, I will stand down and let him do it,' Kenwright added. A rival bid of around pounds 7.5m by Peter Johnson, the Tranmere Rovers chairman, is thought to exceed Kenwright's offer by about a third.