Time for Everton FC to follow Barcelona model

EVERTON pride themselves on being a club of firsts.They were the first club to proudly take possession of the League Championship trophy and the first to present medals for winning it; they were the first club to stage an FA Cup final; the first to be visited by a reigning monarch; first to issue a matchday programme; first to wear shirts numbered 1-11; first to win a penalty shoot-out in Europe and the first to use dug-outs .They were also, proudly, the first football club to set up a registered charity to aid its former players.But the Blues have been beaten to the punch this week by another club which has its roots here on Merseyside. Barcelona - created by a couple of Merchant Taylors' old boys - followed Everton's model when they set up their own Former Players' Foundation.But this week - in the marquee at Goodison Park - Barca's Ramon Alfonseda revealed that from now on 0.5 per cent of every player's salary at the Nou Camp would go into its Former Player Foundation coffers.

Source: Liverpool_Echo