In a blunt interview after the board left, Graeme Sharp rules out Everton’s hopes of coming back.

Graeme Sharp told The Scotsman that he probably won’t end his leave, which began during peaceful fan protests against the Everton board he was on.

It’s not likely that Everton will come back to Goodison Park, according to Graeme Sharp. It’s been more than 18 months since the 64-year-old, an Everton hero who scored a stunning volley in a win at Anfield in a Merseyside derby 40 years ago this weekend.

If you asked him if he would end that absence, which began because of protests against the club board he was on at the time, he said, “I just think too much has happened.” It is not the same.

Everton’s top scorer said in an interview with The Scotsman that he had not gone because of the problem in January 2023. At that time, the club was in a lot of trouble because the Blues were having a terrible run of form that made it look like they would be in a second desperate fight to stay in the league.

Some people were upset with how the club was run under Farhad Moshiri and before that. This caused peaceful protests against the board. It wasn’t clear how bad the problems were until two more years of huge losses and points reductions that had never happened before.

It had been a year since Sharp had been a non-executive director, and he was being criticized for the state of the club along with CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chairman Bill Kenwright, and financial chief Grant Ingles.

The club said those board members were told not to go to a game against Southampton in January of that year because there were “credible” worries about their safety. Later, Merseyside Police said they had not been told about any “threats or incidents” at the time.

Sharp has not been seen since then. “I just think it’s a tough one because of how things went.” He told The Scotsman, “Bad how we were treated.” “No one knows what happened, but they immediately made a decision that is wildly inaccurate.” I feel like I didn’t deserve the stick I got, and I told myself, “Nah, I don’t need it.”

Sharp officially quit his job the next summer, along with Barrett-Baxendale and Ingles. At the time, he spoke to the Mirror and praised Barrett-Baxendale’s work, calling it “unfair” for her to be “targeted.”

He added, “I can’t miss games; Everton is in my blood.” Yes, fans can say what they want, and I get why they’re mad, but some of the protests have gone too far.

He said this week that friends had asked him to go back and that he still had season tickets, but “I don’t see myself going back.”

Goodison is celebrating its last season as a football stadium before Everton move to their new waterfront home, and his words come as the anniversary of the great 1984–85 team he helped win the league title and the Cup Winners Cup approaches.

Regarding the possibility of an official reunion at the Grand Old Lady, he said, “It will be interesting, because the lads will all be back out for the last game of the season for this 40th anniversary party.” Although I don’t think it’s for me. “No, not for me.”

Sharp explained that he had turned down Sean Dyche’s offers to go to Finch Farm and came to the conclusion, “There might be one day when I wake up and go, you know what, I’m going to do it.” Unfortunately, I can’t see myself doing that. Thank you all for helping me get there. Too many things have happened, in my opinion. It is not the same.