New departure rocks Everton

Everton struggled for points under David Moyes last season

Everton director Arthur Abercromby has quit after 10 years on the board, plunging the club into further turmoil.

The Toffees have been thrown into disarray by the resignation of chief executive Trevor Birch and claims that the club is going into meltdown.

The news of Abercromby's departure will only intensify the pressure.

Earlier on Tuesday, fellow director Jon Woods threw his support behind chairman Bill Kenwright by hitting out at colleague Paul Gregg's plans.

Gregg believed his ideas, which included a share issue and greater commercial interest from the Far East, would help turn the club's fortunes around.

"We need a new opportunity to bring on more investment," he told the Liverpool Echo newspaper.

"If we don't have that we will die on our feet."

But Woods branded the plans as "impractical and unworkable".

With the backing of Woods, Kenwright now looks to be in a much stronger position as he battles to turn the club around.

Meanwhile, Abercromby insists his decision to resign has nothing to do with the current boardroom crisis and says it was made last season.

"For some time it had been my intention to leave the board of Everton Football Club at the end of the 2003-04 season," he said.

Birch quits Everton

"Due to various circumstances and at the request of colleagues my resignation was postponed until last week.

"I would like to thank everyone connected with Everton and particularly the staff for the opportunity of working with them over the years."

Abercromby's departure means the club have lost one chairman, Sir Philip Carter, a director and two chief executives since the end of last season.