Who was in the 777 Partners party that watched Everton this week and why else they were here

It was a ‘Double Josh’ for Triple Seven as some Evertonians thought they were seeing double when the club’s prospective new owners attended the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in Wednesday’s FA Cup third round replay.

Josh Wander, the co-founder and managing partner of 777 Partners, who are attempting to complete a takeover of Everton after an agreement of a deal to purchase all of current majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% stake in the club was announced on September 15 last year, led a six-man delegation from the Miami-based private investment firm that visited Merseyside this week. Wander was joined by fellow co-founder and managing partner Steven Pasko and Don Dransfield, the chief executive of 777 Football Group for his first visit to Goodison Park on September 30 when Everton lost 2-1 to Luton Town.

He returned with London-based Dransfield for the 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Burnley on November 1 when Evertonians paid their respects to their late chairman Bill Kenwright, who died on October 23 aged 78. But the latest trip brought a more substantial party. When Andre Gomes netted what proved to be the match-winning goal against the Eagles, a double fist pump for one of the group in the directors’ box was caught on camera.

However, despite the individual celebrating sporting a baseball cap and stubble, this was not Wander – who was sat two seats along – but his chief of staff, Josh Dreyfuss, who has been an associate of 777 Partners since November 2022. Sat between the pair was London-based John Jeffery, 777 Partners’ managing director, head of Europe, who leads all their investments in the continent, while managing their European office of around 25 professionals.

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