The Everton Forum • Re: Financial Fairplay Investigation - Further 2 points deducted.
This points deduction business is becoming ever more farcical and unjust — and may well lead to litigation next season, especially if both Leicester City and Everton are somehow plying their trade in the Premier League.
Quite why Everton are still in the top division, given their serial infractions of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), is something of a mystery. They were originally deducted ten points by the Premier League in November, but the punishment was reduced to six points after an independent hearing in late February.
I am not sure why the club are allowed to appeal, nor why there are independent panels adjudicating. The Premier League is itself independent: it sets the rules and clubs who break those rules should accept whatever punishment is handed down. But there we are. Now the club have copped another two-point deduction for having been £16.6 million in breach of PSR for the 2022-23 season. They intend to appeal against that decision too.
If I didn’t know any better I’d have thought the Premier League was just trying to make the relegation battle a bit more interesting than it otherwise would be, given that most of us neutrals at the start of the season expected the three promoted clubs to go straight back down (which remains the most likely scenario). But there is still more trouble for Everton on two fronts. They could face a third points deduction if the Premier League decides that the money owed on their proposed swish new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, where fans will be able to watch Dominic Calvert-Lewin miss open goals in a pleasingly aquatic setting, should be included in the PSR accounting.
In what possible sense should it not be? That’s another £26 million or so of overspend and probably worth six points. However, it seems as though the Premier League will not impose that points penalty this season, which creates the following scenario. First, if Everton stay up but the points penalty would have relegated them, you can expect the likes of Burnley and Luton Town to take legal action. Second, if Everton are relegated, they will not have any points deduction because they will come under the auspices of a different entity, the English Football League (EFL).
As we shall see, the EFL and Premier League are distinct, which leads to another whole bunch of injustices. Meanwhile, the greatly anticipated takeover by the Miami-based investment fund 777 Partners is on hold because the Americans have asked for extra time to repay a £158 million loan, which must be done before the takeover can commence. The deadline for that loan was Monday morning and it looks as though it’s not going to happen. Where that leaves Everton is anyone’s guess. On the pitch, incidentally, Everton remain fragile, despite that crucial win against Burnley. But score one goal against Everton and you’ve probably won the game and that victory over Burnley ended a run of 13 winless game
Statistics: Posted by Escla — Sun Apr 14, 2024 12:49 pm