Report: Everton 'expecting' to be found in breach of PSR again

It is utter madness that the punishment for failing PSR could effectively relegate us and put us into administration. It does not make any sense at all.

The clubs should never have agreed to this from the start.

Unless of course we're playing silly buggers again.

Football has become the most horrible experience... all we want is to watch our team over 90 minutes play football. How hard do they have to make it, for fuck's sake?

But given the self-serving morons who spent years and, in one case, decades acquiescing to whomever behind the scenes whilst actively and always unaccountably infesting our club with ruinous plans, signings, employees and lies to us lot, are we at all surprised?

You mention rumours of a suspended 10-point deduction. Please could you elaborate? Is that in respect of the appeal or the potential new charge?

Seriously doubt the players are as spineless as some on here!

Who wouldn’t take a year in the championship, just as long as Everton is sold to the right people? Especially if these people have a genuine thought out plan. Maybe I’m in a minority, but just getting away from VAR, and watching every single team cheating like fuck, would personally make the whole thing worth it for me.

The Post Office is more accountable … just what are the external checks on its decisions?

The Sly 6 have pulled up the ladder with the media and particularly Sky’s help. We can’t compete even when the season begins on an equal footing of 0 points with 11 v 11 on the field, let alone having a 10 point deduction and VAR/refereeing decisions going against us week after week. I said last week that the Calvert-Lewin red card was nearly the final straw for me. Another breach announcement would just sink us. It just makes the attempts of clubs like ours to break into that group futile, The Premier League, media, Sky, ex RS pundits everywhere are ensuring that a Leicester City title win never happens again. Even the Skunks with their money and resources are being excluded from the Greedy 6. I can’t take much more. A beautiful modern stadium to generate more revenue and bridge the gap is what we demanded but, at this rate, we won’t have a team to compete in it.

You don't get sent off for a "stamp" with the Post Office?

But knowing tomorrow any clubs in line for potential action, by the EPL, will be told, then what about the biggest guilty party in Man City?

Jeez, they appear to have diplomatic immunity.

Let’s see what is confirmed factually by the official sources tomorrow.

UTFTs!

I'll write up tomorrow about what I care about.

Everton and football.

These people care not and have no understanding of either .

They weren't in Goodison Park this afternoon with the near 40,000 including the Villa supporters

The relevant 14 need to vote out the corrupt 6 and sack masters.

What has been going on this past year is beyond belief.

This has nothing to do with buying players. We're in the bottom 3 for overall Net spending in the last 5 years.

If we get another points deduction it is unequivocal proof that being in the PL pointless unless you are part of the top 6 cartel.

This is about the new ground and who might want to mess things up for us.

But while I still don’t fully understand what this charge will look like, because I too thought stadium costs were not included in these calculations, and while it also seems ludicrous they could charge us twice in one season, I can’t wait until they hit us with another 10 point deduction and we still survive this season.

Man City: 115 breaches...deal with them in 25 years maybe...chelsea spent over a billion...in last 12 months...erm how many rats can you smell?

50 years of loving our beautiful game and it's getting taken away from us rapidly... nobody is into this pure shite anymore.

Secondly, I’m tired of the eulogies for our late chairman because he gave someone a light at an M60 service station 9 years ago type of thing so he’s “one of us.” He wasn’t. He was a self interested charlatan more interested in himself than the club.

Thirdly, I’m tired of the EPL and the bullshit rules where you can join a rival league without significant consequence, but you can try and compete and get hammered.

Fourthly, fuck 777 partners and their 20 percent predatory takeover thats spelt doom for every other club they’re attached too. Best thing we can do now is to spend a fortune in January then go into administration so 777, Kenwrights Riverdance mate et al lose everything then hope some sensible scousers steps up buys the remains and gets us back into the prem in a year or two. Failing that, my long term back up plan — let “Everton” go bust buy Marine FC and the hair built Stadia change their name do it the hard and probably cheaper way by rising up from league 9. It’s OK to murder 39 Italians. It’s ok to take bribes (Graham of Arsenal) it’s ok to support racism (Dalglish) it’s ok to run up a billion dollar debt (Glazers) or to dismember people (Saudis Newcastle) but seemingly it’s unforgivable to make shit managerial and player signings after Kenshite ran the club into the ground.

This new charge was foreshadowed in the commission's report into our breaches for the period to 2021-22. Everton argued they were trying to do the right thing but the Commission noted that the annual position had actually got worse in the next year. (Note I'm paraphrasing from memory).

You would imagine our punishment couldn't again be 10 points. That's a pretty clear double counting. Maybe 3 points if we breached while improving, or 5 points if we got worse.

I'm a bit more surprised about the Forest case. They're saying their allowable losses are only £61M (compared to £105M) as they were in the Championship for two seasons.

So teams coming up can't invest to the level of existing Premier League clubs... isn't that just trying to maintain the current Premier League membership?

We've submitted our PSR calcs which takes the accounts and then excludes things. It sounds like the Premier League doesn't agree with our assessment (again).

Kieran, 34, I agree with every word. To think how terribly ironic it would be if we survived all this nonsense and then new ownership was the actual final nail in the coffin.

I guess the best-case scenario now is that we survive all this, 777 Partners come in and get the stadium done, then sell when we're on better financial ground. Isn't it Mike Gaynes who has said he thinks MSP has some designs on a takeover down the line?

The owners and board members who got us into this mess, as well as the Premier League powers that be punishing us for it, are both complete clown shows.

However, the whole process stinks. Whoever set the £105M limit did not allow for inflation since 2014 and an imbecile can tell that a £30M player in 2014 is now going for £60M+.

The Premier League stinks of greed and corruption from officials to management to influence from the media and dictated by the so called Big 6 – half of whom have not won half as much as us nor the Villans.

I've gradually lost interest in football except for Everton and, if the powers that be decide to kill us, that will be me finished. Greed and corruption have already ruined boxing and golf. Looks like football is arriving at the same station.

The Saudis pretty much own the heavyweight division right now and it's hard to argue that they haven't revitalised the matchmaking at the top end of that weight class.

Likewise the Emirates are into football in a big way and the product at the top end is apparently very popular.

We're the smaller weights, or more likely the heavyweights outside of the current Top 6 or so. There are great riches available if we can get to the big show, but the system isn't going to be giving us that opportunity. They only want the big names.

I remain convinced that both boxing and football are headed for an implosion. You can't just focus on the top few without elevating the structure underneath them that put those guys there in the first place. It's not sustainable.

I see some ToffeeWebers are saying we will be double penalised which doesn't seem logical to me. It is a rolling 3-year period with the idea that if you've overspent in year 1 and 2, you have to cut back dramatically... not sure we have done that.

Every time we sign someone, I wonder where the cash has come from. Today will show us if it was from the never-neverland again

There must now be some noise made as to why we may be investigated two years running (or should that be over two lodged sets of accounts?) and another in its first year back in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, another club faces a possible 115 charges that have lain dormant for several years, plus other clubs about whose spending there must be doubt it can be covered by their income, which doesn't seem to have been outside P&S guidelines in their lodged documents.

Whereas what they were actually doing was moving things around to make the PSR calculation look better.

They didn't understand the difference until we were actually charged.

Playing god over a Premier League club's future is not in the best interests of football, and it appears that other clubs are not in line for scrutiny because they have found loopholes to avoid punishment and ultimately gain an advantage over other clubs.

The Premier League appear to be ‘cherry picking' its targets in a show of strength, maybe from complaints from other Premier League clubs who are hiding behind false accounting.

The whole matter has to go to court in order to highlight the bias that is taking place and clear dividing lines being used to belittle clubs whose face doesn't fit.

We can only wait and see what happens today. There is much doom and gloom here but there is an awful lot of water to go under the bridge yet. There is still the appeal.

The letter sent yesterday by the former Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney and others to the Premier League was a big help and very persuasive. This is going to be a roller-coaster ride.

And if we have been charged, it doesn't necessarily mean a points deduction, let alone another 10-point reduction this season.

As Don Alexander posted on the other thread, Farhad Moshiri is “a herring in a sea of sharks”.

I retain strong suspicions that “some powerful entity” not related to football is pulling the strings here.

I also wouldn't trust the Premier League if my life depended on it. They remind me of the government, incompetent and corrupt!

This is on top of the made up on the back of a fag packet 10 points sanction. Actually it's not just the rules, the whole EPL administration is showing it's not fit for purpose.

I have supported both clubs for over 60 years, although I have devoted far more time and emotional effort to Everton over that time. However, increasingly, I am drawn to lower league football. Judging by the Mariners 300% rise in support over recent seasons, I'm not alone.

There are some very clear reasons why people are heading to College Road. It's a lot cheaper to get in. You can drink a pint whilst watching the game. A goal goes in, you take a quick glance at the ref and the lino, and you know whether it's going to count. The football is more robust, but generally more honest.

Marine earned a great pay day when they played Spurs in the FA Cup. “Earned” because they won more games in the competition that season than the eventual trophy winners, starting with an away game in August where I was one of a crowd of 50 and we had a laugh with the locals up in the Lancashire hills.

The money earned from the Tottenham encounter (when 30,000 people from around the world bought virtual tickets) appears to have been managed much more prudently than Everton have managed their pot of gold. Improvements to a function room and the creation of a bistro generate extra revenue, and the installation of an excellent 4G pitch means a better quality of football throughout the season, and use of it every night by boys and girls learning the game.

This is a prime example of how the money swirling around football should be trickling (or, preferably, cascading) down to the grassroots game. It really can be of great benefit to society. Instead, it is all being hoovered up by the few, who are desperate to preserve the closed shop. Everton are knocking on the shop door after it has closed, and those inside are doing their best to bring down the shutters.

I just think that the Premier League and the Football League are syncing in case of relegation and in the case of other teams with crippling point deductions.

I am sure many will be 100% in agreement with you.

Proper football no play acting, no VAR, a goal is a goal, cheap to get in, and a sense of community. They recently had 1,100 for a game.

If this latest "breach" results in a further points deduction and relegation, I may never set foot at an Everton match again.

Not only because the game is obviously rigged, but also because the club allowed it to happen.

As fans, we should not have to be worried about finances etc. It's not like we've been blowing money every year recently.

There really is no joy at all in watching Premier League football anymore.

Peter (45) urged us to be patient and let's see how we fare regarding more charges against us – but also saying that, despite all the doom and gloom, there is a lot of evidence to be looked at; we are not yet down and out.

Peter (50) shows how a small non-league club can prosper if they use the money gathered in a proper way that helps the local community and loyal supporters of a club, not wasted as Everton, for one, have done. He also makes the point that plenty of fans are now going to watch honest football without worrying about the VAR and cheating players.

"Hear, Hear" – to both Peters!

The point where we're at now would have been a vision of Armageddon to our predecessors, the point of total self-destruction and obliteration brought about by greed and corruption.

All through life, the owners always run their businesses on profit and gain, that's why they start a business. The working man (ie, fan) is just the pawn in the game, to be treated like crap and totally discarded.

A point that I suspect the Man City fans would argue against vehemently, but if you're brought up on corruption, then it becomes the norm and breeds its own contempt.

I don't honestly know where all this is going to end and it's breaking my heart to witness it with the treatment of Everton. All I can say is enjoy the grassroots, it sounds like it's the true place to be if you want to be treated as an equal.

COYB and thank you so much to all our fans, home and away, who help our lads at this difficult time.

The greed, the hypocrisy and especially the corruption have made this decision easy for me.

I don't enjoy going the game anymore. It's nothing to do with Everton's form or lack of trophies over the past years… it's more about the total lack of respect supporters are now shown.

The game is run, ruled and ruined by money people, ruthless money people who couldn't care less about the likes of me. My season ticket money is a pittance to these people who would much rather kow-tow to the executive box brigade.

Acronyms dictate every single game: VAR, FFP, PSR and most notably EPL have taken over our once wonderful entertaining game and ruined it.

The ruthless backstabbing and jealousy, the continuous mocking of tragedies by supporters has added to my frustrations and despair about attending the game, it's certainly not a pleasant experience anymore.

I really fear for the existence of my club, total ineptitude by a so-called Board of Directors, Chairman, and especially Owner have left us open to these Premier League vultures who seem absolutely determined to make an example of us.

This is not me deserting a sinking ship. I will love Everton FC for the rest of my life – no matter what league we find ourselves in. It is me deserting the once beautiful game I fell in love with all of 63 years ago.

We need to be made an example of. It will serve as a useful reminder to the clubs who play by the book not to breach the rules set up to protect clubs from spending too much, cos they know they'll get put into administration.

A Super League will happen within the next 3 years and the Premier League will have nothing.

If the latest reports about financial rule changes in August are true, then that says it all about the Premier League, no doubt certain clubs will gain from this. Orwell's Animal Farm quote certainly springs to mind.

Let's see what the statement says later, but this seems like it could be a fight to the death. Our lawyers need to get serious and go to appeal and have these ‘kangaroo court' decisions overturned.

If we get punished now, you can be sure that the ‘rules' will be changed later, on other clubs' positions. So we should not allow the Premier League to kill us off.

I listened to some of Man Utd vs Tottenham on BBC Radio yesterday. The commentary and comments were toe-curling.
The Premier League surely is ‘the emperor's new clothes' and I hate being in it. But I just can't see how we can operate the new stadium from being in the Championship, the revenue just isn't there.

It will be interesting to hear what Forest have to say about this…

We, and maybe Forest, are the only clubs that will be treated this harshly. You can bet that by the time Man City are before an 'Independent Commission', the same rules won't apply and they'll get a fine which they will pay from the loose change in their souvenir shop till.

Slightly off-topic but after yesterday's match which, wasn't exhibition football by any stretch, was more like the combative game we (I at any rate) used to enjoy watching.

Kevin, There's no such thing as "excess stadium spending" is there? Other than going over the planned budget. And however over-budget the stadium costs go, that's the investor's problem to address, and has no bearing on the Premier League's P&S rules.

I'm of the view that this is really the government harassing Russian money. I reckon once we are bought again, the Premier League will go back to their usual corrupt sleepy selves. I'm starting to care less, to be honest. The Premier League is such a shit show, it's hard to watch.

There is a fantastic photo doing the rounds at the moment of the 1984-85 team in a beer garden somewhere taken in the last few weeks. A wonderful reminder of what we once had. Reid and Steven haven't altered a bit, they still look 60 and 40 respectively.

I except you have certainly been to more games than me in three extra years you have over me (more than that if you factor in when I started watching).

RIP the once beautiful game.

Man City need not worry. Nor Chelsea.
Man Utd have a billion-pound debt, but that's okay.

Everton will take the flack and go under.

I hope a curse is set upon the lot of them.

As with hair gel head Henderson finding out the hard way in Saudi, they won't find it all so simple in their own little European Super League.

I have said it for years — the working class means fuck all to them. I hope the penny drops. Take care.

Man City were charged with 115 offences before us, and won't be dealt with until next year.

Why is the stadium spending excluded, especially as Man City and West Ham finances include taxpayers' money being used towards their stadiums?

They are changing the rules to suit themselves.

We will fight and not drift meekly into the night; all hands will say "Fuck it – I've had enough". Relegation, administration it's all there but it just doesn't matter.

When a car drives past with an Everton sticker in the window or you see a kid playing footie in his Everton shirt and your brother still gets his Everton mug out for his tea, your heart will stir.

We will be rightly pissed off but we won't give up. The extraordinary defiance that so marks supporters of this club will see us through. And when the sun eventually returns to warm our hearts, neutrals everywhere will smile and say "You deserve it".

The whole Premier League is a shit show. It needs a high-ranking employee to become a whistle-blower and bring it down, which it more than deserves.

We are Everton, we will prevail.

Always a blue!!!

Sure, I'd love to see us as a Champions League club but instead "administration" is the real likelihood.

If we are in the Championship, I can still see us having 40 thousand plus for our home games and pack out smaller clubs' grounds for away trips. Like Man Utd did with their season in the wilderness, 1974-75.

I kind of like the idea of us being a cult club... lower league but with an amazing following. Leave the Premier League to Sky and tourists!

That's what Sky and the Premier League think of us.

From the severity of initial breach, to the double whammy of being penalized twice in a set period, to fast-tracking penalties that see us hit twice in the same season.

Paranoia? Bad luck, or intentional vindictiveness?

Corruption is not just financial gain, it's power... intentional harm for the sake of power is moral corruption. The definition of the Premier League.

I would urge every Evertonian to recruit every single family member, young or old to join Everton's various membership schemes, and show the world, how big this club can be.

Money got us into this mess, but the spirit of the club is of far greater importance and we must support the club as best we can in the coming years - it's difficult, because the urge to throw up our collective arms and say sod it, we hate football, is a natural reaction, and an almost irresistible impulse.

The club for almost 150 years has played a major part of the lives of Evertonians, some would argue too much of our collective time, energy and money has been spent on supporting a sporting entity.

However, if it has meant so much to so many over such a long period of time, it is incumbent on the current fans to carry on that tradition and 'fight fight fight with all our might for the boys in the Royal blue jersey'.

£105m over a three year period DOES equate to £35m per year but it's not that simple.

If you make a loss of £5m in year one, £5m in year two and on the third year a loss of £90m you're in the clear, theoretically (for THAT three year period)

The £35m per season is basically just £105m divided by three.

I have been a admirer of Lower League football for sometime. But I have always supported Everton and relegation last season would have bust the Club. I do think the Premier League and the Championship will converge more and the current application of the rules is evidence of this. Even the Everton situation, 10 points and all, is atempt to maintain the status quo.We could even see like relegation the application if the PSR rules being also part of the season on a regular bases.

They act as if they're without blemish, a higher ordained authority, anointed by the King and God.

Seriously I hope Evertons legal team, fight and win, and take these EPL, frauds to pieces, and Everton can sue them for non compliance and prejudice.

It was to stave off the threatened independent body, the EPL wants to be a self governing body that is run like a secret society, that can of course be considered a status quo.

I have the feeling this super league is dead in the water, as the Saudi league is being played in empty stadiums.

We are the sacrificial lambs, of that there is no doubt.

Especially if Forest are found guilty and have six points deducted.

That way they get us twice but have the appearance of being fair minded by reducing the initial punishment and both punishments being the same as Forest's.

All ifs, buts and guesswork mind!

If that was to happen I'd still bet on us to survive.

After all, for just a £19m overspend they were handed a brutal ten-point deduction last time out, which fortunately they managed to overturn.

They might not be so lucky this time around, with reports having emerged suggesting they could be in serious danger of breaching yet again.

I would imagine it will come late in the day. I think the last announcement of this type was made around 5pm UK time.

Going back to last year, who leaked the report that we were facing a points deduction?

Is this the Premier League NOT following the due process and protocol it makes itself out to be so precious about?

I happen to think it is deliberate vindictiveness.

And in doing what the Premier League have done they have made it almost impossible for Moshiri to sell the club, with anyone who was interested waiting for what now looks like an inevitable administration before trying to buy Everton on the cheap.

What the Premier League have done can't be right. Everyone with a logical mind knows a points deduction was outrageous and instead of helping Everton the Premier League has now steered Everton into financial trouble and should have now lost the right to govern the league.

The sad thing about this whole mess is the only people being punished are the loyal fans, who had no control over the way the Board and Management got the club into.

The other people who are responsible are the FA themselves for allowing the primary culprits like Chelsea and others with the same wealth to come in and just outspend the average Premier league clubs for silverware. Greed breeds Greed. and the FA are the Greediest.

The FA are now trying to solve a mess that they created by punishing the more vulnerable instead of the people who are at fault, and that is themselves, for creating an unfair playing advantage

It took the PL three weeks to make the announcement the last time they referred us for breaching PSR even though it was supposed to have happened within 14 days.

Whatever happens to us, we can't allow this self licking ice cream to govern and regulate itself like a self licking ice cream.

I know they sold a lot of players, some “home-grown” and I'm aware that they exploited the extended amortisation period before that loophole was closed, but how on earth have they stayed within the £105m limit over the last three years, especially with no European income last season?

Our inept management notwithstanding, what sort of system is it that can punish a team that has a negative transfer spend over the last two seasons? Are the lower placed teams expected to have regular fire sales of their best assets so that the rich clubs can stuff their benches with even more top quality players?

The system is anticompetitive and stinks of self-interest.

If Everton were asking the Premier League for guidance about buying players and staying within their rules, surely it was incumbent upon the Premier League to ensure any player purchases were appropriate?

While you might assume that woud be the case, it's not really what comes out of the Commission findings.

They said something like "While the Premier League were informed of new purchases and considered them risky, the club went ahead anyway."

I'll look for the real text…

Overall I agree with some of the comments above -
Surely you can't be found guilty twice in the same year for what is an offence you can only commit once a year!

They know the 10 points is a joke of a penalty but they don't want to lose face. Hence, they do us again and say that there is no additional punishment, but the original 10 point deduction stands, or they throw on another 2 and purvey the opinion that we should be grateful it is'nt 20 points.

Either way it seems that the punishments are made up as they go along.

The shite mismanagement of the once good ship EFC over the past 15 or so years, means that I have no faith in the board or owner and the punishment is a by product of their useless performance, I just feel for my grandaughter who loves the blues but gets a kick in the teeth for giving her support. Dont even feel for the players, they will be paid and piss off if we are relegated.

Of course the premier league don't give a flying toss about her or fellow supporters.

I actually hate football in the modern age. I turned the Utd game off yesterday after 5 minutes due to the hysterical screaming of the commentator, I just couldnt be arsed.

I often think is it because I am a bitter old man living in the past through blue tinted glasses, but then I reflect for a few minutes and think no, its because the game has been taken away from us and is a greedy, corrupt entity.

Just look at VAR and what a shambles it is, or the hand ball rules, or offside, or the lack of being able to tackle. Its ruined. Within 10 years it will be illegal to head the ball.

Anyway rant over, think I covered all bases there!

Here is the relevant clauses §102 & 103 from the Commission findings:

The 13 August 2021 agreement imposed certain obligations on Everton, one of which was to obtain the Premier League's approval of purchases of new players. The Premier League approved each such request but when doing so cautioned Everton that it (the Premier League) was not managing Everton's finances, and that it was for Everton to ensure that it complied with the PSR. The Premier League asserts that for Everton to have persisted in player purchases in the face of such plain warnings was recklessness that constitutes an aggravating factor.

The Commission considers that it was unwise for Everton not to have curtailed player purchases. It was aware of potential PSR difficulties but pressed ahead in the hope that it would make sales of players that would enable it to achieve PSR compliance. Events have proved that to be a poor judgment.

So a nice double-edged sword to the heart of Everton FC. Not only was our open and transparent cooperation thrown back in our face, but our attempts to manage our own finances was already classed by the Premier League as being reckless, used then as an 'aggravating factor' which in their minds justified the egregious 10-point penalty.

Or conversely, our incompetent executives didn't heed the warnings and blundered on regardless. Now happily relieved of their duties and basking in handsome payouts for services to the cause.

That's the only way this corruption will get any kind of attention or support outside of the people appalled and affected by its injustice.

The only funny things is the number of Geordies who think they're on the other side of that fence.

5 years from now PL attendances will be in decline because people will give up on the game.

We are playing better than last season albeit not by much but having not won for four games and not scored in the last three EPL games there is rising concern once again.

Every point will be precious but they have done well against Villa in two games this season and they could easily have won yesterday.

The F.A. is a farce and the VAR system proves that.

Players are continually going over the ball and only getting yellow when it should be red. Many newer referees have no guts.
The TV cameras pick these things up and yet VAR doesn't. Go figure.

According to a Chelsea Supporter I know the new owners got a clean slate debt wise.The government were instrumental in the process.

It is a bit like Moshiri taking a hits and walking away with nothing.

Ignored by the grey suits in the Premier Leagues Paddington HQ.

Even worse, they have brought in FFP supposedly to protect not the competition (as above that's already unfairly rigged) but the clubs. So the PL are saying to us 'we brought in these rules so that you don't get into financial difficulty. Now that you've 'breached' them, we are going to right that wrong by bankrupting you'.

It would be nice to think that supporters of other clubs would examine what the Profit and Sustainability rules mean for most clubs, but in a tribal sport, it's likely that most fans only concern themselves with what affects their own clubs fortunes.

I imagine even those that have said to Evertonians, 'That's a bit harsh mate', or "Ten points is way over the top' deep down are quite happy for our club to be punished, regardless of whether the punishment is deemed harsh or not.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all this, we await the next round of decisions as to whether clubs have broken financial fair play rules.

And here there is a tasty issue sitting on the edge of the menu (as it were). “Everton and Nottingham Forest are expecting to be referred to an independent commission over breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations,” according to an article in the Athletic.

Now if you have been reading Untold of late you will know that I’ve received a number of emails from Everton supporters in response to my earlier pieces in which I asked for reasons why the conspiracy that is supposed to exist against Everton exists.

I haven’t had any clear evidence, nor any exposition of why there might be a conspiracy against Everton in particular. But I suspect there will be some further accusations coming along soon – although my point will be the same: if there is a conspiracy against Everton, why is that the case? In short, why Everton?

Anyway if there is a points deduction for Nottingham Forest and another one for Everton, that will leave the foot of the league table looking somewhat differently. (Although let me stress, I am just speculating here following a story in the Athletic). And here I am going to take the simple step (without any evidence) to suggest that the deductions would follow the lines of the deductions before.

Of course we are just guessing here – guessing that Manchester City’s points deduction is still years away, that neither Nottingham Forest nor Everton can put up a strong enough legal case to have the ruling of the Premier League Commission overturned and that ten points deduction is now the norm.

According to an article on the Liverpool University site, Everton have said that they spent too much money because of “unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances” including the war in Ukraine which led Everton to breaking their link with Alisher Usmanov and which included losing the naming rights deal for their new stadium.

I suspect the League’s response to that will be one of counting chickens. I’ve never run a business remotely the size of a PL football club, but even running a modest-sized PLC we knew that rule. Don’t expect everything tomorrow to be like today.

Everton also claim that they are penalised because they borrowed from their owner rather than a bank – and that is probably the case. But… and this is important – everyone in the business knows there are restrictions on borrowing from the owner, for very obvious reasons. Everton borrowed from the owner because he wasn’t wanting the rate of interest the bank wanted – so it was a gamble, and it didn’t pay off.

Everton are also said to have used the excuse that they found it difficult to sell players during COVID-19 – and Covid was beyond their control. But then if that argument were allowed it would open the gates to all “unexpected events” as an excuse for breaking the rules. Successful companies have reserves and are cautious, and that approach is what the League are trying to reward.

Are Everton and Forest about to get points deductions?

If it was the other lot across the park in our situation we would be whooping with joy.

Any other team and we'd have a modicum of sympathy. So I expect the same from all other clubs fans.

Sam Avery has his say on the current plight of Everton in the face of FFP and PSR. Warning: there are a number of naughty words in his video. But his points are correct in the main.

Sam Avery's rant at Everton and Premier League,

It was to preserve the Premier League.Big Club, Big Stadium.They know that the Stadium will be packed, even in the Championship.The preserving of the. Big six is another matter.

But he seems pretty comfortable going against the general tide of opinion which is strongly suggesting we're gonna be found in breach again.

"Everton are likely to post losses again when their 2022/2023 accounts are published, but after the sale of Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for a guaranteed £40m, money that can be booked as pure profit, the bulk of any losses will likely be attributed to stadium build costs." Source: Liverpool Echo

I say this very cautiously as it would have been leaked by those who cannot hold their own piss and gloated about us in trouble again, the silence gives me a bit of hope they have nothing to report, reporting Everton have spent within their means, is not what the papers and media want to print, that is what I am thinking anyway, I could be wrong.

Jerome #111, did this clean slate arrangement allow Chelsea to temporarily ignore P&S Rules? Even with a fresh slate for the new owner, Chelsea are going to have to hold some massive fire sales in the Summer and post some huge profit for 2023-24 to comply going forward.

the esk@theesk
There's a huge difference between being charged with a potential breach & not being compliant. An adjustment to Everton's previous accounts (permitted under IAS) makes us compliant. I will repeat again that we have not breached PSR for the three year period to June 2023
3:55 PM · Jan 15, 2024

That would put us up a spot in the table at least

We can indeed, suffer two possible points deductions this season, as that's why we had to submit our latest accounts by December 31st 2023.

As for the previous referral to the commission, we will have to wait for a date to be announced for the hearing, then the appeals process, so we might end the season in one position, but after every ball has been kicked find out our fate as to which division we will kick-off for the last season at Goodison.

Not a great deal we can do about this, but how will it affect 777 partners stance, and how much damage will the mere referral to the commission have on the future of the club, that's if the club can avoid administration in the meantime?

Everton Football Club acknowledges the Premier League’s decision to refer a breach of Profit & Sustainability rules (PSR) for the assessment period ending with the 2022/23 season to an independent Premier League commission. This relates to a period which covers seasons 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23. It therefore includes financial periods (2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22) for which the Club has already received a 10-point sanction. The Club is currently appealing that sanction. The Premier League does not have guidelines which prevent a Club being sanctioned for alleged breaches in financial periods which have already been subject to punishment, unlike other governing bodies, including the EFL. As a result - and because of the Premier League’s new commitment to deal with such matters “in-season” - the Club is in a position where it has had no option but to submit a PSR calculation which remains subject to change, pending the outcome of the appeal. The Club must now defend another Premier League complaint which includes the very same financial periods for which it has already been sanctioned, before that appeal has even been heard. The Club takes the view that this results from a clear deficiency in the Premier League’s rules. Everton can assure its fans that it will continue to defend its position during the ongoing appeal and, should it be required to do so, at any future commission – and that the impact on supporters will be reflected as part of that process.

How can we be charged for 2 of the same 3 years? That's a bullshit rule.

Unsurprising really as the guidelines are made up by Richard Masters and his equally inept gang of buffoons. If it wasn’t so serious it’d be laughable how useless the EPL administration is. And yes “corrupt” is the correct term as we’ve been forensically investigated purely in their own self interest in an attempt to avoid a government imposed regulator.

Everton, one place and one point above the relegation zone, can be punished again even though the 10-point deduction was for three of the four years that have resulted in the latest charge. The club has raised concerns about double jeopardy with the Premier League but been informed that is a matter for the independent commission that will consider the latest charge. Unlike the EFL, the Premier League has no guidelines for capping losses in years that have already been subject to a sanction.

Seething doesn’t touch the sides !!!!

This isn't official until the PL announce it on their site - hopefully round 4pm - so don't tweet please. But for guidance and help for tomorrow's column

We’ve been referred to an independent commission – again – for another breach of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability regulations (PSR).

This latest breach covers the three seasons 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 – even though we are currently appealing the 10-point sanction imposed for a breach which already covers two of those three seasons – 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 (they rolled four seasons into three because of Covid).
So we’ve already been punished for 75% of the period covered by the new referral. Double jeopardy if you like.
We have raised this double jeopardy issue with the PL but they have showed no desire to address it, simply saying it’s for an ‘independent’ commission to resolve.
This new commission can’t meet until our appeal against the 10 points has been concluded – because the outcome of that could influence the decision of the new commission.
The PL appears to accept the current PSR rules are flawed – because they’re changing them in August! Not before time because the current rules haven’t changed to take inflation, higher transfer fees, global issues etc into account since 2014.
Football academic Kieran Maguire suggests that if PSR limits had risen in line with football inflation since then the £105m cumulative losses allowed would now be £218m!!
Under the new PSR rules being introduced EFC accounts would be compliant and not referred to another commission!
The EFL do things differently. They cap a club’s losses for the year of a breach as an average over the three years. If PL did the same then EFC would not have been referred this season. So the PL model is a vicious circle that once you’re in it’s very, very difficult to escape from.
We’re clearly being punished for building a stadium – given that in a five year net spend transfer table only Luton and Brighton (who sold Moses Caicedo to Chelsea for £115m) have a healthier net spend than us.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/fuenfjahresvergleich/wettbewerb/GB1
Make sense of that if you can!!!

Agreed. I don't see how it can go any other way

The EPL has shown it’s inept and will have its governance responsibilities taken off it by the government approved regulator. At which point I wouldn’t be surprised that the slate is wiped clean and City and Chelsea get away scot-free.

I think transfer dealings have been well within expected guidelines but, if our wages alone are accounting for about 90% of turnover (not gross profit) it's clearly unsustainable.

And "wages" of course, don't just cover players – they cover the entire entourage employed by Everton from Sean Dyche, right through all training, medical and admin staff down to the tea lady.

I don't know how we're going to wriggle out of all this but I am very much of a mind that we will end up with a 12-point sanction overall – but still survive to fight another day in the Premier League… for better or worse.

I, like one of the Abrahams who I think posted earlier somewhere, would be quite happy to enjoy supporting Everton in a lower league, so long as we could stay in business, if it actually came to that.

Playing in the Premier League really is a poisoned chalice these days..

"The Premier League's announcement today means that Everton Football Club potentially face being penalised twice within the same season for alleged breaches covering the same< period. In short, the club is facing double jeopardy.

I have supported Everton in their appeal so far because I have grave concerns about the transparency of the process and the severity of the penalty being applied. The punishment does not fit the crime.

It is not about one club but ensuring that our game is open and fair in its treatment of all clubs. It is difficult to see how anybody can have any confidence in a process as opaque as this.

Unlike the EFL or other sporting leagues around the world, the Premier League has not published a framework for sanctions. Until that is rectified the fairness and transparency of the whole process will be called into question."