Sport nationEverton Football Club is bracing for more turmoil as the club is expected to face a second points deduction this season stemming from an upcoming hearing related to breaches of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, although the bumber of points to be reduced is not clear. According to a report from the Daily Mail on March 15th, it is considered “likely” that the Merseyside club will be hit with another points sanction for repeatedly violating the league’s spending regulations.
This potential punishment comes on the heels of Everton already being docked 10 points earlier in the season for a previous breach. That penalty was eventually reduced to six points after a successful appeal led by renowned sports lawyer Laurence Rabinowitz. The reduction in the deduction provided a boost to Everton’s relegation fight at the time, lifting Sean Dyche’s squad further away from the drop zone.
However, Everton’s form on the pitch has taken a downturn in recent weeks, and now the club is facing the prospect of tumbling back down the table if they are indeed assessed another points deduction. The upcoming hearing related to the latest charges is set to begin next week, casting a dark cloud over the club as they battle to avoid the drop.
Logically, one could argue that the original independent commission that handed down the 10-point penalty (before it was reduced on appeal) has already set a clear precedent for how breaches of the profit and sustainability rules should be punished. By docking Everton 10 points in the first case, the panel established that significant point deductions are warranted for clubs that fail to adhere to the financial regulations.
Some Everton supporters may be holding out hope that the new independent commission will view the club as having been punished enough already, especially considering this second case covers a time period that overlaps with the years examined in the first breach. The argument would be that hitting Everton with another major points deduction, in the same season no less, for years that were already factored into the initial case would be excessive and unjust.
However, given the recent history of turmoil and controversy swirling around Goodison Park, it seems unlikely that the commission will show the club much leniency. Everton’s financial issues have been well-documented, and there is likely pressure on the Premier League to take a hard line stance in enforcing its rules and regulations, even if that means handing down stiff penalties.
The best case scenario for Everton may be that the commission accepts a “double jeopardy” argument put forth by the club’s legal team. This line of reasoning would assert that since the time periods investigated in the two cases overlap significantly, assessing Everton the full force of another points deduction would be unreasonable and disproportionately punitive. If this argument holds sway, perhaps the commission would reduce the punishment by a factor proportional to the overlap between the cases – potentially by two-thirds if the charges cover a three year period and two of those years were already litigated in the first case.
Even a reduced points deduction could still prove extremely damaging to Everton’s chances of survival in the Premier League this season though. The club currently sits in 17th place, just one spot above the relegation zone. With 12 matches left to play, they are only two points clear of 18th place Luton Town, who have a game in hand. Another deduction of even 3-4 points could easily send Everton tumbling into the bottom three.
Manager Sean Dyche will have his work cut out for him to pull the squad together and find a way to get results on the pitch in spite of the off-field drama and looming threat of further sanctions. Everton just returned from a training camp in Portugal that was marred by controversy, with tabloid reports of a bar fight involving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and defender Michael Keane. Dyche will need to restore focus and belief in the dressing room quickly if the Toffees are to have any chance at beating the drop.
Compounding the frustration for Everton supporters is the fact that the profit and sustainability rules that the club have been charged with breaching twice now are set to be overhauled this summer. The Premier League is expected to adopt a new financial regulatory framework more closely aligned with UEFA’s system. Early analysis suggests that under these new rules, Everton would not only be compliant next season, but could actually have a competitive advantage over some other clubs in the league.
The current regulations have been criticized in some quarters as being overly rigid and not allowing for enough flexibility for clubs to navigate the ups and downs of the transfer market, especially in the era of COVID-19 which wreaked havoc on club finances. Everton may feel hard done by to be hit with not one, but two major points deductions under the old system right before it gets reformed.
Looking beyond this season, Everton’s long-term future is still very much up in the air. The club remains in a precarious financial position and is currently waiting on a proposed takeover by the American investment group 777 Partners to go through. However, there are now reports suggesting that deal is in jeopardy and the club could even face the prospect of administration if alternative funding cannot be secured.
The construction of Everton’s new 52,888-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock has been a central factor in the club’s challenging financial situation in recent years. The project, currently underway, is expected to cost upwards of £500 million. Everton took out substantial loans to help finance the construction, but have struggled to keep pace with the associated debt payments, especially after the club’s poor performance on the pitch in recent seasons led to declining revenues.
Some have questioned whether the stadium project was overly ambitious for a club of Everton’s size and stature to take on, at least in the manner they did. While a new, modern stadium could provide a major boost to the club’s long-term financial health and competitiveness, in the short term the associated costs have put a major strain on Everton’s books and made it difficult to comply with the Premier League’s spending rules.
The precarious stadium financing, combined with the club’s sky-high wage bill and underperforming squad has left Everton extremely vulnerable both on and off the pitch. The specter of relegation looms large, and many supporters are now genuinely concerned about the very future and existence of one of England’s most historic clubs.
For now, Sean Dyche and his players will have to put the boardroom drama out of their minds and focus on the task at hand – picking up points and winning football matches. The club have 12 “cup finals” remaining this season in the fight to avoid relegation. A second points deduction would make an already difficult task that much harder, but the Toffees have no choice but to dig in and scrap for every result.
The anger and frustration among the Everton fanbase is palpable, with many supporters laying the blame for the club’s demise at the feet of owner Farhad Moshiri and the board. Moshiri took over the club in 2016 with grand ambitions of turning Everton into a powerhouse capable of challenging for trophies, but his tenure has been marked by managerial turnover, scattershot recruitment, and financial mismanagement.
Since Moshiri’s takeover, Everton have cycled through six permanent managers, with none lasting more than 18 months in the job. The club have spent over £600 million on new players in that time, but have little to show for it on the pitch. Instead of challenging for a place in Europe, Everton have found themselves in a relegation scrap in two of the last three seasons.
Many fans feel the club have lost their identity in recent years, moving away from their roots as a proud, hardworking club closely connected to the local community in favor of chasing a flashy, unsustainable dream of overnight success. As the financial chickens come home to roost and the threat of relegation looms, some supporters are wondering if the soul of the club has been lost along the way.
Despite the understandable anger and pessimism, there have been some small signs of hope in recent weeks. The team have shown flashes of the kind of resilience and fighting spirit that has long been associated with Everton Football Club. A come-from-behind draw against Nottingham Forest and a gritty 1-0 win over Brentford have kept the Toffees just above the drop zone for now.
The connection between the supporters and the players has also remained strong despite the adversity. Goodison Park has continued to be a fortress, with the Everton faithful doing their part to spur the team on. The atmosphere in the grand old stadium during the recent win over Brentford was electric, with the crowd willing the players on to a crucial victory.
That fervent home support could be vital in the coming weeks as Everton look to pick up the points needed to secure safety. Five of their remaining 12 matches are at Goodison, including crucial six-pointers against fellow relegation battlers Luton Town, Bournemouth, and Sheffield United. If Dyche can harness the energy of the crowd and get his players to feed off that intensity, Everton may just have a chance of pulling off the great escape.
The margin for error is slim though, and the threat of a second points deduction makes an already daunting task even more challenging. The psychological impact on the players of knowing they could be docked points at any moment cannot be overstated. It would be understandable if a sense of “what’s the point” crept into the dressing room given all the off-field turmoil.
This is where Dyche will really earn his money as a manager. The 51-year-old has a reputation as a straight-talking, no-nonsense leader who knows how to get the best out of players in difficult circumstances. He famously led Burnley to promotion to the Premier League twice on a shoestring budget, and kept them in the top flight for six seasons despite the club consistently having one of the lowest wage bills in the division.
If anyone can block out the noise and get a group of players to band together and fight for each other, it’s Dyche. He’ll need to draw on all his motivational and tactical acumen to steer Everton to safety in the face of such adversity.
For the long-suffering Everton supporters, it’s hard to know what the future holds for their beloved club. The hope will be that if the team can somehow secure Premier League survival, it will provide a foundation to start rebuilding and righting the ship. A new owner with a sustainable long-term vision, a revamped recruitment strategy, and a manager in Dyche who knows how to get results on a budget could be the formula for getting Everton back on track.
But first, they must navigate the minefield of the next three months, starting with the looming threat of another points deduction. The eyes of the football world will be on the independent commission next week as they hear the charges against Everton and decide on any potential sanctions.
From there, it will be up to Dyche and his players to write their own story and determine their fate on the pitch. The Gwladys Street End will be in full voice, urging their heroes on, hoping against hope for a great escape. It’s sure to be a nerve-shredding ride for everyone associated with Everton Football Club. But if there’s one thing Evertonians are used to, it’s enduring through hard times and coming out the other side still standing. They’ll be hoping this current crisis is no different, even if the stakes feel higher than ever.
Citations:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/feb/26/everton-boosted-after-premier-league-deduction-reduced-from-10-to-six-points
[2] https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e6a65f7c-e5ce-4050-8bf2-1d22485cc291
[3] https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13081584/everton-points-deduction-appeal-key-questions-answered-as-premier-league-clubs-deduction-reduced-to-six-points
[4] https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/everton-win-appeal-reduce-points-deduction-2024-02-26/
[5] https://theathletic.com/5317485/2024/03/06/everton-psr-appeal-second-case/
[6] https://www.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2023-2024/everton-confirm-points-deduction-reduced-from-10-points-to-six-upon-appeal-after-initial-verdict-in-_sto10039935/story.shtml
[7] https://theathletic.com/5299946/2024/02/26/everton-points-penalty-premier-league/
[8] https://www.goodisonnews.com/2024/03/16/everton-second-points-deduction-expected-at-goodison-park-as-hearing-set-to-start/
[9] https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/everton-points-deduction-appeal-farcical-premier-league-relegation-battle-circus/blt6fd9a82c54a5f2e9
[10] https://www.goodisonnews.com/2024/03/09/everton-fear-emerges-over-second-points-deduction-in-premier-league-already/
[11] https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/17/everton-premier-league-deducts-club-10-points.html
[12] https://kennedyslaw.com/en/thought-leadership/article/2024/everton-s-points-deduction-appeal-clarity-on-sanction-proportionality/
[13] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/15/world/europe/everton-premier-league-points-deduction.html
[14] https://www.goodisonnews.com/2024/03/15/everton-new-ffp-hearing-set-to-start-after-nottingham-forest-conclusion-amid-danger-verdict/
[15] https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13075486/everton-10-point-deduction-reduced-to-six-following-appeal-verdict
[16] https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1762103331198013642?lang=en
[17] https://theathletic.com/5300671/2024/02/27/everton-psr-appeal-forest-commission/
[18] https://jobsinfootball.com/blog/everton-financial-fair-play/
[19] https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/second-points-deduction-everton-imminent-toffees-expecting-punishment-premier-league-rules-breach-nottingham-forest-also-set-to-be-charged/bltc020b8c906b4dbc2
[20] https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-everton-points-penalty-richard-masters-b2493771.html
Amina Umar
Sport nation