As one of their founding members, having been ever-present in the top flight, it feels somewhat disingenuous to see the Toffees used as a scapegoat to prevent financial misconduct from happening again.
Nobody is debating that they did not break the rules, but instead, the frustration comes from the severity of the punishment. A ten-point deduction marks the harshest in the division’s history, surpassing Portsmouth’s in 2010, for overspending by just £19m.
Well, journalist Chris Beesley has now sought to pen his thoughts on the matter for the Liverpool ECHO, questioning the Premier League’s chief Richard Masters for his role throughout the process.
He writes: ‘So as it stands, given the sentence dished out, Everton have seemingly been deemed guilty of the biggest crime the sport has ever seen in this country. While you’re inevitably going to get a minority who will put partisanship above reason, most right-minded people, including some high profile Liverpool fans have called out this arbitrary and draconian castigation for what it really is. ‘Richard Masters the CEO of the Premier League deems 10 points as fair and proportionate for Everton breaching financial rules due to accountancy treatments related to interest on the build of their new stadium while also washing their hands of the sanction. But surely fair and proportionate can only be judged against what they have sanctioned previously?’
With this defence, it is clear that the Premier League have been overly harsh on Everton just to prove a point.
They seek to ensure no club treads that same path, attempting to better themselves as a football club, and as such allow those at the top to stay there. After all, the ruling essentially suggests that those making the most revenue can spend the most money. But how are clubs expected to spend, and keep up with those giants of the game, if they are not allowed to match their outlay?
The hope is that, at the very least, they can see the sanction reduced, as they are still only five points from escaping the relegation zone.
However, given how harsh the Premier League have been, and how clear it is that they seek to make an example of Everton, it is impossible to predict the decision.
Many have questioned the conduct of the Premier League throughout their ongoing battle with Everton.
