A Kopite pal of mine told me that Everton will always be ok when it comes to Premier League survival because they’re ‘The Real Madrid’ of last day of the season escapes. Talk about being damned by faint praise. I think this was some kind of red-tinted spectacled, ham-fisted attempt at a backhanded compliment because unlike Chelsea (and even the Blues themselves back in the day), 14-times champions of Europe Los Blancos seem the one team to have the Indian Sign over Liverpool went it comes to playing in major finals. While most of those not yet eligible to play veterans league football are probably too young to remember the last time Everton lifted a major trophy – which was in 1995 if ANYONE reading this hasn’t seen the banner at Anfield – those who don’t know their history (including it would seem, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters given his “small club” remark) should be made aware that only Liverpool themselves and their other old foes Manchester United can better the Blues’ level of successful longevity when it comes to securing silverware over nine separate decades. It took the mighty Reds some 87 years of Merseyside Derby combat to move ahead in terms of victories following a 3-1 triumph at Anfield on November 7, 1981 but although that is an accolade that Everton have long since surrendered, along with their long-time position at the summit of the all-time table, there is one major distinction that beleaguered Blues cling on to.The current campaign is Everton’s 121st in the top flight – some 11 more than their nearest challengers Aston Villa – and the club are the only founder members of both the Football League in 1888 and Premier League in 1992 to be ever-presents in the latter. It would not be a fitting finale for the last season at Goodison Park, the ground that has staged more top flight matches than any other, to be spent in the Championship.
Whatever guise that nightmare scenario came about would be shameful but if it came to fruition because of off-the-field wrangling after the final ball of 2023/24 has been kicked, it would be a national disgrace in the country that gave the game to the world. To a significant degree, Everton’s fate still remains in their own hands as despite not tasting victory in the Premier League for 11 matches stretching back to December 16, their on-the-field performances this term under Sean Dyche would actually place them on 31 points and well clear of the drop zone in 14th place. Despite an alarming slump in fortunes following their four consecutive wins in December, the Blues still have home fixtures against Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Sheffield United to come (along with Liverpool whenever that ends up being slotted in) and if they cannot cure their Goodison Park woes in those remaining fixtures then they’ve only themselves to blame. But there is of course still the enormous hurdle to negotiate of Everton’s second PSR charge this season with the prospect of double jeopardy and if you’ve got any idea how that’s going to end up can you also please give me this weekend’s winning lottery numbers. This week the Everton Fan Advisory Board called on the Premier League to suspend all current hearings into breaches given what it sees as the lack of any transparent, consistent and established sanctions guidelines. Their declaration came hot on the heels of Nottingham Forest being given a smaller (four point) penalty than the Blues despite a bigger breach. As FAB chair Dave Kelly, who like Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, fears the Premier League is making this up as they go along, said: “Whilst we’ve always been clear that our club has had a case to answer, we’re now in the bizarre situation where some clubs, but not all, have been brought before a commission still unclear about what the rules of the game are when it comes to sanctions, with the groups of commissioners themselves having no clear guidelines to work by. We’ve now had three hearings, overseen by three different commissions, applying three different approaches and reaching three different conclusions.” The whole sorry process even makes the farce that is VAR look consistent in comparison. If you read the Appeal Board’s full written reasons for Everton’s case, Paragraph 229 states: “We consider that a six point deduction but sufficient sanction required to achieve the aims of the PSR.” Everton appealed that co-operation should be treated as a mitigating factor but were told clubs are expected to co-operate yet it would seem that Forest got two points removed from their deduction for an early admission of guilt. What sort of lesson does this teach us? A five-year net spent table from 2019/20 through to January 1, 2024 shows Everton third from bottom of the Premier League but Forest, who broke the bank to the tune of splashing out over a quarter of a billion pounds on 43 players, then put their hand up and said sorry and were rewarded with a pat on the heads for being good boys. In whose eyes though? Those who decided Forest’s fate admitted: “The Commission does not know how the three extra points were arrived at by the Appeal Board for Everton, but some part of those three points must relate to the provision of incorrect information.” If you examine the FAB’s Fan Impact Statement, they don’t just point out the implications on the supporters, quite rightly highlighting: “Owners and directors come and go, but the fans remain the true custodians and the ever-present support in good times and bad,” but the community plus the players and club employees, all of whom are facing uncertainty who they say cannot be immune to the dire constraints such punitive sanctions and the lack of clarity of any rules or process places on Everton..
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