PL Chairman drops verdict on Everton case amid point deduction demands
Steve Parish drops verdict on Everton FFP charges amid Premier League points deduction demands
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted that everyone wants better rules in place to stop situations like Everton being punished for FFP breaches.
The Toffees have been charged with a breach after their financial losses exceeded the maximum over a three-year period, and the Premier League are reportedly demanding a 12-point deduction as punishment.
When asked live on Sky Sports ahead of Crystal Palace’s defeat to Tottenham on Friday night (27 October), chairman Parish admitted that he wants better rules in place and hopes any punishment is fair and proportionate.
“As far as sanctions go, I don’t think the rules that we had, with this three-year retrospective look back were effective rules because it gave you rules that would allow you to have a squad in breach of the rules if you like, until four years down the road or even thinking that you could fix it somehow,” he said, as quoted by Liverpool ECHO.
“I think everybody is looking for a better set of rules.
“People quite rightly feel that if some people are following the rules and some people aren’t, then there should be a penalty for that.
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
“I can’t comment on whether Everton have or haven’t broken the rules, we don’t know that and don’t have that kind of insight.
“I know there is a case going on and I’m sure they will get to the right answer with that and I hope it’s fair and proportionate whatever they do.”
Self-inflicted
The Premier League have set the rules to avoid people exploiting finances to gain an unfair advantage, but they’ve left themselves open for big problems.
Manchester City have 115 charges against them going back years but it seems as though that is being brushed under the carpet and has gone very quiet, while Everton’s single charge is being looked at horribly.
A 12 point deduction would all but relegate the team, and Everton haven’t overspent to gain an unfair advantage. A fine wouldn’t help considering the poor state of the club’s finances now, and it can’t be forgotten that we were working alongside the Premier League before anything got signed off in advance.
So any potential overspending in recent transfer windows would have been agreed upon by the Premier League first, so to be charged for it seems backwards.
Nobody knows what is going on but it’s clear that new rules need to come in that are fairer on everyone and clearer for everyone to understand.
