Disgraceful: Peter Reid claims staff could lose jobs with behind the scenes talk

Disgraceful: Peter Reid claims staff could lose jobs with behind the scenes talk

Peter Reid rages at ‘disgraceful’ Everton situation, claims job losses could now hit Goodison Park

Peter Reid has slammed the “disgraceful” 10-point deduction handed to Everton for financial breaches, claiming it could cost jobs for people behind the scenes at the club.

The former Everton man claimed he had spoken to members of staff behind the scenes at Goodison Park who were floored by the news and the potential impact it may have on them.

Reid also spoke about his belief that the result will unite the club and the fans, with everybody pulling together in a siege mentality of us against them.

Writing in his column for the Mail on Sunday [19 November], Reid shared: “I firmly believe this moment will re-unite the club. Ask Sean Dyche, ask Frank Lampard, and they will tell you the supporters have kept Everton up over the last two seasons.

“The harshness of this point deduction has created a siege mentality: it’s us against the rest.
“I was with some of the club’s staff on Friday, ladies who work hard behind the scenes, and the news has floored them. It could cost jobs, but by the end of our conversation they were like ‘Let’s show them!’

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“If Everton have broken the rules then the club face to face the consequences but the way this decision was leaked and handled was disgraceful.”

Strangely enough, the club could benefit
As much as a 10-point deduction is a disastrous result in terms of the direct impact on the club, it could have a strangely positive effect on the way Sean Dyche and his team, as well as the fans, approach the rest of the season.

Reid is right, this will create a siege mentality at Goodison Park. Everyone is now the enemy, and everyone has a target on their back. Every three points all of a sudden means that much more, every point earned is a crucial result and any positive brings that much more joy.

With the rowdy Goodison crowd behind them, this Everton side have already shown what they can do. Think two years ago, the turnaround result against Crystal Palace, that game was almost entirely won by the fans and the atmosphere.

Everton will also be boosted by the fact that, despite the deduction, they are still not bottom of the league. Burnley sit below them, while Sheffield United and Luton are one and two points above respectively, with safety very much still on the cards.