Simon Jordan and Jim White blast Andy Burnham for what he said about Everton points deduction
Simon Jordan and Jim White have blasted Andy Burnham after he claimed the Everton points deduction hasn’t been covered enough by the media.
After White read out a tweet on talkSPORT by the Mayor of Greater Manchester from Sunday (4 February), where he said he “won’t forget” how little coverage there’s been of the situation, Jordan told the politician to “shut up” as he accused him of “virtue signalling”.
White added that Burnham has got himself “a bit confused” as he revealed that he’s asked the 54-year-old to come on his show several times, with Jordan backing that up by saying that the media has covered the Toffees’ points deduction “expansively and extensively” since the ruling was handed out in November.
“Shut up, that’s rubbish,” said Jordan after White read out Burnham’s tweet on talkSPORT on Thursday (8 February, 11:50am).
“What are you talking about, Andy?” asked White. “That’s why we asked him on yesterday, and that’s why we asked him on today. But Burnham and his press office have, unfortunately, been unavailable or turned down multiple opportunities to join us on the show over the last couple of days.”
“Let’s get this clear, I like Andy Burnham, I think he’s been a very good mayor,” added Jordan.
“Well, he’s got himself a bit confused here,” replied White.
“He has got himself a bit confused here,” said Jordan. “But it’s a typical politician’s hit-and-run opportunity, let’s pile in, give some virtue signalling, but when it comes to substantiating what I’ve got to say, don’t go near anybody that might be able to pull me up.
“His ideals behind what’s happened to Everton, there might be some substance in the argument being advanced by many people that Everton are the whipping boys of the Premier League’s desire to push and to change the direction of the independent regulator. But they outsourced this to an independent commission.
“This is the Premier League bringing a prosecution and the prosecution was heard by an independent commission, and Everton’s defence was heard by an independent commission. This is not the Premier League in essence, so this ridiculous stupidity that’s coming from people, from Mark Carney and Andy Burnham, is based upon the positioning standpoint of not really understanding the principles of what they are talking upon.
“So with that in mind, if Andy wants to come and say things about the media not covering it he can because the media have covered this expansively and extensively.”
Andy Burnham comments on Everton points deduction taken personally
It seems like White and Jordan have perhaps taken the comments by Burnham personally in this instance as it is a bit of an attack on the media as a whole.
In fairness to talkSPORT, it has covered the Toffees’ points deduction quite extensively and the duo regularly talk about it on their show.
But across some of the other major news outlets, there has been very little coverage on it apart from when the news broke that the ruling had been handed out.
The overall feeling from the majority of people is that the judgment was harsh and that there is a reasonable chance that it could be reduced once the appeal verdict comes out.
But the Blues are now facing an anxious wait to see what the new independent commission will decide and whether or not they will take a more understanding view of why they breached the league’s spending rules.
