Everton's Points Deduction Reduced to Six After Appeal

The Premier League has announced that Everton's 10-point deduction has been reduced to six after an appeal. The club was found to have breached the league's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) in November of last year.

An independent commission discovered that Everton had exceeded the permitted losses under the league's PSR by £19.5m during the assessment period ending with the 2021-22 season. The rules state that clubs can sustain losses of up to £105m in three years or potentially face penalties. However, Everton reported losses of £124.5m for the relevant period.

Everton appealed the sanction on nine grounds, all of which related to the sanction itself rather than the fact of the breach, which the club admitted. The commission dismissed seven of these grounds, which were related to how the original commission handled various mitigating and aggravating factors. The remaining two grounds were upheld as the board agreed that the commission had made legal errors.

As a result of the appeal, Everton's points deduction has been reduced from 10 to six. This moves the club up two places to 15th in the Premier League table, with a total of 25 points. Previously, Everton was just one spot and one point above the relegation zone.

It is important to note that Everton still faces a second PSR complaint for breaching rules over the assessment period running until the end of last season. The complaint was filed on 15 January and is expected to conclude by 8 April.

In a statement released after the Premier League confirmed the revision, Everton expressed satisfaction with the reduction in the points sanction. The club also highlighted its pleasure with the appeal board's decision to overturn the original commission's finding that the club failed to act in utmost good faith. This decision, along with the points deduction reduction, was seen as an important point of principle for the club on appeal. Everton feels vindicated in pursuing its appeal.

It is worth mentioning that Everton is not the only Premier League club to have faced a PSR complaint in recent months. Nottingham Forest also had a complaint filed against them on 15 January, and their case will be handled by a separate independent commission.