777 Partners accused of missing another payment as Everton concerns rise
Prospective Everton owners 777 Partners have been accused of missing yet another payment to the British Basketball League, with their “erratic” business practices causing concern, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper shared via their website on 4 October that 777 were due to make an £800,000 payment to the BBL before the end of September, but made a £130,000 payment last Friday [29 September], before another £777,000 on Monday evening [2 October].
This would have meant the payment was made after the deadline they were given, and sources have made differing claims. The Daily Mail claim BBL sources have blamed a tax issue, while 777 claim it was due to the international transfer.
The article goes on to detail 777 Partners also failed to make payments to Vasco de Gama, another club in their portfolio, this month, leading to the club being given a FIFA transfer embargo for defaulting on transfer fees.
Another cause for concern
This report comes following a different missed payment to the BBL, with the Daily Mail sharing on 14 September that a different £900,000 payment had been paid late by 777. The latest payment issue has raised concerns about the way the group conduct their business.
Differing statements from different sources raise questions surrounding the legitimacy of any claims made, almost as if they had not got their story straight and were trying to cover themselves. There could, however, just have been a lapse in communication.
However, this has emerged as the latest concern around 777, with several incidents since their links to Everton starting to stack up to confound worries about the legitimacy of the takeover, as well as how appropriate they would be to own a Premier League club.
The Daily Mail do clarify that 777 have now paid more than their initial promised investment to the BBL, but the nature of the late payments and the erratic nature of their business have led to concerns.
In other Everton news, 777 have received notice of a £300million legal claim against the club.