Simon Jordan brands Everton protest vs Manchester United ‘pointless’ as Jim White stunned by Sky Sports reaction
The protests planned by Everton fans for their return to Premier League action against Manchester United have been branded “empowering” but “pointless” by Simon Jordan.
The talkSPORT pundit reacted live on the station on 23 November with the Toffees fans preparing to make their feelings clear at the points deduction imposed on the club over the international break, with a plane set to be flown over the Manchester City vs Liverpool clash on Saturday and chants and banners planned for United’s visit to Goodison Park a day later.
Jim White was amazed to read that Sky Sports have already readied a contingency to avoid broadcasting “offensive language” but while Jordan accepted why fans would want to protest he doesn’t expect it to go anywhere because the club had to be sanctioned for their overspend.
Jordan said (10.07am): “I don’t think it’s great. I don’t think it’s hugely constructive and I don’t think it will get anywhere. I don’t agree with it but I also understand why certain segments of their fanbase that live, breathe, eat and sleep their football club will feel enflamed.”
White asked: “It’s understood, can you believe this, that Sky Sports will take steps to prevent offensive language from Everton from fans from being audible in the match against Manchester United on Sunday. To comply with Ofcom’s rules they say they may turn the crowd noise down.”
“Can’t we use that when Gary Neville starts talking?” replied Jordan.
He went on: “I don’t know what they are expecting to achieve because clearly there was a need for a sanction. Tragically for Everton that sanction has come [as] a product of its times. It doesn’t make it corrupt. It may not be what you like but there isn’t a conspiracy between Richard Masters and other people to do Everton down.”
When asked by White if the protests were powerful or pointless he added: “Pointless. What is the point of them…?
“It’s powerful in the mind of a fans group that know their club is at the centre of their hearts, it reverberates, they will feel that they’re doing something. That is empowering.
“If we’re looking for an outcome I would suggest it’s pointless, because where does it lead to?”
Catharsis
The fact is that in terms of getting a reaction out of the authorities there is more chance of a negative one than a positive one, and it is equally unlikely to have a material effect on the findings of the appeals panel.
That said, Everton supporters were hardly going to take this lying down and since it appears making things difficult is a viable route to evading any potential punishment for Manchester City it might at least make the Premier League think twice about singling out the Toffees in future.
It is true that the club could probably not expect to avoid a punishment of some sort in the circumstances, but few expected to have been cracked down on so hard after working with the league and with various contributing factors outside of their control.
The response can’t cross the line but Everton supporters are entitled to make clear their displeasure at the situation, as much at a process which appear fairly arbitrary as the punishment itself.
With the authorities currently painting Everton as the biggest cheaters in the Premier League it is no surprise that the club and the fans feel more than slightly singled out.
And at the very least the atmosphere it will make it a daunting prospect for Manchester United themselves in what is still an important game with three points at stake.
In other Everton news, Paul Merson has issued a “mind blowing” prediction for the visit of Erik ten Hag’s men and what he would be “shocked” not to see.