Everton: Kieran Maguire issues ‘very good case’ points prediction for second FFP hearing
Kieran Maguire believes there is a “very good case” for Everton to have any further points deduction reduced by two thirds.
The University of Liverpool sports finance expert told i News on 26 February, in the wake of the appeals board’s decision to reduce the first sanction from 10 points down to six, that while another deduction may well be on the cards the overlapping assessment periods between the two hearings could cut down any actual punishment the second time around.
As profit and sustainability breaches are judged based on a three-year rolling basis the Toffees have already been sanctioned for two of the years which will be assessed at the next commission.
Maguire expects another sanction to be likely, saying: “The Premier League will presumably be confident having assessed the submissions.”
But on double jeopardy grounds he gave a very positive prediction for the club’s outcome: “I think there’s a case for saying that if the second commission views Everton’s position in isolation and reaches a verdict then there’s a very good case for reducing the penalty by two thirds given that there’s an overlap of two seasons in respect of the assessed periods.
“So, for example, if they give a further three point reduction it could be reduced to one. If it’s six points it could be reduced to two and so on.”
Double jeopardy grounds to heavily cut down new Everton points deduction?
The argument that the Toffees have already been hit on two of the three years and should be exempt from further punishment in relation to them is expected to be central to their case at the next hearing [Alan Myers, 26 February].
Logically it would appear fair for the material effect on the club to be equivalent to only the new 2023 numbers, although many fans would point out that little has actually felt fair about this entire process so far.
But if the likes of Maguire sounds relatively sure of that position then Laurence Rabinowitz presumably is as well, and after he successfully argued the original sanction down there would be some confidence in the super silk a second time assuming he continues representing the club.
The past few months have proven that nothing can be taken for granted, either positively or negatively, as the first points deduction was much heavier than most expected and yet has been cut back after months of uncertainty.
Maguire’s argument is one that many supporters will have made themselves and gives them something to hold onto as they gear up for the latest in wholly unwelcome series of nervous waits, with Premier League survival potentially resting on the next outcome.
In other Everton news, shock has been caused by the discovery that the stadium costs have risen even further in the appeal decision.
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