Everton could be sent bottom of table in first ever Premier League punishment for new season
Everton could open the new season on minus points if they are sanctioned again during a summer hearing, according to i News.
The outlet reported via their website on 8 April that with a further hearing set to be held in the wake of their latest two-point deduction the club could face the ignominy of being the first team in Premier League history to begin a campaign already having been deducted points.
Despite a second points deduction already being imposed there is the possibility of further punishment after the commission panel deferred their decision on the dispute between the club and the league over stadium loan interest payments.
And i News reports that the hearing is “likely” to be after the season ends with “any additional points deductions adjudicated this summer will be applied to next season’s standings”, opening the door to a negative start to the new campaign.
Everton face unwanted Premier League first
The Toffees are already the team to be hit with the highest ever Premier League points deduction when they were stripped of 10 earlier this season, prior to the punishment being reduced to six on appeal.
Although the potential size of the further points deduction, centring around a further £6.5million which the league believes should be counted as a loss, is tipped to only be a maximum of one point it could spell further legal trouble depending on how the current campaign ends.
And with a possible third profit and sustainability charge on the cards if Everton don’t sell players as soon as the season ends the situation could still worsen after that.
Sean Dyche’s side began the current campaign by losing all three of their opening games so were they to kick off bottom they’d need a much faster start to avoid getting left behind, although there is the possibility that Leicester City might end up in a similar situation [ESPN, 21 March] but it is unclear when their hearing might happen.
The Toffees boss and the players need to ensure they remain in the top flight for that to even be a concern, having been dropped to 16th and two points from the relegation zone by the latest developments, pending another appeal.
They have a game in hand on both Nottingham Forest and Luton Town below but have only won once in the top flight since the start of 2024, the ugly 1-0 victory over Burnley at the weekend.
The two-point deduction appears to have come from a somewhat more sympathetic commission than the first one, but as so often for the Everton fans in recent years any positive news is rapidly followed by a slew of negative developments.
In other Everton news, a major sale is likely on the cards but the manager hasn’t been directly told yet.
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