Andy Burnham has renewed his criticism of Everton’s treatment during their PSR case, insisting the club were not dealt with fairly by the Premier League.
The Greater Manchester mayor returned to the subject following the publication of the independent commission’s findings against Manchester City, almost three years after Everton were initially handed a ten-point deduction for breaching profitability and sustainability rules.
“I still hold the view very firmly that they weren’t fairly treated in that process,” Burnham said.
The intervention reopens an argument Burnham pursued publicly during Everton’s own case and comes as English football considers the consequences of the findings against City.
Burnham stands by Everton criticism
Everton were referred to an independent commission in March 2023 over an alleged PSR breach relating to the period ending with the 2021-22 season.
The commission imposed a ten-point deduction in November 2023, at the time the largest points penalty in Premier League history. Everton appealed and the punishment was reduced to six points in February 2024.
A separate PSR case subsequently resulted in a further two-point deduction in April 2024.
Burnham was a prominent critic of the handling of the first case. In November 2023, he wrote to Premier League chair Alison Brittain and described the process as an “abuse of process”, questioning how the league had arrived at the sanction imposed on Everton.
He has now returned to that argument following developments in the Manchester City case.
“I remember people proclaiming Everton guilty at the time and, with hindsight, I think more people would say that wasn’t fair the way that was handled,” Burnham said.
His position is consistent with the criticism of Everton’s treatment he has made previously. Burnham’s links with the club are also well established, with the Greater Manchester mayor having spoken previously about attending Everton matches.
Independent regulator monitoring Man City developments
Burnham was also questioned about the potential consequences of the commission’s findings against City and said he would be “really concerned” by the prospect of the club’s owners ultimately being forced to sell.
That issue is separate from the Premier League’s disciplinary proceedings.
The Independent Football Regulator is monitoring developments because its responsibilities include assessing the suitability of owners, directors and senior executives.
Its chief executive David Kogan said the regulator has powers “to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives”, with its tests designed to protect the “honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals”.
That does not mean the City case has transferred to the IFR. The Premier League proceedings remain within its independent judicial process, with City continuing to deny wrongdoing and able to challenge the commission’s findings.
For Everton supporters, Burnham’s latest intervention brings attention back to a PSR process that had an immediate effect on the club’s fight for Premier League survival in 2023-24.
His criticism cannot alter the eight points Everton ultimately lost across their two cases, but almost three years after the first deduction was imposed, Burnham’s position remains unchanged: he believes the club were not treated fairly.
Full details of his latest comments can be found in The Guardian’s report.
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