Everton referred by Premier League for alledged FFP breach

In a sudden move, Everton learned yesterday that the Premier League was referring them to an independent commission over supposed violations of FFP rules.

The timing of this could hardly be any worse with the Toffees’ once again battling for survival on the pitch and dealing with continuing discontent and fan protests off it.

Everton supporters have once again been venting their frustrations about the club’s situation with recurrent demostrations against the board taking place over the past few months.

That came after a dreadful month in January which saw yet another new manager installed and culminated in a disasterous deadline day in which the Blues’ failed to sign a single new player.

Now, the Premier League have decided to refer the club to an independent commission to investigate alledged breeches of the League’s FFP rules, something the club vehemently denies.

At the back end of last season, there were attempts by other clubs, Leeds and Burnley, to persude the League do an investigation into the club’s finances, so this might well be a result of those complaints.

In some ways all this isn’t a massive surprise. After all, the truth is Everton have been skating around the edge of these rules for several years now after making a series of year-on-year losses.

The Toffees’ have been making significant losses for a while now so in that sense this feels like it has been coming.

However, the club apparently had their accounts signed off by the Premier League last year, so I don’t know what’s really going on here.

Fault for this, if indeed it proves to be a valid and correct accusation, of course lies with the club’s owner and board of directors.

They have for years consistently failed to manage the club’s finances and provide stability while on the pitch things have gone wrong almost without end as manager after manager has come and gone without being able to turn the situation around.

While the current incumbant Sean Dyche is doing all he can and appears to be making a really positive difference to the team’s performances, there is nothing he can do about the wider problems at Goodison Park.

So, what might be the consequences of all this?

Apparently, there has not previously been a case where a club has been punished after referral to this commission, so the odds appear to be on the Blues’ side.

This is Everton though and knowing this club’s bad luck it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was to be the first to be found guilty.

If the result of this investigation is a punishment, then it could be a transfer window ban, a fine or even a points deduction.

Any of those would be a major blow, although obviously the points deduction is the biggest worry.  Especially if it was to happen this season as that would mean certain relegation.

That is apparently though unlikely and any points deduction, were it to happen, would come into affect next season.

Although not as life-threatening, assuming the Toffees’ are still in the Premier League, it would hardly be a good way to start a new campaign that’s for sure!

For the moment, we have to just wait and see the results of any investigation and hope these potential outcomes do not take place.

Going forward, clearly Everton have to get their finances in order to ensure there is no chance of this sort of thing happening again.

Rumours of new investment have been floating around recently, but might yesterday’s annoucement and any potential punishment scare them off?

The club also need to give Dyche enough money to spend strengthening his squad in the summer so the team don’t repeat the last two seasons failures, and ensure their are no delays to the new stadium about to be opened.