Points deductions & FFP

[Zapp Brannigan]

The Premier League is a shambles. There, I said it.

Mid-season, Everton deducted 6 points (pending another as yet unresolved case, which will almost certainly be another deduction followed by an appeal), and Forest 4 points (pending an appeal).

Appeals to be heard after the end of the season. On the final day, when the likes of Forest, Luton, Everton & Brentford are battling to stay up; final whistles blow and for another week or 2 no-one will know who has been relegated and who hasn't.

In addition, the end of the accounting period for FFP (or PSR, whatever acronym is being used today) falls in the middle of the transfer window. Everton sold Richarlison before the accounting deadline, getting a reduced fee as a 'desperate seller' and so reporting a lesser income. Forest turned down low bids for Brennan Johnson, and therefore received a bigger fee but after the deadline; both ended up as contributory factors to their being punished.

I don't understand the accounting of football nearly enough to pass comment on what the detailed rules around profit and sustainability are (or whether they should exist at all), but even I can see that the timeline is flat out wrong and damaging to the sport.

The summer transfer window should end before the start of the season. The FFP accounting period should end outside of a transfer window. Any and all penalties should be applied (and all appeals heard) before the season starts. Football is a sport ffs, the business side of things should all be geared to keep action on the pitch at the front and centre of everything; relegation shouldn't be decided in a courtroom 6 days after the season finished.

Oh yeah, and there's an elephant in the room wearing a Man City shirt.

 

[Voley]

I don't understand the accounting procedures either but having the whole season up in the air after the final whistle is madness.

Heard it described as "like waiting for a VAR decision" the other day. But with much higher stakes. A total mess, I agree.

 

[belboid]

Good piece from Barney Rooney

Supporters should blame club owners – not the rules – for points deductions | Barney Ronay

Clubs may not like what they sign up to and object to the extent of sanctions, but cannot cry corruption if rules are transparent

www.theguardian.com

 

[JimW]

Used to call it the AGM Cup in the National League. Saved our bacon on a couple of occasions, at the expense of Salisbury one season. So not just the Prem.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Good piece from Barney Rooney

Supporters should blame club owners – not the rules – for points deductions | Barney Ronay

Clubs may not like what they sign up to and object to the extent of sanctions, but cannot cry corruption if rules are transparent

www.theguardian.com

I don't disagree - there is plenty of blame to be apportioned at club owners, and important to stress that my post was very much not coming from a position of defending either Forest or Everton.

If the rules are needed, have the rules. If the rules are broken, give the appropriate punishment. But as things stand, Luton's PL future could be decided by a panel of arbiters after the season ended, and it's not them in the dock for financial impropriety.

 

[Silas Loom]

A lot of this exposes the sheer stupidity of being a passionate fan of a particular commercial enterprise in a poorly regulated sector.

 

[A380]

It’s almost like top tier association soccer ball is a bloated business designed to gouge maximum profit from its fans and squat across the crumbling edifice of English lower tier and women’s football sucking the life from them for its own benefit .


Glad I’m a rugby fan where we don’t have this sort of nonsense ( Cough Saracens… - who happen to be my team) .

All you round ball types can get red trousers online now, (and the piss drinking braying estate agents get better with time). You are even trusted to have a drink whilst in site of the pitch…

 

[stavros]

Everton sold Richarlison before the accounting deadline, getting a reduced fee as a 'desperate seller' and so reporting a lesser income. Forest turned down low bids for Brennan Johnson, and therefore received a bigger fee but after the deadline; both ended up as contributory factors to their being punished.

There's a common denominator in those cases, so do you agree that the buying team should be deducted at least as many points as Everton and Forest combined?

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

There's a common denominator in those cases, so do you agree that the buying team should be deducted at least as many points as Everton and Forest combined?

I think that would be a team trying to financially aid others in distress, so should be awarded however many points are deducted

 

[Lotte]

The whole thing about Everton is just stupid. Why give them points back if you'll just knock them off, and why do it mid-season? Why not just knock them off at the beginning of next season? Because from a Luton perspective, Everton AND Forest could potentially get them relegated and it's going to be awful not knowing if you're staying up or not (and frankly, out of the promoted teams, Luton are the ones who deserve to stay up the most).

As for women's football, Everton Women are my women's team and I'm really not happy with how we've gone backwards. Liverpool have surpassed us now and as soon as we get a half-decent player, she gets poached by City. United didn't even exist until a few years ago and bam, they're one of the top teams. The gap between the Mancs, Arsenal and Chelsea and the other teams is ridiculous.