Everton's appeal against their 10-point deduction for financial breaches is unlikely to be overturned, according to football finance expert Dan Plumley.
The Toffees received the heaviest points deduction in Premier League history earlier this month, leaving them in the relegation zone after they were found to have broken the league's profit and sustainability rules, spending £19.5m over the allowed limit across four seasons between 2018 and 2022.
The club is appealing the ruling, looking to use mitigating factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the war between Ukraine and Russia, which led to the cut of financial ties with Alisher Usmanov, a commercial partner of the club.
However, Plumley believes even if Everton's appeal is successful, the deduction is more likely to be reduced than overturned, telling Stats Perform: "I think there's going to be mitigation and proportionality. Those are the things that Everton are focusing on.
"The best-case scenario of course is it gets overturned. But I get the feeling that we're probably not in that particular line of thought at the minute. You are looking at a reduction on appeal and a link to some of these mitigating circumstances.
"I get the sense that it will go down that road of an appeal and you’re probably looking to get this reduced in the first instance. I think to get it overturned is a bit of a stretch based on where we are with some of those other factors as we've said, but we've not seen the appeal yet."
Many Everton fans feel the club is being harshly set as an example, with the Premier League coming down especially hard on the Toffees because of the plans for an independent regulator to come in.
Plumley agrees that Everton's penalty is somewhat of a tipping point, explaining: "Because there's been that notion of perhaps there was never going to be a punishment for breaking these restrictions, it does feel like a watershed moment.
"We've never seen the Premier League deduct points for these profit and sustainability regulations, and that's part of the backstory here and some of the wider narrative that we need to be aware of. There is no precedent, there is no benchmark.
"This is the first points deduction link to these regulations. It is the only one of its kind. And I think that's interesting given the fact that we've had 10 years of these regulations within that league, and this is the first time that a sanction has been met."
The commission that dished out the ruling stated Everton did not breach the rules to gain a "sporting advantage", though that a sporting advantage had to be inferred by the fact that Everton had overspent.
They successfully staved off the drop last term, but sides such as Leeds United and Leicester City, who both went down at Everton's expense, are now reportedly set to sue the Toffees in response to the deduction.
Plumley believes this raises an important point, saying: "Of course, Everton didn't want to be in relegation battles in the last few years and probably wanted to be higher up in the table.
"But that notion of sporting advantage can have different connotations depending on the level and I think that's where the compensation challenges from the likes of Burnley, Leeds, Southampton and Leicester become interesting because then we're talking about a sporting advantage that is maybe the difference between staying up or not.
"We might not see that necessarily see that as a sporting success, but it might be termed as a sporting advantage over other clubs."
Everton fans protested the decision by holding up pink banners, bearing the Premier League emblem and the word "Corrupt", during Sunday's 3-0 loss to Manchester United at Goodison Park.
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and an Evertonian, has claimed there was an "abuse of process" during the case.
Burnham accused the Premier League of "regulatory malpractice" for attempting to introduce a sanctions policy specific to Everton's case during the disciplinary process.
St Lucia eyes CONCACAF Nations League glory with new squad changes ahead of crucial Group B encounters
St Lucia is set to continue its strong start in the 2024-2025 CONCACAF Nations League as they prepare for back-to-back home games against French Saint Martin this weekend. Currently leading Group B of League B, head coach Stern John’s squad has six points from their September victories over Curaçao and Grenada, and they aim to solidify their position at the top of the group with wins at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
The matches on Friday and Monday will be critical as St Lucia seeks to widen the gap before heading to Curaçao in November. However, the team will be without key players Arkell Jude-Boyd, Chris Forino, Janoi Donacien, and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild, all of whom are sidelined with minor injuries. Jude-Boyd and Forino made memorable debuts last month, with Jude-Boyd scoring and assisting in the upset victory over Curaçao, and Forino netting against Grenada.
In their place, St Lucia welcomes back four experienced players, including team captain Terell Thomas, who returns from injury after missing the last international window. Joshua Solomon-Davies, Cheye Alexander, and hat-trick hero Dominic Poleon are also among the returning squad members. The inclusion of these players will add stability and firepower to the team as they navigate the crucial matches ahead.
Additionally, three players are poised to make their national team debuts. Yanic Noel, a 22-year-old forward from La Clery, Ryan Charles, a 34-year-old forward from Bishop’s Stortford in England, and Bayan Aman, a 19-year-old midfielder from Hendon FC in England, are all expected to feature prominently in the upcoming fixtures.
Jardel "Shortman" Williams joins SV Transvaal in Suriname: A step toward his football dreams
Jardel ‘Shortman’ Williams, a promising 20-year-old attacking midfielder, is set to leave Jamaica for Suriname where he will play with Suriname's SV Transvaal. The young talent, who had been one a one-year contract with Jamaica Premier League outfit, Humble Lion FC, has inked a two-year contract with the Surinamese club starting October 1, 2024, and is eager to embark on this new chapter of his football career.
Williams, who represented Camperdown High School during the 2021 Manning Cup season, sees this move as a pivotal moment in his development. "I am really excited to go and play for SV Transvaal," Williams shared with Sportsmax.TV. "Personally, it’s a boost for my career because moving from Humble Lion, this will be good exposure for me, and I am looking to go further in football."
Though excited, the transition comes with its challenges. Williams, who has never been to Suriname and will be living away from his family for the first time, admits to being nervous. "Yes, but I will have to adjust, and I am willing to adjust to make it happen. My immediate goal is to first of all adjust as quickly as possible so that I can help the team with my abilities in the best way I can, and hopefully win the title and more trophies."
SV Transvaal, based in Paramaribo, is one of Suriname’s most decorated football clubs. Established in 1925, the club boasts 19 league championships and two CONCACAF Champions Cup victories, achieved in 1973 and 1981. Williams’ addition to the squad is expected to further bolster their pursuit of more domestic and international success.
Despite the challenges, Williams is focused on his long-term ambitions, which include playing in the English Premier League. A devoted fan of Liverpool FC, he admires the team's counter-attacking style. "The team is filled with great players, and their style of play, counter-attacking football, I like that about Liverpool," he explained. "Eventually, I want to end up in England, and it would be a dream come true to play for Liverpool."
In addition to his club aspirations, Williams hopes to don the national colours of Jamaica someday. "It is every footballer’s dream to represent their country. For me, it would be really, really great to represent Jamaica," he said.
Hailing from Rose Town in Kingston, Williams' journey hasn’t been without its ups and downs. His standout year came in 2021, when he led Camperdown High School to an unbeaten run in the Manning Cup group stage, only for the team to be disqualified after it was deemed to have used an ineligible player. Nevertheless, his performances caught the attention of many, setting the stage for his transition to the professional arena.
With this new opportunity at SV Transvaal, Williams is on the cusp of what he hopes will be the first of many steps toward realizing his football dreams.
Southgate not planning on swift return to management
Gareth Southgate will not be taking another management job within the next year, and he is unlikely to work with another national team.
Southgate resigned as England manager following the Three Lions' 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024, bringing to an end an 11-year association with the FA.
The 54-year-old was in charge of the senior team for eight years and, within that period, led them to the finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, as well as the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup.
In terms of tournament performance, he was the most successful England manager since Alf Ramsey, who led England to the 1966 World Cup – their only major honour.
"Sometimes when you are in a big role you don't realise the weight until it's gone," Southgate told the European Club Association's general assembly, as reported by Reuters.
"It is one of those jobs where everybody has an opinion."
On life after the England job, Southgate was relaxed about where his next move would be. Despite that, he made it clear that he wasn’t going to take any coaching job in the near future.
"I am enjoying my life, so there is no rush. For 11 years I committed fully to the national federation," he said.
“I won't coach in the next year for sure. I am certain of that. When you come out of a big role you need to give your body time, your mind time."
Southgate has, in recent times, been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United's decision-makers having reportedly considered him as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag.
While it is unclear how his self-enforced break from working will impact that, he confirmed that he would be open on a return to domestic football as long as the role was right.
"Club football? Depending on what role that is," Southgate said.
"I have been fortunate to have worked with fantastic players. You got to have excitement, passion to go to work every day.
One thing it seems like Southgate will not do, meanwhile, is work with another national team.
"It is unlikely to be another national federation. England was from the heart," he said
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