Football's Magic Money Tree

[Chester Perry]

Absolutely fascinating range of discussion with regards to the future of football on the Guardians Football Weekly podcast - If you have an interest in the themes that have been explored on this thread then I thoroughly recommend you have a listen

What is the future of the beautiful game? – Football Weekly Extra
Max Rushden is joined by Barney Ronay, Philippe Auclair and Kieran Maguire to talk about the future of the game

On the podcast today; after the European Court of Justice sided with the Super League over Uefa, the panel discuss the potential ramifications on the game and predict how football may look in the not too distant future.

Elsewhere, will the money ever run out? Does the game continue to get richer and richer and does that benefit anyone other than a small handful of clubs?

Plus: player fatigue, fan power and your questions answered.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/au ... ekly-extra

[Chester Perry]

Josimar Football with a new report on further dodgy practices from Manchester City betting partner 8XBet, as we know CFG have a club in the A League

8XBet bites watchdog
Barely 12 months ago, it promised Australia’s online gambling regulator not to target customers in that country. Now, Manchester City’s controversial betting partner, 8XBet, is injecting broadcasts of the A-League with “virtual” ads for its own brand and a type of betting outlawed in Australia.
https://archive.ph/pR0Mb

yet more from Josimar Football in regards to 8XBet, if you listen to the above podcast Philippe tells how a senior interpol person told him that he 3 best ways to launder money in the world are: Art sales, Football and Sports Betting, it is no surprise that Football and Sports Betting have become so closely interlinked.

8XBet’s Duterte connection
A marketing executive central to Manchester City’s sponsorship agreement with 8XBet was, just months earlier, working with a politically-connected Chinese businessman accused in the International Criminal Court of running Filipino meth labs.
https://archive.ph/ZlQpT

[Chester Perry]

The Athletic with some extra detail

Explained: The record £6.7bn TV rights deal and what it means for Premier League football
https://archive.ph/Nt18U

the Financial Times look at the implications of the flatlining (actual negative growth in Broadcast revenues for football

Football’s broadcast revenue boom is over — what happens now?
A squeeze on revenues stands to benefit the Premier League, but at a cost to competitions elsewhere in Europe
https://archive.ph/qRs7l

[Chester Perry]

So while 777 Partners have been pumping around £20m or more a month into Everton (current estimates suggest the total to be around £100m), much of it borrowed, it seems that 777 Partners have seen financial issues at a number of their other clubs deteriorate

From the indefatigable Josimar Football

Show me the money
777 Partners-owned club Standard de Liège was hit with a transfer ban for the second time in 2023 by the Belgian FA this week after failing to pay transfer fees, bonuses, VAT and social insurance contributions.
https://archive.ph/354Lf

Earlier this month The Esk had this to say on Everton's current financial situation - not that Farhad Moshiri has had to make his own contributions to the cause this year alongside all the new debt and the monies from 777 partners

In the bleak mid-winter….
https://theesk.org/2023/12/14/in-the-bleak-mid-winter/

Interesting move from 777 Partners

777 Partners inject additional $50m into Everton, total funding north of $180m
https://archive.ph/u4ceQ

[Chester Perry]

Hardly a surprise

From The Times

Nottingham Forest could face FFP charge as Everton risk second penalty
Two clubs considered most at threat of being charged with breaching financial rules for 2022-23 under new fast-track system introduced by Premier League
https://archive.ph/LZtxq

For those who believe that all clubs have deposited their 2022/23 accounts with the Premier League by December 31 2023 I suggest you read rules E.47 and E.48 in the latest edition of the Premier League Handbook (https://resources.premierleague.com/pre ... .12.23.pdf). The early (December) submissions only apply to those clubs whose T-1 and T-2 accounts result in an aggregate loss. Given the large profit in 2021/22 I suspect that we will be in aggregate profit over that year and last season. Consequently we will not pass accounts to the Premier League until March 31.

The Daily Telegraph use an awful lot of words and try to create drama in telling us that they believe clubs will find out next Monday if they are to be charged under PSR for last season's accounts

Nottingham Forest and Everton facing anxious wait over potential financial breaches
Premier League clubs that break profit and sustainability rules face immediate sanction that would be imposed before end of current campaign
https://archive.ph/lT8iO

[Chester Perry]

With the 2023 Total Energie African Cup of Nations about to get underway - it was supposed to be last summer until climate issues got in the way - David Goldblatt looks at how the game is being deeply affected by Climate Change and yet becomes more reliant than ever on income from Fossil Fuel producers

From The Observer

Awash with fossil fuel money, African football is sowing the seeds of its own destruction
As Afcon kicks off under an oil firm’s banner, it is a tragic irony that the climate crisis is making the game ever more unsafe to play outdoors
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... fuel-money
https://archive.ph/8n5B3

[Chester Perry]

and on the subject of AFCON or at least this instance of AFCON - Simon Chadwick takes time to remind us that others have been playing a long game too

Africa Cup of Nations showcases the continent’s finest footballers – and China’s economic clout
https://theconversation.com/africa-cup- ... out-220313
https://archive.ph/OLuIT

It is interesting to note that on January 1st 2024 Saudi Arabi along with four other Nations - Iran, Egypt, UAE and Ethiopia (Argentina pulled out at the last minute) joined the BRICS group doubling it in membership and signalling a significant counter to the the old Western and Northern economic powers.

[Chester Perry]

The Prime Minister was at the Wham Stadium in Accrington yesterday where he made a real politician's pledge - i.e. on that is open to a very wide level of interpretation of meaning

from The Athletic

Rishi Sunak says independent regulator can force Premier League to ‘fairly’ redistribute revenue
https://archive.ph/Tk1LX

[Chester Perry]

This will be one of those related party agreements that the Premier League will have to look at - such thinhs, particularly Kit deals would never have been seen in this light priur to this modern world of billionaire investor

from The Telegraph

Aston Villa land Adidas kit deal as Castore agreement ends after player complaints
‘Wet-look’ issue with Castore shirts was said to be hampering player performance earlier in the season
https://archive.ph/FL8yJ

[Royboyclaret]

The Daily Telegraph use an awful lot of words and try to create drama in telling us that they believe clubs will find out next Monday if they are to be charged under PSR for last season's accounts

Nottingham Forest and Everton facing anxious wait over potential financial breaches
Premier League clubs that break profit and sustainability rules face immediate sanction that would be imposed before end of current campaign
https://archive.ph/lT8iO

The word on "the street" is that Forest might be in a bit of trouble.....

[Chester Perry]

well this took a long time but you have to say it was a crazy deal in the first place

from The Times

Solicitors sued over their role in West Ham’s ‘deal of the century’
Law firm that allowed West Ham United to pull off deal renting the London Stadium appears to have paid an out-of-court-settlement to the company that operates the venue
https://archive.ph/aqpJS

[Chester Perry]

Martin Samuel's hatred of all forms of FFP is well known but here he appears to think that such rules only apply in the English game - In many ways La Liga is far more stringent, it is just that clubs like Real have proven to be particularly inventive in finding ways to raise their revenues. I would also suggest that Premier League clubs would require much more additional work from Mbappe than he is used too

English elite should be fighting for Kylian Mbappé – but rules forbid it
Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Newcastle United should all be in for the Paris Saint-Germain superstar
https://archive.ph/rVSIK

[Chester Perry]

Interesting move from 777 Partners

777 Partners inject additional $50m into Everton, total funding north of $180m
https://archive.ph/u4ceQ

Josimar Football again with yet another report on Everton/777Partners, includes a look at another 777 portfolio club Hertha Berlin and its financial challenges and other sections on fellow portfolio members Standard Liege and Genoa

The twilight zone
It may be January sales season but for Everton the only question is who’s buying. 777 Partners agreed a deal to purchase owner Farhad Moshiri’s majority shareholding back in September, but three months on, they are still awaiting Premier League approval to complete a takeover.
https://archive.ph/NTHU0

[Chester Perry]

John Textor is one of the names that has featured far to regularly on this thread - but the reasons for that are self inflicted by Textor himself - here he has the opportunity to present his side of things in an interview with Matt Slater of the Athletic

John Textor: His uncertain Palace future, Lyon boardroom battles and multi-club vision
https://archive.is/HYBoM

John Textor has previously stated that his biggest mistake at Crystal Palace was not buying control, he is the largest shareholder but only has 25% of the say

from The Independent

Crystal Palace owner Eagle Football Holdings explores selling 45 per cent stake in Premier League club
Exclusive: The group is considering relinquishing control of Crystal Palace, which would have wider implications for both the club and the Premier League
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 76309.html
https://archive.ph/sZP1p

[Chester Perry]

The Guardian looks at the plight of Reading (even though they have got their CAT 1 status back for the Academy) as they prepare for life in League 1

A right Royals mess: Reading paying heavy price for rolling the dice
Relegated men have threadbare squad and may be docked points and women’s team, also demoted, are now part-time
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... -part-time
https://archive.is/n4irG

The Athletic with the latest trauma's at Reading for Staff and fans - sounds to me like they could lose that CAT 1 status again for the Academy given the strict rules about staff numbers

Reading – the club with an absent owner and unable to break cycle of financial crisis
https://archive.ph/dv9rK

[Chester Perry]

It was always a possibility given the turnaround required and the numbers of appropriately qualified people to preside of such hearings having full diaries - but if this story is true then things could get really messy and possibly litigious, one thing for certain the media, politicians and most fans will be up in arms about it, should the situation arises

from The Athletic

Premier League clubs may not learn any points deductions until after season
https://archive.ph/VPImC

[Chester Perry]

There has what appears to be a great gnashing of the media's teeth following Newcastle United releasing their 2022/23 financial results yesterday - just an almost £74m loss on the year, but what caused the consternation is that the club revealed it may have to sale one of it's star players in the summer to meet FFP (now called PSR) - the indignity of it was the general reaction to the rules of the game (freely entered into by the owners who just happen to be a nation state).

Today we have this kind of commentary - from the Telegraph

Football’s spending rules are widening the gulf between haves and have-nots
It feels like football is trying to do the right thing but we are also in danger of helping the big clubs who already have an advantage
https://archive.ph/vMrDq

If football and the media who both feed it and live off it truly wanted to open the game to all, it would change a number of other things before the PSR rules - like making central payments equal to all (the bonus to the successful teams being the extra income from participating in the continental club competitions and the status of the trophy), and limiting the appearances of all clubs on TV so they are relatively even and allow other clubs to build interest in them.

FFP type rules should also be part of the package and we may yet see them tear down the current financial prowess of both Manchester City and Chelsea.

Finally, there is a myth that Premier League clubs are allowed to lose £105m over 3 contiguous seasons, they are not. They are allowed to lose £15m and owners are allowed to put in a further £90m over the period to cover losses. If anything needs looking at it is that rule, then watch certain clubs squeal.

There have been clubs that managed to climb the ladder into the Premier League without excessive funding (Luton) and clubs that managed to get back there and stay there for an extended period while making profits (Burnley). In our case we were made increasingly uncompetitive by clubs using the rules that allowed additional owner funding - particularly the likes of Aston Villa who priced us out of top level Championship players while their owners pumped over £300m into the club via share issues.

as always their is no single solution to the ills of the game

[Chester Perry]

The Prime Minister was at the Wham Stadium in Accrington yesterday where he made a real politician's pledge - i.e. on that is open to a very wide level of interpretation of meaning

from The Athletic

Rishi Sunak says independent regulator can force Premier League to ‘fairly’ redistribute revenue
https://archive.ph/Tk1LX

Hardly a surprise given how long the finalisation of the agreement for the 'New Deal for Football' has been taking to become fact

from the Independent

Premier League and EFL chiefs to face questions on TV revenue deal progress
Richard Masters and Rick Parry will be quizzed by MPs on the CMS committee.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 77554.html
https://archive.ph/Xc7za

[Chester Perry]

An interesting round-up from Matt Slater in The Athletic which also covers the 'New Deal for Football' and multiple bidders for West Brom, which has been dragging on for a while now

Everton’s takeover reaches week 17, 777 loans up to £142m, and fresh questions – The Business of Football
https://archive.ph/RM3cw

[Chester Perry]

An interesting round-up from Matt Slater in The Athletic which also covers the 'New Deal for Football' and multiple bidders for West Brom, which has been dragging on for a while now

Everton’s takeover reaches week 17, 777 loans up to £142m, and fresh questions – The Business of Football
https://archive.ph/RM3cw

I should have said that the leading bid for West Brom at the moment is from Egyptian businessman Mohamed Elkashashy and Manchester-based sports lawyer Chris Farnell (infamously beaten to our club by ALK.VSL) who have teamed up with local businessman Alex Hearn, owner of domestic heating firm Warmfront.

[Chester Perry]

It is always healthy to get an alternative viewpoint - The Athletic present an interview with Hans-Joachim Watzke is the most powerful man in German football. He is chief executive of Borussia Dortmund, vice-chairman of the German Football Association, chair of the Bundesliga’s supervisory board and a member of UEFA’s executive committee.

Hans-Joachim Watzke interview: ‘The Premier League is on a different planet… but you can’t give up’
https://archive.ph/nHtw4

[JR1882]

It is always healthy to get an alternative viewpoint - The Athletic present an interview with Hans-Joachim Watzke is the most powerful man in German football. He is chief executive of Borussia Dortmund, vice-chairman of the German Football Association, chair of the Bundesliga’s supervisory board and a member of UEFA’s executive committee.

Hans-Joachim Watzke interview: ‘The Premier League is on a different planet… but you can’t give up’
https://archive.ph/nHtw4

The BL case is always interesting, I wonder if they will ever compromise on their ownership principles in years to come in order to compete with other leagues. It’s a sort of strange set of circumstances where they want to keep the 50+1 and the limited external investment, and accept Bayern dominating as a result, it can’t be much fun for the BVBs of the world.

[Chester Perry]

A somewhat intriguing move from QPR

from The Independent

QPR set off in bold new direction after appointing new CEO
Queens Park Rangers have appointed Christian Nourry as the club’s new chief executive.
https://archive.ph/qDlVS

What is not clear is if Nourry, is fulfilling the role as a consultant, full-time employee or on secondment

here is the link to Retexo, who list QPR as one of their clients, most of their clients appear to be from Spain and Mexico
https://retexointelligence.com/

[Chester Perry]

Hardly a surprise given how long the finalisation of the agreement for the 'New Deal for Football' has been taking to become fact

from the Independent

Premier League and EFL chiefs to face questions on TV revenue deal progress
Richard Masters and Rick Parry will be quizzed by MPs on the CMS committee.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 77554.html
https://archive.ph/Xc7za

It should come as no surprise that disappointment among some of the big six with the next domestic TV deal is being used as a point of negotiation in how the 'New Deal for Football' is to be finalised

from The Times

Some ‘big six’ clubs unhappy with value of Premier League TV deal
Disappointment after last month’s announcement is said to have led to chiefs from top-flight teams delaying vote on an agreement to give more money to the EFL
https://archive.ph/QXywv

[Paul Waine]

Sunday Times, interview with Chris Heck, President of Business Operations (appointed May 2023), Aston Villa.

An interesting (full page) article. Another American involved in running a Premier League club. Lot's of Heck's objectives for Aston Villa could just as easily be Alan Pace's and ALK's objectives for Burnley.

Aston Villa’s Chris Heck: We want to be in the Premier League’s top tier’

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a975 ... fdf13c6f34

Enjoy.

UTC

[Chester Perry]

Sunday Times, interview with Chris Heck, President of Business Operations (appointed May 2023), Aston Villa.

An interesting (full page) article. Another American involved in running a Premier League club. Lot's of Heck's objectives for Aston Villa could just as easily be Alan Pace's and ALK's objectives for Burnley.

Aston Villa’s Chris Heck: We want to be in the Premier League’s top tier’

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a975 ... fdf13c6f34

Enjoy.

UTC

for those who find themselves restricted by the paywall on the above article

https://archive.ph/vqGVG

a related story appeared in yesterday's New York Times, it is about the introduction of a Fanzone at Villa - it will be interesting to see how time and future plans of Villa affects the current situation

Loyal to Their Soccer Team, and to Their Burger Van
As Premier League clubs create fan zones to collect yet more money from stadium visitors, a local economy of food trucks, pubs and small restaurants is holding its ground.
https://archive.ph/k6xuS

[Chester Perry]

At times I am quite shocked by the scale of the Everton love in and the level of emotional blackmail being employed - ahead of the appeal for their points deduction. Where was all this concern (and Premier League watchdogs) as that club took in all those £m's from USM including training ground sponsorships being substantially more than front of shirt sponsorships and that £30m for a first option on the naming rights of a Stadium still 18 months from being opened (over 3 years from the time of the deal). A sizeable number still have suspicions as to who the real owner of that club is, they think it is Farhad Moshiri's former employer and benefactor Alisher Usmanov, owner of USM and a major shareholder in Arsenal when the Everton takeover occurred, not to mention one of many sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of the Ukraine.

from The Times

Mark Carney: Draconian points deduction threatens Everton’s existence
Former governor of the Bank of England and other prominent supporters Sir Brendan Barber and Dame Sue Owen call on Premier League to overturn sanction for breaking profit and sustainability rules
https://archive.ph/Z8gss

[Paul Waine]

for those who find themselves restricted by the paywall on the above article

https://archive.ph/vqGVG

a related story appeared in yesterday's New York Times, it is about the introduction of a Fanzone at Villa - it will be interesting to see how time and future plans of Villa affects the current situation

Loyal to Their Soccer Team, and to Their Burger Van
As Premier League clubs create fan zones to collect yet more money from stadium visitors, a local economy of food trucks, pubs and small restaurants is holding its ground.
https://archive.ph/k6xuS

Hi CP, there's no paywall on that link - it's from the Sunday Times "share" facility. (However, some details lost using simple copy/paste from my post on this thread to the "Alan Pace" thread.

[Paul Waine]

At times I am quite shocked by the scale of the Everton love in and the level of emotional blackmail being employed - ahead of the appeal for their points deduction. Where was all this concern (and Premier League watchdogs) as that club took in all those £m's from USM including training ground sponsorships being substantially more than front of shirt sponsorships and that £30m for a first option on the naming rights of a Stadium still 18 months from being opened (over 3 years from the time of the deal). A sizeable number still have suspicions as to who the real owner of that club is, they think it is Farhad Moshiri's former employer and benefactor Alisher Usmanov, owner of USM and a major shareholder in Arsenal when the Everton takeover occurred, not to mention one of many sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of the Ukraine.

from The Times

Mark Carney: Draconian points deduction threatens Everton’s existence
Former governor of the Bank of England and other prominent supporters Sir Brendan Barber and Dame Sue Owen call on Premier League to overturn sanction for breaking profit and sustainability rules
https://archive.ph/Z8gss

I never knew Mark Carney was an Everton fan, I thought he was an ice hockey fan. Canadian born, spent most of his time living and working in Canada and New York. OK, got a masters and dphil in economics from Oxford University, after first degree from Harvard.

I wonder if Mark Carney could explain who provided all the money for Everton to spend and how sanctioned Russian money gets to a city in northern England.

[Chester Perry]

I must say I am far from convinced that Everton will be found in breach of PSR in their last accounts and certainly not as a result of their Stadium build costs - though some in the media appear to want it to be

from The Telegraph

Everton fear being hit with second Premier League spending charge
Despite offloading several high-earning players, Everton's stadium costs have risen which is why they could break spending limits again
https://archive.ph/1vvd4

[Vegas Claret]

this could be interesting if any of it sticks

[Chester Perry]

This ECJ decision is potentially seismic - it is not in line with last Decembers advisory (which was actually an attempt to dodge a decision) but is absolutely in line with previous ECJ judgements for other sports - unsurprisingly precedent has been upheld

Now comes the the awkward bit and a lot of behind the scenes deal making which will likely see the rich clubs get even richer and further out of reach

European Super League: Uefa and Fifa rules banning breakaway league unlawful, says court
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67783970

Following the above decision A22/ESL came out almost immediately with a proposal for a Champions League alternative
https://a22sports.com/en/competition/

it is a curious beast not least because of this particular claim which is being examined here by the Athletic

Will the European Super League really be shown for free – and is it a viable model?
https://archive.ph/KTppg

[Chester Perry]

I must say I am far from convinced that Everton will be found in breach of PSR in their last accounts and certainly not as a result of their Stadium build costs - though some in the media appear to want it to be

from The Telegraph

Everton fear being hit with second Premier League spending charge
Despite offloading several high-earning players, Everton's stadium costs have risen which is why they could break spending limits again
https://archive.ph/1vvd4

there is another way to look at all this bleating from Everton and that is that they do believe that hey have breached PSR this season and the point of the appeal is to reduce the aggregate total of point deductions so that hey still have a good chance of avoiding relegation.

It is not one I necessarily subscribe too, mainly because I think they have done enough to be inside the 3 year limit, but it may need to be considered.

That said, Everton's supposed fears may stem from the £19m that the the Premier League said they were over last time - from what I understand that sum is still counted in the current 3 year calculation and the sums added back in may increase the loss in the last accounts.

[Vegas Claret]

Chester, apologies if I missed your post on this FFP rule change but do you know anything about it ? https://archive.ph/6aqzS

[ClaretLoup]

I never knew Mark Carney was an Everton fan, I thought he was an ice hockey fan. Canadian born, spent most of his time living and working in Canada and New York. OK, got a masters and dphil in economics from Oxford University, after first degree from Harvard.

Excellent point Paul, however according to Wiki Carney has ancestors from County Mayo in Ireland and has “distant” relatives in Liverpool. He also has managed a hat trick in that he is not only a Canadian citizen but he has British and Irish citizenships as well. So he is another New World self appointed Pat, however it’s not only in his mind, it’s officially sanctioned by the Dail. So it’s not a massive leap to imagine yourself as a Scouser as well.

[Chester Perry]

Chester, apologies if I missed your post on this FFP rule change but do you know anything about it ? https://archive.ph/6aqzS

Yes I have been trailing it for a couple of years now - the details are not finalised but essentially English PSR is going to move in line with the UEFA model except with greater leniency re cost of football (wages + amortisation) to revenue and greater allowance on losses, the idea being that those clubs not involved in Europe have greater scope with their limited finances and therefore make the Premier League more competitive and attractive to global audiences.

What Martin Samuel (he is increasingly contrary for the sake of it) conveniently forgets is that under the new rules Everton, Forest and others would likely to be in greater difficulty over the current periods under scrutiny.

It is also probable that the new rules will carry specific points penalties like we see in the EFL, that will focus a few minds

[Chester Perry]

Yes I have been trailing it for a couple of years now - the details are not finalised but essentially English PSR is going to move in line with the UEFA model except with greater leniency re cost of football (wages + amortisation) to revenue and greater allowance on losses, the idea being that those clubs not involved in Europe have greater scope with their limited finances and therefore make the Premier League more competitive and attractive to global audiences.

What Martin Samuel (he is increasingly contrary for the sake of it) conveniently forgets is that under the new rules Everton, Forest and others would likely to be in greater difficulty over the current periods under scrutiny.

It is also probable that the new rules will carry specific points penalties like we see in the EFL, that will focus a few minds

I also speculate that the reason for the delay in the new rules coming in - they were originally supposed to apply this season - is that it is probable a lot more clubs would have had difficulty in achieving the targets - the delay essentially allows the rules not to apply over the biggest Covid related losses, which is a shame given how our club appeared unique in the way it managed that situation

[Chester Perry]

Hardly a surprise given how long the finalisation of the agreement for the 'New Deal for Football' has been taking to become fact

from the Independent

Premier League and EFL chiefs to face questions on TV revenue deal progress
Richard Masters and Rick Parry will be quizzed by MPs on the CMS committee.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 77554.html
https://archive.ph/Xc7za

I have been quite critical/scathing of Martin Samuel of late particularly on the the subject du jour PSR - ahead of tomorrow's DCMS hearing he has a much more interesting point to make, not that I necessarily agree with his arguments motives

Premier League won’t want to fund clubs trying to take their place
Top-flight owners are fearful of Championship sides with ravenous ambition — as MPs of leading political parties would understand if they looked closer to home
https://archive.ph/3Z5xq

[Chester Perry]

At times I am quite shocked by the scale of the Everton love in and the level of emotional blackmail being employed - ahead of the appeal for their points deduction. Where was all this concern (and Premier League watchdogs) as that club took in all those £m's from USM including training ground sponsorships being substantially more than front of shirt sponsorships and that £30m for a first option on the naming rights of a Stadium still 18 months from being opened (over 3 years from the time of the deal). A sizeable number still have suspicions as to who the real owner of that club is, they think it is Farhad Moshiri's former employer and benefactor Alisher Usmanov, owner of USM and a major shareholder in Arsenal when the Everton takeover occurred, not to mention one of many sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of the Ukraine.

from The Times

Mark Carney: Draconian points deduction threatens Everton’s existence
Former governor of the Bank of England and other prominent supporters Sir Brendan Barber and Dame Sue Owen call on Premier League to overturn sanction for breaking profit and sustainability rules
https://archive.ph/Z8gss

It is interesting to contrast the above with how the media is responding to the situation at Nottingham Forest

here we have The Telegraph

Nottingham Forest sailed too close to wind – after 30 signings this charge is self-inflicted
Forest's spending has resulted in plenty of wastage with some signings yet to kick a ball for the club
https://archive.ph/69Br2

and here The Times

Nottingham Forest owners acted like children in a sweet shop
From signings without staff’s approval to deadline-day splurges, the club’s breaching of profit and sustainability rules is indicative of careless recruitment
https://archive.ph/GumBl

and here The Guardian

Nottingham Forest the latest club in crosshairs over football short-termism
Signing 31 players in the summer after promotion to the Premier League has left Forest facing the prospect of a points deduction
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rt-termism
https://archive.ph/wQTyU

and yet for the most part we have the crap about FFP/PSR that has being doing the rounds of late most of which appears to be in support of state owned paupers Newcastle United, the team that received a big check from those same owners that allowed them to rescue what looked like a relegation season in part by vastly over paying to weaken a relegation rival of their best striker.

indeed we have had more of it this very evening from Jason Burt in The Telegraph - his second such commentary in a few days

Premier League should encourage ambition – PSR rules risk it losing its most competitive tag
Possible points deductions for Forest and Everton would leave the table festooned with atersisks but the punishment should fit the crime
https://archive.ph/yMh7B

fortunately we have the likes of Miguel Delaney in The Independent who sees a much bigger picture and understands all the detail. The following article was published at virtually the same time as Burt's and contains what appears to be a simple and elegant change to the rules. There would be issues for the biggest clubs involved in European competition and expecting to go deep into domestic cups, but squads could be altered to fit those competitions, with a number of players allowed only to play in those competitions - a point we are heading towards anyway.

Why the arguments against Financial Fair Play are wrong - but just one change is needed
There has been a push for changes to the current financial fair play regulations from some in the Premier League
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 79030.html
https://archive.ph/ScRAX

[Chester Perry]

I have been quite critical/scathing of Martin Samuel of late particularly on the the subject du jour PSR - ahead of tomorrow's DCMS hearing he has a much more interesting point to make, not that I necessarily agree with his arguments motives

Premier League won’t want to fund clubs trying to take their place
Top-flight owners are fearful of Championship sides with ravenous ambition — as MPs of leading political parties would understand if they looked closer to home
https://archive.ph/3Z5xq

So it was no surprise that today's select committee started with direct focus on Richard Masters

you can watch it here
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/c ... 70b3a32ae3

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Premier League are not stupid to want to lose clubs like Everton Forest Manchester City and Chelsea and possibly Manchester United and Spurs to the Football League
It is not rocket science so imo there will be small points deduction if any

[Chester Perry]

An interesting round-up from Matt Slater in The Athletic which also covers the 'New Deal for Football' and multiple bidders for West Brom, which has been dragging on for a while now

Everton’s takeover reaches week 17, 777 loans up to £142m, and fresh questions – The Business of Football
https://archive.ph/RM3cw

the problems for 777 Partners keep adding up

from Josimar Football again

Endgame
777 Partners have been hit with multiple new lawsuits, their two main sources of funding are now under investigation by corporate watchdogs, and their companies have been borrowing millions at an interest rate of 52.5 percent.
https://archive.ph/ImIsO

[Chester Perry]

It feels like it has been some time since we have heard anything that could be considered negative about those that own/run Newcastle United - this lawsuit in Canada puts an end to that

from The Athletic

Newcastle chairman Al-Rumayyan faces $74m lawsuit for ‘carrying out’ malicious instructions of Bin Salman
https://archive.ph/I9EGz

[Chester Perry]

Some might think that it has been a long time coming for Pozzo, even if tax evasion was not the first thing they would consider he had done to break the rules

Spanish prosecutors recommend 12-year sentence for Watford’s Gino Pozzo over tax fraud claims
Charges relate to Spanish club Granada between 2009 and 2015
Pozzo accused of evading more than €9m in tax on transfers
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... tax-claims
https://archive.ph/J03wN

[Chester Perry]

It is sad to say that football being deeply embedded into our society reflects much that is wrong with it (as well as many of it's good things)

from The Times

Police launch crackdown on criminals exploiting football clubs
UK Football Policing Unit asks its army of club police officers to gather information on anything that could be linked to serious and organised crime
https://archive.ph/y3JhQ

[Chester Perry]

There have been articles about the perceived slow winter transfer window from all over, but as is usually the case (for me at least) I find that Miguel Delaney in the independent has caught the right balance and mood.

Why the Premier League is so quiet in the January transfer window
Spending is down compared to the last two years, with Eddie Howe bemoaning a lack of response from rivals, while Tottenham have been one of the few busy clubs in a waiting game around the league and Europe overall
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 79950.html
https://archive.ph/2Qjyy

[Chester Perry]

It feels like it has been some time since we have heard anything that could be considered negative about those that own/run Newcastle United - this lawsuit in Canada puts an end to that

from The Athletic

Newcastle chairman Al-Rumayyan faces $74m lawsuit for ‘carrying out’ malicious instructions of Bin Salman
https://archive.ph/I9EGz

Needless to say the above report has brought up this question again

Are Newcastle United’s PIF owners separate from Saudi Arabia – and why does it matter?
https://archive.ph/RwV9N

[Chester Perry]

Some background on that £105m loss over 3 seasons Premier League rule - I do not necessarily agree with the reasoning, or with the idea that following Kieran Maguire's calculation that current fair value at around £218m with football inflation that is could/should be applied. the rules were there to increase financial sustainability and holding the value has actually forced clubs to act more responsibly as can be witnessed by the behaviours of Leicester last season and Wolves this (there are others).

from The Athletic

Why do the Premier League’s PSR rules only allow clubs to lose £105m?
https://archive.ph/SUJj0

[Quickenthetempo]

https://twitter.com/tariqpanja/status/1 ... TteRQ&s=19
More problems for Everton's potential owners 777 group.

[Chester Perry]

https://twitter.com/tariqpanja/status/1 ... TteRQ&s=19
More problems for Everton's potential owners 777 group.

meanwhile 777 Partners insist that the takeover could complete by the end of the month - though I would say only if the Premier League are not asking the right kind of questions and/or are not getting truthful answers

from The Telegraph

777 Partners insist Everton takeover can be completed by end of January despite fresh concerns
Deal placed under renewed scrutiny after Premier League chief executive suggested questions still needed to be answered
https://archive.ph/QLgub