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      Everton claimed they should get ‘credit’ for not SUING ‘Player X’ in bid to escape record points deduction

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      EVERTON’S failed attempt to escape a record points deduction saw the Goodison club claiming they should be allowed extra wriggle room for NOT suing a player.The club’s case was that after “Player X” – who is not named in the independent commission report – was arrested in July 2021, they sought to protect his “mental welfare” at a financial cost.
      Everton are in turmoil after being hit with a huge Financial Fair Play sanctionCredit: REUTERS
      The Toffees have been slapped with a ten-point points deductionCredit: GETTY
      While the player was sacked the following month they opted not to sue him for breach of contract because of the potential personal impact.
      But at the hearing, Everton argued that the £10m minimum they could have demanded should have been calculated into their financial losses, minimising their breach of League rules.
      According to the written reasons, Everton claimed the club was “entitled to credit for not pursuing an economically viable claim” against the player.
      The commission dismissed the argument, branding it “speculative” and pointing out there was “no evidence that Player X would have been able to meet whatever judgment might have been obtained”.
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      Prem chiefs were also underwhelmed by a claim that Everton missed out on the transfer value of another star, “Player Y”. because of the pandemic.
      Indeed, the League’s lawyers claimed the “factual reality” was that Everton had made a decision NOT to sell him – thus meaning no Covid-based financial deduction could possibly apply.
      Everton are now in 19th place in the Prem table following what the claim to be a “disproportionate” and “unjust” sanction, which they plan to appeal.
      A club statement read: ” Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission.
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      Everton points deduction
      EVERTON have become the first Premier League team to be deducted points for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations for profit and sustainability.
      The Toffees’ ten-point hit comes after an independent Commission determined Everton recorded losses of £124.5million as per Premier League regulation calculations over the three years up to 2021-22 – exceeding the permitted £105m limit.
      The Goodison Park club have posted financial deficits for five years in a row.
      Manchester City are fighting 115 charges of FFP breaches put forward by the Premier League last season.
      Only two clubs in Premier League history have been docked points.
      Middlesbrough saw three points deducted in 1996-97 for failing to fulfil a fixture against Blackburn.
      In March 2010, Portsmouth had nine points stripped for entering administration.
      Both Middlesbrough and Portsmouth were relegated following their respective points punishments.
      The ten-point deduction drops Everton to 19th in the Premier League table, level on four points with bottom-club Burnley.

      “The Club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction.
      “The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League.
      “The appeal process will now commence and the Club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course.
      “Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process.
      “The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings.
      “Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the Commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted.
      The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
      “Everton cannot comment on this matter any further until the appeal process has concluded.”
      Sean Dyche’s troops are now 19th in the Prem table following their points deductionCredit: Getty More

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      Bill Kenwright was last local lad to own a grand old football club – I’ll never forget first time I met Everton legend

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      BILL KENWRIGHT was the last local lad to own a grand old football club.His devotion to Everton was total, from childhood at Booker Avenue Primary School to the end.
      Karren Brady, who was managing director of Birmingham at the time, gives Bill Kenwright a hug before a Premier League match in 2008Credit: Reuters
      Bill Kenwright, seen here with Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, will be sorely missed by all who knew him in the PremCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      His family will be proud of his immense achievements in showbiz, theatre and football biz — and I dare say his final thoughts were with them and a wish for an end to Everton’s significant problems.
      Bill was an actor to his bootstraps. While his success as a theatre impresario and film  producer made him a very rich man, he wasn’t rich enough to buy the club wholesale.
      That, I believe, was the major cause of his rift with many Everton supporters.
      He couldn’t wave a wand to fulfil his dreams and so he had to depend on people with cash to burn.
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      Because he was approachable to supporters, a true Liverpudlian and a responsible man, he took heavy flak.
      I first met him in 1993 when I was 23, all big hair and shoulder pads, specifically as managing director of Birmingham City.
      He welcomed me with open arms, called me “Beauty” and, immediately, we were friends.
      At the time he explained that a football club chairman and his inner circle must always have the best interests of supporters at the heart and they would not go wrong.
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      Everton skipper Seamus Coleman and manager Sean Dyche lay wreaths in memory of long-serving chairman Bill KenwrightCredit: Getty
      Goodison Park has paid tribute to Bill Kenwright, who died this weekCredit: Getty
      Last season, when we at West Ham won our first European  trophy for decades, his message read: “I can’t believe how great that performance was!!! Incredible from the first moment.
      “A magnificent night for you. I’m so glad you’ve got David Moyes (they had a close relationship) . . . and him you.”
      We messaged ‘good luck’ before games unless we were playing each other when the stress could be almost unbearable.
      I have known Bill to leave a match and sit in his car, overwhelmed by the pressure of it all.
      He must have been heartbroken that Everton fans, people he loved, turned against him in his final seasons.
      Last May, he asked if he could come and watch West Ham play Leeds in the hope that we would win and help Everton stay up.
      Supporter unrest made his attendance at Goodison allegedly unsafe. That is a terrible commentary on crowd mentality.
      Eventually, he cried off, calling himself “a wimp”. He told me the last seven months had been the worst of his life after the worst seven years possible, adding: “My time is limited . . . I just don’t want us to go down in what I think will be my final season.”
      He joked he would watch it from behind the sofa. The good news was that we beat Leeds 3-1 and, better, Everton stayed up.
      He will be remembered for his passion and total dedication to the club, his huge personality and natural warmth.Karren Brady
      I wrote to him then to say: “My legacy is that I stayed the course . . . from the beginning to the end, because I believed in something” —  words from the late, great Tina Turner and apt for you, too!
      “Congratulations (they had not been relegated). Whatever happens, remember the remarkable things you have done for Everton over 34 years as chairman. The last glass you ever raise to the club will be on your terms.”
      Bill made a huge contribution to the Premier League over those three decades of involvement with Everton.
      He was the voice of reason and fairness. He will be remembered for his passion and total dedication to the club, his huge personality and natural warmth, as well as his great sense of humour.
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      He will miss the opening of his club’s  new stadium next year.In the name of loyalty and love he more than warrants recognition in it.
      For true Evertonians, a star has fallen from the sky. More

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      I signed for Everton for £25m after interest from Arsenal and Spurs, now I’m looking for new club after injury disaster

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      FORMER Everton midfielder Jean-Phillipe Gbamin is without a club after suffering a nightmare time with injury.The 28-year-old joined the Toffees in 2019 on a five-year contract in a deal worth £25million.
      Jean-Philippe Gbamin’s Everton contract was terminated last monthCredit: Getty
      His agent, Bernard Collignon, has claimed he was previously wanted by Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool, before they decided upon Goodison Park.
      However, it turned into a nightmare four-year stint for Gbamin.
      He struggled to hit the ground running due to fitness issues and when he eventually got up to speed, Covid hit.
      Then while playing football tennis at home, he snapped his achilles in a freak injury.
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      Once he had recovered, loan spells at CSKA Moscow and Trabzonspor failed to re-ignite his career.
      And last month the Ivorian decided to forfeit the final 12 months of his contract – worth around £5m in wages – in an attempt to get his career back on track after playing just eight games for Everton.
      Speaking to The Guardian, Collignon said: “Everyone is aware that JP is available.
      “But all the clubs have budgets and most clubs use all their budget in the window.
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      “JP is an international player; he is not affordable for all of the clubs.
      Also, in France, clubs have to wait until mid-October to receive their share of the TV rights.
      “After that, maybe they can sign a player. It’s like musical chairs.”
      Gbamin has earned 16 caps for Ivory Coast’s national team – including one appearance earlier this year.
      He was also a France U21 international until 2016.
      But he has played just 45 club games in four years since leaving Bundesliga side Mainz. More

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      How Everton chairman Bill Kenwright rose from Corrie to chairman of hometown club via some of West End’s biggest hits

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      IN a long and distinguished career, Bill Kenwright was many things to many people.To theatre-goers he was the impresario behind West End hits Blood Brothers and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
      Bill Kenwright lived with his long-term partner, actress Jenny SeagroveCredit: Rex
      Bill as Gordon, left, on Corrie in 1969Credit: Rex Features
      Bill directed West End hit Blood Brothers in 1983Credit: Donald Cooper
      To football fans he was chairman of his beloved Everton FC for 19 years — and to soap fans Coronation Street’s Gordon Clegg, who appeared from 1968 to 1969 then popped up again until 2012.
      But to all who knew him, his death on Monday, aged 78, from liver cancer was a bitter blow.
      Bill lived with his long-term partner, actress Jenny Seagrove, 66, and had a daughter, Lucy, from a previous relationship.
      Despite his fame he was an intensely private man and hated being interviewed.
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      He said: “People don’t understand this about me because I shout my productions to the rooftops and love talking about Everton.”
      He added: “I am very private, but can only talk in one way — though I don’t want to come across as a passionate buffoon.”
      Liverpool born and bred, Bill got the acting bug after childhood trips to the city’s cinemas with is gran.
      While he lived most of his adult life in London, he maintained a lifelong attachment to his home city and said “my past was what moulded me”.
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      He added: “I don’t think I had an easy childhood. I was very shy, nervous and timid and we weren’t rich. In Everton player Dave Hickson I found a sort of guide — he taught me how to dare.
      “From my family I had protection and comfort and, in Mum, a spirit that said I could do anything I wanted. I wanted to be Errol Flynn and I loved Alan Ladd in (1953 Western) Shane. I didn’t just want to be an actor, I wanted to be a film star.”
      Already treading the boards at the Liverpool Playhouse at age 12, he left home at 17 to join a London youth theatre and in 1968 made his Corrie debut as teenager Gordon, who lived above the paper shop with his aunt and uncle.
      But Bill shocked producers by leaving after just a year. His time in the soapland spotlight had led to him wanting to work behind the scenes.
      Recalling the late Corrie veteran Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner, he said: “I remember Pat telling me on day one, ‘You’re a good-looking lad from Liverpool — and you’ve got no idea what will happen to you when you appear on that screen’.
      Everton chairman Bill and owner Farhad Moshir unveil boss Frank Lampard in January 2022Credit: Getty
      Bill as a star guest on pop show Lift Off, 1970Credit: Rex
      “I was shocked. My character was the first teenager written into a soap to attract teenage viewers. It was an extraordinary situation and I really didn’t like it. That’s one of the reasons I left.”
      Bill’s love of the West End drew him to producing and directing and his company, Bill Kenwright Ltd, is the world’s most prolific theatre production company in the world, bringing hundreds of productions to theatres across the planet.
      A close collaborator of West End kings Sir Tim Rice and Lord Lloyd- Webber, Bill directed their hits Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar.
      He was nominated for a London Theatre Critics’ Award for his work on West Side Story and a Tony Award for a Broadway run of Blood Brothers.
      He also produced numerous films.
      These included 2009 romcom Cheri, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, 2021 hit Heathers: The Musical, and this year’s comedy thriller The Kill Room, starring Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson, plus Gemma Arterton crime drama The Critic.
      In 2001 he won a CBE for services to film and theatre.
      I was a timid child but I could go on my own to Goodison Park because I felt safe there. When Dave Hickson and that team ran out on to the pitch, I was in heaven with my gods.Bill Kenwright
      But it was perhaps his first love, football, that inspired him most.
      A director at Everton from 1989, he became club chairman in 2004 and remained so until his death.
      The club shone a light into his lonely childhood.
      He said: “I was more timid than shy but I could go on my own to Goodison as a kid because I felt safe there.
      “When Dave Hickson and that team ran out on to the pitch I was in heaven with my gods. It gave me a feeling of absolute safety.”
      He married Anouska Hempel, the actress turned society hotelier and interior designer, in 1978, only to divorce after less than a year.
      There followed a long relationship with actress Virginia Stride, now 87, which produced daughter Lucy, now 45 and a successful TV producer with two children.
      But his true love and partner for his last three decades was actress Jenny Seagrove who he met at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1993 when she was starring in Noel Coward play Present Laughter.
      She said in 2017: “Bill’s a force of nature, larger than life.
      “It’s a privilege to live with him. He’s got the biggest heart of anybody I’ve ever met. He’s made me a better person.”
      She added: “I’ve made him feel safe, given him the confidence to dive off that high board.”
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      A self-confessed workaholic, Bill was worth an estimated £33million — but lived for passion, rather than money and its trappings.
      He said: “I never see myself retiring, not at all.”
      Bill married and divorced Anouska Hempel – an actress turned society hotelierCredit: Rex
      Bill said: ‘I was a timid child but I could go on my own to Goodison Park because I felt safe there’Credit: Handout More

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      Bill Kenwright’s partner Jenny Seagrove shares tribute to ‘my darling Bill’ as Everton FC chairman and Corrie star dies

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      BILL Kenwright’s partner Jenny Seagrove has shared a tribute to “my darling Bill” after the Everton FC chairman and Corrie star died.Kenwright’s death aged 78 following a cancer battle was announced by his “devastated” family, including Jenny and his daughter Lucy.
      Bill Kenwright has died, with tributes flowing for the popular Everton chairmanCredit: Reuters
      His partner Jenny Seagrove paid tribute to him
      Posting on Twitter, Jenny said: “I lost my darling Bill last night”.
      The ex-Corrie star went under the knife in August this year when the growth was found in his liver.
      Kenwright was forced to stay in intensive care for longer due to complications in the procedure.
      But he was told he was allowed to continue his treatment at home and was released from hospital earlier this month.
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      Kenwright’s family said he passed away “peacefully” last night surrounded by his loved ones after a “long battle with illness”.
      Everton also paid tribute to their chairman, saying: “Everton Football Club is in mourning following the death of Chairman Bill Kenwright CBE, who passed away peacefully last night aged 78, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
      “Everton’s longest serving chairman for more than a century, Bill Kenwright led the Club through a period of unprecedented change in English football.
      “A lifelong Evertonian, he became a board member on October 23, 1989, and then on Boxing Day 1999 his True Blue Holdings consortium acquired the Club. Initially vice-chairman, he succeeded his close friend Sir Philip Carter as Chair in 2004.
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      “In his 19 seasons as Chairman, the Club secured 12 top eight finishes, including a top four finish in 2005, a run to the 2009 FA Cup final and European qualification on 6 separate occasions.
      “The club has lost a chairman, a leader, a friend, and an inspiration. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Everton are with his partner Jenny Seagrove, his daughter Lucy Kenwright, grandchildren and everybody who knew and loved him.”
      Everton previously told how Kenwright had been carrying out his club duties still even while recuperating from his op.
      He has been chairman of the Toffees since 2004 after first joining the board in 1989.
      Kenwright was also one of the UK’s most successful theatre producers.
      His most famous productions include in West End hit Blood Brothers and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
      Kenwright was also a judge on the 2007 BBC series Any Dream Will Do.
      The former actor, who had a role in Coronation Street in 1968, was in a relationship with theatre star Jenny Seagrove.
      He was previously married to actress Anouska Hempel from 1978 to 1980 and then went on to date Virginia Stride, who he shares a daughter and two grandchildren with.
      His family said: “Bill was driven by his passions and devoted his life to them; his deep love of theatre, film, music and his beloved Everton, and the families they created.
      “He impacted the lives of thousands, whether that be through the launching of careers or his unending loyalty, generosity and unfaltering friendship and support.
      “In a multi-award-winning career spanning six decades, Bill produced over 500 West End, Broadway, UK touring and international theatre productions, films and music albums. His impact on the arts industry has been profound.
      “During his time as majority shareholder and Chairman of Everton FC, Bill led the Club through a period of unprecedented change in English football.
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      “We will remember him with huge love and admiration – the shows will of course go on, as he would have wished, and his towering legacy will continue.
      “A celebration of Bill’s life and career will be announced in due course. At this very difficult time we ask for privacy and respect for Bill’s family and friends.” More

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      Duncan Ferguson back in Scottish football as former Rangers star returns after exile of almost 30 years

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      DUNCAN Ferguson is back in Scottish football – some 30 years on from his controversial departure.It’s a sensational return to the Scottish game for the former Dundee Utd, Rangers, Newcastle and Everton man – who has been appointed manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
      Duncan Ferguson is back in Scottish football after a break of almost 30 yearsCredit: Getty
      Inverness Caledonian ThistleCredit: SNS
      The striker left the Ibrox men for Everton in October 1994 after a headbutt on Raith Rovers’ John McStay which led to a three-month prison sentence and a 12-game SFA ban.
      He went onto become a folk hero for both the Goodison Park side and Newcastle United.
      But he made only seven caps for his country and has never returned to Scottish club football – until now.
      He did his coaching badges with the SFA, although was always thought to be unhappy with how they dealt with his disciplinary issues.

      That’s because Inverness have chosen him as the man to take over from Billy Dodds and attempt to move them off the foot of the Championship table – and have handed him a 3-year deal.
      They wrote in a statement: “The club is delighted to announce the appointment of Duncan Ferguson as the new Manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club.
      “The Everton legend joins us on a 3-year deal following an extensive recruitment process which involved some truly excellent candidates.
      “Duncan has worked alongside some of the most respected and outstanding football coaches in the world in recent seasons and we are proud to have him join ICTFC as our new Manager.
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      “His professionalism, commitment and dynamic leadership skills shone through in our discussions, making him the stand out candidate.
      “Everyone at the club is looking forward to supporting Duncan as the hard work starts now and we hope every Caley Jag will now get right behind him and the team in what we are sure will be a thrilling journey.”

      Ferguson earned his coaching reputation as a long-term assistant at Everton – serving as caretaker boss on a couple of occasions for the club.
      Assistant manager role under first Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez, Ferguson found his maiden stint as a manager in his own right at Forest Green Rovers challenging.
      He won just one of his 18 matches in charge, being unable to prevent them from relegation from League One.
      He has been out of work since leaving the club on July 4.
      But he’s back in the game today, having been appointed to the top job at Caley Thistle with other names in the frame having been Morton boss Dougie Imrie and Celtic hero Scott Brown.
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page More

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      Everton ‘could be forced to SELL Jordan Pickford in January transfer’ as Premier League prepares huge takeover decision

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      EVERTON could be forced to sell one of their big name players if their takeover is blocked. Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri had agreed to sell the club to US investment firm 777 Partners in a deal said to be worth more than £500million.
      Everton could be forced to sell one of their big name players if their takeover is blocked – Jordan PIckford is probably the biggestCredit: PA
      But right now, Moshiri is not prepared to pump any more money into Everton and is relying on loans from 777 and MSP Sports Capital to cover mounting monthly losses.
      The businessman is worried the Premier League, FA and Financial Conduct Authority will not give the planned take over the green light.
      Doubt also persist on whether 777 Partners will pass the examination.
      Next month, Everton will appear before an independent commission for an alleged breach of the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play rules.
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      The club in March posted losses for a fifth successive year culminating in a deficit of £430m over that time period.
      It leaves Everton desperate to secure a substantial financial package to safeguard their future.
      According to the Daily Mirror, the Merseysiders will be open to selling their top stars in a bid to stay financially afloat.
      The likes of England keeper Jordan Pickford and star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be up for sale.
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      British-Iranian Moshiri has been seeking a way out of the crisis club since his business partner and Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov was sanctioned 17 months ago over his links to Vladimir Putin.
      But he has since confirmed in a letter to shareholders that he is willing to sell up.
      The deal is said to be worth more than half a billion pounds, according to the Telegraph.
      Everton owner Farhad MoshiriCredit: PA More

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      David Moyes reveals he had already agreed deal to take over Premier League rival a day before sealing West Ham return

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      DAVID MOYES has revealed he came within a whisker of rejoining Everton.A Toffees deal was ‘done’ in December 2019, according to the Scot.
      David Moyes was close to returning to Everton but instead took over West Ham, who suffered their first Prem loss of the season vs Man City on SaturdayCredit: PA
      Moyes said: “When I was being offered the West Ham job, I had actually been in Germany with Farhad Moshiri to take the Everton job.
      “The phone rang and it was David Sullivan — in the middle of the meeting with Everton. I had to say, ‘I can’t speak just now’.
      “But Carlo Ancelotti was sacked by Napoli that night and they changed tack, even though I was due to sign the day before — I had told David.
      “But the next day Everton didn’t make more contact so I phoned David and said, ‘If it’s still there . . . ’.
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      “And it couldn’t have gone better — it was the right choice.”
      Last season Moyes guided the Hammers to their first trophy since 1965.
      Jarrod Bowen pounced in the 90th minute to sink Fiorentina 1-0 in the Europa Conference League final in Prague.
      And West Have have continued their revival this term.
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      Only Manchester City’s 3-1 comeback victory at London Stadium ended the Hammers’ unbeaten start to the Prem campaign.
      James Ward-Prowse’s diving header was overturned by the champions’ triple strike after the break.
      Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland gave Pep Guardiola’s 2022-23 Treble winners their fifth win in five Prem matches this season. More