Former Everton CEO makes Premier League points deduction appeal prediction

Ex-Everton chief executive Keith Wyness says he’s “bullish” on the prospects of a positive outcome for his former club’s appeal against their Premier League 10-point deduction and reckons the Blues could even get all of their points back.

The ECHO understands Everton’s appeal against a harsher penalty than Portsmouth received for going into administration in 2009/10 took place between Wednesday, January 31 and Friday, February 2. The outcome of the appeal could be discovered this week.

Wyness, who was CEO of the Blues between 2004-09 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs, told Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast: “I’m bullish on a positive outcome close to Valentine’s Day – hopefully a bouquet of roses rather than the thorns we’ve been getting recently.

“I think the signs, which everyone is frantically looking for, show a bit of a change in the media narrative about a positive outcome for Everton.

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“The new lawyer, Laurence Rabinowitz KC, who has handled the appeal has put forward a really robust case. Interestingly, the clubs are told not to comment in any way during the process, yet the Premier League put out press releases and background briefings the night before the appeal.

“I think the league have got themselves in a real mess and the positive outcome would be a reduction in the points deduction. It may even go as far as taking the deduction away and replacing it with a suspended punishment.

“I think there may well be a fine instead of the deduction – that’s the only way the Premier League can save some face here