Former Liverpool mayor: Premier League and independent panel are 'COLLUDING'

Liverpool's former mayor has sensationally claimed that Everton are the victims of a plot to 'allow the damage to continue' by the Premier League and the panel reviewing their points deduction.

Joe Anderson claimed that the league and independent panel are 'colluding' and branded it 'inconceivable' that a verdict has not still been reached.

A decision is expected this week over Everton's appeal against a 10-point deduction they received in November for breaching Premier League spending rules.

'It is inconceivable that the three member panel reviewing the Premier League's decision to deduct 10 points from Everton have not reached a conclusion,' Anderson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

'We can therefore conclude that they are colluding with the PL allowing the uncertainty and damage to continue,' the lifelong Everton fan said, adding '#decisionnow.'

Everton sit 17th in the Premier League and are level on points with Luton in the drop zone but would be 12th without the deduction.

The Toffees were punished after being found to have exceeded permitted losses under the league's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) in the three seasons up to 2021-22.

Everton posted staggering financial losses of almost £372million over a three-year period and were given the stiffest points sanction in Premier League history.

Their loss is more than £250m above what the Premier League’s guidelines permit clubs to lose over a three-year rolling time frame.

The club indicated immediately that they would challenge the penalty, slamming it as 'wholly disproportionate'.

Current Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram has labelled the dock 'ludicrous' and wrote to the Premier League to express his 'deep concern and opposition' to it.

Everton will have the option