I strongly suspect that I may have been in a minority of one amongst Evertonians, but I permitted myself a very small and silent cheer when the news came through this week of the slap on the wrist meted out by the Premier League to Chelsea.  

Now, I am as certain as any other Bluenose that the PL operates a two-tier level of justice when it comes to the likes of Chelsea and what Richard Masters infamously referred to as ‘smaller clubs’ such as Everton and Forest, so why the tiny bit of glee over the paltry fine?

Well, I knew that the reaction from our fans to the news would supply what has so far been the missing piece of the puzzle as we have settled into our new riverside home — a sense of grievance that could turn our ground into the bear-pit that Goodison could be.

Whereas the overwhelming reaction to Hill Dickinson has been very positive, there have been times when it has lacked a little of that great intangible, ‘atmosphere’.  I just had a feeling that following the news about their ‘punishment’ the (royal) blue touch paper would be lit on Saturday evening.

In truth, Goodison, for all that we loved the Old Lady, could be a bit of a library at times, as can just about any ground in the country.  The mood of the crowd could change in an instant, though.  Sometimes through a crunching tackle, such as Phil Neville on his former team-mate a few years ago; I can still picture the look of incredulity on Ronaldo’s face that anyone should subject him to such an indignity!

More often, though, it would be through a shared sense of grievance from the team and the crowd.  Remember how the intervention of VAR to have Allan’s yellow card upgraded to a red served to galvanise all in the stadium, players and fans.  

Alex Iwobi’s last-minute winner which followed was absolutely crucial in our staying up that year.  There have been many other occasions down the years when some other slight or injustice, perceived or genuine, have served to set things off.

It would be wrong not to acknowledge the terrific efforts of groups such as the 1878s in making the ground look great on matchdays, but as I say, our collective sense of grievance really did the trick on Saturday evening.

Given that our remaining home games include a Derby and also a game against serial offenders Manchester City, it looks as though there’ll be more opportunities to ratchet up the atmosphere further at HDS.


Reader Responses

Selected thoughts from readers
Certain off-topic comments may be removed to keep the discussion on track

1  Jim Potter
23/03/2026    07:53:30

Masters and his corrupt cohorts should hang their heads in shame.

Chelsea "gained no sporting advantage" - from signing 6 class players?!

Could the two tier system be any clearer?

Premier League corrupt as f...

2  John Tisdale
23/03/2026    11:31:29

A case of double jeopardy?

As fans we rightly carry the weight of injustice, as do those of Forest and Leicester. Whilst the performance and result on Saturday may have gone someways towards restoring the feel good factor it does not address the fundamental issue.

Let’s remember that we suffered “a sporting sanction “, correctly in the eyes of the PL, which resulted in a multi million pound loss of income as well.

The failure to hand down a similar sporting penalty to Chelsea means that their league position will be maintained and the PL effectively pays their fine.

Additionally it is entirely conceivable that Everton could finish sixth this season, behind Chelsea and City. A points deduction for those teams would then see us in fourth or fifth position and qualifying for the Champions League. If that did not happen we would be denied the substantial extra income and kudos at their expense. In other words we would be paying their fines for them.

Given the clear wrongdoing EFC should make it clear that if such a scenario occurs, they will take immediate legal action against either the PL, the clubs involved or all three. This issue has not been addressed by the game, the media or the so called independent regulator. It should not be allowed to be brushed quietly under the carpet. The voice of true fans must be heard. Remember Hillsborough.

3  Howard Poole
23/03/2026    15:31:41

The primary source of sadness is, in my eyes that Tony Killen's article needed to be written; that we should be looking for a 'silver lining' from the whole catalogue of corruption is an additional layer of ignominy.

This is far from an indictment of a concise article which airs important issues. I applaud it.

We should not be blinded to the true shameful views of the abominable, Teflon hierarchy by our 'little club' label.

NO club deserves the description as in a decent footballing world all members are equal.

I have no idea what the players themselves make of the matter but am delighted that those indefatigable fans who attend the games have a collective rallying cry which, despite its sordid source can inspire the team.

There will be occasions, maybe very soon when that support will make all the difference.

Regarding the game there can be no doubt as to our quality. we were excellent throughout.

My only reservation is that for the first half our our ball into the box was consistently poor; rarely penetrating past the first defender.

4  Kieran Fitzgerald
23/03/2026    16:28:11

Nothing will be done about it unless LFC lose out on a CL place. They may complain at that stage but I doubt it.

I thought it apt that there was no.comment section under the article when the BBC reported it. If the BBC, a neutral outlet, isn't opening the issue to debate, then for me there is little point to saying anything.

The best response from other clubs is that Villa this year get a CL place. Maybe Everton in the next couple of seasons could do it. Newcastle and Spurs have both been in the CL this season.

The bigger the pool of PL clubs qualifying for the CL the less chance of the bias occurring.

5  Jerome Shields
25/03/2026    01:33:01

Tony the Premier League did help save Everton Football Club, but it was a messy, inconsistent, and nearly catastrophic process. Blocking the 777 Partners takeover was arguably the League's most valuable intervention, and with that firm now facing fraud charges and collapse, it looks right.

But the sanctions that forced Moshiri to confront reality were a blunt instrument applied with unprecedented speed; they nearly caused the very relegation that would have financially destroyed the club, and fans endured two seasons of anxiety while their club was effectively used as a test case for new rules.

The Chelsea comparison doesn't hold up cleanly because Chelsea's cooperation came under a government-mandated sale with debts written off, whereas Everton's owner clung on until league pressure made his position untenable, leaving fans to fight through points deductions without the luxury of a clean reset.

Meanwhile, Manchester City are operationally well run, but their ability to use legal tenacity to delay and arbitrate while Everton were fast-tracked to punishment within weeks highlights the inconsistency that fuels fan grievance.

The protests that defined Everton's recent history were aimed mostly at the previous board and owner, with a dignified protest against the Premier League . Now that the board is gone and the new owners have brought competence, stability, and clear direction, the protests have stopped because the root cause of anger has been removed. But that is not the same as forgiveness. The grievance against the Premier League is dormant, not forgotten; it lingers in the knowledge that the regulator applied its rules with speed against Everton and delay against others. So yes, the Premier League intervened, and yes, the club survived, but saved implies a careful rescue when what actually happened was a near-death experience followed by survival despite the regulator's methods as much as because of them.

Fans are moving on because the football is that bit better, the owners are competent, and attention has finally returned to the pitch where it always belonged. That does not mean they have forgotten how close the club came to the edge or who they feel pushed them there.But I think what we will see is Evertonians getting behind a hardworking and good footballing team, with the exacerbated criticism they have always done and Scoucers` are famous for.I also think that Everton and Evertonians will be better for the experience .

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