With Everton, there seems to never be a quiet day at the moment.
If it’s not news on their recent ten-point deduction then it’s an update about their appeal, or similarly, it will instead be regarding the compensation that other clubs are seeking to secure after such a punishment.
Nothing is ever simple, and certainly nothing is ever easy. But, for Evertonians, that’s just the way it goes.
Unpredictability now goes hand in hand with the Toffees, and like it or not that is the way things have been for a while now. The same can even be applied to their recent plight, with few expecting such a severe sanction to be upheld by the Premier League and its independent commission.
They will be hoping for more surprises when they lodge their appeal, which Andy Burnham has backed wholeheartedly.
As the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a devout fan of Everton, he boasts the knowledge and the profile to defend the club on a grand scale. However, even he saw his voice silenced by Sky Sports, who reportedly did not air an interview in which he implored the division to see reason.
Well, financial expert Kieran Maguire has now come out to suggest why, speaking on The Price of Football podcast.
He noted: ‘I think what was interesting… but by all accounts, Sky did record an interview with the Mayor of Manchester and also Everton fan Andy Burnham and then they decided not to broadcast this, which I think has upset Andy, I think it’s upset Evertonians.
‘And people were saying: well why is this? Ultimately, it comes down to money, because the Premier League is in the process of deciding how to award the domestic broadcasting rights from 2024 onwards.
‘We know that there’s going to be more matches made available and Sky wants as many of those matches as possible. So, I think Sky doesn’t particularly want to be seen to be siding with an individual, or individuals, who are critical of the Premier League.’
Why did Sky Sports not cover Everton’s protest against the deduction?
There are a number of reasons why Sky Sports might have chosen to quell the furore surrounding Goodison Park last Saturday, most notably the one that Maguire mentions.
Cash is king for these organisations, and whilst the Premier League have the power to distribute it, they will have the broadcasters largely in the palm of their hands.
Having chartered a plane to fly a banner over Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City earlier in the day, it was outlined that they opted against showing it live on TV as it was deemed irrelevant to the clash.
An arguable point, but one that makes some sense.
However, to completely ignore the various happenings on Merseyside later in the day just showcased their agenda and nullifies that previous suggestion.
A sea of pink corrupt signs merely scratches the surface of the chants and banners that went on that day, of which was barely mentioned.
Having silenced such a huge protest, it should come as no surprise that Burnham too fell foul of their practices.
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