Keith Wyness in ‘no doubt’ over new points deduction
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has claimed there is “no doubt” the club will face another points deduction if found guilty of a further financial breach.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed the dispute over stadium costs is negatively affecting footballing matters.
Everton are currently in dispute with the Premier League regarding the status of certain costs associated with the building of their new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock and face a further independent committee hearing later this year.
Sean Dyche’s side were deducted two points for breaching the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) threshold by £16.6million for the 2022-23 campaign last month.
But the Premier League also alleged that Everton were not entitled to capitalise £17million in stadium interest payments in their accounts, an argument the club reject.
Everton could face new points deduction later this year, says Wyness
Wyness claimed the third hearing should find no fault with the Merseysiders if the payments were directly related to the new stadium build.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It would be another points deduction if it was proven, there’s no doubt.
“But I still think that if the auditors have approved these expenditures as directly related to the stadium, then they should be written off.
“This is now down to the world of really high-level definitions of accounting.
“I’m afraid I’m not quite at that level, to decide on the validity of these deductions.
“But the auditors at the club have approved it, so I have to believe that if the Premier League and Everton locked themselves in a room for one day – this could be resolved.
“It’s about interest on a stadium, not about football. That’s what really annoys me – we’re impinging dramatically into the realms of football.”
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