Interim chief executive Colin Chong has vowed that the club, players, staff and fans “will stick together” and will be “standing up for Evertonians and our great club” after Everton were handed the biggest points deduction in English top-flight history.
Everton have spent more seasons in the English top flight than any other club (121 – some 11 more than nearest challengers Aston Villa) but will be appealing the decision by an independent commission to hand them an immediate 10-point deduction for a profit and sustainability charge that would see them drop from 14th in the table to 19th and only above bottom club Burnley on goal difference.
Chong – who has been interim CEO since June after Denise Barrett-Baxendale stepped down along with fellow board members Graeme Sharp and chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles – in addition to being the chief stadium development officer, expressed his disgruntlement with the verdict in a video message through the club’s official media channels.
READ MORE: Everton hit with 10 point deduction but will appeal Premier League punishment
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He said: “Myself and everybody at the club are shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League commission. We believe the sanction is disproportionate and wholly unjust.
“The club’s view is that the harshness and severity of this punishment are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence that was submitted to the commission. For that reason, the club intends to appeal the outcome before the Premier League Appeals Board.
“This is a sporting sanction that directly impacts supporters. The club, our players and staff and our fans will stick together in the face of what the club believes to be an unprecedented and disproportionate sanction.
“As we enter the next phase of this legal process, there is no further comment we can or will make. But rest assured, we will be standing up for Evertonians and our great club.”
