Everton may have signed up for the Super League if they’d been asked. They may have declined.
At this point it’s impossible to say. At this point, as the plans for a breakaway competition based on greed and closed-off competition coming tumbling down, it doesn’t really matter.
The manner in which the Gluttonous Six Premier League clubs have conducted themselves in the past couple of days is deplorable and already on Wednesday the charm offensive has begun. “We’re all really sorry about this, honestly.”
If only the owners of these clubs had picked up a phone or sent an email to any supporter to gauge the reaction to a potential closed off division being brought in. Blinded by their avarice they pressed on without doing so. They are not attuned to the values of their respective fanbases. That’s clear.
In a statement on Tuesday, Everton described it as “preposterous arrogance.” And they were absolute right.
Of course, being only second to Fulham in putting out a bulletin condemning the Super League and being the first to eviscerate it so strongly, there was a reaction to the club’s remarks from some murky corners of social media. “Just jealous you weren’t invited, aren’t you?”
Everton.
Created the first "in the community", engaging supporters on everything from mental health to education.
A club I never played for but still drops me a line to ask about MH initiatives.
So not surprised at all at their stance today.
Never change @Everton 💙 pic.twitter.com/bZD5oPQA18
— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) April 20, 2021
But Everton supporters can at least be content in the way in which the club opposed these plans with a full-court press.
In addition to the condemning words in the aforementioned statement on the website, there was a letter to supporters from CEO Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale and later in the day the club’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri made his opposition to the plans clear on national radio.
🇬🇧 “Every facet of this is against the idea of British football.”
😡 “This is six clubs attacking the PL & should be punished.”
🙏 “Football’s about competition, every club can outperform the other.”
Farhad Moshiri says the PL must deduct points from teams signed up to the ESL pic.twitter.com/uuPVuvCNrQ
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 20, 2021
Evertonians aren’t naive enough to think the people at the top of their club are not in this business to make money. For billionaires to become billionaires, there’s a degree of financial ruthlessness you must have and Moshiri is undoubtedly no different. But this was always a step too far.
The fans can be content that their club was one of the leading voices against these odious plans before the rug was pulled from underneath it and now the club will surely be one of the leading voices in calling for appropriate punishments. Regardless of the hypothetical situations and straw-man arguments that have been put forward since, that’s something that won’t be forgotten.