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Andy Burnham pens letter to Premier League following ‘abuse of process’ against Everton over points deduction

Burnham might be based here in Manchester but he's still fighting in the same corner as his Blues back home.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 27th November 2023

Mayor Andy Burnham has penned a letter accusing the Premier League of malpractice and “abuse of process” after they issued Everton with a points deduction for breaches of FFP earlier this month.

A lifelong Everton fan, the Mayor of Greater Manchester has lodged an official letter of complaint against the footballing body following his team’s punishment on 18 November, which included being docked an unprecedented 10 points in the table, leaving them in joint last place with Sheffield United.

The Aintree-born politician has now joined several others in contesting the top flight’s decision on the grounds that they decided to implement “new rules in the middle on an ongoing case” and that the independent commission is “flawed” in general.

Sharing his official complaint to the Premier League on social media, the 53-year-old equated their conduct during the investigation to an “abuse of process and regulatory malpractice”.

As the Labour MP details in the lengthy statement, the sanctions policy was changed as recently August (months after the investigation into Everton’s finances first began) and argues that the one “should have had one in place before it commenced these proceedings and established this Commission”.

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Burnham goes on to concede that while the Toffees must still answer for irregularities in their bookkeeping — the club largely attributing their losses to post-pandemic recovery and the money invested in developing the new stadium — the points deduction should be “null and void” until a full agreement on due process has been agreed by all clubs.

To a similar effect, he also asked whether at any point the sanctions regime has been submitted to the 20 teams and, if so, why they haven’t been consulted before now.

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He also questioned why their £20 million breach of profitability and sustainability rules is worth a 10-point deduction but going to administration, i.e. unable to pay your way and creditors full stop, is deemed to be worth nine in comparison.

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Everton fans have unsurprisingly left incensed by the Premier League’s decision with thousands of supporters protesting before their 3-0 loss to Manchester United on Sunday.

One thing that Andy Burnham’s letter doesn’t touch is also the Man City of it all, with countless football fans across the questioning raising an eyebrow as to why Everton have been charged but the blue side of Manchester has not despite their 115 charges.

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Although it is obviously a very complex case that won’t be resolved any time soon, in a nutshell, here are a few reasons why:

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Featured Image — Mayor of Greater Manchester (via X)/Everton (via Instagram)

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Olivia Dean at Albert Hall – star stuns in every way in Manchester

Abbie Bartlett Abbie Bartlett Olivia Dean at Albert Hall in Manchester with stunning silk silver dress on and six person band

24-year-old neo soul singer Olivia Dean was in Manchester last night performing her Mercury prize-nominated album effortlessly with a voice and style made for the stage.

Fans of the star have watched her go from strength to strength over the past year, from being nominated for three Brits, performing at Coachella and now preparing for this year’s Glastonbury festival.

As someone who frequents gigs like they’re going out of fashion, it’s a bold statement but I think this may be one of the best I’ve ever experienced, and Olivia Dean can only be described being a star.

Before we dive into the performance, it’s only fair to take a minute to shoutout what an incredible venue for music the Albert Hall is. The former Methodist hall projects and echos acoustics perfectly and the raised stage and balcony area mean everyone in the building has a good view.

It’s no surprise that given her recent success the show at the Albert Hall was a complete sell-out, appearing on stage in a stunning floor-length silk dress the sea of fans filled the venue with admiring applause.

Olivia looked stunning in a floor length dress.
The crowd was mesmorised.

With a seven-piece band behind her, the star jumped straight into an atmospheric UFO before a cheery ‘How are we Manchester?’ and raising a can of Red Stripe. She quickly follows with Ok Love You Bye – a track that gets the whole crowd singing along and contemplating their past love decisions (maybe that last bit was just me).

The singer seamlessly glided through her set with ease, tambourine in hand, wowing fans with gorgeous melodies and relatable lyrics.

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Gracefully sitting at the piano the room fell to silence as we heard Everybody’s Crazy and I Could Be a Florist, I’d predict I wasn’t the only person crying at this point.

As the evening rolled on and the songs kept coming the genuine talent Olivia has, not just as a singer but as a lyricist, had the crowd hooked on her every word. Of course she ends with Dive, the standout track from the album that perfectly depicts how it feels to fall in love.

Olivia Dean 2024 setlist

  1. UFO 
  2. Ok Love You Bye
  3. Echo
  4. Danger
  5. Cross My Mind
  6. Be My Own Boyfriend 
  7. What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?
  8. No Man 
  9. Messy
  10. Touching Toes 
  11. Everybody’s Crazy 
  12. I Could Be a Florist 
  13. Ladies Room 
  14. Reason to Stay 
  15. The Hardest Part
  16. Carmen

Saying her goodbyes with a ‘I’ve had such a lovely evening’ and telling the crowd how happy she is to be back home in the UK after recent shows in America.

Experiencing Olivia Dean at Albert Hall felt genuinely special, the star is destined for a life time of deserved fame but her voice was made to be experiences in an intimate venue. The opportunity to enjoy her talent in such a perfect venue was nothing short of a divine evening.

News

2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Marathon raises millions for city economy and local charity

Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.

This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.

As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.

Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.

The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.

Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie. 

Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.

Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.

The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.

Fundraising from the Manchester Marathon is one of it’s biggest upshots.

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This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.

This was a 20% increase on 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.

With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons. 

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Adidas Manchester Marathon/The Manc Group

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