Merseyside’s most senior politician has written to the chief executive of the Premier League to raise concerns over the 10 point deduction handed to Everton.

The club was hit with the unprecedented penalty on Friday for a single breach of the league’s financial regulations. An independent commission found the Blues lost £124.5m over the financial period covering four years to July 2022, £19.5m above the permitted threshold.

The punishment dropped the club into the relegation zone and was met with shock and dismay by Everton, which accepted guilt but argued the failure to comply was due to a number of unforeseen circumstances and that the club had sought to engage with the Premier League once it became clear it faced difficulties.

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Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram has now joined the chorus of significant figures to have expressed concern over Everton’s punishment and has written to Premier League chief Richard Masters.

Mr Rotheram had signalled his intent to write to Mr Masters on Friday when he took to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, to describe the sanction as an “excessive and grossly unfair punishment for a single charge”. His Manchester counterpart, Liverpool-born Everton supporter Andy Burnham echoed his views, questioning whether the penalty was fair.

On Monday, Mr Rotheram released his letter, in which he expressed his “deep concern and opposition” to the severity of the punishment.

He wrote: “While I understand, and indeed support, the importance of maintaining discipline and upholding the integrity of the sport, it is crucial to ensure that any punitive measures are proportionate and just. I do not believe that this punishment fits the crime. The decision to deduct 10 points from Everton is excessive considering the club’s willingness and proactivity in collaborating with the Premier League to ensure all dealings were FFP compliant when it was clear they were close to breaching the rules.

“There are a number of mitigating factors in Everton’s transgression in relation to debt ceilings that are in effect geo-political and therefore outside of their control. As many people have pointed out, the punishment imposed appears severe for the charge in question and sets a new precedent. When compared with sanctions handed to other clubs for financial infringements it surpasses previous penalties. In 2010, when Portsmouth entered administration, a case of serious mismanagement, they were hit with only a nine point penalty. For falling into administration a second time in three years, in 2012, they faced a 10 point deduction. The implication that Everton’s actions are somehow more egregious is frankly, ludicrous.

“I completely support the club’s appeal and would urge you to take a more balanced approach and consider alternative forms of punishment that do not unfairly penalise the club's players and supporters. As a founding member of both the Football League and Premier League, Everton are an important part of the fabric of English football. They deserve to be treated fairly, justly and with respect.”