Fans' It is unlikely that the posters will be able to persuade the Premier League to overturn Everton's 10-point penalty. Photo: Getty Images/Sean Botterill
“Corrupt,” screamed a banner on Goodison Street, and it became the constant refrain of the day. «Premier League, we are coming for you.» But how? Everton fans' desire to undo the grave damage caused by a 10-point deduction is unlikely to be best met by opaque threats of mass mobilization.
Despite all the emotion in the stands, a rescue operation can only be achieved through demonstration disobedience on the field. And this, judging by the ease with which Manchester United won with a score of 3:0, is far from guaranteed.
Everton have suffered a deep injury, that's obvious. The problem is that no one seems to have a clear idea about the cure. Hours before kick-off, fans marched past the Royal Oak pub on the corner of Spallow Lane under the slogan «All Together Now». A two-page letter was distributed in the press room on behalf of Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and Everton season ticket holder, accusing the Premier League of «abuse of process» and calling for the club to be punished for being declared void.
But when Alejandro Garnacho put out house fires with his stunning bicycle kick, those statements sounded less like clarion calls and more like impotent screams of rage. The crowd burst into action, jeering and hissing as soon as they spotted the Premier League logo. Some of the most hostile treatment was experienced by poor teenagers who carried out posters with the hated lion logo. Then came a magnificent overhead kick — «mundane» as Sean Dyche admitted — and all the air seemed to come out of the ground.
It was a brutal turnaround for a place that was already in crisis. At one point, 35,000 fans mobilized to deliver a message the Premier League would not soon forget. The next time they watched Garnacho run away after the contender for the best goal of the season. “We will not be moved,” they chanted in the streets. «You can't ignore us.» It was a remarkable blowback and the latest act of coordinated fury over the weekend when a light plane flew over Etihad to ask why Manchester City, accused of more than 100 financial improprieties which they strenuously deny, were not given harsher punishment. A group of Everton 1878 supporters have raised more than £40,000 to fund the protests.
But amid the sound and fury, the pitiless reality of the relegation battle began to be felt. Dyche felt it as Everton's meek second-half retreat underlined the scale of the task ahead. “We all know the news, but despite all the words we may use, it is a fact that can be appealed,” he said. “Connecting with our fans will be very important. We can cry about it, but this is the situation, so let's continue.”
The mood here did not reflect the manager's acceptance of the circumstances. Anger was running high, starting with the booing of the Premier League anthem and peaking with the mass waving of placards reading «Corrupt» in the 10th minute, a time meant to symbolize the number of points scored. Some hit the huge sheets of metal surrounding the stands. Other people near Goodison Park set off fireworks, a curious pyrotechnic way of expressing their displeasure.
The giant sheet on Gwladys Street bore the words: “Where there is power, greed and money, there is corruption.” While it sounded like a universal truth, it felt like Everton were preaching to the converted. “Corruption” was not an accusation they could level at the Premier League — not considering the club had already admitted breaching profit and sustainability rules by exceeding its allowed losses by £19.5 million. Hearing the word «replay» from every corner of the stadium was to wonder if these fans had a backup plan, a more productive way to express their grievances.
Everton's protests would have had a greater impact if the club had not admitted its wrongdoing. Photo: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt
They feel that an indecent act has been committed against them. Dyche, even if he went out of his way to encourage some dose of pragmatism, did his best to champion their cause. “I can't get involved in something that's outside my area of expertise, but the number of Everton players supporting the club shows a sense of injustice,” he said. This was the theme of the day — the idea of injustice. At every stage, supporters acted as if nefarious forces beyond their control were conspiring against them. Referee John Brooks drew particular ire for not giving United a yellow card before the end of the first half, making him an enemy of the state.
You feared for Brooks' welfare when it came to checking the monitor Ware for a potential penalty, which he ultimately handed out for Ashley Young's trip on Anthony Martial. The proximity of the crowd to the touchline is part of Goodison's timeless appeal. But not in such a hectic environment. The longer the referee hesitated, the more the stewards had to restrain the offended fans, who knew what was coming. By the time Martial polished off the third, some had already taken off into the cold autumn night. Indignation at the winding path ahead gave way to a weary fatalism.
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