Everton/Man U to be deducted points?

[JamezTheYido]

Man Utd and Everton facing questions over Howard absence
LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Manchester United and Everton could face a Premier League inquiry - with the possibility of a points deduction - into their deal for goalkeeper Tim Howard not to play in last week's league game between the two teams.
The American international moved to Everton on a season-long loan from United in July but the deal became permanent in February. Everton manager David Moyes said that United wanted the initial loan clause that he did not play against United kept in place for last Saturday's game at Goodison Park.
Everton were leading that match 2-0 after an hour until a blunder by stand-in keeper Iain Turner sparked a comeback as United won 4-2 to open a five-point lead over Chelsea.
That was extended to eight points with a 1-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday and the title will be secured on Sunday if Chelsea fail to win at Ars*nal.
However, Sunday's News of the World quoted a Premier League spokesman as saying league officials would be contacting United and Everton "as a matter of urgency" over the Howard deal.
While "exclusion clauses" are common in loan deals they are against Premier League rules for permanent transfers.
"Had such a clause been included in the transfer we would not have allowed it - it would have been a clear case of third party interference," the newspaper quoted the spokesman as saying.
The development comes as the case of third party interference at West Ham United threatens to have a major impact in the relegation issue.
West Ham beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 on Saturday to move out of the relegation zone. However, they could face a legal fight over their controversial signing of Argentine duo Carlos Tevez - who scored twice on Saturday - and Javier Mascherano, now at Liverpool.
Other clubs fighting relegation have been discussing the feasibility of legal action after West Ham were fined 5.5 million pounds - but not docked any points - for breaking league rules in the transfers.
Stuart Benson, a director of relegation-threatened Fulham, was quoted in the Sunday Express as saying that clubs who lost points to West Ham when Tevez was playing should have them reinstated.
"If that means completely refiguring the entire Premier League then so be it," he said. "Every point is worth millions."

[ventriloquist]

By the looks of things noone will get points deducted. They wern't man enough to take points from west ham so they won't take them of man u or everton

[Berba's girl]

Nah, can't see it happening... but boy oh boy it would make the end of the season really exciting for the neutral if it did!

[Rob]

I think it is bs. Since howard is still a loan signing with them and will become a permanent transfer at the end of the season, he was not able to play against his own team. These are premiership rules that a player on loan cannot play against its parent club.

[JamezTheYido]

The prem is a farce

[taimedowne]

There is no case to answer. The deal couldn't be made permanent in Febuary as the transfer window was closed. They could only have agreed to make it permanent when the window opens again at the end of the season. Therefore Howard is still a Utd player until next week .It's a shame really as I would have loved to see Sir Alecs face if he had lost the League on a technicality.

[McCoy]

The FA have cleared both clubs of any wrong doing.
 
Sky Sports
A statement from the Premier League said: "At the time of Tim Howard's permanent transfer from Manchester United to Everton, the Premier League ensured there were no agreements in place that contravened our rules"

"As a result of recent comments we had sought further clarification from both clubs and are satisfied that it remains the case that there were no agreements that breached any of our rules"