Everton fans plan to fly plane over the Etihad to protest points deduction

A lot of eyes will be on the Etihad stadium this Saturday as Manchester City host Liverpool in a match that could have enormous ramifications for the Premier League title race. And that's exactly why a group of Everton supporters have chosen it as the venue for a protest against their recent points deduction.

In a move to protest the club's 10-point deduction for breaches of financial fair play rules, fan group The 1878s is in the process of organising a plane to be flown over the stadium to convey a message to the Premier League.

Last Friday marked a significant moment in Premier League history as the Toffees became only the third team to incur a points deduction, having been found guilty of breaching profitability and sustainability regulations.

Under Sean Dyche's stewardship, the side had been comfortably positioned in the mid-table. However, the subsequent 10-point deduction has seen them plummet to 19th.

Goodison, not an option

Responding to "a lot of requests", the supporters group had initially sought to fly a plane over Goodison Park on Sunday night during their clash with Manchester United.

However, with the kickoff scheduled during the hours of darkness, plans shifted gears towards a different approach.

On the ground, a boisterous atmosphere is to be expected at Goodison on Sunday. However, in the skies, attention will instead now be drawn to the clash between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad stadium on Saturday.

Organisers hope that it will capture the attention of millions of viewers across the globe who will be tuning in to witness this high-stakes encounter.

Message not yet revealed

The announcement of the plan was published on X on Tuesday afternoon but didn't disclose what the final message would be. However, the group said that it would release an image of the banner once it's completed.

Whether the banner will be picked up by broadcasters during the top-of-the-table clash remains to be seen.