Everton, when they were handed their ten-point deduction, threw the Premier League into complete disrepute.
After all, it saw the harshest points penalty in top-flight history administered and left the rest of the division petrified to spend money for fear of being on the receiving end of such fury.
Few could fathom how they had come to such a severe conclusion, and even upon appeal the six points that remain stolen leave a sour taste in the mouth.
It clearly had an impact on those around the Toffees in the table too, as Andros Townsend has now outlined.
Andros Townsend on Everton’s PSR deduction
Speaking on Football Daily’s Monday Night Club, the former Everton winger has now offered a behind-the-scenes look into how Luton Town reacted to the shocking points deduction which stunned the football world.
It was a landmark ruling, and one which took many by surprise.
However, it seems Rob Edwards was unwilling to take the decision at face value, judging by what he did to his players in a team meeting.
Townsend revealed: ‘So we beat Brighton 4-0, and I think for the first time maybe all season, or definitely in a long while it took us outside the relegation zone. And the next time we were in the manager called a meeting.
‘The first thing he did was showed that table with Everton’s ten points back just to keep us grounded, keep level expectations, not let us get carried away so it was a great bit of man management and I’m sure we have to do the same again.
‘I made a joke of it, we don’t know what’s going to happen. Everton have got points back, Forest are appealing so they may get points back, Everton may get more points. Who knows? All this may get wrapped up the week before the end of the season so it’s all nonsense to be honest.’
Sean Dyche has a crucial run of fixtures coming up
Whilst a tactic that has clearly paid dividends, given the Hatters are certainly in with a fighting chance of survival despite having been written off earlier in the season, Everton have a run of Premier League fixtures coming up that should take them out of contention for the drop.
On paper, they boast by far the most comfortable run-in of those competing to escape the bottom three, but with their form at Goodison Park faltering, and Sean Dyche failing to get his side scoring regularly, the supposed ease of their next few games means little.
Travelling to AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United in the space of four days, this then ushers in the favourable run which many Evertonians will be relying on to secure their top-flight status.
Welcoming Burnley at home first should mark the easiest win of them all given their struggles, before also seeing Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Sheffield United come to Goodison Park, sandwiching in a trip to Luton Town too.
Facing all of the sides for whom they are competing against to escape relegation firmly puts their destiny in their own hands. It is therefore on them to make it happen.