Clubs in the Championship are appealing for a heavy points deduction for Sheffield Wednesday if the club is found guilty of misconduct.
Sheffield Wednesday Could Face Points Deduction
Misconduct Charge
The charge for Sheffield Wednesday relates to the sale of their Hillsborough stadium to the club’s owner, Dejphon Chansiri. The ground was sold to Chansiri for £60 million in the 2017/18 season.
Wednesday were then charged by the EFL in November and will face an independent disciplinary commission before the end of the season. However, the club believe that the charge is unlawful and they have appealed the decision made by the EFL.
The league’s guidelines state that a 12 point deduction can be given to teams depending on the size of the financial failure. However, fellow Championship clubs are appealing for a heftier punishment to be handed out, as the EFL can deduct a further nine points for “aggravated circumstances”.
The 71 EFL clubs will meet later this month and it is expected that the issue of profit and sustainability for clubs will be high on the list of topics.
Deduction Could be Disastrous
Wednesday currently sit 12th in the Championship table having not won in the league since January 11. This is after they had been one of the outsiders for a play-off place earlier in the season, owing to their excellent form.
If the Owls were to have the ‘maximum’ of 12 points taken off them at this moment, they would be one place above the relegation zone – two points above Wigan Athletic. However, if the EFL deems this move to sell the ground an aggravated breach, it will almost certainly spell the end of Wednesday’s time in the Championship.
They would still be above Barnsley in the table, but given their current form and the likely effect a huge deduction would have on them, it’s highly probably that Wednesday would be unable to recover and will be starting next season in League One.
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