Reading face points penalty

READING are set to be docked points for a second year in a row amid concerns they breached the terms of a business plan.

The Royals are 14th in the Championship — 13 points clear of the drop — but face a six-point penalty. They were deducted six points for failing to comply with financial rules last season, with a further six points suspended. That suspended penalty is now on the verge of being triggered.

It is understood the club have failed to cut their spending sufficiently to comply with a plan they agreed with the EFL. And should they also be found to have breached profit and sustainability rules for the latest period, they could get another six-point hit. That would plunge them into a relegation battle, but it is unlikely that such a penalty would apply to this season. Their previous punishment, from November 2021, came after losses of £57.8million — £18m more than the £39m threshold for a four-year period. They agreed to a finance plan, but the expenditure element is thought to have caused problems. They also failed to pay wages on time in November, which could lead to a separate deduction or another suspended penalty. The disciplinary process is yet to begin, with the EFL saying they are ‘currently reviewing submissions’. Had the initial six-point punishment not been suspended, Reading would have gone down instead of Peterborough.