12 point deduction rumours as EFL talks continue

TALKS between Derby County and the EFL are continuing as they look to settle their long-running row.

The Rams were charged in January 2020 over breaches of spending rules and in the August an independent disciplinary commission cleared the club of any wrongdoing.

The following month, September 2020, the EFL announced it would appeal against the dismissal of a second charge over the club’s policy on “amortisation of intangible assets” - how the Rams measured the value of players over the length of a contract.

The appeal resulted in a £100,000 fine in June this year and Derby were instructed to resubmit accounts for the 201516, 2016-17 and 2017-18 financial years.

The deadline to resubmit accounts was Tuesday and the EFL issued the following statement: “Further information was filed ahead of today’s deadline and this is currently under review by the EFL Executive. Until this process has been concluded, there will be no further comment on the matter.”

The Daily Telegraph claims a deduction of 12 points – nine points plus a suspended three points – and an imposed business plan has been discussed.

The report says that this is yet to be agreed, adding: “The question now is whether Mel Morris, the Derby owner, reluctantly accepts the EFL’s proposed punishment or, as expected, challenges it. Derby have always maintained they did not seek any competitive advantage with their amortisation policy.”

The EFL says it does not comment on individual cases, while Derby’s stance has not changed in that it is not discussing or commenting on what is an ongoing case as they are bound by the independent disciplinary commission.

The Rams continue to operate under a transfer embargo which restricts them to signing free agents or short-term loans although they are currently unable to do either as they have their full quota of 23 players of ‘professional standing’.