Athletic threatening legal action over points FREE BET
CHARLTON Athletic are threatening legal action after confirmation that Sheffield Wednesday’s points deduction will come into force next season.
The Owls were docked 12 points on Friday night, but rather than be enforced immediately the deduction will come into play at the start of next season.
That has understandably angered the Addicks, who suffered relegation from the Championship on the final day of the season.
Lee Bowyer’s side finished eight points below Wednesday in the table, meaning they’d have been spared the drop had the deduction come into force immediately.
Charlton are now threatening legal action.
A statement says: “The club is considering a legal challenge following the news that Sheffield Wednesday will receive a sporting sanction that will take effect in the 2020/21 season.
“Sheffield Wednesday were charged in November 2019 for breaching the EFL’S Profitability and Sustainability Rules for the three-season reporting period ending with Season 2017/18.
“We fail to understand why the deduction will take place next season rather than the current season, which seems to be irrational, and are writing to the EFL to get an explanation of the justification.
“The club will keep fans updated on any further action.”
Wednesday were charged with breaching the EFL’S Profitability and Sustainability rules back in November, with clubs then facing an eight-month wait for the sanction.
The punishment relates to the Owls’ sale of Hillsborough to owner Dejphon Chansiri in an attempt to stay within FFP rules.
Wednesday sold their stadium to a company owned by Chansiri for £60m to help them record a pre-tax profit of £2.5m for 2017/18.
While the stadium sale was included in the 2018 accounts, the equity was not transferred until a year later, which led to the charge.
Had the stadium sale not been included, they would have posted a pre-tax loss of £35.4m, which would have put them over the permitted spending threshold over the course of three seasons.
A statement from the FA on Friday night said: “An independent disciplinary commission, appointed under EFL Regulations, has ruled that Sheffield Wednesday will receive a 12 point deduction for breaching the league’s Profitability and Sustainability rules for the three-season reporting period ending with season 2017/18.
“The sporting sanction effect in season 2020/21.
“The club was charged in November 2019 and referred to an independent disciplinary commission, which conducted a full hearing at the end of June 2020, before finding the club guilty based on the fact that the club should not have included profits from the sale of Hillsborough Stadium in the club’s financial statements for the period ending July 2018.
“The club was found not guilty of a further charge of breaching its duty of utmost good faith to the EFL by deliberately concealing information from the league in respect of filings made in respect of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules.”
The Owls then responded with their own statement.
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“Sheffield Wednesday acknowledges the decision of the independent disciplinary commission announced today.
“The club is extremely disappointed that the commission has imposed a 12-point deduction to be applied next season and awaits the written reasons for this decision.
“The club welcomes the decision that the commission cleared Sheffield Wednesday of the charge of acting in bad faith in its dealings with the EFL.
“Further, the commission decided not to apply a 12-point deduction this season, thereby imposing relegation.
“The club will await the written reasons for the sanction and upon receipt will digest and consider the full detail with its legal advisers before making any further comment.”