Southend given suspended three-point deduction for breaching EFL rules

Southend have been handed a suspended three-point deduction for breaches of English Football League regulations.

The League One club, who have also been fined £7,500, were punished by an independent disciplinary commission for late payments to players in December 2019 and February 2020.

They were also charged withfieldinganineligibleplayer in the league match against Lincoln on February 1.

A club statement said: "The club accepted the charges and submitted arguments in mitigation to explain the specific circumstances which led to the breaches occurring.

"The disciplinary commissionacceptedthesearguments and in reaching its decision noted in particular the club's previously "unblemished" disciplinary record.

"The deduction of three points has been suspended for the remainder of the 2019/20 seasonandthefirstsixmonths of 2020/21, and will only come into effect upon the club being found to have committed (or admitted) any further breaches. In addition, the club will be responsibleforpaymentofthe legal costs related to this hearing."

The Shrimpers are currently 22nd in League One, 16 points from safety ahead of next week's expected vote on ending the season.

*Tranmere’s alternative proposal for ending the EnglishFootballLeagueseasonhas been designed “specifically” to help them avoid relegation, according to the chairman of LeagueTwoclubForestGreen.

EFL clubs had until 2pm yesterday to submit their own plans for how to cut short the 2019-20 campaign, with the league itself in favour of a framework including promotion, relegation, a four-team play-offcompetitionandafinal table based on an unweighted points-per-game system.

Tranmere chairman Mark Palios has put forward an alternative where a ‘margin for error’ is built into the pointsper-game system, and only clubs who still occupy a promotion or relegation place after that has been factored in should go up or down.

The margin of error would open up the opportunity for more teams to compete in an expanded play-offs too, if they wished to. Dale Vince, the chairman of Forest Green, questioned the proposal, writing on Twitter: “Surprised to readthis.Tranmere’sproposal is complex and looks designed specifically for their circumstances – to avoid relegation. I see no equity or logic in it.”