Charlton Athletic consider legal action as Sheffield Wednesday’s 12-point penalty enforced next season
Charlton Athletic are weighing up taking legal action after Sheffield Wednesday were hit with a 12-point ban that doesn’t take effect until next season.
If the penalty had been applied for the current campaign it would have seen the Owls relegated to League One instead of the Addicks.
An independent disciplinary panel dished out the punishment after finding that Wednesday breached rules by including the sale of their Hillsborough home in their 2017-18 accounts despite the stadium being sold a year later.
Charlton issued a statement on Friday night. It said: “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.”
An EFL statement said: “The sporting sanction will take 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.”
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