Kieran Maguire has revealed that the EFL’s charges against West Bromwich Albion may have been wrong, in a move that could have a major impact on the Championship’s relegation battle.
West Brom charged with profit and sustainability violations
West Brom’s tough season could get even tougher after they were accused of breaching the EFL’s P&S rules with four games remaining.
If they receive points deductions at this stage of the campaign, their chances of survival will be drastically reduced, as was the case with Leicester City earlier in the campaign.
As it stands, the Baggies are two points from the drop zone and are keen to avoid a ban until next season after issuing a statement on the matter.
“West Bromwich Albion confirms media reports regarding the club’s compliance with the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) Regulations. The Club believes it is fully compliant with the P&S Regulations.”
“The club continues to work with the EFL’s club financial reporting department and looks forward to resolving this matter. The Albion understands the concerns of its supporters and would like to thank them for their unwavering support of the team, whose success on the pitch in the final four games of the season is our absolute priority.”
“It would not be appropriate for the club to comment further at this stage.”
What’s more, according to John Percy of the Telegraph, who first broke the news of the breach, West Brom’s attempt to have the ban postponed until next season may fail.
The charges arrive after they exceeded the limit by around £16m, meaning they had recorded losses worth £55m over three years. It would be a huge blow if West Brom were punished at this stage, but financial expert Kieran Maguire has provided a new development on this front.
Maguire talks about latest developments in West Brom scandal
In an interview with BBC Sport, Maguire gave his opinion on the West Brom incident and revealed a possible ‘mistake’, which of course means no point deductions and will have a huge impact on the likes of Portsmouth, Oxford United and Leicester City.
How many points could West Brom be deducted and when will the penalty be decided?
West Brom insists it is in full compliance with profit and sustainability regulations.
A financial expert said: “I’ve heard through the grapevine that this had nothing to do with the club, but they seem to think that someone somewhere may have made a mistake in adding or subtracting numbers.
“I think this is more of a mess than a conspiracy. I don’t think there was some grand plan for West Bromwich Albion to overspend.”
Kieran Maguire’s West Brom verdict
WBA limit exceeded by no more than 1 million pounds
It’s unfair to the WBA and other clubs at this stage of the season.
The situation may still be an administrator error
If that is the case and West Brom believe someone has made a mistake, the next few weeks will definitely be interesting. The Baggies’ Championship status, which is above the relegation zone, could be thrown into greater doubt than ever due to their actions off the pitch.
It would also be very worrying if all three clubs that were relegated to the Second Division were given financial-related penalties on the way to being relegated to League One.
