West Brom points deduction news: £1m revelation, ‘ridiculous’ claim made, EFL punishments | OneFootball

FLW rounds-up the latest news surrounding a potential points deduction for the Baggies.

While West Brom may have mathematically secured Championship safety, concerning off-the-field issues could drag them back into the relegation mire.

The Baggies’ 3-0 victory over Watford in midweek stretched their unbeaten run under interim boss James Morrison to nine games, leaving them eight points clear of the dropzone with just two games remaining, at the time of writing.

However, that could be reduced through a potential points deduction, after The Telegraph’s John Percy stated that the Black Country outfit had been charged by the EFL with an alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules during the 2024-25 campaign.

West Brom have since responded that they have fully complied within the rules and haven’t made any breaches, with a hearing expected later this month to resolve the issue.

Of course, all connected will be sweating over the outcome of this, with the club unsure whether they can celebrate Championship survival just yet.

With this in mind, FLW rounds-up the latest news surrounding the saga at The Hawthorns.

Kieran Maguire makes £1m claim over West Brom, EFL breach

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has claimed that the breach by West Brom is likely to be very minor, suggesting that they are around £1 million over the EFL’s threshold at most.

He believes this will lead to a minor punishment, and they won’t be docked as many points as Leicester City were, if found guilty.

Via the BBC, Maguire said: "I did my calculations, and I don't have intricate data, and I got the impression Albion were perhaps no more than £1 million over the limit.

"Albion have been working hand-in-hand with the EFL, they've had to comply with a business plan so that might be seen as co-operating, but strictly, if you are over the limit, then there has to be [referral to a] commission.

"But there's a separate issue in that we are almost at the end of the season, and it's not fair on Albion, and it's not fair on the other clubs that are in the relegation dog fight as well.

"A: whether there is going to be a charge. B: whether they are innocent or guilty. C: whether the tariffs are going to be applied before the end of the season.

"I think a lot of these unknowns are creating a lot of stress and distress for clubs and fans and owners and everyone connected."

Stefan Borson blasts EFL, West Brom charge timing as ‘ridiculous’

Football finance expert Stefan Borson has also spoken on West Brom’s financial situation, questioning why the EFL have only brought a sanction against West Brom with a few weeks remaining in the Championship season, suggesting it’s left the league in a ‘ridiculous’ situation.

He believes that a rushed outcome of this investigation could lead to the Baggies not accepting any ruling, particularly given how long it took to come to a decision the Leicester City case, as the Foxes were docked six points in February for a similar PSR breach.

“It’s just ridiculous,” said Borson, via Football Insider.

“You’ve already got the situation with Leicester.

“I just can’t understand how it’s got to this stage, and how the information is only now available to them at this stage.

“I’m sure the EFL is saying, ‘Well, let’s do an expedited process so we can we can find out whether you are going to be deducted points’.

“But why would West Brom accept that? They don’t have to.

“I’m sure that they will say, ‘No, we needed the appropriate time to prepare for the case to get submissions in, to get the witness statements, to get availability of the right K.C.’, so they’re going to try and slow it down.

“That’s just for the initial hearing.

“You’re then asking the panel to come up with effectively a quick decision and a quick penalty, which they can do.

“But again, West Brom may be entitled to say, ‘Well, there’s no reason why we should be asking them to accelerate everything beyond their ordinary position.”

Array of EFL punishments outlined in West Brom case

While West Brom await to hear their fate against an alleged breach, it has come to roost about the different types of punishments the EFL could hand out.

A report by Leicester Mercury’s Jordan Blackwell has revealed the total of the points deduction increasing dependent on how much money has been lost over the EFL’s threshold.

Of course, the dispute, reported by Sky Sports, is over £5m worth of interest payments to the club’s former owner Guochuan Lai.

The report from Leicester Mercury outlines that if this case does depend on a £5m payment, West Brom can only have breached the loss limit by a maximum of £5m, although the actual figure could well be lower than that.

And as per the EFL’s sentencing guidelines, a £5m breach would be worthy of a five-point deduction. A breach of £2m to £4m is punished with a four-point deduction, and if it’s under £2m, then it’s three points.

However, strong co-operation and good behaviour can see a punishment reduced in mitigation, so it remains unclear how heavy the EFL could go if they find a good enough reason to declare the Baggies guilty of breaching the rules.

Meanwhile, another report by the Mirror claims that there are two other options the EFL could go down other than a points deduction.

It’s believed a transfer ban and a fine are also on the table, provided the Baggies are found guilty and are unsuccessful in any possible appeal.

But with the likes of Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Everton and Nottingham Forest all receiving points deductions in the Championship and Premier League respectively in recent times, means that this form of punishment is the most likely route that the EFL will go down to punish Albion.