Shock West Brom points deduction twist emerges | OneFootball

The Baggies have found themselves in hot water with the EFL over an alleged PSR breach

West Bromwich Albion's Championship season has been one of chaos on the pitch with three different permanent or interim head coaches, and now the Baggies find themselves in an unwanted off-pitch situation too.

The West Midlands side have been fighting to stave off a first relegation to League One level for the first time since 1993 as a result of largely poor form in the final weeks of Ryan Mason's tenure and the entirety of Eric Ramsay's, whilst interim boss, James Morrison, currently has his side seven matches unbeaten.

Despite a credible goalless draw against promotion-chasing Millwall at The Hawthorns in their last outing, other results across the weekend didn't exactly fall in the Baggies' favour, only adding to the tension felt by those associated with the B71 club as they sit two places and as many points above the Championship relegation zone with four matches to play.

However, a major shock emerged earlier in the week when it was reported that Albion had been accused of a 'minor' breach of the EFL's Profitability and Sustainability regulations, and, as such, the threat of a points deduction is very much in the air.

If applied, Morrison's side would be the third side in this season's Championship to be docked points, with Sheffield Wednesday being deducted 18 for two separate instances in late 2025, whilst Leicester City were hit with a six-point deficit in February for a well-documented PSR breach.

Unsurprisingly, much has been made out of the concerning situation, including a statement from West Brom as a club, and a fresh twist has now emerged in this saga which could have huge ramifications on the relegation battle.

Fresh twist emerges as West Brom face potential points deduction from the EFL

Shilen Patel is currently the Albion owner, having completed a £60m takeover back in February 2024.

Just months later, it was confirmed that the Baggies were to follow a strict business plan set by the EFL in an attempt to avoid breaching PSR regulations.

However, in a detailed report which outlined the alleged PSR breach, the Telegraph revealed that the club have made a loss of £55.6m since July 2022, far exceeding the three-year loss limit of £39m currently in the EFL regulations.

Albion have since reiterated a stance that they have implied with the PSR rules and that they are in close contact with the EFL's Club Financial Reporting Unit.

Whilst it has been claimed that they could be deducted two or three points, the saga may not be resolved until the end of the season, and Alan Nixon has since added further clarity to the situation.

The journalist has revealed that he has spoken to two 'well-informed Championship sources' who have offered their understanding of developments.

Both have claimed that the independent case relating to this hearing has already taken place, whilst it has also been added in the report that the Baggies hierarchy should have been made aware of this and, therefore, had the right to appeal.

It has also been claimed that the timing of the events are causing the EFL issues.

The report states that this situation can be somewhat compared to when Derby County received a fine - reportedly £100,000 - back in June 2021 after being found guilty of breaching PSR rules, although the punishment, this time, is expected to be a deduction.

In line with EFL guidelines, it has been well-documented that the deduction would have to be implied this season too, as the charges relate to West Brom's financial accounts for the 2024/25 campaign.

James Morrison and his West Brom players won't be pleased with the timing of PSR saga

As previously mentioned, the timing of the saga has only added fuel to the fire, with the club's Championship status far from guaranteed.

Morrison and his players have drastically improved their performance levels and results in recent weeks, taking points off the likes of Millwall, Southampton, Hull City and Wrexham - all of whom are still in promotion contention.

As such, it could be a huge psychological blow to know that their on-pitch efforts may not be enough to avoid the drop, but it may also be used as extra fuel to search for crucial wins that would mean a points deduction has no major impact aside from dropping places that are outside the bottom three.

Given the nature of how events have unfolded, it would be no surprise to see Albion fans share their frustrations in the stands as they face Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.