West Brom Independent Supporters’ Trust seeks EFL clarity after financial charge | OneFootball

West Brom’s Independent Supporters’ Trust has asked the EFL for clarity after the club was charged over financial rules.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the group has written to the governing body and plans to update fans in due course.

The charge follows a compliance report from the club financial reporting unit and relates to the three-year cycle ending 2024/25. Albion’s lawyers will attend a hearing to contest it. The club insists it has complied with profit and sustainability regulations and wants the matter resolved.

The issue is believed to involve historical operational loans late in former owner Guochuan Lai’s tenure, including two from US firm MSD Holdings totalling £28million. Current owner Shilen Patel has vowed to repay them by December’s deadline. It is claimed the PSR debate centres on £5m interest that Albion believed was liable to owners Bilkul, not the club.

If Albion are found guilty of a breach, which is thought to be minor above the permitted £41.5m losses over three seasons, a points deduction could follow. That could threaten their Championship status at this late stage.

The Trust is independent of the club and separate from the Albion Assembly and the Fan Advisory Board, which launched last October. It held its first meeting last November.

EFL processes on financial discipline are described as strictly private and confidential. Exact timeframes are unclear, though it is understood there was external suggestion of a potential infringement at the start of April. A hearing must be held within 28 days of the CFRU report and is expected by the end of April, and any sanctions must be enforced the season after the breach, meaning before this season ends.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com