Sheffield Wednesday's points deductions: Chelsea slammed as punishment emerges | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's litany of points deductions have been called into question following a record-breaking fine for Premier League giants Chelsea

Sheffield Wednesday became the latest club to receive a litany of widely-criticised punishments from the EFL earlier this campaign when a litany of deductions docked the Owls a cumulative 18 points.

The beleaguered Owls began the 2025/26 Championship campaign on -12 points owing to a failure to pay players on time under now-ex owner Dejphon Chansiri before seeing a further six shaved off in December, having since entered administration and moved the unpopular Thai businessman out of Hillsborough.

Relegation was always an inevitability for Henrik Pedersen's side, which had already been ripped apart during a chaotic summer window that saw the departure of previous manager Danny Rohl along with a number of key figures in the playing squad.

Ultimately, Wednesday became the earliest club to suffer relegation in English Football League History when a 2-1 defeat at Steel City rivals Sheffield United agonisingly confirmed their fate last month, and while there is now renewed hope and optimism surrounding the Owls as David Storch closes in on a long-awaited takeover of the bottom-placed Championship outfit, they are set to begin the following campaign on -15 points in League One due to the current offer not meeting the EFL's requirement to repay creditors 25p in the pound.

That, of course, pertains to the £15 million figure owed to Chansiri, with the 57-year-old's presence continuing to plague Wednesday months on from his departure.

With the likes of Wigan Athletic, Reading, Derby County and Bolton Wanderers all among a glut of EFL clubs to have received points deductions owing to tumultuous ownership situations in recent years, questions have long been asked of the rules that govern the game and clubs who need support - and Wednesday's own situation has been raised once more following a divisive level of punishment to Premier League giants Chelsea.

Chelsea punishment slammed in passionate Sheffield Wednesday rant

On Monday afternoon, it emerged that Chelsea have been slapped with a £10 million fine and a suspended transfer ban after being found to have generated £47 million in secret payments to unregistered agents and third-parties for dealings involving unnamed academy players between 2011 and 2018 during Roman Abramovich's reign at Stamford Bridge.

Although the fine represents the largest of its kind in Premier League history, Liam Rosenior's side have avoided any sporting sanctions. There's also an immediate nine-month academy transfer ban and a separate £750,000 fine for academy player registration charges, but given the Blues' astonishing financial resources and the scale of points deductions handed out to EFL clubs, there are natural questions being asked as to whether there is a double-standard policy in place to protect larger sides while failing to provide adequate support to those who need it.

This school of thought was echoed by Sky News pair Sophy Ridge and Wilfred Frost on their Sky News Mornings show, in which they both took aim at what they believe represents a light punishment for Chelsea while slamming the manner in which Wednesday have been dealt with.

Ridge explained: "At the risk of angering Chelsea fans, £10 million, a suspended transfer ban and no sporting sanctions, just a fine for something that would've clearly given them a sporting advantage - as a Sheffield Wednesday fan, you just look at the difference and how the big clubs and smaller clubs are treated.

"Sheffield Wednesday have had 18 points deducted in this current year, on its knees which means we're the only club in English Football League history to be relegated in February, trying desperately to get an owner and some future for a club at risk of going under, and then what do we have?

"We're learning that we're in line for a -15 points deduction next season as well, so how attractive is that going to be for an owner that might be looking at back-to-back relegations?

Frost then added: "The Sheffield Wednesday example highlights the extent to which an owner makes an error off the pitch, the punishment can be very pronounced for the fans on the pitch, which, particularly when the ownership then changes, feels disproportionate.

"You can even just look at the Premier League itself, Everton and Nottingham Forest got docked points (in the 2023/24 season). I think most fans got behind the idea of initially having some rules to cap people right at the top with bottomless pockets just to deliver trophies, but it wasn't really intended to punish teams who spend a bit more than they'd planned and then failed to deliver on the pitch.

"On every level, highlighted again today by this Chelsea fine being so small, you don't think these rules are really working."

Sheffield Wednesday will love David Storch stance as fresh points deduction looms

It's a clear blow that Sheffield Wednesday will suffer a further -15 point deduction ahead of their return to League One, which prevents the club from truly moving on from Chansiri's perilous reign quite just yet and sparks fears about whether the Owls may have to drop all the way to the fourth-tier to begin the full rebuilding process.

Either way, though, it's reassuring of Storch's intentions and ambitions that the businessman is still completing a takeover in spite of the immediate issues that will be faced.

It speaks volumes about just how much he wants to be the man to revitalise Wednesday after years of torment, and although instant hurdles remain, Wednesdayites can finally begin to look towards a stable and encouraging long-term future once more.