West Brom points deduction news: James Morrison ban, EFL decision timeline, Punishments revealed | OneFootball

FLW brings you the latest news surrounding Albion’s charge of breaching P&S rules by the EFL.

While all focus should be on the pitch for West Brom’s survival bid, more concerning matters are happening off it.

The Baggies have been buoyed by a seven-game unbeaten run under interim boss James Morrison, but their Championship future has been plunged into further doubt.

It was revealed earlier this week by The Telegraph’s John Percy 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, meaning a minor points deduction is possible.

It’s worrying news considering Portsmouth’s midweek victory over Ipswich Town cut the gap between Albion and the bottom three to two points before any deductions, meaning there is still some way to go before the Baggies can celebrate survival.

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.

Albion’s Championship status right now is teetering on a knife edge, with all connected to the club still unsure over whether the club will be found guilty of a breach and handed a potentially pivotal deduction.

Here at FLW, we bring you all the latest news surrounding West Brom’s points deduction saga.

James Morrison bans mention of EFL charge

As per a report by the Express & Star, interim boss James Morrison has banned talk of Albion’s P&S charge by the EFL from being spoken about at the training ground, insisting that all focus should be on what is delivered on the pitch.

The Baggies travel to Lancashire to take on Preston North End at Deepdale this weekend, before hosting Watford the following midweek, two games that could be vital to Albion’s survival hopes.

Morrison said: “I found out exactly when everyone else did and my stance on it is the same, it’s not in our hands.

“Our job is to be on the football side and not let that affect us and I believe it will bring us closer together, stronger than ever, to get the job done and we’ve done our job then and I’ll be happy.

“I had a brief conversation with the people in charge and that’s what it was. Just a brief chat and then I talked to the players and that was it.

“I actually banned people from talking about it really because it’s not in our control so we can only control what we can control and that was the end of it really.

“As simple as that. I don’t want to hear about it. Obviously it’s a big story externally but not in here.”

Morrison added: “As you can imagine, it was a little knock but that’s all it is.

“We’ve had this situation (relegation battle) for a number of weeks now so we know what we’ve got to do. It’s down to us. Keep working hard. Keep turning out performances, staying in games, enjoying the challenges.”

Rob Dorsett outlines timeframe for EFL decision

While Albion supporters still feel a bit in the dark because of the process of this situation, Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett has provided an update on when the Baggies will know about their fate.

Speaking on Sky Sports covering West Brom’s situation, Dorsett revealed an outcome to this is expected sooner rather than later to ensure sporting integrity is maintained and that teams know how to approach the final few games of the season, dependent on where they are in the table.

Dorsett said: "It is possible, but very unlikely I am told, that the punishment will be decided after the final games of the Championship season, with all parties pushing hard for a resolution as soon as possible."

The respected journalist also confirmed that West Brom’s breach is ‘marginal’ rather than 'flagrant', which means if a points deduction is forthcoming, it could be more lenient than the six-point penalty Leicester City received earlier this season.

Different EFL, West Brom punishments revealed

Many connected with West Brom will be wondering how the specific total of a points deduction decision is made, with the severity of the punishment critical to whether Albion can still clamber out of the relegation mire.

But a report by Leicester Mercury’s Jordan Blackwell has revealed all, with 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.