Sheffield Wednesday to appeal against points deduction

A 12-point deduction at the start of the new Championship season has been imposed on the club for breaching profit and sustainability rules.

A general view of the Hillsborough Stadium.

Sheffield Wednesday is to appeal against the decision by an disciplinary panel to impose a 12-point deduction at the start of the 2020-21 Championship season for breaching profit and sustainability rules, the club said on Monday.

Wednesday was charged with misconduct by the English Football League in November 2019 after the club sold its Hillsborough Stadium to its Thai owner Dejphon Chansiri in a bid to ensure it did not breach spending rules.

“The club believes its grounds of appeal to be strong,” Wednesday said in a statement .

“The club will continue to take all appropriate steps to protect its interests, for the benefit of the club and its supporters, and looks forward to the appeal being heard by the League Arbitration Panel at the earliest opportunity.”

The independent panel handed out a 12-point penalty but decided it would be unfair to impose it in the 2019-20 campaign because it would have meant Wednesday was relegated from English football’s second tier.

The Championship season is scheduled to start on September 12.