Charlton Athletic believe they have the support of eight or nine Championship clubs as they consider legally challenging Sheffield Wednesday’s punishment for historical breaches of spending rules.
The Owls were last week hit with a 12-point deduction over their controversial sale of Hillsborough but the punishment will not come into effect until next season.
Had the points deduction been imposed on Wednesday immediately, it would have seen them relegated to League One, with Charlton being spared.
As it stands, the Addicks will instead be relegated but, after learning of the independent disciplinary panel’s decision to delay the punishment, they issued a statement threatening legal action, pointing to the fact that Wigan Athletic’s points deduction for entering administration was applied immediately after the season was finished, which saw the Latics relegated.
Bristol Live understands that the difference in when the points deduction comes into effect is due to the different nature of Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan’s offences.
Whilst a 12-point deduction for entering administration is commonplace and serves as a deterrent, there is little precedence for how to enact a punishment over spending breaches.
Alongside this, the EFL enforces punishments to do with administration, whereas the Owls’ points deduction was handed down by an independent disciplinary commission.
Yet the BBC report that Charlton have contacted rival Championship clubs to gauge support for any legal action they may take.
The Addicks have received backing from ‘eight or nine’ clubs, which echoes the fact that Championship clubs have often been split over the best approach to dealing with FFP issues.
Charlton have said they will write to the EFL to ask for an explanation why the points penalty will not be immediately applied.
It is unknown if Bristol City are one of the eight-to-nine supporting clubs.
