Read Sheffield Wednesday's extraordinary statement in full as they lash back at EFL charges

Sheffield Wednesday have lashed back at EFL charges of misconduct relating to the sale of their Hillsborough Stadium, accusing the authority of ‘acting unlawfully’.
Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has been charged by the EFL for misconduct.Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has been charged by the EFL for misconduct.
Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has been charged by the EFL for misconduct.

The club have refuted the charges, which could see Wednesday deducted points and chairman Dejphon Chansiri banned from football if they are found guilty, and claim to have evidence of the EFL ratification of the stadium sale, which was included in the accounts for the 2017/18 season.

The EFL charges, whcih were brought to the club earlier this year, centre on the £60m sale to another company owned by Mr Chansiri.

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An explosive statement released this evening says the club are bringing their own action against the EFL in an attempt to ‘protect its rights and integrity’, accusing the authority of ‘inaccurate reporting’.

The statement in full reads: “Sheffield Wednesday Football Club has today filed its response to the charges brought against it by the English Football League for alleged misconduct concerning the sale and leaseback of Hillsborough stadium and the inclusion of the profit on that sale in the Club’s 2017/18 accounts. The Club has informed the EFL that the charges are themselves unlawful and, without prejudice to that fact, are all denied by the Club and the other Respondents.

“The Club has reserved all of its rights against the EFL and will take all such actions as are necessary to protect its rights and integrity, and those of its current and former officers, including in relation to inaccurate reporting. The Club has also notified the EFL that it stands ready to bring a claim against the EFL to obtain compensation for its conduct.

“The Club maintains that it consulted with the relevant executive officers of the EFL in connection with the stadium transaction and that it acted in good faith. The Club has in its possession numerous emails, letters and other documents in which the EFL gave authorisation to the transaction, and on which authorisation the Club understood it could rely. That authorisation gave rise in law to a legitimate expectation that the transaction would be accepted by the EFL, which is binding on the EFL. The EFL is acting in breach of that binding legitimate expectation by retrospectively treating as misconduct that which it had itself previously authorised, and this makes the charges themselves unlawful. The Club is accordingly bringing its own claim against the EFL to establish that it is acting unlawfully, as well as standing ready, if necessary, to vigorously defend the charges.

“The Club will make no further comment at this time.”

The EFL have been contacted for comment.

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