‘Rumours’ of imminent decision over Sheffield Wednesday points deduction, says Barnsley CEO

The CEO of relegation-threatened Barnsley FC has reiterated the club’s position that any EFL punishment for Sheffield Wednesday should be enacted this season as the S6 club continues to fight a charge of misconduct.
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Wednesday, Birmingham City and Derby County face individual charges from the EFL and face a maximum points deduction of 21 points. Barnsley sit rock bottom of the division, seven points clear of safety.

The Tykes were relegated to League One at a reported cost of £7m in 2018 just two points behind Bolton, who were charged amid financial struggles that season but went unpunished until the following campaign.

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Last month a strongly-worded letter written to the EFL by Barnsley co-chairman Paul Conway was made public and made clear the club’s position that this time any failure to bring punishments to clubs found to be in the wrong before the end of the season would be met with a fight.

Owls Chairman Dejphon Chansiri.Owls Chairman Dejphon Chansiri.
Owls Chairman Dejphon Chansiri.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield last night, Conway’s colleague Dane Murphy, the Barnsley CEO, suggested he had heard rumours that the findings of charges against the three clubs are imminent.

Asked whether Barnsley had received assurances from the EFL around their concerns, Murphy said: “No assurances. Getting assurances from the EFL, I've realised to be almost impossible, but that being said there are wheels in motion and there are rumours of penalties being handed down relatively soon. Whether that happens or not I'm not sure.

“I do agree with Paul [Conway], our board do and most of our supporters would after feeling the aftereffects of going down and Bolton were not penalised until later on.

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“If these teams that charged in that season are not penalised in that same season, the clubs that are following the rules don't benefit from that, there's a huge flaw in the system.

“How can we manage this in a way where clubs are abiding by the rules, trying to be responsible aren't penalised because the process can't be played out in an appropriate amount of time?”

Individual charges against Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri and two others were dropped at an arbitration stage earlier this year.

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