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Sheffield Wednesday have been given a 12-point deduction by the EFL, taking them to -6 at the bottom of the Championship, after filing for administration.
The club filed a notice to appoint an administrator at 10.01am on Friday at a specialist companies court and the league confirmed three hours later that the “table will be updated with immediate effect”.
Wednesday’s financial issues under their owner, Dejphon Chansiri, have been well-documented and there were reports that a winding-up order from HMRC was imminent. A notice to appoint an administrator was filed at the Insolvency and Companies Court, a specialist court within the high court.
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Wednesday were already bottom of the Championship, having won one of their 11 league matches. The deduction leaves them 15 points from safety.
“The EFL can confirm that it has now received formal notice that Dejphon Chansiri, the director of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, has taken the necessary steps to appoint administrators to both the club and also the company which owns Hillsborough,” an EFL statement said.
“Whilst this development results in the automatic deduction of 12 points in accordance with regulations agreed by all clubs, it also presents Sheffield Wednesday with the opportunity to move matters towards a successful sale and secure future under new ownership. The EFL will now engage in discussions with the administrators in respect of the immediate actions required to enable them to achieve an early resolution.”
The EFL said in August it was deeply concerned about the club’s financial situation. The manager Danny Röhl and several key players departed in the summer and Wednesday began the season with only 15 first-team players.
Many Wednesday supporters boycotted a home game against Leeds in the Carabao Cup in protest against Chansiri, who took over in 2015 from Milan Mandaric, and thousands also stayed away from the home game against Middlesbrough two days ago. Chansiri has said he is willing to sell but has dismissed at least two bids because they have not matched his asking price.
The club have been placed under various EFL embargoes in relation to tax debts and for failing to pay players and staff on time on five occasions this year, including in September.
In the 2020-21 season Wednesday were deducted six points for breaking the EFL’s profitability and sustainability rules and were relegated to League One as a result. They won promotion back to the Championship in 2023.
