Owls off the bottom of the Championship as points deduction is halved after appeal

Sheffield Wednesday have had their points deduction for breaching EFL spending rules halved from 12 to six, moving the Owls off the bottom of the table.

Garry Monk's side, who Town defeated 1-0 last month, were said to have included the sale of their Hillsborough stadium in their 2017-18 accounts despite the ground being sold a year later.

The club's argument to remove the penalty entirely was rejected, but the revised punishment, set by an arbitration panel on Wednesday, will see their points tally now move on to five, lifting them above Wycombe Wanderers and into 23rd place, now eight points adrift of the Hatters.

Town themselves are still seven points above the relegation zone, as a statement from the EFL said: "The EFL notes the decision taken by an Independent League Arbitration panel in respect of Sheffield Wednesday’s appeal against the findings of an Independent Disciplinary Commission in July 2020.

"The Club was charged with breaching the league’s Profitability and Sustainability rules in November 2019 and found guilty, based on the fact that the Club should not have included profits from the sale of Hillsborough Stadium in the Club’s financial statements for the period ending July 2018.

"The independent panel has today rejected the Club’s appeal related to matters surrounding the stadium sale and on consideration of the sanction; they did not agree with the Club’s assertion that a points deduction should not have been imposed.

"However, they did opt to reduce the sporting punishment from 12 points to six, which will be effective immediately."

A statement from Wednesday themselves said: "The Club confirms that today its appeal was upheld in part.

"The decision of the League Arbitration Panel is that the sanction is reduced to a deduction of 6 points in season 2020/21.

"The Club is digesting the content of the decision and will not provide further comment until it is published."