Championship club 'set for huge points deduction' after breaching EFL rules five times

Sheffield Wednesday could be staring down the barrel of a 15-point deduction after failing to pay their players on time. It marks the fifth month in seven that the club's controversial owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has failed to cough up on schedule.

It's something that flies in the face of the EFL's financial rules and as a result, Wednesday will be referred to an independent disciplinary commission. The regulations state that a three-point deduction can be administered for each late payment, meaning Wednesday could be liable for a 15-point deduction.

However, it isn't believed to be a cut-and-dry matter, with mitigating factors set to be taken into consideration before a decision is made. What's more, precedence will also play a part, with Reading having been docked one point in 2023 for failing to pay players, while Wigan suffered an eight-point deduction around the same time.

The exact punishment to be given isn't yet known, but given their rap sheet is so long, it could take the commission some time to come to a conclusion. It comes after a miserable few months for the South Yorkshire outfit, with the Owls' summer having been marred by troubles regarding players getting paid.

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The situation continues to spiral out of control and there are some claims that Wednesday players could take matters into their own hands by refusing to train. That's according to Sky Sports, who report the patience within the Wednesday camp is beginning to run thin.

Manager Henrik Pedersen, according to the Sheffield Star, took the honourable decision to inform the club he didn't want to be paid until all of the other staff were paid. It's also claimed that certain players have joined Pedersen in that stance, with the problems continuing to mount at Hillsborough.

Earlier this season the EFL released a statement commenting on Wednesday's situation, saying: "The league wants to see a strong, stable and competitive Sheffield Wednesday, and for that to happen we are clear that the current owner needs either to fund the club to meet its obligations or make good on his commitment to sell to a well-funded party, for fair market value - ending the current uncertainty and impasse.

"We continue to pursue options available to us to resolve the current challenges, and to that end the league is currently in advanced discussions with Mr Chansiri's legal advisers on formalising a process around divestment of his shareholding in the club."