Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday to AVOID relegation from the Championship as a result of financial dealings with points deductions to be imposed next season

  • Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday are to avoid relegation from the Championship 
  • Clubs both face points deductions as a result of financial dealings 
  • The prospect of appealing the decision will affect the relegation battle
  • Barnsley, Luton, Charlton, Birmingham and Boro are still in danger 

Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday are set to avoid relegation from the Championship as a result of their financial dealings with any points deductions imposed by the EFL's independent panel to be applied next season. 

The verdicts in both cases are due imminently, but as both clubs would have the right of appeal if found guilty there is little prospect of the punishment affecting the relegation battle that will reach a climax on Wednesday evening, with Barnsley, Luton, Charlton, Birmingham and Middlesbrough all in danger of dropping into League One. 

Bottom-club Hull appear doomed, but could still survive if the beat Cardiff and other results go their way.

Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday set to avoid relegation from the Championship this season

Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday set to avoid relegation from the Championship this season

The two clubs face points deductions as a result of breaching the EFL's financial rules

The two clubs face points deductions as a result of breaching the EFL's financial rules

Wigan are facing the prospect of being docked 12 points for going into administration, while Wednesday could lose a maximum of 21 points after being accused of an aggravated breach of the EFL's profit and sustainability rules, punishments which if applied immediately would see them plunged into the relegation zone. 


Both clubs would have the right to appeal against such sanctions however, and given the amount of time required to complete such disciplinary proceedings it is unlikely the process would be completed before the start of next season.

While the relegation issues should be finalised on Wednesday the Championship season does not finish until the play-off final on 4 August, with the formal transfer of clubs between the divisions taking place the following week. 

The EFL have confirmed that the bottom three clubs in the Championship on Wednesday evening will be relegated subject to other on-going disciplinary proceedings, but there is little prospect they will be completed by the mid-August deadline.

While several clubs have criticised the EFL over the lack of clarity the confusion has been compounded by the delayed finish to the season caused by Covid-19, without which there would have been no prospect of any point deductions being applied this season.

Several clubs still face the threat of relegation to League One with just one game remaining

Several clubs still face the threat of relegation to League One with just one game remaining