Sheffield Wednesday deducted 12 points from start of 2020-21 SkyBet Championship season

The Owls have 14 days to appeal the independent disciplinary commission’s decision, and whichever club finds itself relegated as a result of the punishment being deferred until next season could also contest the matter.

The end-of-season league table has Hull City, Wigan Athletic and Charlton Athletic dropping into League One, but the Latics spent yesterday disputing their own 12-point deduction, which will apply to the final 2019-20 table, for going into administration.

Barnsley, who were represented at the hearing, would drop into the relegation zone should Wigan succeed. A verdict is expected in the middle of next week.

Wednesday’s charge related to the sale and lease back of their Hillsborough home to club owner Dejphon Chansiri in 2017-18.

The move – allowed under the League’s profit and sustainability rules, its equivalent of financial fair play – helped the Owls to avoid posting more than the permitted £39m losses over a three-year period.

However the League questioned the £60m they paid for the land, and the fact Land Registry documents appeared to suggest the transaction only went through the following season.

The charges were laid in November 2019, not only against the club but also Chansiri, finance director John Redgate and chief executive, Katrien Meire. The latter pair have since left the club but charges against all three individuals were dropped before the case was finally heard in June.

Barnsley have been particularly critical of the time it has taken to resolve the matter, and Football League (EFL) regulations.

With the new season due to start on September 12, it has been decided not to apply the punishment until 2020-21.

Derby County also have a profit and sustainability case outstanding.

The Owls’ deduction could have been a maximum 21 points but a league statement revealed: “The club was found not guilty of breaching its duty of utmost good faith to the EFL by deliberately concealing information from the League.”

A nine-point deduction would have relegated the South Yorkshire club if applied to 2019-20.

Wednesday declared themselves “extremely disappointed”, but said they would await the written reasons and consult with legal advisers before deciding what their next move would be.

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