Birmingham City may appeal nine-point penalty

Birmingham City claim to have made changes to ensure spending rules are not broken again, but the Championship club are yet to confirm if they will appeal against a nine-point deduction.

The English Football League (EFL) announced on Friday that Birmingham have been docked points following an investigation into the club's finances. Birmingham were found to have breached rules on profitability and sustainability, with the deduction immediately coming into effect. Garry Monk's side therefore drop from 13th in the Championship table to 18th, five points clear of the relegation zone, with eight games of the season to go.

Birmingham have 14 days to decide whether or not to lodge an appeal against the punishment, with the club releasing a statement in response to the EFL's announcement.

 

March 22, 2019

"The club has put measures in place to ensure future spending is within acceptable limits and since August we have adhered to an EFL business plan, which imposed transfer restrictions upon us," Birmingham said. "When the club's owners took over, Birmingham City Football Club was in a dire position and investment was critical across many aspects of the business, including the first team, women's team, academy and the infrastructure. 

"Then, as now, decisions by the owners and the board of directors were taken with the club's best interests at heart and a determination to halt a cycle of decline and stagnation, with the intention of pushing on to fulfil ours and our fans' ambitions. This season we have taken significant strides forward on and off the pitch and the owners' commitment and intention to drive continued improvement of the club's fortunes will not diminish. 

"Birmingham City Football Club notes that it has 14 days in which to appeal the decision of the independent Disciplinary Commission and with that in mind we will be making no further comment."