The owners of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. have been caught red handed. They have been caught and then they tried to cover up the fact. They botched it, and they were caught again. I am expecting the first punishment for breaking the FFP regulations to be upheld, and I am expecting that punishment to be doubled because they tried to cover up that fact. Anything else would invite the return of the wild west in the Championship. Every rich chairman in the league would take it as an invitation to act as they wanted, because there was nothing the league could do. There is a matter of principle here, and matters of principle just cannot be ignored.
Punishments for breaking the FFP rules will be laid down in the rule book. I thought it was 9 points, but I do not think that the actual punishment for exceeding losses of £39m in 3 years has been made public knowledge, nor has the sliding scale of punishments for losses higher than £39m over 3 years. Nevertheless, the rest of the league will be aware of the punishments that the league can enforce, and if the EFL does not enforce the punishment laid down, then legal action could ensue. The option of legal recourse would also be open to Sheffield Wednesday if the EFL make a mistake in their interpretation or enforcement of the rules. That is why the whole process takes time. The EFL must be sure about their case. There must also be EFL rules and a list of punishments for covering up a breach. It is usually a doubling of the original penalty, but once again, the public has not been told, but the clubs will have been.