Crisis club Reading slapped with SECOND points deduction of the season in nightmare start to League One campaign
READING have been hit with their second points deduction of the season by the EFL.
The Royals went into the campaign with a one point deficit after being found to have breached league financial regulations.
Reading‘s previous penalty saw them ordered to deposit 125 per cent of their monthly wage bill into an account by September 12.
Failure to do so has seen Reading trigger a further three-point penalty – meaning they have now been docked four in total this term.
The Royals were relegated from the Championship after having had six points deducted.
They have won two and lost four of their League One matches so far this season.
This means that, with the deduction applied, Reading now sit 21st on two points.
An official EFL statement read: “Reading FC have been deducted three points from the 2023/24 League One table after the Club failed to comply with the order of an Independent Disciplinary Commission (IDC) which required them to deposit an amount equal to 125% of the Club’s forecast monthly wage bill in a designated account by 12 September 2023.
“On 15 August 2023, the IDC had determined the Club had breached EFL Regulations related to the Club having failed to pay its players’ wages on time and in full on or around 31 October 2022, 30 November 2022, and 28 April 2023.
“The Club received a one-point deduction, with a further three points suspended.
“As a result of this latest instance of non-compliance by the Club’s ownership, the suspended sanction has been activated and, as per the Commission’s instructions, applied by the EFL to the League One table with immediate effect.
“The EFL continues to acknowledge the negative impact sporting sanctions are having on the Football Club and remain extremely disappointed and frustrated at the Club’s ownership to meet its ongoing obligations under EFL Regulations.
“The League will continue to apply its rules in all circumstances deemed appropriate.”
Reading appointed former Southampton boss Selles over the summer.
They had their transfer embargo lifted in July, which had been in place since 2021.
Following today’s further points deduction, a Reading club statement read: “Reading Football Club can confirm that a suspended three-point penalty has been activated as a result of owner Mr Dai failing to deposit an amount equating to 125% of the club’s monthly wage bill into a designated account by the deadline of Tuesday 12 September 2023, as ordered by the Independent Disciplinary Commission in its decision of 15 August 2023.
“Last month, the club received a one-point penalty in relation to breaches of Regulation 64.7 of the EFL Regulations (relating to three instances of late payment of player wages), with a further three-point suspended penalty to be applied should the club fail to pay players’ wages on time on any further occasion before 30 June 2024, or should the deposit payment fail to be paid.
“The points deduction will now be applied to our League One total with immediate effect.
“As communicated to our supporters previously, Mr Dai is currently undertaking an ongoing process of seeking sources of stable external investment for the football club, with the aim of mitigating the risk of cashflow complications arising in future.”