Sheffield United points deduction: Clubs ‘could fall like dominoes’ after ‘dangerous’ news – Wyness
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has suggested fans should sit up and take notice after Sheffield United were deducted two points for defaulting on transfer fees.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed “clubs could fall like dominoes” if one of the bigger English sides stops paying fees.
Sheffield United will face a two-point deduction in the 2024-25 campaign – if they are relegated from the Premier League with a further two points suspended until the end of the season.
The EFL has confirmed the sanction relates to late transfer payments in 2022-23, including some defaulted payments in excess of 550 days.
Sheffield United currently sit bottom of the Premier League, four points behind Burnley in 19th.
The Blades posted a club-record loss of £31.4million after publishing their accounts for the 2022-23 campaign last month.
‘Everyone has to realise this is a very dangerous thing’, says Wyness on Sheffield United deduction
Wyness cited the devastating financial crash of 2008 and insisted Sheffield United’s case is a “very big issue”.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “I think the level of delayed payment was around £8million.
“Everyone has to realise that this is a very dangerous thing. If we think about the world financial crisis in 2008, with the Lehman Brothers collapsing – that caused contagion.
“This could happen in football. If one of the bigger clubs stops paying transfer fees, then clubs could fall like dominoes.
“They’ve got a two-point deduction, with another two points suspended. It’s a very big issue.
“To me, this is more important than some of these sustainability breaches. Clubs have got to keep paying each other what they’ve arranged.
“It seems to be a small, clear-cut case – but it’s something fans should be paying attention to.”
In other news, Sheffield United in three-horse race to sign Rangers star.
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