Kieran Maguire: West Brom can spark EFL law change as £5m-plus ‘boost’ hangs in the balance
West Brom could table a motion at the next EFL meeting to improve the current £5milllion Covid-enforced profit and sustainability allowance.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the EFL’s response to the financial fallout of the pandemic.
The EFL plan to give clubs a £5m allowance on the current financial fair play rules this year to cover the absence of matchday income last season.
But per the Daily Mail last Friday (14 January), six Championship clubs are set to launch legal action against the EFL for not going further.
The Baggies are in a relatively strong financial position given that they are in receipt of parachute payments.
But they did lose over £20m in the last recorded financial year, and they are due to release their next set of annual accounts soon.
Maguire insists the EFL could implement a bigger FFP allowance if there is the political will to do so.
“It’s what the clubs voted for,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“It all comes down to politics and factions. Some clubs have been hit harder by Covid than others.
“This can be changed at the next meeting by a club like West Brom putting forward a proposal to dilute the rules.
“There are six to eight clubs that are unhappy with the boost.
“I don’t see how a minority of clubs can overrule the majority in terms of a legal threat on something that was the subject of an open vote.
“It’s an intriguing one. I think it’s a case of lobbying both internally and externally to make the Covid allowances more generous.”
Albion beat Peterborough United 3-0 yesterday (22 January).
They are 5th in the league table after 27 matches.
In other news, Sheffield Wednesday and Fleetwood Town set sights on West Brom forward Rayhaan Tulloch.