By Kieran Maguire

17th Jan, 2021 | 5:00pm

'My Understanding Is...' - Exclusive: Finance wiz explains West Brom situation if PL cancelled

The Premier League is drawing up action plans should elite sport be halted amid the pandemic — and West Brom’s fate hangs in the balance.

That is according to university lecturer, finance expert and new Football Insider columnist Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to correspondent Adam Williams with the Baggies in the relegation zone approaching the halfway point in the season.

Albion fans might have been tentatively hopeful that, in the event that the season was curtailed, relegation would be scrapped.

But Maguire believes that the legal wrangle which would ensue as well as the golden handcuffs television contracts to which the league is committed make that event highly unlikely.

“From West Brom’s point of view, having the Premier League called off with no relegation is the critical issue,” he told Football Insider.

“However, if the Football League is called off then my understanding is that the Premier League would sue because they have an existing agreement for promotions and relegation with the Premier League.

“In terms of points-per-game, the Premier League clubs are willing to decisions to be made on the basis of two-thirds of the league having been played. Some of the other clubs want three-quarters of the games to be played before a points-per-match decision was made in terms of determining the final league positions.

“That is ongoing. The clubs are desperate for all matches to take places. If they lost a quarter of the fixtures we’re talking about a rebate to broadcasters of £750-800m.”

With or without cancellation, manager Sam Allardyce has a difficult task on his hands

West Brom currently sit five points from safety in the Premier League, although Fulham (18th) Burnley (17th) have a game in hand on the Baggies.

In other news, West Brom accepted an offer for one of their forwards but the player in question turned down a move away from the Hawthorns.