West Brom supporter group make EFL request after financial charge

An Albion fan group has demanded answers from the English Football League’s governing body to seek clarity on the club’s financial charge.

The Independent Supporters’ Trust confirmed in a statement on Wednesday night they written to the EFL in the wake of this week’s news.

Relegation-battling Albion could be hit by sanctions in the coming weeks after a charge from the league on the back of a compliance report made by the club financial reporting unit (CFRU).

Albion lawyers will attend a hearing in a bid to clear the club of the charge, which dates to the three-year cycle ending 2024/25. The Baggies insisted in a statement this week they have complied with the profit and sustainability regulations and looked forward to resolving the issue.

The issue in question is believed to involve historical loans taken by Albion for operational matters while in the latter stages of former owner Guochuan Lai’s doomed reign. Two loans from US firm MSD Holdings totalling £28million were taken, which current owner Shilen Patel’s has vowed to repay by December’s deadline. It is claimed the PSR charge debate centers around £5m interest on those loans that Albion believed were liable to owners Bilkul and not the club.

But if Albion are found guilty of a breach, which is thought to be minor above the permitted £41.5m losses over three seasons, it could lead to a potential points deduction, which could threaten the club’s Championship status at this extremely late stage of the season.

Albion’s Independent Supporters’ Trust, which held its first meeting last November, has reached out to the governing body in a bid for clarity on the subject.

A statement posted online read: “We have written to the EFL on behalf of our members and Albion supporters to request clarity on the alleged PSR breach by the club.

“We'll update on our channels in due course.”

The fan group is not directly affiliated to the club and is separate to the existing Albion Assembly and Fan Advisory Board, which launched last October.

EFL guidelines when it comes to financial charges and discipline are described as “strictly private and confidential”.

Exact timeframes are unclear but it is understood there was external suggestion of a potential infringement at the beginning of April. The club remained confident of their compliance upon receipt of the charge.

But a guidelines state a hearing must take place within 28 days of the CFRU’s compliance report, with reports stating it is expected to take place by the end of April.

League rules also state any sanctions following financial infringements must be enforced the season after the breach, meaning before the end of this season in Albion’s case.