Reading are set to have six points deducted in the coming days, after breaching an EFL spending plan. The club has failed to cut down on their spending, and will be handed a points deduction for the second time in 18 months.
They are currently 14th in the table – 13 points clear of the relegation zone. But the punishment will see them fall dangerously close to the bottom of the table, and they could be in a battle to survive in the Championship.
Reading to be handed second points deduction in 18 months
The last time Reading were handed a points deduction was in November 2021. They had recorded a loss worth £57.8m – £18m more than the £39m upper loss threshold for the four-year period. Thereafter, the club agreed a financial plan with the EFL, with details such as expenditure, finance plan and revenue in consideration.
Back in November, they failed to pay wages on time which could result in another punishment. The club were originally handed a suspended six point deduction in 2021, and that will be triggered in the coming days.
If the original punishment was not suspended, Reading would have been relegated. And this would have resulted in Peterborough United being handed a reprieve.
The disciplinary process has not yet begun, and the EFL is currently reviewing the official accounts from the club. Reading will now be assessed on whether there is parity on their books.
