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Championship clubs unsure if they will be relegated with no decision on Wigan's appeal imminent

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Championship season is set to end in confusion with no decision on Wigan’s points deduction appeal imminent, leaving clubs unsure if they will be relegated even AFTER the final fixtures

  • The 2019-20 Championship campaign draws to a close on Wednesday night 
  • But relegation-threatened sides face uncertainty over whether they’ll go down
  • Wigan are appealing against a 12-point penalty for entering administration
  • But verdict on that appeal is not expected before final matches in two days’ time
  • The Latics are currently 10 points clear of the relegation zone on 58 points 

By Kate Mcgreavy For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

The Championship season draws to a close on Wednesday night but the 2019-20 campaign is likely to end in confusion with no decision imminent on Wigan’s appeal against their points deduction.

The Latics are appealing against an automatic 12-point penalty for entering administration. Wigan currently sit 13th in the table but would be in the relegation zone if the penalty were applied.

But a verdict on that appeal is not expected before the 24 Championship clubs play their final matches in two days’ time, meaning some clubs are unsure if they will be relegated to League One even after the final matches have taken place.

Championship clubs are unsure if they'll be relegated with no decision on Wigan's points deduction appeal imminent. Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough are two points above the drop

Championship clubs are unsure if they’ll be relegated with no decision on Wigan’s points deduction appeal imminent. Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough are two points above the drop

Lee Bowyer's Charlton sit just outside relegation places on goal difference with one game left

Lee Bowyer’s Charlton sit just outside relegation places on goal difference with one game left

Wigan, who face promotion-chasing Fulham on the final day at home, are currently 10 points clear of the relegation zone on 58 points.

Hull prop up the table on 45 points with Barnsley on 46 points in 23rd and Luton Town in 22nd on 48 points. 

Charlton sit just above the relegation places, also on 48 points, while Birmingham and Middlesbrough are just above them on 50 points. 

Paul Cook's Wigan appealing against automatic 12-point penalty for entering administration

Paul Cook’s Wigan appealing against automatic 12-point penalty for entering administration

Nathan Jones's Luton Town are in 22nd on 48 points and need to pick up points on Wednesday

Nathan Jones’s Luton Town are in 22nd on 48 points and need to pick up points on Wednesday

Huddersfield, in 18th on 51 points, all but secured their survival by beating West Brom on Friday night, with a far superior goal difference effectively keeping them safe. 

The EFL were set to impose the 12-point penalty on Wigan immediately after the games on Wednesday night but the appeal means it is out of the governing body’s hands. 

Wigan, who moved up the English football pyramid under the direction of Dave Whelan and won the FA Cup in 2013, were placed into administration at the start of July and there has been controversy surrounding the former Premier League club.

The club’s administrators launched an investigation into claims – repeated by EFL chairman Rick Parry – that their plight is linked to a bet on the club being relegated.  

Recently, Wigan were sold from one Hong Kong-based company to another, both of which were, at the time, owned by the same man, high-stakes poker player Dr Choi Chiu Fai Stanley. 

Wai Kay Au Yeung, a Chinese businessman, subsequently replaced Choi as the majority shareholder of Next Leader Fund – who bought the club from International Entertainment Corporation (IEC), a Hong Kong-based, Cayman Islands-registered company, on June 2. 

Sheffield Wednesday, in 16th on 56 points, also face a potential points deduction after being charged last year with financial misconduct by the EFL over the sale of their stadium to their owner Dejphon Chansiri.

CHAMPIONSHIP RELEGATION PERMUTATIONS 

Hull have the biggest task ahead of them as they sit three points behind Charlton in the last position of safety, but with a significantly worse goal difference – 16 to be exact.

They need Charlton and Luton to lose – preferably by a big margin – Barnsley not to win and to record a huge win at Cardiff themselves to stand any chance of staying up.

Gerhard Struber’s Barnsley also need to win their final game – away at Brentford – and for results elsewhere to go their way in order to stay up.

The South Yorkshire side are one point better off than Hull but know nothing but a victory will be good enough, while positive results for Charlton and Luton, who sit 21st and 22nd respectively on 48 points, would send Barnsley down.

Luton host Blackburn while Charlton are away at champions Leeds. The Addicks are only currently out of the drop zone because of their far superior goal difference, which is 18 better than Luton’s.

With Birmingham and Middlesbrough just two points ahead of them, wins for Charlton and Luton could be enough to stave off relegation.

Middlesbrough visit Sheffield Wednesday, while Birmingham host Derby.

Wigan in 13th may appear to be safe from the drop but they are another club who look set to need three points on Wednesday.

The administration-hit Latics are on 58 points but, with a 12-point deduction hanging over them, they could yet finish in the bottom three and will need to beat Fulham and hope other results go in their favour to guarantee safety. They have, however, lodged an appeal against the points penalty.

By PA 

source: dailymail.co.uk