The EFL has confirmed that Championship club Reading will be deducted six points with immediate effect.
The Royals have been no strangers to financial issues in recent seasons, with a penalty being imposed in 2021-22 for breaching the EFL's profit and sustainability limits.
When that penalty was imposed, it was stated that a suspended six-point punishment would be activated if there was a further breach by the Berkshire outfit.
For a number of weeks, it has been common knowledge that Reading had failed to adhere to a business plan which was agreed with the EFL, and manager Paul Ince has admitted that he was expecting the deduction to be imposed in due course.
On Tuesday lunchtime, the EFL announced that Reading would have six points removed from their current total in the second tier of English football.
© Reuters
A statement from the Independent Club Financial Reporting Unit read: "Reading Football Club will be deducted six points from the 2022/23 Championship table, after the Club admitted that it has failed to comply with the budget restrictions imposed, following a previous breach of the EFL's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (P&S).
"The points deduction is an activation of a suspended six-point penalty, which was set out in the terms of an Agreed Decision between Reading and the EFL in November 2021.
"The EFL has been notified and will apply the sanction with immediate effect."
Reading had been due to head into their Good Friday encounter with Birmingham City occupying 18th position in the table, seven points above the bottom three.
However, they are now down in 20th spot, one point ahead of 22nd-placed Huddersfield Town and six points clear of bottom-placed Wigan Athletic, who recently received a three-point penalty for failing to pay their players' wages on time.
Darren Plant
