Only skim read Independent Commissions (IC) written reasons. My comments as follows;
1. The club have been aware of this since March 2023.
2. The club defaulted on transfer/loan payments to other clubs over a period of 600 days(1.65 years). The EFL considered this conduct was sufficiently serious to justify further sanctioning the club( in addition to the transfer embargo) under their rules and referred the matter to a disciplinary committee who appointed an IC.
3. The payment defaults related to 5 player transactions totalling £8.2 million.
3. Throughout 2023 both parties made submissions to the IC culminating in a hearing in January 2024. Nick De Marco KC represented the Club. The KC currently acting for Florist.
4. The IC found in favour of the EFL in February 2024 who had requested points deductions and a fine.
5. In March 2024 a compromise sanction was agreed at 2 points deducted plus 2 deferred for further breaches in the next full EFL season.
6. SUFC agreed there would no appeal.
6. Costs were awarded against SUFC totalling for £310,000 for the EFL plus the IC's costs.
Clearly defaulting on transfer payments over nearly two years has led to this state of affairs and the EFL felt obliged to push for further sanctions because the club was continually in breach of EFL payment rules. This drives a coach and horses through PA's response to Sheffield United Way that the embargo only related to around £1 million and lasted only a few months. 5 player transactions and £8 million in fees defaulted on suggests it certainly wasn't the picture being painted. That explains why consideration was given not to Appeal and get the best compromise avoiding a fine. The term I believe is "bang to rights"
The cost to the club in defending this action exceeds the £310,00 quoted. Add in the IC's costs and Mick De Marco who doesn't come cheap and you are looking at north of double that amount.
A sorry state of affairs imo. Not only has the clubs reputation been sullied but they now face stricter limitations on any future default with the potential for automatic additional point deductions. Will this affect future transfer dealings one can only speculate but it may lead to requests for more money up front. It also has the potential for any rival we do future business with running to the EFL to get the additional points applied should there be any semblance of delay in making payments.
The Clubs statement that they were waiting for payments from other clubs doesn't hold water imo. The EFL rules set out a clear process whereby SUFC could have invoked disciplinary proceedings via the EFL against said clubs for late payment within pre determined time scales. That doesn't seemed to have happened here.
