' Cardiff City & Swansea City set to take legal action '

Championship clubs consider legal action as Leeds United, West Brom, Cardiff City and Swansea City face prospect of missing out on promotion and are set to take legal action if the Championship becomes void.

The latest proposal to finish the Premier League season could see no teams promoted from the Championship, which could prompt a legal dispute

By Glen Williams


Tuesday 31st March 2020


Top Championship clubs are reportedly preparing to launch a legal battle if a radical new proposal prevents them achieving promotion to the Premier League.

With the UK on 'lockdown' and no matches scheduled to be played until at least April 30, football's top brass are currently locked in talks over how best to finish the season.

And, according to the Daily Mail, ambitions plans are afoot to resume in the first week of May, with the latest radical plan being discussed to complete the season for the sole purpose of TV rights, without any promotion to or relegation from the Premier League.

The basis for the proposal is that Premier League chiefs believe the integrity of the competition will be threatened.

It is reported that top Championship clubs have already begun preparations to take legal action if such a plan is implemented and they are denied promotion.

It is thought, however, their cases will be weakened if the Championship season is not completed.

Should the likes of Leeds United and West Brom, currently in first and second position in the table, not be granted promotion to the Premier League, it is believed they will miss out on more than £100million.




The Mail had earlier reported that, should the season be voided entirely, clubs such as Cardiff City, just two points off the play-offs, and Swansea City, just three points adrift of the top six, would have grounds to challenge due to a 'loss of opportunity' if their hopes of getting promoted are dashed.

It is claimed that clubs all the way through the English Football League are determined to be compensated if the campaign isn't completed in its entirety, too.

One source at a Championship club in the running for promotion told the Mail: "Why should we miss out on the opportunity of promotion and the money that comes with it when the clubs at the bottom of Premier League get away Scott free if the season is null and voided?"

On Tuesday morning, pundit and talkSPORT host Ally McCoist hit out at the Premier League for appearing to ignore the Championship and the rest of the EFL in the latest proposed plans to finish the season.

The mooted plan centred around the top flight resuming at the start of May, behind closed doors, and finishing on July 12, without any promotion to or relegation.

The proposal also contained no guarantee the Championship season would be finished and former Scotland and Rangers striker McCoist blasted the lack of unity between the Premier League and the rest of the divisions, believing there should be solidarity in these uncertain times.

"We’re making rules for some and not for others," he said on talkSPORT. "Football used to be the same for everyone and now it’s not.

“It’s saying that it’s more important financially for the Premier League to finish above other leagues. I think it’s wrong.”

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If the PL somehow do finish the season (I will believe it when I see it) then the bottom 3 clubs must be relegated. If the season is voided then that is a circumstance beyond anyone's control and the Championship clubs will have to accept that.

Got to be the same throughout the league's. Play every game to make it fair. Or void season, never happened.....we all know it's about money . Then sort next season out...we all in the same boat

Football clubs arguing about money at this time make me sick. It’s an impossible situation and very difficult to come up with a solution that is fair to all.

Football clubs arguing about money at this time make me sick. It’s an impossible situation and very difficult to come up with a solution that is fair to all.

think its more a threat of legal action to make the authorities think... the idea the Prem should have a conclusion while other divisions do not is wrong.... I don't think they should be considering anyone playing until its deemed safe for all...

I think clubs are taking legal action not because of the COVID 19 its because the football bunch are on about changing the rules its having a go at them as even if there is no games until next year this season has to be completed end of anything else would be wrong to all clubs and is open to court cases by the clubs

Are we not essentially just 'Clubs' playing in Leagues that we sign up tom, play in their system, therefore accepting and abiding by the rules and decisions they set.

If the League needs to be cancelled because of an extraordinary event/act of god, call it what you will and the League make that decision what legal stance can Clubs even take? I'm sure its written in the contracts somewhere.

If Clubs choose to run as a 'business' whilst in that League, that's on them, not the Leagues administrators surely?

I don't see what the Clubs can do to be honest or how any Court would side with them, it probably doesn't help that the 'Premier League' is a separate entity.

If this whole situation gets messy it could actually accentuate a bigger split between the EPL the EFL.

If it comes to it and the leagues are unable to be complete then Clubs are just going to have to 'suck it up' for want of a better phrase.

Utterly shite article. Manages to use the word "reportedly" and quotes the Daily Mail ffs. Why does such shite find itself regurgitated here? Most of the posters more well informed and better able to write than WOL journos.