Blackpool and Wigan given possible lifeline with Championship rivals threatened with points deduction

Both the Daily Mail and The Telegraph are reporting that the Royals could be hit with a six-point deduction for their failure to comply with an EFL business plan.

The Times, meanwhile, suggests they could be docked as many as 12 points.

Should Paul Ince’s side be hit with a six-point deduction, they will drop from 44 points to 38 and just seven clear of the relegation zone with 13 games remaining.

If it’s 12, they will fall to 32 points, just one point ahead of the Seasiders.

In a statement, the EFL confirmed they are currently reviewing submissions from Reading to “determine whether compliance has been achieved”.

The Royals currently sit 14th in the table following their 3-1 win against Blackpool last weekend.

They were deducted six points for breaching financial rules last season but still managed to stay up by four points.

The Berkshire outfit did, however, receive a further six-point deduction suspended until the end of this season.

According to reports, that suspended penalty is now on the verge of being triggered amid claims the club have failed to cut their spending in accordance with the plan they agreed with the EFL.

According to Mail, Reading’s previous penalty – handed out in November 2021 – came after they recorded a loss of £57.8m, £18m more than the £39m upper loss threshold for the four-year period.

It remains to be seen if the penalty will be handed down to Ince’s side this season, as the disciplinary process is yet to begin.

Reading have yet to comment.