Nottingham Forest’s four-point deduction upheld after appeal is rejected
Nottingham Forest’s hopes of a boost in their fight to avoid relegation have suffered a blow after their appeal over a four-points deduction for a breach of financial rules was rejected.
Forest remain 17th in the table and just three points clear of Luton, who currently occupy the final relegation place, after an independent commission upheld the initial sanction from last month.
The Premier League hit Forest with the four-point deduction in March after the club was found to have breached the Profitability and Sustainability Rules [PSR] by exceeding permitted losses of £61 million by £34.5 million.
Forest contested the punishment as they argued that the £47.5 million sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham on September 1, which fell outside the deadline of June 30, was effectively ignored.
Johnson’s exit was delayed by over two months as Forest held out for a bigger fee. Their argument was that waiting to secure a higher amount was a clear attempt to bank profit and remain sustainable.
An independent commission has now delivered their verdict to leave Forest frustrated as they were convinced the club had a strong case.
Everton’s record ten-point deduction was trimmed down to six after appeal earlier this year, but Forest’s punishment will remain the same.
Forest have two games left this season, with a home match against Chelsea followed by a trip to Burnley.
The 3-1 win at already relegated Sheffield United leaves Forest only needing a win against Chelsea to virtually guarantee their safety.
