Derby County's administrators lodge appeal against 12-point deduction
Derby County will appeal against the 12-point deduction handed to them after the club entered administration in September; the EFL confirmed in a short statement that their point total will remain unchanged while the appeal process takes place
Monday 11 October 2021 14:20, UK
Derby County's administrators have lodged an appeal against the 12-point deduction imposed by the English Football League (EFL).
The Pride Park-club were dealt the points penalty after entering administration in September amid ongoing financial problems.
Administrators Andrew Hosking, Carl Jackson and Andrew Andronikou, managing directors at business advisory firm Quantuma, were placed in charge after Derby owner Mel Morris revealed the club were losing between £1.3m and £1.5m per month.
Derby, who were last in the Premier League in 2008, have previously said their precarious financial position was worsened by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic which resulted in matches being played without fans.
The Rams, managed by former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney, fell to the bottom of the Championship after the deduction was imposed, but have won three and drawn five of their 11 league matches.
As a result, they currently sit on two points - seven points adrift of fourth-bottom Hull who occupy 21st spot in the table.
An EFL statement read: "The Administrators at Derby County have lodged an appeal against the 12-point deduction imposed on the club's 2021/22 season total on 22 September 2021.
"As a consequence, this matter has been referred to an independent Arbitration panel who will consider representations from both parties before making a determination.
"At this current time, the club's points total in the Championship table will remain unchanged."
Derby will look to avoid letting off-field distractions disrupt their preparations for Saturday's trip to Preston, before they welcome Luton on October 19 - live on Sky Sports Football via the Red Button from 7.40pm.
No Derby contact from Ashley
Mike Ashley has made no contact with Derby's administrators, Sky Sports News has been told, amid reports that he is interested in buying the club.
The former Newcastle owner is currently considering his options, after receiving around £300m for selling the Premier League club.
It is understood Ashley will want to re-invest some of that money back into sport in the future, but buying another football club is not necessarily his top priority.
There has been no comment on the matter either from Ashley or from Quantuma.
