West Brom’s potential legal action one reason why EFL should be keen to finish season – journalist
West Brom and Leeds United could bankrupt the EFL if they are denied promotion from the Championship and file successful lawsuits, according to Daily Mail journalist Amitai Winehouse.
With the season currently suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been suggestions that all results should be declared null and void with football resuming as normal at the start of the 2020/21 campaign.
Of course, if this was to happen, West Brom and Leeds would be two of the hardest-hit clubs because they currently occupy the two automatic promotion spots in the Championship.
Albion have been in the top-two almost all season and are currently sitting in second place, six points ahead of third with just nine matches left to play.
Denying them the chance to finish off their promotion bid could be devastating for the EFL if they and Leeds take legal action to cover the potential losses.
“It’s a hard argument to run, but if they decided to act in accordance with the Premier League and cancel the season, Leeds and West Brom could argue the EFL’s board acted with unfair prejudice against a minority shareholder,” Winehouse wrote on the Daily Mail website.
He added: “Damages would be fairly easy to quantify. It’d be a hard case to win but you might not bring it on your own. You’d bring it with every promotion-chasing side in the divisions.
“Leeds and West Brom would get the most in damages but even lower down it’s worth it. Leeds and West Brom’s potential legal action is one of the reasons the EFL would be so keen to finish the season.
“Imagine if the Football League ended the season, Leeds and West Brom lost revenue, were denied promotion, it went to a tribunal and they won with damages of £200million – it would bankrupt the Football League.”
There is simply no way that the EFL can afford something like this potentially happening because it would not only be West Brom and Leeds who could file lawsuits against them.
Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Preston would also be within their rights to as well as teams like League One leaders Coventry, League Two leaders Crewe and National League leaders Barrow.
It could end up costing them a fortune in legal fees and compensation and that is one of many reasons why the current 2019/20 campaign needs to be completed.
In other West Brom news, Slaven Bilic has detailed how he wants the season to be concluded.