Credit: Imago

Declan Carr

Thu 16 April 2026 10:49, UK

West Bromwich Albion‘s battle with the EFL has reached Parliament, with Lisa Nandy hitting out at the situation.

The Baggies have reportedly breached PSR regulations for the 2024-25 season, but the club have hit back over those claims.

The situation is complex, with the disagreement understood to be over interest payments on an MSD Holdings loan took out by Guochuan Lai and the previous ownership.

The Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State responded to the issue on 16 April after it was brought up by West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes.

West Brom fans will hope that the issue can be resolved quickly, and the fact that it has been brought up at the government level could help.

What did Nandy say about West Brom PSR battle?

Nandy highlighted the need for the Football Governance Act and hinted that West Brom fans will monitor the progress of that bill closely.

According to Chris Lepkowski, she said: “We know how much this matters to people in West Brom.

“This is why precisely delivered the Football Governance Act, which clearly sets out the need to protect the integrity and sporting competitiveness of existing competitions, and I’m sure they’ll be looking at this closely.”

What it all means for West Brom’s relegation chances

Unfortunately, the fact that it has been brought up in Parliament is unlikely to speed up the EFL’s approach, despite the urgency of the situation for all clubs that it could affect.

According to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, the governing body wants the matter sorted as soon as possible, but it is down to an independent commission.

Given that the Baggies disagree with the charge, a hearing must be held within 28 days, but the Championship campaign ends in 16 days.

It creates a tricky situation, as the Black Country club and those around them do not know what they need to stay up and cannot adapt their approaches to matches accordingly.

The EFL have backed itself into a corner, they preach about sporting integrity, but the integrity of the competition is surely compromised as a result of the lack of clarity for the relegation-threatened teams.

The Throstles just need to win as many of their last four matches as they can, as that is the best way to avoid relegation through a potential points deduction, if that is ultimately decided upon as their fate when the matter is finally resolved.