Football League clarifies why Blackburn Rovers cannot spend - but QPR can please log in to view this image Rovers boss Gary Bowyer First published 1 hour ago in News by Paul Wheelock THE Football League has clarified why Blackburn Rovers remain under a Financial Fair Play embargo – and why QPR can carry on spending. Rovers and QPR were two of four Championship clubs found to have broken FFP rules for the 2013-14 season after posting losses in excess of the maximum £8m permitted. As Rovers remained in the Championship they were hit with an embargo which prevents them from paying fees for new signings and restricts them to a squad of no more than 24 established players. As QPR were promoted to the Premier League they were hit with a multi-million pound fine. But the Loftus Road outfit, who were relegated back into the Championship in May, have yet to pay a penny of the fine as they are challenging the legality of The Football League’s FFP rules. The Football League say that challenge is ‘ongoing’. In the meantime QPR have set about strengthening their squad with the £3.5m capture of Swindon Town duo Massimo Luongo and Ben Gladwin as well as the free transfer arrival of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas from Bristol City. Last night they also completed a deal for Jamie Mackie from Nottingham Forest who, along with Rovers, are the only other Championship club currently under an FFP embargo after Leeds United had theirs lifted at the end of the 2014-15 campaign. As things stands it is understood the only way Rovers will get their embargo lifted in the forthcoming 2015-16 season is through player sales. Asked for an explanation as to why QPR can go about their business without restrictions, a Football League spokesman told the Lancashire Telegraph: “Having exceeded the permitted deviation (£8m) allowed under the Championship’s Financial Fair Play rules for 2013-14, QPR, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest faced sanctions in line with those agreed by clubs in April 2012. “Following promotion to the Premier League at the end of that season, QPR found themselves subject to a financial sanction, as the League cannot apply a transfer embargo to a Premier League club as it lacks the jurisdiction to do so. “As has been communicated previously, The Football League and QPR are currently engaged in ongoing legal proceedings regarding the legality of the League’s FFP rules and any charge against QPR (if any) for a breach of FFP Rules shall not be commenced pending the outcome of that challenge. “In the meantime, QPR were relegated back to The Football League at the end of the 2014-15 season along with Hull City and Burnley and, in line with Championship FFP regulations, all three will not face any sanctions in their first season back in the Championship as long as they have complied with the Premier League’s FFP rules during their final season in that competition – irrespective of any outstanding matters relating to FFP returns from previous seasons. “The three clubs that remained in the Championship (Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest) received a registration embargo that took effect from January 1 with details relating to the operation of that embargo having been communicated by the League at the time. “Each Championship club is required to submit interim financial information to The Football League by March 1 (relating to that season). In instances where previously embargoed clubs can demonstrate that their finances are projected to stay within the permitted deviation (£6m for 2014-15) their embargo is lifted in the following transfer window. This applied in the case of Leeds United who are now able to register players. “Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest will have the opportunity to submit accounts for the 2014-15 season on December 1, 2015 and interim financial information for 2015-16 on March 1, 2016 where their status under the regulations will be assessed once again.” The maximum loss allowed for last season – 2014-15 – is £6m. But, after FFP rules were changed in November, the maximum loss permitted for the new season – 2015-16 – will rise to £13m.
I was considering posting this, however Kiwi is always a few steps ahead. All I will say is that "great minds think alike" But will I add a link to another article from the Lancashire Telegraph which add a few more interesting points relevent to QPR: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/13335832._/?ref=mac I attach the relevent parts to QPR: As QPR were promoted to the Premier League they were hit with a multi-million pound fine. But the Loftus Road outfit, who were relegated back into the Championship in May, have yet to pay a penny of the fine as they are challenging the legality of The Football League’s FFP rules. On the challenge, The Football League could say only that it is ‘ongoing’. In the meantime QPR have set about strengthening their squad with the £3.5m capture of Swindon Town duo Massimo Luongo and Ben Gladwin as well as the free transfer arrival of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas from Bristol City. Asked for an explanation as to why QPR can go about their business without restrictions, a Football League spokesman told the Lancashire Telegraph: “Having exceeded the permitted deviation (£8m) allowed under the Championship’s Financial Fair Play rules for 2013-14, QPR, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest faced sanctions in line with those agreed by clubs in April 2012. "Following promotion to the Premier League at the end of that season, QPR found themselves subject to a financial sanction, as the League cannot apply a transfer embargo to a Premier League club as it lacks the jurisdiction to do so. “As has been communicated previously, The Football League and QPR are currently engaged in ongoing legal proceedings regarding the legality of the League’s FFP rules and any charge against QPR (if any) for a breach of FFP Rules shall not be commenced pending the outcome of that challenge. So my personal summary: We are awating the results of the legal procedings on the FFP. The FFP saga is not over. It will yet rear its ugly head. All we do not know is when or the outcome.
I'm probably missing something, but I still do not understand why we face the FFP sanctions for that Championship season when we spent the previous season in the Premiership? It seems unfair that there's not any time to get your house in order considering the gulf in money between the two divisions.
I am no expert on this but I believe that the purpose of the Premiership parachute payments was to allow for a short and medium term bridge to allow clubs to "get their financial house together" on relegation from the Premier League. As for being "unfair", the the Football League FFP rules were agreed by the clubs and they now are being applied. We seem to have escaped embargo sanctions which were applied to Blackburn, Leeds and Forest by our promotion and are due finacial sanctions, which are being contested by the Club. I am sure better experts will correct me if my understanding is in error.
I would assume all clubs agreeing to FFP were along the lines of 'agree to it or be excluded from the league', else the clubs with the financial backing would have just said no. Also, weren't the figures based on the season in the Prem? So before relegation and any parachute payments?
