Nottingham Forest have been given a four-point deduction after breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs).

Forest were referred to an independent committee in January after the club reported losses that exceeded the allowed amount during the three-year reporting cycle ending in the 2022-2023 season.

Under the guidelines, they could have been fined or deducted points for the breach, and their four-point deduction now sees them drop to 18th in the Premier League.

They are the second Premier League team this season to have points deducted for a PSR breach after Everton gained 10 points in November. This was later reduced to six points after a three-day appeal. Everton could face a second points deduction this season after being accused, along with Forest, of a further breach of PSR rules in January.

Forest now has seven days to indicate whether it plans to appeal the sanction.

The Premier League has set May 24 as a reserve date for any appeal after the end of the season on May 19. This date is before the league’s annual general meeting.

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What did the Premier League say?

A statement said: “An independent committee has made an immediate deduction of four points to Nottingham Forest FC for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs) for the period ending the 2022/2023 season.

“Nottingham Forest was referred to an independent committee on January 15 after the club admitted it had exceeded the relevant PSR threshold of £61 million by £34.5 million.

“The threshold was lower than £105 million because the club spent two seasons of the assessment period in the EFL Championship. The case was dealt with in accordance with the new Premier League rules, which provide an accelerated timetable for the resolution of PSR matters in the same season in which the complaint is made.

“The independent commission determined the sanction following a two-day hearing this month, during which the club was given the opportunity to set out a range of mitigating factors.

“The committee found that the club had shown ‘exceptional cooperation’ in its dealings with the Premier League throughout the process.”

What did Bos say?

A club statement said: “Nottingham Forest is extremely disappointed with the committee’s decision to impose a four-point sanction on the club, which must be implemented with immediate effect.”

“We were extremely appalled by the tone and content of the Premier League’s submissions to the committee,” it added. “After months of involvement in the Premier League and exceptional cooperation throughout, this was unexpected and has damaged the confidence we had in the Premier League.”

Club statement.

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) March 18, 2024

The club also called the Premier League’s initial starting point for an eight-point sanction “completely disproportionate” and pointed to a number of “unique circumstances” involved and the mitigation measures they put forward.

They also said that the committee’s decision “raises concerns for all aspiring clubs” and that the rationale that clubs should only invest after making a profit from the development of their players “destroys mobility in the football pyramid” and will lead to “the stagnation of our national game.”

“We believe that the high level of cooperation shown by the club during this process, which has been confirmed and recorded in the committee’s decision, was not reciprocated by the Premier League,” the statement said.

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How did we get here?

Forest were referred to the committee by the Premier League in January over the alleged breach, which relates to the PSR calculation for the three-year reporting period ending with the 2022-2023 season.

Forest stated that they would “continue to cooperate fully with the Premier League on this matter and are confident of a quick and fair resolution”.

Forest have signed more than 40 players since securing promotion in May 2022, with owner Evangelos Marinakis approving a transfer fee of around £250 million ($318 million) to help the club establish itself in the top flight.

Forest believed they had worked within the rules when it came to the losses allowed, with much of the issue centering on the sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur.

The club’s argument – which they put forward in talks with the Premier League – was that they could have sold Johnson earlier in the window, but at that point this would have meant accepting a significantly lower price. His sale did not go through until September 1, long after the financial year had ended, for £47.5 million.

New guidelines have been introduced aimed at accelerating PSR decisions to ensure that fundamental regulatory breaches are addressed in a timely manner so that penalties, such as points deductions, can be imposed in the same season in which charges are brought.

All clubs were required to submit their 2022-2023 accounts by December 31 – instead of in March as previously – with any breaches and subsequent charges confirmed a fortnight later.

What are rules for profitability and sustainability?

All Premier League clubs are assessed every year on their compliance with the league’s profitability and sustainability rules.

Their compliance with these rules will be assessed against the club’s PSR calculation, which is the total of the adjusted pre-tax income for the relevant assessment period.

Under the PSR, clubs can lose a maximum of £105 million over three seasons (or £35 million per season), but certain costs can be deducted, such as investments in youth development, infrastructure, community and women’s football.

There were also specific allowances related to COVID and to help clubs the league combined the two pandemic-affected seasons into one, changing the accounting period from three years to four years.

Forest’s allowable losses are lower than the £105 million limit because the club played in the Football League for part of the period under review. Their top fee is instead £61m, which equates to £13m for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons when they were in the Championship, plus £35m for last season, their first return to the top flight.

Have there been more cases like this?

Forest are only the third club to face such action, following Everton’s two separate breaches and subsequent points deductions this season, while Manchester City faced more than 100 charges last February.

The outcome of City’s case has not yet been announced The Athletics report that it will likely take quite some time before an appealable verdict is reached.

Last year, Chelsea’s new owners self-reported incomplete financial information relating to transactions that took place during the stewardship of the previous owner, Roman Abramovich, between 2012 and 2019.

European governing body UEFA has fined them €10 million for the historic breach in July, while the Premier League and English FA continue to investigate.

There have been several precedents in the English Football League in recent years, but a penalty involving PSR breaches at the top flight of English football was unprecedented before Everton.

Only twice in the history of the Premier League has a club been awarded a point penalty.

Middlesbrough were given three points for not playing a match in the 1996-97 season, while Portsmouth were given a nine-point penalty in January of the 2009-10 season after going into administration.

‘Frustration and disappointment for Forest’

Analysis by Nottingham Forest correspondent Paul Taylor

There is frustration and disappointment at Nottingham Forest as they find themselves in the Premier League relegation zone with a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules.

And this weekend it was suggested from the club that four points would be the penalty they would consider appealing. They have 14 days to appeal, so they have time to digest the verdict before rushing to a decision. But it’s likely they will.

The fact that he drops them in the bottom three will rub a little extra salt in the wound.

As does the fact that throughout the process Forest feel that they have done their utmost to work with the Premier League – to accept that they have broken the rules, but to explain what they believe were extenuating circumstances – which largely revolved around sales. by Brennan Johnson, late in the window.

But amid the frustration – at a time when Forest have felt badly hit by a number of controversial refereeing decisions – there will also be an insight that the punishment could perhaps have been harsher.

And despite the possibility of an appeal, Forest at least now knows what they are dealing with as they look to secure a third season of top-flight football under Nuno Espirito Santo.

(Top photo: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Nottingham Forest have been hit with a four-point deduction after breaching the Premier League’s winning and sustainability rules.

The penalty sees Forest drop into the relegation zone as they now sit 18th in the Premier League with 21 points, one point behind Luton in 17th. An appeal will likely follow.

The Premier League has claimed that the club exceeded the PSR threshold by as much as £34.5 million in the relevant period.

Forest were accused of breaching spending rules in January 2024, along with fellow Premier League side Everton, with the Toffees receiving a 10-point deduction earlier this season.

That penalty was later reduced to six points, but Forest have now suffered a similar fate at a crucial point in the campaign.

Forest published a statement on Monday outlining that they were ‘disappointed’ with the decision to hand out a points penalty, although they did say it was for the integrity of the competition to hand out the penalty ‘in the same season in which they are imposed. ‘.

It added: ‘We were extremely appalled by the tone and content of the Premier League’s submissions to the Commission.

‘After months of involvement in the Premier League and exceptional cooperation throughout, this was unexpected and has damaged the confidence we had in the Premier League.

‘For the Premier League to require an eight-point sanction as a starting point was completely disproportionate compared to the nine points prescribed by their own rules for insolvency.

‘We were also surprised that the Premier League did not take into account the club’s unique circumstances and their mitigation at all. In circumstances where this approach is adopted by future PSR committees, it would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for newly promoted clubs without parachute payments to compete, undermining the integrity and competitiveness of the Premier League.”

The statement also referred to a deal to sell Brennan Johnson to Tottenham, which would be a key part of their defense for breaching spending rules in the relevant period.

Because FFP calculations are made over a three-year period ending June 30, the Johnson deal will count towards the 2021-24 settlement rather than 2020-23 as it was completed on deadline day.

Clubs are allowed to incur financial losses of £105 million over three years, with Forest reporting an annual loss of £45.6 million in their latest accounts.

Another complication comes from Forest being a Premier League team for only one of those three seasons; Championship clubs have losses of up to £13m per season, meaning their cap was effectively £61m.

Forest say they could have sold Johnson to Brentford in June for around £30m, which would have put them in a healthier financial position for the 2020-2023 period, but almost £20m out of pocket in total.

For the club’s sustainability, they claim that accepting almost £50 million for Johnson in August was better than £30 million earlier in the summer.

The statement continued: ‘Even after missing the PSR reporting deadline, the Club still took steps to ensure that Brennan Johnson was sold before the end of the transfer window. That was a clear demonstration of our respect and support for PSR.

‘The Commission’s decision raises questions that are important for all aspiring clubs. The player transfer market is a highly specialized trading environment that cannot be compared to the sale of normal products and services.

‘There will be cases where a player transfer cannot be completed in the first half of a transfer window and only at the end of that period. This should not be a reason for condemning a club. That this is not recognized by the Commission or the Premier League should be a matter of great concern to all fans of our national football.

‘Of wider concern to all aspiring clubs is the worrying effect this decision will have on the operation of the player trading model. This is the only model that allows clubs outside the small group at the top of the Premier League to realistically move up the football pyramid.”

Forest’s response to the punishment concluded with the insinuation that ‘the high level of cooperation’ they had shown throughout the process had not been ‘reciprocated’ by the league.

Prior to the announcement, Forest were just three points ahead of Luton in 18th, with the Hatters earning a late 1-1 draw with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on Saturday to stay within striking distance, although they now move Forest to 17th took place. .

A hearing took place to decide what punishment the club faced on Thursday and Friday last week, ahead of Saturday’s match.

Forest’s spending since returning to the English top flight in early 2022-23 has been extremely lavish.

From that summer onwards, no less 42 players have come to the City Ground for more than £250 million.

Asked about the upcoming ruling after Saturday’s clash with Luton, Espirito Santo said the club would ‘keep going and fighting’ in a bid to overcome defeat.

The indictment against Manchester City in February for 115 alleged infringements is an ongoing case.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST have revealed their ‘confidence’ in the Premier League has been ‘damaged’ after they were hit with a four-point deduction.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side dropped to the bottom three after being awarded four points for breaching Premier League financial rules.

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Prior to their deduction, Forest were 17th with 25 points from 29 games.

By falling to 21 points, they have now dropped below Luton to 18th place.

THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT STORY..

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• The woman and her companion had been hiking in the Low Tatra Mountains

By Ed Holt

Published: 11:26 AM EDT, March 16, 2024 | Updated: 04:03 EDT, March 17, 2024

During the sugarcane harvest season, the meowing of leopard cubs in the fields is a common sound.

Nature conservation: In an exciting wildlife rescue operation, a female leopard cub was successfully reunited with its mother after she was found near a sugarcane field in Waghale village, located in the Shirur Forest Range of Maharashtra. The cub, estimated to be almost two months old, was discovered by a vigilant farmer who immediately notified forest rangers, setting off a chain of events that led to the cub’s rescue, treatment and eventual reunion by Wildlife SOS and Junnar forest department.

During the sugarcane harvest season, the meowing of leopard cubs in the fields is a common sound. In a recent incident that occurred in Waghale village on Sunday, a female leopard cub was found in distress in a sugarcane field. The farmer, realizing the need for immediate intervention, contacted the Maharashtra Forest Department, which quickly responded to the call for help.

After being informed by the forest department officials, the teams of Wildlife SOS and Junnar forest division, along with the veterinarians, traveled nearly 70 km to reach the rescue site. After an extensive health assessment, the team identified the cub as a female, almost 2 months old, with minor wounds and scratches on her paws. In addition, she showed signs of dullness and dehydration.

Dr. Sharing insights into the cub’s treatment, Adithyan N, Wildlife SOS Veterinary Officer said: “We focused on providing the cub with the necessary medical care, including fluid therapy to address dehydration and ointments in the form of topical medication for the wounds. After ensuring her good health, we carefully placed the cub in a safe box and immediately started the reunion process.”

Camera traps were strategically deployed in the area to closely monitor the reunification process. To the joy and relief of all involved, the mother leopard appeared that same evening. After assessing the area, she approached the crate, identified her cub and gently lifted her by the scruff of the neck. The heartwarming moment was caught on camera and the pair retreated into the wilderness, marking a successful reunion.

Amit Bhise, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Junnar Division said, “We are happy that the joint efforts resulted in the timely treatment and successful reunion of the cub with its mother. As it is the sugarcane harvesting season, we urge all farmers to inform local forest rangers if they see leopard cubs. This will ensure the well-being of the cub and its return to the wild.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said, “The quick initial response of the local farmer and the subsequent efforts of Wildlife SOS and the forest department show the impact of joint efforts. Each reunion contributes to a healthy leopard population in the wild and plays a crucial role in maintaining the delicate ecological balance in the natural environment of that area.”

YOU know spring has finally arrived when bluebells start to appear.

And you can find them fantastic during forest walks.

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Here’s how to get the most out of the flowers.

But please be considerate of nature and your fellow flower lovers; stay on the trails and watch where you step.

A WALK IN THE FOREST: Bluebells are usually found in mature deciduous woodlands or along hedgerows in damp and shady conditions.

You can ask nature or community groups about the best places nearby to find displays. Forestry England has put together a list of top locations including Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest in Kent, Hamsterley Forest, County Durham and Mortimer Forest, Shropshire. Find more online.

The Woodland Trust has the best places in Scotland and Wales including Crinan Wood and Keil’s Den, Largo, Coed Cefn, Crickhowell and Plas Current Woods, Wrexham (woodlandtrust.org.uk).

SNAP HAPPY: A sea of ​​blue creates a magical backdrop for family photos.

You don’t need a fancy camera; you can work with your phone.

Take multiple photos, play with different poses and from different angles. You’ll definitely capture a few moments worth holding on to, but make sure you don’t trample the flowers.

RUN IT OUT: A walk in the woods is good for the soul, but you can also benefit financially from it.

There are some apps that only pay or offer rewards when you walk with your phone. Try downloading Sweatcoin, which costs nothing to use and convert steps to points that can be used to purchase services or goods associated with the app.

The Cashwalk app works in a similar way.

Or you can earn money for charity while walking with the Charity Miles app.

• All prices on the page are correct at the time of going to press. Offers and offers subject to availability.

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