The English Football League (EFL) has imposed financial penalties on Swindon Town for violating league regulations related to delayed payments. Swindon now faces a £2,000 fine and a two-window transfer fee restriction due to payments exceeding 30 days late within the current 12-month period, involving both HMRC and a third-party club.
In response to the penalties, Swindon opted to appeal, asserting that the sanctions were disproportionate to the offenses committed. The appeal was referred to an independent Disciplinary Commission for review. The Commission, upon examination, decided to reduce the three-transfer window fee restriction to two, with the second window (scheduled for August 2024) suspended. The suspended window would be activated in the event of a further breach. However, the club is still obligated to pay the £2,000 fine.
The Commission’s judgment revealed that Swindon had accumulated 39 days of late payments. Notably, payments were delayed by seven days to HMRC in June 2023 (with notification in July 2023), five days to HMRC in October 2023, and a 27-day delay in settling ticket monies owed to a third-party club.
Swindon exercised its right to appeal in November after initially being notified of the penalties. The appeal sought a reduction in punishment, deeming the initial fine and three-window restriction excessive. An independent expert subsequently revised the penalties, resulting in a £2,000 fine and a prohibition on the club from paying transfer fees, compensation fees, loan fees, or any other form of payment—except for a sell-on fee for players—for two transfer windows, starting with the current window, and with the second window being suspended.
The second window, slated for the summer transfer window, would only be activated if the club incurs further late payments before June 2024, potentially leading to additional sanctions. EFL regulations stipulate that clubs must not default on payments to other clubs and HMRC for more than ten days before receiving a written warning, more than 20 days before facing a fine, and more than 30 days before incurring a transfer window fee restriction.
Swindon initially received a letter from the EFL on November 10, 2023, regarding the late payments accrued from July 31, 2023, onwards.
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