Soccer-EFL deduct three points from Reading after failing to deposit wages

(Reuters) – English third-tier side Reading have been deducted three points after failing to deposit enough funds to cover the club’s monthly wage bill, the English Football League (EFL) said on Wednesday.

Reading received a one-point deduction last month with a further three points suspended, to be applied if they breached EFL regulations again.

The club had failed to comply with an order to deposit funds equal to 125% of the forecast monthly wage bill in a designated account by Tuesday, the EFL said in a statement on Wednesday.

Reading, who drop to 21st after six matches in League One, said in a statement that the club’s owner, Dai Yongge, was “undertaking an ongoing process of seeking sources of stable external investment”.

Reading were also docked six points in April while they were competing in the second-tier Championship, a sanction which eventually resulted in their relegation.

(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru)