relief over loan player blunder <div class="viewarticlepanel"><div class="multiimageoff" id="MainMultiImage"><div id="MainImageDiv">/</div><div id="ThumbDiv"><div class="thumb">/</div><div class="thumb">/</div><div class="thumb">/</div><div class="thumb2">/</div></div> <div id="Navigation"><div class="off" id="PreviousBlock1">« Previous </div><div class="off" id="PreviousBlock1Inactive">« Previous</div><div class="off" id="NextBlock1">Next » </div><div class="off" id="NextBlock1Inactive">Next »</div></div> <div class="off noprint" id="divGalleryLink">View Gallery</div></div></div><div class="byline" id="ds-byline">By Ian Appleyard </div><div class="ds-firstpara" id="ds-firstpara">SHEFFIELD Wednesday look set to escape a points deduction despite breaking Football League rules concerning the use of loan players.</div><div class="va-bodytext" id="va-bodytext">The Owls, who host Coventry City tonight, named six loanees in a squad of 16 for last weekend's 1-1 draw with Stoke City. League rules state that five is the maximum permitted and Stoke have lodged an official complaint. Although the League have yet to announce a formal decision, it is understood the result of the game will stand but the Owls are likely to be fined £2,000. That will come as a massive relief to manager Brian Laws whose side are one point adrift of safety in the Championship relegation zone but will stun opponents Stoke. Laws would not dwell on the situation yesterday but club officials will be red-faced over a mix-up that should have been avoided. Significantly, only three of the loan players were on the field at the same time – Graham Kavanagh, Frank Songo'o and Ben Sahar – and two, Adam Bolder and Bartosz Slusarski, were unused substitutes. The sixth player was substitute Enoch Showunmi who played the final 11 minutes of the game. Laws said: "We have spoken to the Football League and don't want to talk openly about the situation at this stage. I am sure our supporters will forgive me for saying nothing. It is important to concentrate on what is ahead of us." Laws, meanwhile, says there are 'no games bigger' than tonight's clash with Coventry who are also involved in the battle to avoid the drop. Victory would propel the Owls out of the relegation zone and above Coventry who are currently three points better off with an inferior goal difference. "This is our game in hand and these are the ones where we have to start picking up points," said Laws. "We can certainly do the damage in terms of the teams above us and it can improve our situation. "You can't have a bigger game than this especially as they are in our predicament. If we win we go above them and move up four places so there is huge significance. This game is as important to us as it is to five other clubs looking at this one." With only one defeat in the last nine games, confidence is good in the Owls <div id="ds-mpu"></div>dressing room despite the frustration of not yet escaping the relegation zone. "Although we have been stuck in the bottom three for so long, it's irrelevant," he said. "We have been closing the gap on everyone and we are certainly a lot closer than we were a few weeks ago. We're in a strong position but have to make it count – these games in hand mean nothing to us unless we get the points." With striker Marcus Tudgay ruled out for the rest of the season following knee surgery and Showunmi returning to Bristol City after his loan spell, Laws is unhappy that Ben Sahar has been called up by the Israel Football Association to take part in an Under-19 international against Poland next week. A call-up which could see him miss the away game at Sheffield United. Defender Richard Hinds is the only fresh injury doubt for the Owls after limping off with an ankle injury against Stoke. </div>
What is the feckin point in having the rule if you just get a fine. What a joke. I'd be taking legal action if I were Stoke's chairman.
Irrespective of it being Sheff Wed etc The fine (if it is £2000) doesn't remedy the potential benefits that the offending club may get, nor does it compensate Stoke for potentially missing out on automatic promotion.
RE: Irrespective of it being Sheff Wed etc It is just inviting other teams to play more loanees. Whoops it was an accident. 3 points, or even 1 is worth much more than £2k. Poor if they don't even take the 1 point gained.
£2000! Thats a ridiculously low amount for a football club, its just not a deterrent. A team as small as Worsborough Bridge could probably afford to pay that with out too much fuss!
We could get a reyt team art for the final We could scour the world for the best players who would all be happy to play in an FA cup final. Just imagine Kaka, Buffon, Ronaldo ....... etc I'll pay the £2000 fine myself.