Queens Park Rangers May Face Points Deduction After FA Charges

The Championship table may soon be looking at a major shakeup. Leaders Queens Park Rangers are currently seven points clear of second place Swansea City and were looking like easy favourites for automatic promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season - until the Football Association stepped in over allegations that the London club have, amongst other less serious offences, fielded an illegible player in midfielder Alejandro Faurlin, submitted false information, and dealt with unlicensed agents. QPR have been charged with no less than seven violations of the FA rules, and if any of them come through we could be looking at a major points deduction and a sea-change at the top of the Championship.

The last club to be docked points for even one FA violation (rather than going into administration) was Luton Town in 2008, who lost ten points. Considering the importance of Faurlin to the shape of the Championship title race and the sheer number of charges levelled against QPR here, a ten point deduction would seem like a rather light punishment. Anything more than that, though, would see QPR fall out of the automatic promotion spots in to the rather more murky world of the playoffs, which would be very good news for the likes of Norwich, Cardiff, and Burnley, all of whom would be poised to take advantage of the vacancy at the top of the table.

For their part, QPR deny any wrong-doing. A statement on the club’s website says that they’ll fight the charges, presumably tooth and nail:

Queens Park Rangers and Gianni Paladini can confirm that they have received charges from the Football Association.

Having co-operated fully with the FA’s investigation, QPR and Mr Paladini shall be denying all of the charges and requesting a formal FA hearing to determine them.

If QPR’s legal team can delay the FA hearing until after the conclusion of the current season, a points deduction will have far less of an impact, as promotion to the Premier League will have been secured. The FA, meanwhile, will be doing its best to close the matter as quickly as possible.