According to a report in The Athletic by Matt Slater and Nancy Frostick, Barnsley are one of the sides said “considering legal action against the English Football League” if they are relegated and Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Birmingham City are allowed to remain in the Sky Bet Championship.

The growing furore relates to the Owls, Rams and Blues all having current cases brought by the EFL against them. Wednesday and Derby stand accused of circumventing FFP regulations by selling their stadiums to their owners then agreeing a lease back. Birmingham City’s EFL case comes with a breach of a settlement linked to an earlier charge of breaking spending rules.

The cases against Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County are the ones which hare more pressing and which could have an effect at the bottom of the table. Derby are only 12 points clear of the relegation places, Sheffield Wednesday are worse off and only nine points safe from Charlton in 22nd.

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Barnsley are bottom of the pile and seven points shy of safety but their co-owner, Paul Conway, is in fiery form in his opinion on matters. Commenting on a potential slight, Conway says: “People seem to think little old Barnsley will follow the rules and not make a fuss.”

The outspoken American then continued by adding: “If we’ve been wronged as a result of the league not following its own rules, then it stands to reason that we’d go against the league and its TV money and ask them to pay us the difference in revenue.”

On the possibility of points deductions, Conway doesn’t think that this goes far enough. Commenting angrily he adds: “These 12-point sanctions (for going into administration) are ludicrous. In Germany, France, Spain, all over Europe, really, if you don’t pay your bills or you are late with your financials, you get demoted two or three divisions. That’s it. You’re down. We operate in four nations and England is the worst.”

Bellicose words indeed from Barnsley co-owner Conway on what should happen to sides breaking the rules. The thing is, there’s not many who wouldn’t agree with him.