Barnsley FC EFL charge: Range of punishments League One club could receive for 'multiple breaches of regulations'

Former co-chairmen Paul Conway and Chien Lee - who were voted off the Oakwell board in May 2022 - have also been cited in the charges.

It is understood that punishments for the club could range from a reprimand or fine to a points deduction in a worst-case scenario.

In a statement, the governing body said that the Reds hierarchy have failed to provide the league with "correct and/or complete information regarding the beneficial ownership of shares in the club" despite a request for the information by the league.

Additionally, the Oakwell outfit have also been charged with failing to provide "necessary notifications regarding the ownership position" and "failing to publish accurate information on the club’s website concerning the ultimate owners of the significant interest".

Other charges revolve around "allowing individuals to acquire a position of control without prior clearance from the EFL and 'failing to act towards the league with the utmost good faith.'

The club, alongside Conway and Lee, have 14 days to respond to the charges with an independent disciplinary commission to then consider matters before delivering a verdict. There is no specific time-frame as to when a decision will be reached.

Meanwhile, the Oakwell outfit have released their own statement and have stressed that the charges have followed an ‘internal review’ into the shareholdings of Conway and Chien Lee.

Conway and Lee left the Reds’ board following a boardroom shake-up at Oakwell in the wake of the club’s disastrous 2021-22 campaign. Fellow directors Dickson Lee and Grace Hung also stepped down.

A new-look board headed by Indian entrepreneur Neerav Parekh took over alongside existing club directors James Cryne, chief executive officer Khaled El-Ahmad and finance and operations director Robert Zuk, with Jean Cryne and Julie-Anne Quay joining as directors.

The current board own just over sixty per cent of the club’s shares, with the remainder held by Pacific Media Group co-founders Lee and Conway.

In February, Championship outfit Birmingham City and a number of individuals were charged with breaching EFL rules as a result of an investigation into a takeover bid.

Just under three months later, Blues received a suspended two-point deduction from the governing body for rule breaches. The deduction is suspended until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Barnsley's statement read: "The charges announced by the EFL are the result of an investigation initiated by the club following an internal review into the shareholdings of former directors Paul Conway and Chien Lee.

"After bringing the issue to the attention of the EFL, the club has fully co-operated with the investigation at every stage and will continue to do so, as appropriate.

"The steps taken by the club to instigate and then ensure a thorough investigation into the issue underline Barnsley FC's commitment to compliance with the EFL's regulations.

"The club will await the EFL's sanctioning decision and will comment further in due course."

Under financial regulations, a beneficial owner is considered anyone with a stake of 25 per cent or more in a legal entity or corporation.

Beneficial owners can also be considered to be anyone with a significant role in the management or direction of those entities or any trusts that own 25 per cent or more of an entity.