Ex-Aston Villa chief: EFL must believe they have West Brom evidence despite email reveal

West Brom’s predicament under former owner Guochuan Lai should have drawn EFL scrutiny once they were made aware of his actions.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, as the Championship club face a points deduction this season for an alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules.

The charges imposed on the Baggies from the EFL link to interest payments on loans taken out by Lai, who sold the club to Shilen Patel in 2024.

West Brom minority shareholder and fan, David Piesing, claimed he had sent emails to former chief executive Ke Xu, the club’s auditors, Azets, and the EFL over the loans.

Lai funded his other businesses using West Brom’s finances, meaning the club were forced to borrow money to cover the funds which had been taken out by the Chinese businessman.

EFL ‘believe they’ve got some evidence’ against West Brom

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Piesing was right to make the EFL aware of the situation, and that the governing body should have taken action at the time.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness believes the EFL have made a “mistake,” and that West Brom will stay in the Championship, even if they are hit with a points deduction.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Let’s give James Morrison some applause for what he’s done since he’s come in as interim.

“Even with a points deduction, they seem safe enough now, and they’ve put together some good results. So good luck to them on the pitch. Well done.

“I thought that was fascinating, and I have unfortunately had a very personal experience of a Chinese owner and the opaqueness of the Chinese situation and checking out people in China and what goes on. I had great sympathy with the fan that had done that research, because they were bang on the money in my opinion. They were quite right.

“In this case with West Brom, the EFL should have been interested. Nick Craig is mentioned in those emails and I know he will have had an interest because I’ve had dealings with Nick Craig before, and he will admit himself that the whole Chinese issue is very cloudy.

“It is very hard to get proper information and there’s a lot to be said about what that fan was saying and the EFL has jumped way too soon on this issue, about this points deduction on that particular loan. They shouldn’t have gone so early, they obviously have done, and they must believe they’ve got some evidence.

“In the end, they’re going to have to swallow it and eat humble pie on this one because it was a mistake and, hopefully, West Brom have done enough now that even if there is a small points deduction they’ll be safe anyway.”

James Morrison to be rewarded for up-turn in form

As West Brom confirmed their Championship status, if no points deduction is imposed on the club, following a 3-0 win over Watford, interim boss James Morrison is now the favourite for the permanent role.

Sources told Football Insider that West Brom would offer Morrison the manager’s role on a full-time basis if he kept the club in the Championship, which he has achieved.

Morrison, who made over 300 appearances for the club during his playing career, has overseen just one defeat as interim manager, with the Baggies currently on a nine-game unbeaten run.

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