Crisis clubs to be docked 10 points

Nationwide league clubs that go into administration from the start of next season will be handed an automatic 10-point penalty under new rules agreed by the Football League yesterday.

Chairmen from all member clubs voted to ratify the proposal at an emergency general meeting at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium to prevent a repeat of Leicester City's situation last season - when the club used receivership to wipe out huge debts before winning promotion to the Premiership. Clubs hit with the points deduction may appeal to an independent body, but the message being sent out is that they must begin to manage their finances better.

Sir Brian Mawhinney, the League chairman, said: "This is necessary because the Football League are the guardian of competitiveness in our divisions and we can't have clubs who go into administration gaining an advantage. It is a fundamentally different approach and there was a healthy debate - but I pay tribute to the clubs for attaching that significance to it."

Also agreed were the introduction of parachute payments for clubs relegated into the Second and Third divisions as well as a plan to publish a list of spending by individual clubs on player agents every six months. A new structure for the management of the League was also ratified, giving the First Division their own managing director on a three-man executive team answerable to Mawhinney.

Elsewhere, Bradford and Preston have been charged with misconduct by the Football Association following an incident in their game at Valley Parade on 13 September.

The FA has taken action against the clubs for failing to ensure the proper behaviour of their players. A confrontation between Michael Branch and Michael Keane with a minute of the game remaining sparked a 15-man brawl with players separated by both managers and the referee, Roy Pearson. Bradford and Preston have until 8 October to answer the charges.

City are to study the video evidence of the incident before deciding whether to ask for a personal hearing.