Club Crisis Index: football clubs in administration and their points deductions since 1986

Points deductions: how football clubs in administration lose points

Since the 2004-05 season the Football League has docked clubs that enter administration, and the penalty settled at 12 points in the EFL in 2015. The Premier League and the National League have their own sanctions; the rules in force at the time of each event are what the index records, so a 1990s administration with no deduction is not an error.

For football clubs in administration, a points deduction is only the visible part. Administration usually means the football creditors are paid in full while the taxman, local suppliers and fans' season-ticket money wait at the back of the queue, and an embargo on signing players follows.

Reading the outcomes: survived, phoenix or dissolved

Survived means the club kept its league place and identity, even if the old company was liquidated and a new one took over. Phoenix means supporters or new owners had to start a new club lower down the pyramid. Dissolved means nothing continued. The 12 phoenix clubs in the index are the cases where an English football club in administration simply ran out of road.

Sources and corrections

Every event links to at least one contemporary report or official record on its club page. If a date, deduction or outcome is wrong, the contact page explains how to send a correction.