Three of Blackburn Rovers' Championship rivals to start New Year under embargo

Rovers confirmed earlier this month that their embargo, which they have been under all year, and which has prevented the club from signing players for fees, would be lifted on January 1.

But Nottingham Forest’s remains in place and the Football League have this morning announced that Fulham will also be hit by an embargo next month.

Bournemouth, who won the Championship last season, have also breached Financial Fair Play regulations.

But because the Cherries are now playing in the Premier League, their punishment will be in the form of a fine.

Millwall also broke the rules.

But because they are now playing in League One following relegation last season, they will not face any further sanction.

Crisis-hit Bolton Wanderers, who Rovers head to on Monday, say that they were in line to meet FFP regulations.

But the club’s current financial problems, which has led to players going without pay, mean it was unable to submit its annual accounts.

And that means Wanderers will be banned from signing any players until they have complied with their obligations under FFP.

A Football League statement reads: “An initial analysis of Financial Fair Play submissions from clubs that played in the Sky Bet Championship last season has resulted in three clubs being subject to sanctions, under rules agreed with League clubs in April 2012.

“All three exceeded the maximum permitted deviation of £6m – consisting of a maximum adjusted loss of £3m plus a further maximum of £3m of shareholder investment.

“Champions AFC Bournemouth will face a financial sanction to be finalised in due course, while Fulham and Nottingham Forest will be subject to an ‘FFP embargo’ for the remainder of the current campaign.

“Both clubs will have the opportunity to have their FFP embargo lifted at the end of the season by demonstrating that they have stayed within the maximum permitted deviation of £13m (£5m loss plus £8m shareholder investment) for the 2015/16 season. 

“A further club, Millwall, also exceeded the maximum permitted deviation but will not face any further sanction, in line with Championship FFP regulations, following the club’s relegation to League One as it was not deemed to have gained any significant advantage.

“The Football League is currently in discussions with a number of other clubs over their FFP submissions and will confirm any further FFP embargoes, if any, in due course.

“Bolton Wanderers did not submit an FFP return owing to the club’s ongoing financial difficulties. As a result, the club will not be permitted to sign any players until it has complied with its obligations under the Championship’s FFP regulations.”

Bolton finance director Anthony Massey said: “The club were unable to submit an FFP return to The Football League. The board have been unable to sign off the annual report and accounts for the financial year ending 30 June 2015 during the current financial difficulties the club are experiencing.

“This is especially disappointing as, based on our draft financial results for the year ended 30 June 2015, we believe we would have achieved FFP.

“Until both the short and longer term funding issues the club are currently facing are resolved, the directors will not be in a position to sign the accounts.”

Fulham, who signed Tom Cairney from Rovers in the summer for a fee in excess of £3m, have stated they will be out of the embargo by the summer.

A Cottagers statement reads: “The embargo arises as the club made an adjusted loss greater than the £6m limit allowed by the Football League in the year following relegation.

“The Football League has since recognised this limit is low, especially for clubs recently relegated with Premier League overheads in place, and the limit has now increased to £13m per annum. Unfortunately Fulham’s embargo falls in the final year of the previous limit, but the club does not anticipate being in breach in future years.

“The action imposed by the League has been anticipated since the summer, which saw a sustained period of investment in the team with that understanding. The purchase of players such as Ross McCormack and Matt Smith (in summer 2014), to enable the club to compete effectively in the League, were the result of that investment. The period of embargo will be imposed during January 2016 and the club will be able to fully trade again in the summer 2016 transfer window.

“It will still be possible for the club to trade within the set FFP limits, and therefore the potential of recruiting players is still something that the club will look to do, if the right players are available.”