League Two: Macclesfield deducted points but avoid relegation to National League
Macclesfield Town will remain in the English Football League despite a two-point deduction for breaches of regulations over non-payment of wages.
A deduction of three points or more by an independent panel would have seen the Silkmen drop below Stevenage and be relegated into the National League.
The decision leaves Macclesfield 23rd in League Two after the application of the points-per-game formula agreed by clubs earlier this month.
They have also been fined £20,000.
As well as being ordered to cover payment of the legal costs related to the latest hearing, the Silkmen have been given an additional four-point penalty, but that is suspended and carried forward to the 2020-21 season.
A Macclesfield statement said: "We would like to express our gratitude to the independent arbitration panel for their unquestionable diligence, in reaching what we deem to be a fair and unbiased conclusion."
The latest punishment relates to late payment of wages for March and it is the third time Macclesfield have been deducted points during the 2019-20 campaign.
December 2019: A 10-point deduction, with four suspended, for non-payment of salaries and failing to fulfil a fixture against Crewe. In March, this was reduced to a seven-point penalty with three suspended after Macclesfield appealed. It meant the club were deducted four points with immediate effect.
May 2020: A seven-point deduction for failing to play a match against Plymouth and non-payment of wages, including the suspended three points from the first case being applied to the second punishment. That took the total deduction for the season to 11 points. A further two-point deduction was suspended.
June 2020: That two-point deduction was activated by the latest ruling - taking the season's total deduction to 13 points.
Stevenage's only hope of a reprieve now is if the National League is unable to assure the EFL Board that their 2020-21 season is able to go ahead.
Discussions are ongoing to confirm that the relegated club from League Two has somewhere to play next season.
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Sat Jun 20, 2020 10:13 pm
