Wilberforce fails to rescue league points for Leeds Utd

Commercial and chancery set Wilberforce Chambers has failed in its bid to claw back the 15 points Leeds United FC was deducted by the Football League for failing to follow the League's insolvency rules.

The decision by the arbitration panel means that, with one game left, Leeds stays sixth in league one and will not win an automatic promotion to the championship league.

The arbitration panel reached its verdict yesterday (1 May), ruling that the league had not acted unfairly when docking the points.

Leeds had contested the league's decisions to dock it an unprecedented 15 points for failing to follow the competition's insolvency rules when it came out of administration.

The points losses came after Leeds had already been hit by an automatic 10-point deduction for going into administration, which led to the club dropping from the Championship to League One.

David Phillips QC and Nikki Singla, both of Wilberforce Chambers, were instructed by sole practitioner and Leeds director Mark Taylor for the football club.

Bird & Bird partner Jonathan Taylor represented the Football League, having instructed lead counsel Stephen Davies of Bristol-based Guildhall Chambers with Adam Lewis of Blackstone Chambers.