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Promotion? That's when our problems start say Black Cats

Sunderland reckon that they have sorted out 60 to 70 per cent of the financial problems they have inherited, but they will face a new set of problems if they are promoted to the Championship: Sunderland open up on finances

The Championship is notorious for having the most uneven playing field of any of the divisions, as Kieran Maguire of the PriceofFootball has shown. Relegated clubs enjoy large parachute payments and can also sell off Premiership level players at a profit.

Financial fair play rules have only nibbled at the edge of the problem. When Belgian buffoon Roland Duchatelet bought Charlton Athletic, he thought the rules would soon create a level playing field.

That he reached this conclusion is even more surprising when one considers that he installed a young Belgian competition lawyer as chief executive. Whether or not she realised that financial fair play is always vulnerable to a challenge under competition law, or whether she was cautious about speaking truth to power in the form of the barmy Belgian, is not clear. What is evident is that the football authorities always have the threat of a competition law challenge at the back of their minds.

Whether Brexit would make a difference is unclear. EU competition law has certainly had an impact on football as in transfer windows. However, UK domestic competition legislation is also rigorous, although it incorporates substantial elements of American practice.

With Sunderland and Charlton both winning the first leg of their League One play off fixtures, they could now meet at Wembley in a replica of the game that saw the Addicks promoted to the Premier League. This time it could be Sunderland's turn to go up and face the financial challenges.

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