Relegation looms as Pompey lose 9 points

The league's board met on Wednesday morning to impose the sanction after HM Revenue and Customs dropped their challenge on Monday to the club going into administration.

The deduction virtually guarantees relegation for Portsmouth, whose total drops to just 10 points, 14 behind second-from-bottom Hull.

The Premier League said: "Following the High Court's decision that Portsmouth FC's administration is valid, the Premier League board convened today to apply the league's rules and policies in relation to a member club suffering an event of insolvency.

"As a result, Portsmouth FC has been deducted nine points with immediate effect.

"As part of this process the board met with the administrator to agree how we will work together for the remainder of the season to ensure that the club is able fulfil its commitments."

Portsmouth have debts of £65 million and administrator Andrew Andronikou is to meet league officials on Thursday to get details of the cash the club will receive between now and the start of next season.

The final tranche of £5 million will be made available to the club before the end of the season and a further £16 million in the close season as the parachute payment for relegation.

Portsmouth do have a right of appeal, but only for very limited grounds and it is understood the club will not challenge the points deduction.

League rules state: "The only ground upon which a club may appeal is that the event of insolvency was caused by and resulted directly from circumstances, other than normal business risks, over which it could not reasonably be expected to have had control, and its officials had used all due diligence to avoid the happening of that event."