‘Keep Right On’ remains the anthem for Birmingham City fans but this season’s road is already strewn with problems, at a club which never seems far away from a crisis.

After two successive scrambles to safety in the Championship, Birmingham are now facing punishment from the Football League for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

It can be revealed that the EFL are under pressure from many Championship clubs to fully punish Birmingham for signing Kristian Pedersen, a Danish left-back, while under a transfer embargo.

Birmingham’s hearing could be as early as October, and if found guilty they could face a points deduction, heavy fine or further embargoes after exceeding the permitted losses of £39m over a three-year period.

This week has also seen the surprise departures of three key members of senior staff with over 50 years of experience between them: chief financial officer Roger Lloyd has been suspended while financial controller Gary Moore and club secretary Julia Shelton are on gardening leave. Another long-serving member of staff, Jo Allsopp, is also expected to depart soon.