Millwall manager Neil Harris says that Championship rivals Birmingham City got off lightly with their nine point deduction for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

The punishment, which was announced on Friday, has seen The Blues drop to 18th in The Championship table, five points clear of the relegation zone and four points clear of Harris' Millwall side in 20th.

The Millwall boss however believes that the Midlands side should have been punished more heavily, telling The South London Press: “I think Birmingham have got away with murder.

“I think we were all led to believe that it would be a lot harsher punishment."

Speaking about whether he thought this would put teams off spending as much in the future, Harris added:  “The independent panel and EFL have let them get away with nine points. Is it a deterrent? Possibly. But is it if you are gambling tens of millions of pounds chasing Premier League football? I don’t think so."

Comparing the Birmingham deduction with previous cases, the Millwall boss claimed: “I think they have come down a lot harder on teams in the past that they see as breaking rules – like Leeds and Luton. But their decision is nine points.

“They have got to be strong moving forward because I think there are numerous other clubs in the same, or similar, position to Birmingham."

Harris also discussed the motives of owners who put money into football clubs, saying: “People come into clubs to invest money and have a go at the Premier League riches. They are coming without love for the football club. They are chasing the dream.

“They are going to want to invest money because they are chasing the dream, I understand that. But they are putting people’s football clubs at risk. Football clubs are there for the fans. The chairmen and managers are just custodians. Yes, we care. We want to give our all when we represent the club. But the fans are the lifeblood – they are the constant."

The verdict

Given that talk had for so long been about a potential twelve point penalty for Birmingham, Harris wasn't the only one who was surprised when the news broke that it would be a nine point deduction facing Birmingham.

The fact that Millwall are in the same relegation battle that Birmingham are now in will no doubt have added to Harris' frustration, but you cant argue with his assertion that owners are taking risks with football clubs that mean more to fans than them.