Leeds lose appeal against 15-point deduction

LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) Third division Leeds United lost their appeal today against a 15-point deduction for the start of the new season, the Football League said.

The deduction had been applied by the Football League last week following the club's change of ownership in July, when chairman Ken Bates bought the club from administrators KPMG.

Though the league cleared Leeds to start the season, their board also docked points as the club had not complied with the league's insolvency policy.

League chairman Brian Mawhinney told Sky Sports that a meeting of the second, third and fourth division clubs today had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the sanction.

''Overwhelmingly means...the vote was over 75 percent in support of the board, which means that Leeds United are starting the new season in League One as a valued member of the league's football family, but with a penalty of 15 points,'' he said.

''The matter is now over, done and concluded.'' Relegated to the third tier for the first time and hit by severe financial problems in recent years, Leeds are a pale shadow of the club who reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2001 and were English champions in 1992.

REUTERS BJR RAI1852