The penalty will be applied this season, if by some miracle Saints survive relegation, or next season, if the club is relegated through its on-pitch points allocation.
While not a major surprise, it is nonetheless another devastating blow to a club already struggling just to keep operating until the end of the season.
Furthermore, it will no doubt have an impact on any potential buyers with the club highly unlikely to achieve promotion next season with already meagre resources, with another relegation a terrible possibility.
The question is whether or not the club will appeal and their initial response is that they intend to do so.
Clearly they don't have the resources for an expensive legal affair under the current circumstances, but if a new buyer is found and one who is willing to challenge the ruling, then this saga may not be over for some time. Even without a buyer, an appeal to the Football League may still be viable, ahead of any more drawn out legal proceedings that might follow.
Certainly as far as this season is concerned, we are down no matter what happens in the next two games.
However, if we did somehow get out of the bottom three and get relegated with these ten points, then a successful legal appeal would unleash chaos on the Football League throwing questions of relegation and promotion into the air.
No wonder they wanted an independent review of the accounts.
Read the full statement (and weep):
http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/News/ChampionshipNewsDetail/0,,10794~1636735,00.html