League One (third division) English club Luton Town will be docked 10 points after going into administration today, the Football League said.

"In these circumstances a 10 point sporting sanction applies," the League said on their Web site (www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk) The sanction will leave Luton, who were 17th of the 24 clubs, bottom of the division with nine points. Luton had earlier appointed three administrators to run the club until it can be sold.

"The directors reluctantly decided to appoint administrators when advised by their finance director that the company could not continue, given its decreasing income and escalating liabilities," Luton said in a statement. Brendan Guilfoyle, one of the administrators with insolvency specialists The P&A partnership, said the survival of the club depended on finding a purchaser. "In the short term the club will suffer a points deduction from the Football League, but hopefully the long term prospects will overcome the short term disadvantage," he said.

The statement said club chairman David Pinkney had agreed to fund the trading losses and all fixtures would go ahead as planned. The FA this month issued more than 50 charges in connection with alleged breaches of transfer and agent rules at Luton over the last three years.