MIDDLESBROUGH chairman Steve Gibson has suffered frustration in his attempts to have greater transparency of finances running throughout the Championship.

After a six-hour crunch meeting of the second tier’s clubs at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, Gibson and his allies are understood to have been seeking greater openness between rivals.

The idea from the Middlesbrough chief was for Championship clubs’ financial documents to be available for others to examine, and that was deemed to be against the competition’s rules by the majority when it went to a vote at Forest.

That means Gibson’s push has not got to EFL level, although there is sure to be further discussions because there is frustration felt across the division at the way some of the clubs conduct their finances.

Gibson - who was not at the meeting, and Boro's chief executive Neil Bausor was there instead - had plenty support before the meeting, where he demanded an EFL investigation into the finances of Derby County, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday.

He feels an investigation is required because of a feeling they could be breaching regulations of the profitability and sustainability rules. EFL chiefs were not present at the meeting but will still be privy to clubs’ finances and they had a finance team there outlining their case.

Many Championship clubs want increased transparency over the profitability and sustainability rules after Birmingham City were hit with a nine-point penalty last month for breaking them. It seems, though, the majority do not seem that is fair for all profitability and sustainability statements to be shared to rivals.

It was feared a bitter dispute between Championship clubs would escalate, with both Derby and Aston Villa in the thick of a promotion race to the Premier League, along with Boro. The meeting at the City Ground may not be the end of the matter, although there is a feeling that the EFL should be allowed to govern.

An EFL spokesman said: “Championship Clubs met on Wednesday where there was a positive exchange of ideas on a number of different issues, including the League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules.

“The long term sustainability of all EFL Clubs remains of paramount importance to the EFL Board and they will continue to work with Clubs in respect of the rules.

“Clubs were also reminded of the stringent processes undertaken in reviewing financial submissions and that in the event any Club is found to be in breach of the rules, they will be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission.”

Gibson needed 18 of the 24 clubs to vote for change and such changes could have happened within seven days if successful. It is claimed Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday have lobbied to keep the rules unchanged.

The two-year-old profitability and sustainability rules state clubs cannot lose more than £39m over a three-year period. Birmingham were the first to be hit. They recorded total losses of £48.8m from 2015-16 to 2017-18, nearly £10m more than the £39m limit.