HOME AND FRY!
POSH CHIEF BARRY BACKS SKY BLUES TO GO UP
THE EFL “want to promote Coventry City” but the club will have to wait until the end of the week to learn their League One fate, Peterborough director of football Barry Fry has said.
A meeting of League One clubs last Friday failed to conclude with an agreed plan for the campaign, with sides clashing over whether to curtail the campaign or play on.
A premature finish to the season would likely see City promoted as champions, with the EFL preferring an unweighted points-per-game system to decide the final standings in such a scenario, as in League Two. But several other promotion-chasing clubs, including Peterborough, want the season to be played out with a tight battle beneath City, with three points separating second-placed Rotherham and eighth-placed Wycombe.
It was expected that further talks between League One sides would take place ahead of the EFL’S board meeting today.
However, it has now been suggested that the EFL will present the possible scenarios to Coventry and their rivals today before a vote later in the week, likely on Friday.
“The League One season will not be declared null and void,” Fry said.
“Promotions will be granted. There will be play-offs, but as yet the League
One clubs can’t agree on the way forward.
“My fear is the EFL deciding League One should follow what League Two have done, but that would be wrong as Rick Parry (EFL chairman) has said the Championship, League One and League Two clubs can make their own decisions.
“I know the EFL want to promote Coventry and Rotherham and then have play-offs. I can just about see why Coventry would be allowed to go up, but promoting Rotherham would be wrong.
“They are only two points ahead of two teams and three points ahead of four other teams. Ourselves and Oxford have a better goal difference. Rotherham might go on and finish second if we played the season out, but equally they might finish eighth.
“Different play-off proposals have been made as well. Our chairman has
Obviously a weighted points per game suits us if we can’t play on. It’s also a lot fairer than a straight points per game formula. Barry Fry
suggested eight teams could be involved, but we will just have to wait and see what happens.
“Obviously a weighted points per game suits us if we can’t play on. It’s also a lot fairer than a straight points per game formula. One thing for sure is we won’t vote to try and scrap relegation like League Two clubs have. There is no sporting merit in that at all.”
As things stand, City are five points clear at the top of the table and hold a seven-point cushion inside the automatic promotion places with a game in hand.
Mark Robins’ men were on a 14-game unbeaten streak in the league when the coronavirus brought a halt to the campaign.