Hatters handed promotion lifeline by EFL
STOCKPORT County’s hopes of promotion back to the Football League may not be over after all.
It looked certain the Hatters would spend at least another season in the National League when League Two clubs last week voted for no relegation after deciding to end their season.
That would have seen just Barrow going up from non-League to take the place of Bury, who were expelled from League One earlier this season.
But the EFL have now said ‘the principle of relegation across all three divisions is integral to the integrity of the pyramid, from the Premier League down to the National League.’ The EFL has now set out a draft framework, that includes both promotion and relegation, to be considered by clubs.
The National League season was ended on April 22, but a decision over who would fill the second promotion slot with Barrow has yet to be made.
It usually involves the teams placed from second to seventh. Stockport lie seventh.
The EFL’s decision now has to be agreed by its clubs. But if it stands, and the play-offs go ahead, Stockport chief executive Jonathan Vaughan believes Jim Gannon’s men are capable of going up.
He told the club’s website: “We were getting some momentum on the pitch (when the season was ended).
“We were confident of getting into the play-offs and going all the way.
“We are in constant contact with the National League and we hope the issue of relegation and promotion can be concluded in a competitive format, not just a mathematical calculation.
“If the play-offs do go ahead we are resolute that County should be part of those play-offs and we think we can go all the way.”
As well as setting out the principle on relegation, the EFL board says the play-offs in League One, League Two and the Championship should be played in the event of the season being curtailed, but should not be extended beyond the regular four teams.
It also says that the decision to curtail in each division should require a 51 per cent majority among the clubs concerned, with League One sides in open disagreement about whether to stop or play on.
EFL chairman Rick Parry said: “The board has always acknowledged that a single solution to satisfy all clubs would always be hard to find, but we are at the point now where strong, definitive action is needed for the good of the league and its members.”
League Two clubs – including Oldham and Salford City – indicated last week they were moving towards curtailing the season due to the costs attached to playing behind closed doors and adhering to safety protocols around testing.