Cats’ rivals put forward this proposal for settling the final L1 table
Tranmere Rovers have put forward an alternative proposal to settling the League One table ahead of the EFL board meeting.
Having outlined their proposed framework in a statement last week, the EFL are gathering to consider feedbackfromclubs.Theyarethen expected to send a finalised version of their framework to clubs, who will then have time to reflect before casting a vote.
Tranmere Rovers fiercely oppose the EFL’s proposed framework as settling the third-tier table on a pointsper-game formula will see them relegated. As such, they are proposing that a ‘margin of error’ is applied, which they have calculated by comparing thefinalleaguetableofseasons past with the table at this stage of the campaign.
They have pointed out that ifthePPGformulahadbeenappliedthistimelastseason,four teamswouldhavebeenrelegated, of which three eventually went on to secure safety.
Their proposal would also seethemarginoferrorapplied totheplay-offpositions,where PeterboroughUnitedandSunderlandwillmissoutunderthe proposed PPG formula.
A Tranmere statement reads: “Tranmere Rovers is requestingtheEFLBoardtoputa proposalforwardforEFLClubs to vote on. We recognise that the proposal may need some additional work around the detail.Inourviewthatissomething which should be done in collaboration with clubs. This would be routine stake-holder management and we see no reason why it would need to be a time-consuming exercise.
“Ifadecisionistakenbyadivision to end their season now (or indeed at some point in the future but before all of the fixtures are completed):
a) The league table is calculated using a simple PPG basis;
b) There is then applied to thetablethestatisticalaverage actual margin for error over the last 3 years (being +6.3 or – 5.45%);
c) Teams in the automatic promotion spots even where themarginforerrorisapplied, should be automatically promoted;
d) Teams in the play-off places or who could be in the play-off places where the margin for error is applied should be invited (but not compelled) to compete in a play-off tournament; and e) There would either be no relegations, or relegations only of clubs who would be relegated even after the margin of error has been applied.” Despite Tranmere’s intervention, it is widely expectedthattheEFL’sproposals will pass in their original form.