Posh chief Fry blasts ‘embarrassing’ decision as a ‘kick in the teeth’

Fuming Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry has slammed the delay in deciding the fate of League One as ‘embarrassing’.

Sunderland and their third-tier rivals face yet another week of uncertainty, after the EFL announced that its proposed framework will not be voted on until June 8th.

After considering feedback from its member clubs, the EFL board has said that it plans to stick to its proposals to resolve the campaign.

If approved, it means any division that votes with a 51% majority can curtail their season, with promotion and relegation settled on a points-per-game formula.

Posh chief Fry has slammed the delay, for if the season is curtailed they would drop out of the playoffs on PPG.

Fry said: “The whole thing is just embarrassing.

“You could argue that the delay gives us and our fans hope, but if it turns out it’s just false hope then it’s just another kick in the teeth for us all.

“The club had heard nothing until this statement arrived this morning, but there is no real explanation as to why the vote has been delayed.

“There’s an argument that it’s being delayed to make sure there isn’t any time to complete the season.

"I have heard the Government is putting pressure on the Premier League, the EFL and the PFA to fund the costing of the coronavirus testing for lower division clubs because they want the Football League pyramid to survive.

"The costing is a big part of clubs’ reluctance to let the season continue so if that’s taken away they’ll have to come up with another excuse and it could be the lack of time left to play the games.

“It’s all nonsense of course.

“The only fair way to resolve this season in League One is to play it out.

“It’s too tight to be settled on points-per-game and that’s the case for relegation as well as promotion issues.

“How can it be right that Tranmere get relegated by something like 0.05 of a point?

“How can it be right to promote Rotherham when they are just as likely to drop out of the play-off places as they are to go up automatically?

“Rotherham would be getting away with murder in those circumstances.”