THE WAIT GOES ON FOR HOPEFULS

NATIONAL League promotion hopefuls will have to stay patient for a little while longer to find out if they can take to the field for the play-offs.

This week, the FA granted the league permission to extend their season beyond the usual May date, giving a boost to playoff prospects.

But the National League are still waiting for confirmation of the EFL’s plans before deciding on how to conclude their own season.

At an EFL board meeting on the league’s top brass decided to press ahead with the proposed framework to end the season that they outlined last week.

If voted through by clubs, there would be a change in EFL regulations and that would set the guidelines if a division decided to curtail their season.

If so, the three key points would be that final divisional placings should be determined on unweighted points-per-game, promotion and relegation should be retained and play-offs should be played in all circumstances but should not be extended (beyond four teams).

The EFL board have now called for a meeting of clubs on Monday June 8 to consider the proposals to introduce the regulation change and, potentially, vote on them.

Clubs have the chance to propose amendments to the regulations by Tuesday. They would then be considered.

One club that may put forWednesday, ward an alternative is relegation-threatened League One club Tranmere Rovers, who have suggested that league tables could be calculated using a statistical margin for error in a points-pergame system.

If the regulation change goes through, the individual EFL divisions will then have the chance to decide their own fate.

League Two clubs have already indicated they would wish to curtail their season. The majority required to do so is 51 per cent.