Posh will be a highly-motivated side in 2020-21 after big setback

Posh - Looking forward to next season

Peterborough United will be a highly motivated side in the 2020-21 season even if they are still a League One side.

Third tier clubs will vote on Monday (June 1) to continue or to curtail the 2019-20 campaign and decide final placings on an unweighted points-pergame formula (PPG), one that would see Posh drop out of the play-off picture.

Posh have voted to continue playing as they fancy their chances of winning automatic promotion, but the club’s director of football Barry Fry believes his club will need a miracle to win the day.

“We won’t give up, but we need a miracle,” Fry admitted.

“And if it happens we must accept it, however unfair it is, and get ready for next season.

“We will use the injustice as motivation for the 2020-21 season and there is no reason why we won’t be successful.

“We have all the players we want under contract and only Ivan Toney is likely to leave as we made a promise to him that he could go if we didn’t win promotion this season.

“Obviously, like every other club, we will have to cut our cloth according to the new financial circumstances, but I suspect we will still be better off than most League One clubs because of the strength and support of our owners.”

One of those co-owners, Dr Jason Neale, has revealed Posh are making so many indepth plans for the future, one involves football not returning until the 2021-22 season.

Dr Neale became emotional when hearing the news the EFL had rejected a Posh suggestion to extend the play-offs to eight teams and would likely settle promotion on a pointsper-game basis.

“I have to say, on hearing the news from the EFL, I went on a hike, sat under a tree and I cried,” Dr Neale revealed.

“I then had a call with my partners and we planned the rebuilding.

“We are hoping the wonderful Posh fans get behind us and we can ‘right this wrong’ in 2021.

“We have worked on many scenarios which include not playing football until 20212022.

“That plan includes a promotion-challenging team, a category 2 academy, purchasing London Road and continuing with plans to build a new stadium.

“Nothing has changed, but that does not make the decision fair.”

Posh co-owners Stewart Thompson (left) and Dr Jason Neale.