‘Finish season or else make it void’
NEWCASTLE United and England legend Alan Shearer has rubbished the notion of automatically promoting Leeds United and West Brom to the Premier League if the season cannot be finished.
The idea was mooted by Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, who suggested the top two teams in the second tier, currently Leeds and West Brom, should be elevated to the top flight to make a 22-team Premier League and a 22-team Championship next term.
Understandably, fans of all Championship clubs have flocked to social media to voice their opinion on the idea and many find the idea bizarre.
While the Baggies hold a six-point lead over fourth-placed Fulham at present, with nine games still left to play it is still anyone’s guess as to who will take those top two spots.
And the likes of Swansea and Cardiff City, who sit just three and two points off the play-off spots, have always felt within touching distance of a promotion push this season.
Should Barber’s proposed plan be implemented, it would devastate Swans and Bluebirds fans, many of whom have been vociferous against the idea.
And BBC pundit Shearer appears to be of the same thinking, believing if the season cannot be finished then the whole campaign should be rendered void.
“If you cannot complete the fixtures then you cannot go handing out titles or consider relegating anybody”, he wrote in his Sun column.
“People have spoken of bringing Leeds and West Brom up from the Championship – but there would be uproar from other clubs.
“Sitting seven and six points above third with nine games to go, there is no guarantee they would finish in the top two.
“If there’s no alternative than to cancel all remaining league fixtures, then the only logical decision should be to void the entire campaign.
“While it would be harsh on some > clubs that are chasing promotion, or league titles, it can’t really be helped.
“Every angle and scenario has to be looked at in order to reach a conclusion, even if that means a long delay before playing into next season.
“If, and it is a huge if, the season cannot be completed then there is no way you can have a winner or loser.
“As harsh and as horrible as that would be for some clubs, none more so than Liverpool, it really is the only outcome.”
While no decision on how or indeed when the season will come to its conclusion, there have been many proposals on how that can be achieved.
The EFL, however, refuse to be drawn into hypothetical solutions and say they will not give a “running commentary” on what may or may not happen as they seek clarity on the whole situation.
“These are indeed challenging times for the league, its clubs and the game as a whole,” EFL chair Rick Parry said on Monday.
“However, now is the time for cool heads and calm reflection rather than speculation as we look to steer our competitions and clubs through this period of uncertainty.”