WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR CATS?
The EFL said over the weekend that it remains committed to finishing the current season on the pitch.
Their statement was in response to reports that they have begun discussing potential solutions to not being able to fulfill the remaining fixtures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
One solution touted was an eight team mini-league to determine a promotion winner.
The EFL stressed that the situation remains in the hands of the government, and that it also has some key questions to consider.
Primarily, how it can ensure it has a testing system in place that protects players and staff, and does not de tract from the testing of key workers.
The financial implications of playing behind closed doors are also significant and as such, discussions over potential solutions are ongoing.
Calls for salary caps throughout the lower leagues are growing.
So what can we expect next?
Here, we collate what some clubs in League One have been saying about what they want and expect to happen next….
ACCRINGTON STANLEY
Chairman Andy Holt has been the most vocal critic in the division of the EFL’s plans to compete the season behind closed doors.
He has argued that the season should be ended now, with league positions either frozen as they are now or determined by a pools panel determining the results of the fixtures still to be fulfilled. His key concern is that using the club’s cash reserves and payments advanced from the EFL and Premier League to finish this season will lead to a disaster next.
COVENTRY CITY
Top of the table after a stunning run of form, it is clearly in Coventry’ s interested to complete the season in some capacity. Chief Executive Dave Bod dy has said that he suspects it is ‘inevitable’ that football will be behind closed doors when it does return.
Manager Mark Robins has warned that clubs will need a month on the training ground to prepare players for any return.
FLEETWOOD TOWN
Fleetwood Town remain firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion and chairman Andy Pilley has been vocal in insisting that the season must be played to a conclusion.
Pilley has also suggested that League One and Two clubs could benefit in future campaigns from the divisions being regionalised. He is also in favour of a wage cap being introduced.
IPSWICH TOWN
Their promotion hopes have taken a major hit in recent weeks and months but Ipswich remain open to completing the season behind closed doors.
“There are a few reasons this season has to finish,” Paul Lambert told the club website earlier this month.
“For us, we have a good chance to be involved in the promotion race and for football in general, there are too many questions left to answer for the season to be null and void.
“In an ideal world, we will finish the season with supporters in stadiums. The time scale is the problem, we just don’t know when we will be able to start again.” Lambert has also warned that players will need what would effectively be a ‘pre-season’ to be ready to resume action.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Chairman D arr agh Mac Anthonyhas been one of the most vocal figures in the division, insisting that the season must be played to a conclusion.
Speaking on his podcast over the weekend, he said he had spoken to EFL Chairman Rick Parry and that this remained the league’s main target.
“Rick Parry rang me and we had a good chat,” MacAnthony said. “The EFL are firmly in agreement with me in that they want the season to finish and I have every confidence in Rick and his team.
“He certainly does not want the EFL tied up in lawsuits for years to come which is what would follow voiding the season. Me and my partners have invested everything to try and win promotion this season and we can’t stop now that we have played so much of the season.”
PORTSMOUTH
Chief Executive Mark Catlin has spoken over the weekend regarding his hope that the current season can yet be completed.
He is another to suggest that the end of July could be a critical date due to player contract.
“There’s a lot going on and a lot of preparation happening,” he told the Portsmouth News.
“I’ d got toast age where I was thinking finishing the season was a bit of a forlorn hope - but now we are seeing a concerted effort from the government.
“Really that’s been the thing. It’s not been the football authorities, it’s the government. We can have an input but this is a much bigger problem than just being football related.
“It’ s out of our hands to a degree .”
Catlin has previously suggested that the summer window could be left open right through to the end of next January as one way of helping clubs through the current crisis.
He also stated that his personalopinion( rather than that of his club’s necessarily) is tat if the season can’t be completed on the pitch, it would not be fair to use a points-per-game formula to settle promotion or relegation matters.
SUNDERLAND
Darragh MacAnthony said last week that Richard
Hill, Head of football operationson Wear side, had emailed him to express the club’s support of his stance.
“I got a lovely email from Sunday morning from Richard Hill,” MacAnthony said.
“Myself and Richard have sparred over the Marcus Maddison stuff, and that’s football.
“You can’t fall out with people in football – I think Stewart Donald dug me out on Twitter about the Maddison thing as well, and that irritated me as I’d always spoken in his favour.
“But it was nice from Richard. He just said ‘keep doing what you’re doing, everyone here at Sunderland is in full agreement with what you’re saying.’
“So that was nice to have.”