How L1 clubs reacted to the decision of curtailing season
promoted this year.”
Rovers said they ‘fully understood’ the EFL’s decision. Inastatement,theclubadded: “The health of all individuals associated with the football club - fans, players and staff alike - is of paramount importance.Werespectthedecision made collectively by League One clubs and welcome the clarity that has now been provided following the vote.”
Joey Barton admitted he was ‘gutted’ his side didn’t get the chance to complete the campaign, while offering his commiserations to Sunderland. He tweeted: “I’m a bit gutted we didn’t get to finish our season. We really fancied our chances of automatic promotion with 9 games remaining. Congratulations to @ Coventry_City and @OfficialRUFConpromotion.Commiserationsto@TranmereRovers @theposhofficial @SunderlandAFC.”
Steve Evans said: “I am really disappointed. I managed to get Paul Scally (the Gillingham chairman) on side many times to play football, to play theseasonout.Iwantedtoplay the nine games and I thought we would have got into the play-offs after looking at all the run-ins.”
The Tractor Boys voted to play on, and manager Paul Lambert wasn’t shy in hiding his feelings: “It’s been diabolical the way it has been handled. They were running out oftimeintheendtogettheseason played. I always felt that.”
While initially in favour of finishing, Lincoln voted against continuing the season-citingfinancialconcerns. Chairman Clive Nates wrote: “Many of our fellow clubs are already on the edge of financial existence. Forcing them to play on could be a fundamental factor in pushing one ormoreoftheseclubsoverthe edge, putting our whole football pyramid in jeopardy. “
Denied a place in the playoffs by the vote, Posh director of football Barry Fry called the decision a ‘disgrace’. He told the Peterborough Telegraph: “TheEFLhavebeenadisgrace throughout this process. Just last week they arranged for four clubs they knew were going to be in the play-offs to be tested for coronavirus. They did this before the vote and those clubs had returned to training before the vote. How on earth can that be right? What on earth was the point ofthevotewhentheEFLknew what the result would be?”
Despite reports to the contrary, Portsmouth insist they remained committed to finishing the season on the pitch - meaning their place in the play-offs is tinged with ‘disappointment’. CEO Mark Catlin said: “There is a slight feeling ofdisappointmentbecausewe were committed to finishing the season on the pitch. But the vote has happened and that’sdoneanddustednow,so we look forward to an exciting play-off against Oxford.”
Promoted in second place, the Millers were pleased with the EFL call. Chairman Tony Stewart said: “The Football League – and credit due to them, it was not easy and they could not satisfy everybody – havepaidcareandattentionto leteverybodyhavetheirpoints ofviewscrutinised.Ithasbeen democratic and a long time coming, but sometimes the best deals take a bit longer.”
CEO Jim Rodwell said he felt League One clubs had made a ‘huge mistake’. He added: “We thought the right thing was to play football, for integritypurposes,forprofile, for relevance. I honestly think it'sahugemistake[tocurtail].”
Relegated following the vote, Tranmere chair Mark Palios said: “It cannot be right that clubs are pitted against clubs, when nobody voting (including Tranmere) is able to take a purely dispassionate view. Perhaps it exposes the fable of the “football family” and the complete collapse of thecollectivewhenfacedwith an external challenge.”