Cats not alone in favouring later start
ALTERNATIVE SEASON DATE SUGGESTED
SUNDERLAND have support from a fellow League One side over the idea that starting the season before fans are allowed back to games will be complicated and unlikely.
Shrewsbury Town have put forward an alternative start date to the League One season following the Government’s announcement that supporters won’t be allowed back in stadia until October.
EFL clubs are due to meet later this week to discuss the start date for next season, with September 12 thought to be the most likely date to be agreed upon.
And last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans to start a phased return in October, which potentially scuppers plans to start the league on September 12 – a date many consider necessary to finish the league in time next summer without a logistical fixture congestion nightmare.
But Shrewsbury Town, with similar worries, have submitted an alternative plan to the EFL which they say they are awaiting a response on.
The Shropshire Star has revealed that chief executive Brian Caldwell has suggested that the EFL stage early-round fixtures of the Carabao Cup and Leasing. com Trophy from September 12 – with lower attendances at these games usual anyway.
The Government has spoken about pilot matches prior to October to test the draft guidelines that have been issued by Sports Ground Safety Authority in relation to social distancing, and Caldwell believes the two cup competitions would be perfect for doing that.
The Shrews then suggest that the league campaign kicks off in October, with a percentage of fans back in grounds. To deal with the later start, they suggest extending the season by an extra week to May 15, and that two fixtures are played either side of the May 3 bank holiday, similarly to how the fixture schedule works over the Easter weekend.
As well as resolving the issue of needing to play too many games in too short a time frame, Shrewsbury’s interesting suggestion would also mean that season card holders are not affected by the scheduling because they’d be allowed back in for the league start. It would also increase the chances of clubs being able to get more fans in stadiums for league games in October, to help with the financial strain caused by the global pandemic.
The latest Government announcement means that a September 12 start would have to be behind closed doors.