EFL announce promotion & relegation to stay for shortened seasons
The EFL has confirmed that promotion and relegation will remain in place even for shortened seasons in its three leagues.
Some clubs had suggested they would only wish to carry on playing if relegation had been removed, but in a statement after meetings this week, the league announced they will continue with relegation and promotion, and final tables would be decided using the unweighted points per game method.
The EFL also said they wish to hold play-offs at the end of the season as per usual, and with the regular use of 4 teams. This comes after speculation in some areas of the media that extended play-offs may be used.
As part of their procedure, the league also said a simple majority of clubs in each league would be enough to determine whether they should continue.
So far, League 2 clubs indicated that they will want to finish their regular season early, while a majority of clubs in the Championship have said they wish to play on.
A split has emerged in League One. 6 clubs released a statement insisting they wish to play the season to its conclusion, with Peterborough United and Portsmouth among the most vocal.
In recent days, the chief executive of Rochdale called for the season to be finished, while the chief executive at AFC Wimbledon stated he believed it is likelier than not that the season will finish early.
All 71 EFL clubs will also need to vote on the recommendations by the EFL to the clubs in order to ratify the outlined steps as a way forward.
The EFL Chair Rick Parry said, “In the event a divisional decision is made to curtail the 2019/20 season, the EFL Board is recommending that the League adopts the original framework with the amendments as identified, as there is a strong desire to remain as faithful as possible to the Regulations and ensure there is consistency in the approach adopted across the EFL in all divisions.
“The Board has always acknowledged that a single solution to satisfy all Clubs would always be hard to find, but we are at the point now where strong, definitive action is need for the good of the League and its members.”
Reports in the Daily Telegraph newspaper earlier this week also suggested 20 man squad limits and annual salary caps are being discussed for League One and Two clubs, although no official word has come as yet from the EFL as to whether these are in a place to be voted on by the clubs.