Shropshire Star

Talks continue on League One season end

Talks on how to finish the League One season will extend further into this week.

Published

Shrewsbury Town and other third tier clubs were due to be meeting with the EFL board via conference call yesterday, but that is now expected to take place tomorrow – with a vote possible by the end of the week.

No decision was reached by the league’s 23 members last week, but six clubs have indicated they wish to play out the remainder of the season, which has been suspended for more than two months due to the coronavirus.

League bosses now plan to reconvene in a board meeting tomorrow where they will discuss scenarios to decide finishing positions, which will determine possible promotions and relegations.

Reports state that there will be no decision to null and the void the season, and that clubs will again be tasked to vote on options suggested by EFL chiefs as to how they see fit to decide the campaign.

Finishing positions are likely to be decided on either a points per game or weighted points per game basis, with a decision also to be made on play-offs.

Shrewsbury have made clear their stance on a vote to end the league season, with positions sorted by a form of sporting merit.

Chief executive Brian Caldwell does not want to put players and staff at risk, pointed to difficulties in training while adhering to social distancing and mounting costs of playing out the final 10 games, which could reach £500,000.

Town, 16th in the standings before the pandemic brought football to a halt, are barely affected by either sporting merit outcome.

The Posh are one of six promotion contenders interested in playing out the season. Director of football Barry Fry yesterday suggested that clubs will ‘probably’ vote on Friday.