Curtailment expected in League Two, potentially also in League One, but not the Championship
Tuesday 9 June 2020 13:10, UK
A clearer path for English Football League (EFL) clubs to decide how to end their seasons is expected to be outlined in Tuesday's EGM, with curtailment expected in League Two, potentially also in League One, but not the Championship.
The second tier of English football are returning to play all the remaining games from June 20, subject to health and safety protocols being met, but League One are yet to decide amid pressure from a clutch of promotion-chasing clubs, while the bottom tier has already made its indicative vote on May 15, due to costs of testing of players and staff.
Financial concerns and player contracts are just two of the major issues, in particular in Leagues One and Two and, after months of discussions, the time has come to make a decision on how to move forward.
Many questions remain, however, including how season 2019/20 should be concluded should curtailment be the final outcome for one or more of these three divisions.
The meeting for the vote on proposals to change the EFL regulations, should curtailment of the 2019/20 season be required, will be held on Tuesday, June 9, starting at 10.30am.
Not all 71 clubs are expected to attend the meeting, which will be held via video conference call. The majority of the clubs are expected to vote by proxy.
A letter sent to all 71 clubs, seen by Sky Sports News, revealed clubs will vote on proposals put forward by the EFL board, Barnsley and Tranmere Rovers.
They will also vote on amendments to the EFL proposal put forward by Lincoln City, Ipswich Town and Stevenage.
The EFL board proposal is the first of six and its recommendation is that, in the event of an early curtailment, final divisional placings should be determined on unweighted Points Per Game PPG (if required).
It suggests promotion and relegation should be retained, play-offs should be played in all circumstances but should not be extended beyond four teams. If a scenario arises whereby the play-offs cannot be played, the EFL board will determine the appropriate course of action.
The majority required to curtail the 2019/20 season in any division should be 51 per cent. Determining whether or not to curtail the season is a decision for each division to take.
The EFL believes the principle of relegation across all three divisions is integral to the integrity of the pyramid, from the Premier League down to the National League, provided it has assurances the National League will start season 2020/21 (i.e. the relegated club in League Two has somewhere to play).
The Barnsley proposal suggests a general amendment to regulations to provide no club will be relegated from a division where that division fails to conclude its normal fixtures.
The Tranmere proposal wants an alternative determined by a 'margin for error' calculation.
The League One club proposes if a division decides to curtail its season, then final standings and promotion/relegation will be decided by unweighted PPG but with a 'margin of error' calculation, then applied to produce a 'Final Points Range' (FPR) for each club.
The Lincoln City proposal is an amendment to the EFL proposal relating to how points deductions are considered in any calculation of PPG.
The Ipswich Town proposal is an amendment to the EFL proposal that would require the board to consult with clubs around alternative play-off formats if a normal season is not completed, rather than moving to the existing format.
The Stevenage proposal is an amendment to the EFL proposal to provide that there will be no relegation from League Two this season should the division decide not to complete its fixtures.
Once the outcome of the vote is known and is adopted into EFL regulations, there will be a number of subsequent meetings between the clubs from Leagues One and Two to decide whether to curtail the 2019/20 season or otherwise.
