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League Two clubs vote to end season, but League One teams fail to decide

By Dan Roan & Simon StoneBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section League Twocomments1153

Swindon celebrate
An unweighted points-per-game system would see Swindon leapfrog Crewe into first place in League Two

League Two's season has been brought to an early conclusion following discussions between clubs and the English Football League on Friday.

The EFL said clubs "unanimously indicated" they wished to end the season via a "framework" that included tables being decided on points per game and the play-offs remaining as planned.

Any move still needs to be ratified by the EFL and Football Association.

But League One sides face further talks after failing to come to an agreement.

Six third-tier clubs had said prior to the meeting that they were determined to complete their remaining fixtures - and are now set to meet again on Monday in an attempt to find a resolution.

Peterborough United, Oxford United, Sunderland, Fleetwood, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town released a joint statement saying they had "no desire for voiding the season, points-per-game scenarios or letting a computer decide our footballing fate".

Could Stevenage avoid relegation?

Although it is understood some League Two sides wanted to use a weighted points-per-game system to finalise the table, the EFL has confirmed an unweighted points-per-game system was agreed upon.

Both of those methods would have seen Stevenage stay bottom - yet clubs have also requested that relegation from the fourth tier is removed this season.

"Clubs asked for consideration to be given to suspending relegation to the National League for 2019-20 as a result of circumstances created where fixtures cannot be completed," said the EFL in a statement.

"No commitments were made in this respect and the board will now consider the implications of the division's preferred approach at their next meeting."

Stevenage owner Phil Wallace told BBC Sport: "My preference is to finish the league so we have the opportunity to play our way out of trouble.

"We have 10 games to play and are three points behind, with a game in hand. Why should I think it was not possible to get out of it?

"The League Two clubs cannot decide this. We can only tell the EFL of their indicative position but that is the collective view.

"It would cost us £140,000 for the tests, we would have to bring players out of furlough and comply with a 47-page health and safety document regarding sterilisation of stadiums etc.

"I don't know what this would mean for the National League."

Who would make up the places at the top?

The EFL is set to discuss Friday's recommendations at a board meeting next Wednesday.

Swindon Town would overtake Crewe Alexandra to claim the title using the points-per-game method, with Plymouth Argyle staying in the third and final automatic promotion spot.

The four teams currently in the play-offs - Exeter City, Cheltenham Town, Colchester United and Northampton Town - would remain there, but Cheltenham would move above Exeter and into fourth.

Why can't they restart?

Attempting to resume the League One and League Two campaigns was always likely to to be more difficult than in the Championship and Premier League, which could begin again in mid-June behind closed doors.

Many clubs in the third and fourth tiers have furloughed their players and, with no crowds allowed into stadiums for the foreseeable future, it would cost them money to stage games.

EFL chairman Rick Parry has also said 1,400 players across the league's three divisions are out of contract on 30 June. The majority of those players are in League One and League Two.

The National League decided to end its three divisions immediately on 22 April but was waiting on the EFL to announce an outcome before deciding on promotion and relegation.

Timeline: How did we get to this point?

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1153 comments

  • Comment posted by WhackamoleExpert, at 13:53 15 May 2020

    3. Noone really cares about these poor quality teams with abysmal standards. Quarter full stadiums with no atmosphere and hardly any fans. It's all about the Premier League where exciting football and real fans can be found.
    ---
    Wrong. These clubs are the lifeblood of our communities.

    When will you plastic fans realise that football is not a TV show?

  • Comment posted by Rambo, at 13:53 15 May 2020

    Everyone has got their own agenda. Mine is that my team , Mansfield Town, exist next year and this will be the view of most League One/Two supporters.

  • Comment posted by He dont mean nuffin by it he only got one ear, at 13:54 15 May 2020

    If there was hundreds of millions of pounds of sponsorship money & telly revenue at stake every effort would be made, & everything they needed would be provided, to complete the remaining matches.

    There's your nutshell folks.

    League 2 supporter/match goer

  • Comment posted by User0926430408, at 13:58 15 May 2020

    No one cares about league one and two clubs. That was made crystal clear with the formation of the premier league. When a few wanted all the money to themselves. Billions for the premier league but sweet nothing for the lower leagues. Project restart. More like project money grab

  • Comment posted by surfing seadog, at 16:15 15 May 2020

    Typical. Get a HYS on lower leagues and it gets ambushed by armchair premier league fans talking about Liverpool. Who cares about Liverpool?!! This is LEAGUE 2. REAL FOOTBALL.

  • Comment posted by unification, at 13:55 15 May 2020

    Quite simply, next season should be the one to compromise, not 2019-20.

    Discard cups, straight knock outs for the CL, half seasons where you only play your opponent once, no playoffs.

    Do whatever. Just make sure that this season finishes. It’s the only fair way to do it and football can attempt to be normalised again for 2021-22 - despite the WC that year messing things up.

  • Comment posted by WhackamoleExpert, at 13:51 15 May 2020

    As a supporter of a League Two club, I feel that considering the Prem are pushing ahead with 'Project Restart', it's only fair that the clubs lower down the food chain are helped to restart if possible too.

    Even if it's next January or next June, I think the season should be concluded. As for out of contract players, surely some leeway/extension could be given considering the circumstances?

  • Comment posted by JM, at 14:23 15 May 2020

    Sick of people saying 'football is just a game, it's not important for it to return'

    An estimated 1 million people are employed either directly or indirectly through the UK sports industry. The vast majority of whom are now on the furlough scheme, or even worse benefits!

    Obviously safety measures must be taken, but these people need to get back to work just as much as anyone else does!!

  • Comment posted by Stannis Baratheon, at 13:57 15 May 2020

    If you give everyone a choice you will never reach a conclusion nor would you keep everyone happy.

    Thats why firm leadership is required. The EFL governing body should make the final decision. As should the Premier League

  • Comment posted by D1674575102711, at 14:58 15 May 2020

    Let’s hope the lower leagues survive and the PL goes bust.

  • Comment posted by SamB, at 14:26 15 May 2020

    @39, are people seriously still going on about null and void?

    The FA have taken it off the table. If the leagues can't be completed the seasons will be decided on sporting merit. Get over it

  • Comment posted by Dan7brit, at 16:17 15 May 2020

    It looks like Barrow, Harrogate and Notts County have been royally screwed by the league 2 teams. That's the problem - every team facing relegation has a vested interest to null and void the esason.

  • Comment posted by Paul of London, at 13:55 15 May 2020

    In all of this, has no one asked why there are seemingly no pre-existing rules to determine what happens if a season is cut-short be it by a war or an improbable set of circumstances as we see now? Just as with a match, if a season is abandoned at X, then it is deemed incomplete or Y it is deemed complete. I'm really curious to know if it exists, or if not why not?

  • Comment posted by They Dont Like it up em, at 15:40 15 May 2020

    why is every HYS polluted by Liverpool and Man U fan bickering.

  • Comment posted by Rainfordian, at 14:16 15 May 2020

    Why are different divisions trying to come up with their own solutions? I thought they were all under the EFL umbrella.
    Football execs in the UK couldn't run a hot bath.

    It's all about money, even at this level with small-minded chairmen trying to justify spending money they never had on player wages.

  • Comment posted by Killingholme_Clay , at 15:18 15 May 2020

    As Barrow were clear winners of the national league under every calculation, they should replace Stevenage who finished bottom of Legue 2 under every calculation.

  • Comment posted by DONTSITONTHEFENCE, at 14:15 15 May 2020

    As a 50 year-plus supporter of a "mega-bucks" Premier League club, I think it only fair that such clubs provide much needed financial support to lower league clubs.

    The lower leagues provide an excellent proving ground for young hopefuls not to mention much needed and cost-effective entertainment and employment for locals.

    Football in the UK would be so much worse off without the EPL.

  • Comment posted by modharry, at 14:16 15 May 2020

    What a mess 95% of EFL1 &2 clubs simply cannot afford games behind closed it's a nonsense it effectively means no income but paying players!
    It would be financial lunacy to restart especially with players furloughed & available while autunm.
    I would rather have my club for next season than go busting paying players to finish this season behind closed doors.

  • Comment posted by Dallas Cowboys Liverpool FC, at 13:53 15 May 2020

    As most of their revenue is from gate receipts and it will cost them more to play the games than not play, then canceling the remaining games and using points averaging to determine the final standings does make sense. Perhaps just play the promotion playoff games.

  • Comment posted by DiscoRay86, at 13:50 15 May 2020

    This is going to be the biggest problem, you’ll never get “agreement” self-interest will dictate the decision making, not common sense or people’s safety.

    I love football, but right now it’s not an essential industry required to keep the nation turning over during an unprecedented lockdown.

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