MX23RW : Monday, April 29 11:23:10| >> :600:113962730:113962730:

EFL clubs to discuss season contingency plans amid curtailment concerns

The 2019-20 season in Leagues One and Two was cut short.

EFL clubs will discuss the possibility of amending the league's regulations on curtailment should a second wave of coronavirus disrupt the 2020-21 season.

The 2019-20 League One and Two campaigns were cut short by a vote of the clubs in June due to the pandemic, with promotion and relegation decided by an unweighted points-per-game (PPG) system.

The league and its clubs will now discuss contingencies for the current campaign over the coming weeks, including when a season would be far advanced enough to apply promotion and relegation, and whether PPG or a different system would be used to calculate final positions.

In a Q&A about fans returning to stadiums, the EFL wrote: "Behind the scenes, the EFL will continue discussions with all EFL clubs later this month to consider if there is a need for increased regulation to determine what might happen in future in the event of a future outbreak or period of sustained postponement.

"Considerations such as at what point a season can be considered 'valid' or 'complete' and when it is voided will be discussed, as will potential issues of who makes the decision to ultimately curtail and on what basis, ie the application of PPG, will also be factored into these discussions in order to provide further clarity."

The EFL said it was important there was a "unified" approach with the Premier League.

PPG proved controversial in the summer, with Tranmere chairman Mark Palios a particularly vocal opponent.

Mark Palios' club Tranmere were relegated to League Two on the PPG system
Mark Palios' club Tranmere were relegated to League Two on the PPG system (Martin Rickett/PA)

The idea of these fresh discussions is to give clubs the opportunity to revisit and add to the regulations if they wish to.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said last week that no agreement had been reached among its clubs about the point in a season at which curtailment rather than voiding should be applied.

"What the clubs did agree with was a set of principles which would make curtailment an option of last resort – I think that's important," he said.

"Finishing the season is the number one priority. The formula we came up with for playing matches behind closed doors was pretty successful and is now enshrined as one of the things you would have to go through before you reached curtailment. But the issue of a cut-off point or a number of matches to be played for a season to be valid was not agreed."

ID:414833: cacheID:414833:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5642:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
West Bromwich Albion's Filip Krovinovic scores against Blackburn on July 11, 2020
Read Next:
Slaven Bilic desperate for Filip Krovinovic to return to West Brom
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!