League One and Two players have reportedly been told that the chances of the 2019/20 campaign at their levels being played to a conclusion are diminishing.
According to the Daily Mail, following an EFL board meeting yesterday, captains and PFA reps were told to inform their team-mates that it is very possible that the season, suspended since March 13th, will not be resumed.
The source of the story appears to be a leaked recording of Bristol Rovers winger and PFA rep Alex Rodman outlining the situation to his team-mates.
Currently the EFL is still officially committed to completing all three of its divisions with its remaining 113 matches played over 56 days behind closed doors and with a June 6th start date pencilled in. Players are due back at their clubs for a mini-pre-season on May 16th.
However, it’s reported that there is now little expectation of EFL games being played in June, while it’s not anticipated that fans will return to stadia until January.
It’s believed that there are a number of options under consideration for concluding the unfinished season, among them the ‘sporting merit’ system whereby the final standings are confirmed based on points per game. That being the case, Town would finish 11th.
It's said that if that system were to be agreed, both internally within the EFL and with the Premier League, sides in the automatic places would be promoted but no one would be relegated.
Among the issues the EFL is facing is the large number of coronavirus tests which would be required if the season were to be played through to its end, particularly given that there aren’t currently enough for NHS and key workers. Further to that, each test, with tens of thousands likely to be required, costs £150.
Additionally, with no fans present, staging games will cost clubs cash which many of them can currently ill afford.
And beyond June 30th players will be out of contract or past the end of their loans with clubs said to be unwilling - and in many cases unable - to pay them further wages if the season stretches beyond that point.
Players are being asked whether they will accept this position. If not, some clubs will be significantly weakened and in some cases perhaps even unable to complete their fixtures.
The EFL is holding a meeting with its clubs today, while tomorrow sees Premier League chief executives meet to discuss Project Restart.
Also on Friday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Public Health England are meeting with representatives from various sports to discuss the path towards a return to action, although it’s understood no decision on when that might be will be made until after May 7th when the Government outlines its wider plans for easing the lockdown.