Town have confirmed that they have proposed “further consultation” between clubs and the EFL board on “an alternative play-off formula” for the 2019/20 League One campaign.
Tuesday’s EGM is expected to see the League One season brought to an early close. That being the case, the EFL’s preferred option is that positions, promotion and relegation are decided on unweighted points per game.
However, clubs were given until 2pm on Tuesday of this week to put forward amendments to the EFL's draft framework, with it emerging yesterday that Town were among those who did so.
"The club’s proposal, for League One only, is that there is further consultation between the [EFL] board and the clubs over an alternative play-off formula for 2019/20 and that any proposal that has the support of at least six other clubs should go to a vote,” Town confirmed in a lengthy piece on the official website outlining the current position and the process relating to Tuesday’s meeting.
Contrary to a report yesterday, we understand the Blues did not put forward a suggestion of the top 10 playing a tournament to end the season. Previously Peterborough proposed extending the play-offs to eight teams with the top two - Coventry and Rotherham - promoted automatically. Town are currently 10th but drop to 11th on a table based on unweighted points per game.
Meanwhile, Tranmere have proposed a points per game system which includes a margin of error, while Lincoln City are also arguing a tweak which would take into consideration any points deductions teams may have received.
Championship Barnsley are lobbying for relegation to be scrapped if the season isn’t played to its end, while Stevenage, bottom of League Two, have suggested an amendment which would see no one drop into the National League.
Tuesday will see clubs vote on the clubs’ proposed amendments and then the EFL’s framework for ending the season early and before finally deciding whether to curtail the current campaign at this point or play on. Fifty-one per cent of the vote will carry the day with it understood that 15 of the 23 clubs will opt to end the season early.
The Blues have reiterated that they will vote in favour of the season being played to an end: "It’s always been the club’s view that the season should be completed on the pitch.”
The EFL's preferred unweighted points per game solution is expected to ultimately be the outcome which is supported by clubs, in which case Coventry and Rotherham would be promoted automatically with Wycombe, Oxford, Portsmouth and Fleetwood in the play-offs, and Tranmere, Southend and Bolton relegated.
Town's final placing of 11th would be their lowest finish since they ended the 1952/53 campaign 16th in Division Three South back in Scott Duncan's time as manager.
Once the way forward for this season has been addressed the EFL will then look at the 2020/21 campaign with a September start - either behind closed doors or in front of a limited number of fans - currently believed to be the aim.
Town had already booked a July pre-season trip to Germany ahead of the usual August start but this has already been cancelled.
It’s likely any pre-season friendlies ahead of the new season will be played behind closed doors, probably at clubs’ training grounds.