Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has praised Blues owner Marcus Evans for keeping fighting ahead of Tuesday’s EFL EGM which will determine how the League One season is completed.
Town, like Posh, want to see the campaign played to its completion, but if, as expected, sides vote to end it early they were among the clubs to submit amendments to the EFL's draft framework last week. MacAnthony now believes that in any case there is no longer time to play the season to its conclusion.
"Ipswich have put forward an amendment where you would see a 10-team tournament vying for three [promotion] places. Again, well done to Marcus Evans, at least he’s fighting to put something across,” MacAnthony said in his Football Club Chairman - Hard Truth podcast.
Town’s submission was actually wider than any one specific play-off scenario with Evans believing that in the extraordinary current circumstances for this season alone clubs should have a say on the formula for the play-offs and that any proposal with the support of at least six other clubs should go to a vote.
MacAnthony is a big fan of Tranmere’s proposal which is a variation of the EFL’s preferred unweighted points per game formula but with an added margin of error.
"I think it’s the best solution that’s been put forward,” MacAnthony insisted. "Mark and Nicola Palios [Tranmere chairman and vice-chairman] have done a great job, they’ve put together a really, really thoughtful solution for everyone. I’m astonished so many clubs came out straight away and said no. It baffles me.
"I’m hoping they have a rethink, I’m hoping Mark can get his point across in the meeting. I think on Tuesday he’ll get to speak about it, we’ll get to vote on it. In my mind there’s no doubt we should get at least 13 to 14 votes for it.
"Right now, as it stands from what I’m hearing publicly, everyone’s saying that when the cold light of day sets in and there’s a little bit more explanation and a little bit more transparency given to all those various clubs about what voting for this would mean for everybody, hopefully people would see sense.
"Hopefully the Rochdales, the Accringtons, the MK Dons, the Wimbledons of the world who don’t want to play football will see this as a way where they don’t actually play football and it’s right and proper to allow teams who do want to play to play and it allows teams like Tranmere not to get unjustly relegated. It’s the best proposal for me and it’s the one which needs to get the vote.”
There would be a very outside chance that the Blues could be in the play-offs if Tranmere’s proposal was adopted but only if teams opt out.
"Right now it would bring [second-placed] Rotherham back in to a play-off race that would take eight teams from second down to ninth or wherever it would be, or 10th,” MacAnthony added.
"It would allow people to opt in or opt out, so if Doncaster were in the mix and, according to their local journalists, there’s no appetite for them to play football. If they wanted to give their slot up I think Ipswich would get the slot instead.”
However, under the Wirral club’s formula Town would be 11th in the table, as they would under the EFL’s unweighted points per game, with Gillingham 10th, so it would require another side to give up their place for the Blues to get involved.
Tomorrow’s meeting will see clubs vote on the various amendments but with the EFL’s framework and their unweighted points per game system expected to win the day.
They will then vote on whether the season will be played to its conclusion or cut short and that system implemented. It’s believed around 15 clubs are in favour of ending the season early, more than enough to hit the required 51 per cent mark.