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League One Decision Finally Set to Be Made Today - Ipswich Town News

Town will finally learn how the 2019/20 League One season will end later today.

The EFL clubs are holding an EGM via video conference at 10.30am this morning where they will first vote on the various amendments to the EFL board’s draft framework in which places, relegation and promotion would be settled on unweighted points per game if the season isn’t played to its conclusion.

Town were among those to submit an amendment with owner Marcus Evans believing that, given the current extraordinary circumstances, for this season alone clubs should have a say on a revised formula for the play-offs and that any proposal with the support of at least six other clubs should go to a vote.

Tranmere, Barnsley, Stevenage and Lincoln were the other clubs to have proposed amendments.

It is not expected that any of the amendments will be passed and that the EFL’s framework will be adopted.

The 23 League One will then vote - probably this afternoon - on whether to play their season to its completion behind closed doors or end it now and utilise whatever formula they had agreed earlier in the day.

Town are among the clubs who want the season played to its conclusion but it is believed that around 15 sides want it brought to an early close, largely due to the cost of staging the games and coronavirus testing, more than enough to hit the required 51 per cent mark.

League Two clubs will formalise the curtailment of their season having previously taken an unanimous indicative vote. The Championship will be played to its conclusion behind closed doors from June 20th.

If the League One season is brought to an early end and unweighted points per game is the system used to decide promotion, relegation and placings, Coventry and Rotherham would be promoted automatically with Wycombe, Oxford, Portsmouth and Fleetwood in the play-offs, and Tranmere, Southend and Bolton relegated.

Town would be 11th, their lowest finish since they ended the 1952/53 campaign 16th in Division Three South back in Scott Duncan's time as manager.

There has been controversy ahead of the meeting with it emerging that the four teams who would be in the play-offs under the EFL framework have already resumed training with the other 19 clubs - a number of which would be involved in the play-offs if some of the amendments were to be successful - not approached to do the same.

The EFL revealed on Sunday that 135 players and staff from those clubs have been tested for coronavirus with none returning positive results.

Nicola Palios, Tranmere’s vice-chairman, said on Twitter: "How can clubs have a fair vote on Tuesday re our proposals when the EFL have only done Covid testing for clubs who would be in the play-offs under their proposal and not ours? And have struck the deal for TV assuming theirs will go through? This is NOT a fair process.”

Once the way forward for this season has been finally been addressed, the EFL and its clubs will then have to turn their thoughts to 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.

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