The EFL has issued a statement following this morning’s EGM confirming that clubs have voted in favour of implementing the EFL’s framework for settling placings, promotion and relegation on unweighted points per game and have rejected the amendments and proposals submitted by various clubs including Town. League One teams will now meet this afternoon and vote on whether to play their season to a conclusion or end it now.

The EFL statement reads: “At an Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday 9th June, EFL clubs voted on proposals in respect of changes to EFL regulations in the event season 2019/20 is curtailed.

“Proposals were submitted by Barnsley and Tranmere Rovers alongside amendments to an EFL board proposal which were put forward by Lincoln City, Stevenage and Ipswich Town.

“Following a vote on each by all 71 clubs, it was overwhelmingly agreed (by a majority of all clubs and a majority in the Championship) to adopt the EFL board’s proposal into EFL regulations, which now means the following applies in the event a division curtails its 2019/20 season or it is ended by any other means:

Final divisional placings will be determined on unweighted points per game (if required).
Promotion and relegation should be retained.
Play-Offs will be played in all circumstances but will not be extended (beyond four teams).

“Clubs in Leagues One and Two will now meet by division later today to formally determine whether to resume playing the 2019/20 season or opt for curtailment. The Championship clubs restart their season on 20th June.”

EFL chair Rick Parry added: “Whilst it has always remained the board’s position to play the remainder of the season where possible, the decision reached at today’s meeting follows a full and considered consultation period with our member clubs.

“The board has endeavoured to listen to all views and alternative approaches but understands that the decisions taken will not be met with universal satisfaction from all clubs.

“Today’s outcome ensures that the League and its clubs remains as faithful as possible to the previously agreed regulations and that there is consistency in the approach adopted across the EFL in all divisions if required.

“It is clear that the challenges facing the League from the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic are unprecedented and I thank the contribution of EFL clubs in making this important determination.”

Town’s amendment was aimed at clubs having a say on a revised formula for the play-offs given the current extraordinary circumstances, with any proposal having the support of at least six other clubs going to a vote.

The Blues are among the League One 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 a unanimous indicative vote.

If the League One season is brought to an early end as expected under the unweighted points per game system, Coventry and Rotherham will be promoted automatically with Wycombe, Oxford, Portsmouth and Fleetwood in the play-offs, and Tranmere, Southend and Bolton relegated.

Town will 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.

Photo: Contributed

TrueBlue66 added 13:17 - Jun 9 That's that then! Onto next season...
1

TractorCam added 13:19 - Jun 9 Shock horror, clubs vote for the most common sense strategy and not the biased ones by certain clubs. Now the season will come to an end as we will be one of a handful wanting to play on, that will get overruled as well and we can put this season behind us and start making changes for next year.
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ArnieM added 13:31 - Jun 9 So that's the season finished with ( for us anyway). So, what happens for NEXT season now then , whereby these clubs that have voted to end this season, presumably on the back of , “ we cant afford to play without the fans attending games , and cant afford to run the required testing”, Are these Clubs now going to withdraw from the League because they are unable to fulfil the requirements? If they can't cope with the remaining 8 games if this season, how can they possibly undertake League One fixtures in 20/21?

11

DA22A added 13:34 - Jun 9 i wonder if that will trigger the release clause in PL's contract so he can go without 4 years worth of salary?
1

StavangerBlue added 13:54 - Jun 9 No surprise. The slide towards League 2 continues.
2

Toperz added 14:03 - Jun 9 No surprise the amendment we put forward that only benefited us was thrown out, the most logical and sensible way has been inforced. We've been average at best this year, Evans has become a laughing stock and our relegation specialist manager has proven how clueless he is, hopefully the this summer we can recruit the players we desperately need and chambers will retire
2

ArnieM added 14:06 - Jun 9 DAZZA I'd say the reason Evans hasn't acted yet (and why Lambert has actually looked and sounded very concerned about this seasons outcome through the EFL vote), is because for Evans to pull the trigger, if he intends too, has depended upon whether Town had any chance of making the play offs. Now its written in stone that we can't, Lambert has “ officially “,( yes we all know he has), failed, in terms of various contract clauses . This now allows Evans to act ( assuming one of those clauses was that Town had to at least make those play offs). Since we have not achieved automatic promotion nor play offs id say Lambert is at real risk of not meeting contractually agreed stages of “ progress”, and therefore likely to be sacked.

3

62WasBest added 14:07 - Jun 9 Absurd outcome. Next season, lets just play the first 23 games and then halt the season and decide places on the table at that point and save everyone a shed load of money. After all, for most teams in the bottom half there is little to continue playing for, and no one can convince me that they don't lose money and run up more losses even if playing. After all, this decision, is just about money not sport, not justice, not logic. If this season can be decided on half a programme being completed, why shouldn't every season?

-2

TimmyH added 14:22 - Jun 9 That's us put out of our misery (for this season until next season starts). Pathetic...and I suppose this lets Lambert of the hook again.
0

d77sgw added 14:35 - Jun 9 Do we actually know there is any sort of clause in Lambert's contract that allows sacking for failing to make the play-offs - presumably this is just conjecture? The man has failed abysmally - with the resources at his disposal we really have flopped so, so badly this season.
0

BlueandTruesince82 added 14:40 - Jun 9 I assume that these clubs that cannot afford to finish the season will either; A. Make cuts across the board including to playing budgets so that they can begin next season (when they still cant hwve fans watch) Or B. Enter into administration, take the relevent points hit.. Or C. Fold resulting in half the division going out of busisness and a total restructure of the football pyramid

2

ArnieM added 14:48 - Jun 9 Id say there's every chance that a good number of Clubs will now go into administration. Can't see how they can afford to continue to operate under the current CoVid situation, and this may well extend into the championship for certain clubs too.
0

SouperJim added 14:50 - Jun 9 Lambert gone by the end of the week?
-2

alfromcol added 15:22 - Jun 9 I assume that if/when next season starts and no vaccine is available, matches will still have to be played behind closed doors and Leagues 1 and 2 clubs will have to fork out for regular testing of players and staff? That should help a few go out of business.
1

LWNR2013 added 15:25 - Jun 9 Could mean only one EFL division and not two, depending on number of clubs that can survive. So, Prem, Championship and ????ship. One season left to avoid dropping to obscurity.
0

warksonwater added 15:58 - Jun 9 Now 100% confirmed, season to stop now. No surprise at all. we're left to rue those last nine games, before which we were top. Even 11 points from those nine, a poor return, would have seen us in the play-offs. Just goes to show how utterly calamitous that run was. Small chance we might have turned it around with five out of eight remaining games and most being against bottom half sides, but now we'll never know.

0

londontractorboy57 added 16:01 - Jun 9 Lambert to leave!!! Be carefull what you wish for.
0

ITFCsince73 added 16:03 - Jun 9 Now official we're a mid table L1 club. Hopefully people step down from there current positions. Weather that Chambo or Lambo....or both. Embarrassing league standing. And can't be risked of getting any lower.
0

Michael101 added 16:09 - Jun 9 If Lambert gets the tin tack will evans get that useless idiot McCarthy back..,###,king hope not.
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chepstowblue added 16:24 - Jun 9 A good outcome for us, as playing the remaining fixtures would have seen us finish a lot lower. FIX.
0

Michael101 added 16:40 - Jun 9 Something is wrong with football when division 1,2 club's can't afford to play games .when the premiership pay average players 100 grand a week..
0

ThaiBlue added 16:54 - Jun 9 We dont deserve anything a bloody shocking season.if we start the season without fans being able to watch let me tell you when fans are allowed back into portman road it wont be far off an empty stadium if our great fans do not see any future change.
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