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Sunderland insist the League One season must be finished on the pitch, \u201cnot in a meeting room and most certainly not in a courtroom\u201d.<\/p>\nSunderland insist the League One season must be finished on the pitch, \u201cnot in a meeting room and most certainly not in a courtroom\u201d.<\/p>\n
There is disagreement among third-tier clubs about how to proceed after the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
Rochdale have said they are firmly behind the English Football League collective and would accept a majority decision, but are in favor of ending the season now on a points-per-game basis.<\/p>\n
Sunderland were part of a group of six clubs who announced last Thursday their commitment to completing the season on the pitch, and the club\u2019s chief executive Jim Rodwell says their view has not changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that any league placings should be determined by what happens on the pitch, not in a meeting room and most certainly not in a courtroom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The EFL said on Friday that a framework has been agreed in the event of the season being forced to conclude prematurely, using an unweighted points-per-game (PPG) system, the retention of the play-offs plus promotion and relegation.<\/p>\n
Tranmere chairman Mark Palios, whose club are currently third from bottom in League One, said on Tuesday night he believes the season should end now but does not think PPG should decide which teams are relegated to League Two.<\/p>\n
Clubs in League Two indicated a preference to end their season primarily due to the costs of continuing, with no matchday revenue coming in and the expense of testing.<\/p>\n
Sunderland chief executive Rodwell, though, says that is a price his club are willing to meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cFulfilling our remaining fixtures will come at considerable cost, but it sets a deeply concerning precedent for professional football clubs to decide against completing competitions they have entered because they don\u2019t feel like doing so,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither fixtures being suspended for public health reasons or matches being played behind closed doors are novel scenarios, but both have happened in the past without clubs opting against fulfilling fixtures and altering competition rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
The EFL board is understood to be meeting this afternoon to consider League Two clubs\u2019 proposal for curtailment, which would exclude any club being relegated to the National League.<\/p>\n
The team who were top when the National League season was suspended \u2013 Barrow \u2013 could yet be promoted because of Bury\u2019s demise last summer, but if relegation is blocked then no other team could come up with them.<\/p>\n