• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Starting football again

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Alan King, Barry Dyson
I think most of us agree with Mark Palios and hope that this season will be finished as safely and as soon as possible. Voiding the season is for me the worst option. It may guarantee us another year in League One, but would also rob us of our victory over Watford. Anyway, I'd rather we avoided relegation by our own efforts.

But what if continuing the season proves impractical? As time goes on, the chances recede. Contracts will run out. Although they could be extended, it depends how long for. If clubs restart the season with a lot of changes of staff, I would say it will not be the same season.

So what if eventually they decide we have to finish the season now? What options are available? I've heard "positions as now", "average points earned" and "predict by computer", amongst other methods of deciding promotion and relegation. All seem rather unfair and open to challenge.

I have an idea that is not perfect, but I think would be worth considering. It would mean no teams relegated but several teams promoted. There would be no play-offs. How it would work is for the EPL to be increased by two teams to 22 next season on a temporary basis with no teams relegated. Two teams would be promoted from the Championship. Two would go up from League One and three from League Two. Finally, just one NL club would be admitted to the EFL to make up the usual 72 clubs, but there would be only 22 clubs in League Two next season. Over the next two seasons, one extra club will be relegated from the top three leagues so that by 2022/23, we would be back to normal.

How the promoted teams would be decided would be up to the EFL, but I would prefer to use a computer or a pools panel arrangement. It would not be entirely fair, but a lot better than voiding the season or using "points per game". No team would be worse off than any other solution I can think of Many teams would be better off, so I think it would have more chance of acceptance than what has already been suggested.

What do you think?
 

ONIGP

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Eddie Bishop
I think it's a sensible idea and have heard it suggested elsewhere. As you say it avoids a lot of disputable decisions. However, it is difficult to be completely dispassionate when you support a team in a relegation position! The challenges would come from the teams not promoted who are currently sitting close to the top of the 3 EFL divisions and the NL and, possibly, the EPL itself if it objected to the additional 4 matches. The broadcasters, of course, would love it!

I'll be completely honest and say I would go for any solution that leaves us in, or with a chance of being in, L1 next season. I would expect the result of any "vote" put to the EFL members to be equally self-serving. What solution of those suggested would engender least votes against, I wonder?
 
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It is interesting that the Brighton chairman has said there is no chance that the Premier League clubs will vote to freeze the league as it stands or using points per game, with the current bottom three (or projected bottom three) going down. The financial penalties in the EPL are obviously much greater than lower down, but hopefully EFL owners will be just as resistant to that idea.
 
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The sad thing is that anything they do is likely to result in a legal challenge with the inevitable delay and expense. That's why I think what I suggested has the best chance of success. They have to decide something and what I propose has hardly any "losers".

The EPL have said very little, although I've no doubt they are taking soundings from all the clubs, the sponsors and the broadcasters. As MP said the other day, what is really disappointing is the total lack of leadership from the FA, who have gone AWOL.
 

bigmart

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Rumour has it that league 2 teams want to end the season as it now stands as they cannot afford games to be played behind closed doors. Whatever the outcome is I do not see the season being voided
 
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Rumour has it that league 2 teams want to end the season as it now stands as they cannot afford games to be played behind closed doors. Whatever the outcome is I do not see the season being voided
They can avoid playing games behind closed doors just as easily by voiding however. The clubs in the relegation and play off places won't want to freeze the season. It is difficult to know how the mid table clubs would vote.
 
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not a surprise there with them going missing is it now and as for MR PARRY. well, enough said about him. the better. it's going to be a nightmare witch ever way they do it. they have said they want the season finished one way or another. up or down we are going to have the best pitch in whatever LG we are in lol
 

ADD

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Getting a bit nervous that the longer this goes on the more likely that we will end up with either a void season or points per game which would be very unfair on us given our run before the stoppage though I guess they could go for 2 down and three up in that case to replace Bury. Southend and Bury were as good as down already whereas we were still in with a good shout so there is a certain sort of logic to it...
 

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We are in a horrible position as had we been towards the other end of the table it probably wouldn’t matter as much. It’s the clubs that are down there that have it all to lose. We may find ourselves down without kicking another ball although I think that outcome is highly unlikely.
 
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oh I've been playing championship manager and I have just relegated Bolton and battery the mancs in the cup footie fix happy days
 

bigmart

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League 2 clubs want the season to end as it is now, they have a conference call tomorrow.to discuss it
 
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League 2 clubs want the season to end as it is now, they have a conference call tomorrow.to discuss it
Even if the league tables were frozen, would we actually go down ? Presumably only three clubs would come up from League Two, as the play offs would not be completed, with two going down.
 

bigmart

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Even if the league tables were frozen, would we actually go down ? Presumably only three clubs would come up from League Two, as the play offs would not be completed, with two going down.
It is hard to say what will happen at the moment, league one clubs also discussing their intentions today
 
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The National League season has been cancelled with immediate effect. However, a decision regarding promotion and relegation has yet to be taken.
 
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The National League season has been cancelled with immediate effect. However, a decision regarding promotion and relegation has yet to be taken.
It is surely only a matter of time before Leagues One and Two follow suit. Clubs at our level and below can't afford to play in empty stadiums.
 

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It is surely only a matter of time before Leagues One and Two follow suit. Clubs at our level and below can't afford to play in empty stadiums.
Agreed. Huge majority voted to end the season. So the question now.. whats the best way to end this?
 

bigmart

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Agreed. Huge majority voted to end the season. So the question now.. whats the best way to end this?
I cannot see a good way of ending the season, points per game, positions as it stands, voiding the season all have their downfalls.
 

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What if we just reward the teams that are at the top so we have promotions but no relegations which means a few extra teams in each league. Of course that would suit us fine :)
 
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