EFL Retains Promotion and Relegation for 2019/20

The EFL has issued a statement confirming that relegation and promotion will be retained in the event of seasons being ended early.

The play-offs will also still take place, but there will be no more than the number of four teams participating in each division.

The key part of that statement reads:

"2. This means that, in the event of an early curtailment:

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

No decision has yet been reached on whether the EFL divisions will actually end their seasons early yet.

The EFL has confirmed that at last 51% of clubs in the Championship, League One or League Two need to agree on the issue in order for a season to be brought to a halt.

Final table decided on points-per-game average

If a season is ended, then the final placings in the division will be determined by a non-weighted points-per-game average.

Clubs in League Two voted on May 15 to terminate that division’s season immediately. They also recommended that there be no relegation to the National League should that occur.

Now that the EFL has asserted that promotion and relegation should remain in place, it could see Stevenage facing the drop down from League Two.

Swindon Town, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth Argyle would be promoted to League One.

How League One is to be ended is yet to be decided, though there are six teams who are reportedly determined to play out the rest of their fixtures.

They are Ipswich Town, Peterborough United, Oxford United, Sunderland, Fleetwood Town and Portsmouth.

As things stand, they would need to persuade another six clubs to join them in their stance for the division to be played to a conclusion.

League One clubs split

The clubs in League One are apparently split over the issue.

The Championship is hoping to resume action in June alongside the Premier League. Training is set to resume very shortly for players, with strict social distancing measures in place.

EFL Chair, Rick Parry, acknowledged that finding a solution to the situation caused by the current global health crisis was always going to be difficult.

“In the event that a divisional decision is made to curtail the 2019/20 season, the EFL Board is recommending that the League adopts the original framework with the amendments as identified, as there is a strong desire to remain as faithful as possible to the Regulations and ensure there is consistency in the approach adopted across the EFL in all divisions,” he said.

“The Board has always acknowledged that a single solution to satisfy all clubs would always be hard to find, but we are at the point now where strong, definitive action is need for the good of the League and its members.”

The EFL also confirmed that all 71 clubs would have to vote on the proposals before they can be implemented.