ENGLAND’S THIRD AND fourth tier football clubs today voted by an overwhelming majority to end the 2019/20 season, with final standings determined on a points-per-game basis.
Testing programmes to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have been put in place by clubs in the Premier League and the Championship, who will subsequently resume their seasons next week.
However, the significant cost of testing, in addition to the need to extend player contracts, were decisive factors in the vote taken by League One and League Two clubs.
Promotion and relegation have been retained in League One and League Two, while play-offs to decide a final promotion place in each division will still go ahead.
Following an eight-year absence, Coventry City will be back in the Championship as League One champions. They’ll be joined by Rotherham United, who finished second.
The play-offs to determine the third team to be promoted will be contested by Oxford United, Portsmouth, Fleetwood Town and Wycombe Wanderers, while Bolton Wanderers, Southend United and Tranmere Rovers are relegated to League Two.
Swindon Town, as League Two champions, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth Argyle will move up to League One automatically, with one of Exeter City, Colchester United, Cheltenham Town or Northampton Town to go up via the play-offs.
At the other end of the table, Stevenage could be saved from relegation if Macclesfield Town are subjected to another points deduction as a result of their failure to pay their players on time.
The schedule for the League One play-offs has yet to be confirmed, but the two-legged League Two play-off semi-finals will take place on 18 and 22 June, before the final on 29 June at Wembley.
The Championship is due to return on 20 June, with the remaining nine rounds of fixtures to be played in the space of a month. However, a points-per-game solution would also determine its final standings if a spike in infections causes halts the season again.
Today’s vote means that former Ireland U21 international Jordan Shipley is set to go up to the Championship with Coventry City, as are former League of Ireland stars Chiedozie Ogbene and Trevor Clarke, both of whom are at Rotherham United.
In with a shout of promotion through the League One play-offs are Limerick native Anthony Forde, ex-Ireland U21 international Liam Kelly (both Oxford United), current Irish senior internationals Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth) and Glenn Whelan, and Dubliner Paddy Madden (both Fleetwood Town).
Dropping down to League Two will be Daryl Murphy, Ryan Delaney (both Bolton Wanderers), Darren Potter (Tranmere Rovers), Stephen McLaughlin and Joe Shaughnessy (both Southend United).
Eoin Doyle‘s goals were pivotal in sending Swindon Town back to League One as champions. Eddie Nolan and Paul Green are also going up with Crewe Alexandra, as is Plymouth Argyle’s Niall Canavan.
Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City), Alan McCormack, Michael Harriman (both Northampton Town), Sean Long and Jake Doyle-Hayes (Cheltenham Town) are all set for involvement in the League Two play-offs, while – as things stand – Irish U21 international Canice Carroll will be relegated with Stevenage.
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