Coronavirus and League 2

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

wonder why that applies to the National League but not the EFL

Maybe someone needs to dust off that rule book down at EFL House, but if the logic of that applied to the rest of the EFL, that'd blow Tranmere's argument that they should stay up right out of the water.

 

[AdamStag]

Maybe it could be because the 2nd spot from the conference is relevantly recent as such it would have been changed then.

Guessing there hasn’t been any change to the FL since the north/south divisions were done away with?

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Maybe it could be because the 2nd spot from the conference is relevantly recent as such it would have been changed then.

Guessing there hasn’t been any change to the FL since the north/south divisions were done away with?

Nope. And the 1958-1986 way of doing things (pre-playoff era) was to automatically promote the top 4. So there's precedent...

 

[AdamStag]

Nope. And the 1958-1986 way of doing things (pre-playoff era) was to automatically promote the top 4. So there's precedent...

So it’s randomly in the wording of the conference but not the FL?

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

So it’s randomly in the wording of the conference but not the FL?

I'll have to check the rest of the document, just found that online by chance. But surely any typist worth their salt would include a similar clause no doubt...

 

[AdamStag]

I'll have to check the rest of the document, just found that online by chance. But surely any typist worth their salt would include a similar clause no doubt...

So you’d have thought!

 

[Indian Dan]

Surely a cut and paste job changing the few relevant bits for EFL and NL

 

[AdamStag]

Surely a cut and paste job changing the few relevant bits for EFL and NL

Well if the conference can organise something better then the EFL really are in trouble

 

[shoddycollins]

wonder why that applies to the National League but not the EFL

I guess it's a throwback to the days the winner of the Conference would merely apply for league status, and may well be denied though going back further you didn't even have to win it to apply and before there was a conference it would just be teams who were doing well in their regional leagues. Promotion and relegation within the divisions of the football league probably didn't need codified as it didn't affect joining or leaving the league. I wonder if there's a similar thing affecting promotion to the PL.

 

[Si Robin]

On the same page as that posted by TNO it states:

10.1.2 Promotion and Relegation between The Championship, League One and League Two

(a) At the end of each Season, the two Clubs finishing in the highest positions in League One and the three Clubs finishing in the highest positions in League Two shall be promoted to the next higher Division for the following Season. In addition the four next highest Clubs in League One will take part in a Play-Off Competition and the four next highest Clubs in League Two will take part in a Play-Off Competition. The respective winners of the two Play-Off Competitions shall play in the next highest Division in the following Season.


However, it also says:

(b) At the end of each Season the three Clubs in The Championship finishing lowest and the four Clubs in League One finishing lowest shall be relegated to play in the next lower Division in the following Season.

(c) If there are less than 20 Clubs in The Championship, the number of Clubs to be promoted and relegated between The Championship and League One, shall be determined by agreement between The Championship and League One. If as a result the number of Clubs in either Division changes, Regulation 5.2 shall apply.


Naturally, there's nothing in there about a season being cut short.

 

[Indian Dan]

Apart from a season ending by decisions made. The season has ended. Says nothing about ‘in its entirety’.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

On the same page as that posted by TNO it states:

10.1.2 Promotion and Relegation between The Championship, League One and League Two

(a) At the end of each Season, the two Clubs finishing in the highest positions in League One and the three Clubs finishing in the highest positions in League Two shall be promoted to the next higher Division for the following Season. In addition the four next highest Clubs in League One will take part in a Play-Off Competition and the four next highest Clubs in League Two will take part in a Play-Off Competition. The respective winners of the two Play-Off Competitions shall play in the next highest Division in the following Season.


However, it also says:

(b) At the end of each Season the three Clubs in The Championship finishing lowest and the four Clubs in League One finishing lowest shall be relegated to play in the next lower Division in the following Season.

(c) If there are less than 20 Clubs in The Championship, the number of Clubs to be promoted and relegated between The Championship and League One, shall be determined by agreement between The Championship and League One. If as a result the number of Clubs in either Division changes, Regulation 5.2 shall apply.


Naturally, there's nothing in there about a season being cut short.

Surely the way around is to say the season has ended. The thorny problem then play offs, there won’t be any. So how is the fourth place allocated? I am not a lawyer but this would suggest the top three are cast iron, the legally interesting one is fourth place. And is Tranmere the fourth or the third one coming down? I suspect some clubs will seek redress in the courts.

 

[Si Robin]

I suspect it will go to a vote on the grounds that any majority is binding to avoid legal recourse.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Surely the way around is to say the season has ended. The thorny problem then play offs, there won’t be any. So how is the fourth place allocated? I am not a lawyer but this would suggest the top three are cast iron, the legally interesting one is fourth place. And is Tranmere the fourth or the third one coming down? I suspect some clubs will seek redress in the courts.

The document also states at regulation 10.1.2(b) that "At the end of each Season the three Clubs in The Championship and the four Clubs in League One finishing lowest shall be relegated to play in the lower Division in the following Season."

That would imply finishing 21st or below at the season's end is, as I've said before, is a cast-iron relegation spot.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

I suspect it will go to a vote on the grounds that any majority is binding to avoid legal recourse.

Presumably it must go to a vote, but not sure that stops unhappy clubs litigating. Though it may affect the likely success.

 

[AdamStag]

I suspect it will go to a vote on the grounds that any majority is binding to avoid legal recourse.

I’m confident that’s the plan from what our chairman has said. It’s just whether it’s done purely on PPG or PPG with that weighting malarkey.

 

[Indian Dan]

I’d accept null and void if by some miracle the PL financially supported each and every EFL club through this crisis.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I’d accept null and void if by some miracle the PL financially supported each and every EFL club through this crisis.

Sadly it's a miracle we won't get as that PL money is already spent in 5 year contracts given to the mediocre imports from Ligue 1 and the Belgian leagues by the likes of Bournemouth and Brighton.

 

[Super_horns]

I did think there was going to be some sort of fund set up but who knows...

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Gonna be hard to set up a fund when the broadcasters are demanding being repaid even if the season comes to a conclusion on the field...

 

[Jerry]

I suspect it will go to a vote on the grounds that any majority is binding to avoid legal recourse.

Clubs would pretty much know the result of any vote before it took place, so any clubs who see the decision going against them would just refuse to take part if casting a vote ruled out future legal action.

 

[valefan16]

Definitely remember Bury getting screwed over by the same rule when Port Vale would've gone down on GD rules in 1999 but I never knew Brighton stayed up on GS as well!

What a stupid rule that was for the brief period it existed. IIRC, QPR beat Palace 6-0 on that final day to make sure they wouldn't go down on the GS rule too, there was a lot of mither about it from Bury fans after it happened...

There was indeed, ironically we faced them last game three points clear with them needing to win 11-0! Think they won 1-0 but we would of gone down. Only delayed the inevitable by a year mind.

 

[valefan16]

The Brighton comments are odd as it’s not like they’d likely be one of the sides who would be granted a spot for their B team!

Reminds me of Bolton wanting a closed shop Premier League... sure the view would be much different there now.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Shock, Premier League teams suggesting B teams again. They'll get their own way eventually no doubt.

 

[valefan16]

Shock, Premier League teams suggesting B teams again. They'll get their own way eventually no doubt.

Based on the B teams we’ve played in the Leasing over the past few years even with many changes made in our own XI none of them would really compete at this level. We’ve beaten every single one with one conceded in the four times. Played Middlesbrough last year and it was the worst game I have ever seen, literally a training session.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

B teams will never happen and if the majority of Chairmen voted for it, they'd basically be depreciating the asset they own as many would boycott.

 

[Richard Cranium]

They probably wouldn't though. No fucker went to JPT games anyway, A few boycotting that is all well and good but if they were league games you'd only have a few 100 knocked off the gates IMO.

It'd be nice to hear EFL chairmen come straight out and tell them to fuck for a change.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

They probably wouldn't though. No fucker went to JPT games anyway, A few boycotting that is all well and good but if they were league games you'd only have a few 100 knocked off the gates IMO.

It'd be nice to hear EFL chairmen come straight out and tell them to fuck for a change.

There'd be a massive fan movement. Fans won't allow that level of bullshit to seep into our game. I think it'd be the moment where a lot turned their backs. If rising ticket prices has had a big effect on the game causing fans to stay away, B teams in the game would increase that dramatically. It'd massively dilute the quality of the product too.

 

[northstandexile]

A lot of fans (elderly/underlying conditions) will be dead if the second wave hits us So crowds a lot lower.

 

[AdamStag]

There'd be a massive fan movement. Fans won't allow that level of bullshit to seep into our game. I think it'd be the moment where a lot turned their backs. If rising ticket prices has had a big effect on the game causing fans to stay away, B teams in the game would increase that dramatically. It'd massively dilute the quality of the product too.

Exactly. I don’t know one lower league fan, whether in the EFL or in non-league who wants the B teams