Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony’s stance on the 2019-20 season is clear, but do other League One clubs agree with him?
But what about the other League One clubs? The Sunderland Echo has investigated...
ACCRINGTON STANLEY
Holt said: “We will do whatever we have to do to survive. If it is a choice for us between playing dead rubber fixtures or surviving, we will be surviving. The main risk for Accrington Stanley is for the EFL to force us to spend money we have not got on games that do not matter to us.
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Hide Ad‘If everyone is playing kids, it will be a farce anyway. Freezing the season as it is now would be more representative of the season than teams playing against a load of kids to complete it.”
BOLTON WANDERERS
CEO Emma Beaugeard has said that they will respect any ruling from the EFL: “Finishing the season, or not, is not our call at the present and we would comply with whatever ruling is given.”
COVENTRY CITY
Chief Executive Dave Boddy has said that he suspects it is ‘inevitable’ that football will be behind closed doors when it does return.
Manager Mark Robins has warned that clubs will need a month on the training ground to prepare players for any return.
FLEETWOOD TOWN
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Hide AdChairman Andy Pilley said: “My view is that first and foremost we have to finish the season for the greater good.
“The reason for that is we have signed up to a broadcasting and sponsorship deal and we don’t know the consequences if we break that deal.
“Will there be a clawback? Will there be a reconciliation? The prospect of that is quite hideous.”
GILLINGHAM
Chairman Paul Scally has been a vocal critic of the game’s response to the current crisis and has called for far greater financial measures to be introduced.
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Hide AdThough their play-off hopes are remote, they remain of the belief that the season should be concluded.
IPSWICH TOWN
“There are a few reasons this season has to finish,” manager Paul Lambert told the club website earlier this month.
“For us, we have a good chance to be involved in the promotion race and for football in general, there are too many questions left to answer for the season to be null and void.”
LINCOLN CITY
Chief Executive Liam Scully said: “We’ve got to do absolutely everything in our power to complete the season, whatever that may look like.”
OXFORD UNITED
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Hide AdManaging director Niall McWilliams said: “Honestly, hand on my heart if we were third bottom or just outside the relegation zone I would still be saying the season needs to be finished.
“In League One we’ve only had a couple of dissenting voices.”
PORTSMOUTH
Chief executive Mark Catlin said: “I’d got to a stage where I was thinking finishing the season was a bit of a forlorn hope - but now we are seeing a concerted effort from the government. My own personal view is if the season can’t be completed on the pitch, it would not be fair to use a points-per-game formula to settle promotion or relegation matters.”
SHREWSBURY
Chief Executive Brian Caldwell told the Shropshire Star that the financial repercussions of finishing the season could be significant.
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Hide AdWhile sceptical of how it would be implemented, he also suggested that his club would be in favour of a wage cap being introduced. He also said that he does not believe the regionalisation of the leagues would offer much financial benefit.
SOUTHEND UNITED
Chairman Ron Martin said: “If the season was extended for a couple of months it has a knock-on effect for next season and then when does it stop?
“That’s the reason why it makes good sense to draw a line under it now and say it’s now null and void before starting the new season afresh in August.
“I think there are too many games to go to draw a line under the season and say the table stays as it is now because there would be many dissatisfied and hugely upset clubs.”
SUNDERLAND
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Hide AdHead of Football Richard Hill apparently supports Darragh MacAnthony’s stance.
TRANMERE ROVERS
Tranmerewant to conclude the current season, though chairman Mark Palios has raised concerns over the financial impact of playing behind closed doors.
WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Wycombe owner Rob Couhig has said he favours voiding the season now even though his club are strong contenders for a play-off place at least.
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