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What happens if the Football League is abandoned?

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Whilst the Premier League continues to discuss “Project Restart” but have also discussed a potential abandonment, the English Football League remains just as much in the dark about how they will emerge from the Covid-19 global pandemic.

There have been reports that the third and fourth-tiers of English football, EFL League One and Two could be formally abandoned this week.

The Championship are still attempting to re-start their league and include a shortened Play-Offs.

However, if the Football League cannot find a way to resume the Championship and abandon the season, whilst the Premier League does kick off again, Norwich City have vocalised their opinion that relegation should not happen, as the same sporting measures have not decided the relegation and promotion places.

This would obviously hold major repercussions for AFC Bournemouth who could be relegated under various scenario’s if the Premier League season does or doesn’t conclude the 2019/20 season.

Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber told Sky Sports

“What we could not accept is a situation where we play all our games and get relegated but the Championship can’t play and they automatically promote some teams who haven’t finished the season,”

“For anyone who has got promoted from the Championship, it is a 46- or 49-game slog … It needs to be settled on the pitch – both coming up and going down.”

Written by thegazzyb

Not sure about the exact legal situation between the EPL and the EFL but could it not just play out like this?

IF the EFL decide that they are unable to complete their leagues ( which seems increasingly likely ) then the EFL is free to decide about the rules for relegation and promotion within the leagues they control as they see fit. I imagine that in this scenario however the EPL is not OBLIGED to promote anybody from The Championship since the final league positions were not determined after a full season had been completed.

Once the EPL is free of its obligation to promote from The Championship, the logical consequence is that nobody should be relegated from the EPL.

At that point, the EPL teams can vote on whether or not to try to complete the ( now relatively meaningless ) season, with all of the costs and risks to health which that entails or to just call the league as it stands now. Liverpool are pronounced champions, the final league table goes into the history books as is and unusually this season there were no relegations.

I could see the EPL teams agreeing to that.

So maybe now everything hinges upon what the EFL decides to do with regards to finishing or not finishing their league schedules?

kirsikka wrote…

If the EFL have a contract in place that three teams will get promoted? This is where the lawyers on both sides will be all over it. A relegated team may try and claim the season isn’t finished and go to court on that basis but if you don’t promote the teams then the EFL will use that agreement as the basis of their court case.

This has been further muddied by the FA saying they will not allow a no relegation situation and apparently they have a vote in this somewhere along the line.

The fact is, however you want to read it, this situation hasn’t been legislated for in the agreements between all the parties so no matter what you do someone is going to be taking it to court on the back of a fairly reasonable case.

Parry has to make his point and stand firm for his members but I think he may have overplayed it a little by doing so in front of MPs and also bringing a whole bunch of other dirty washing into play at the same time. I suspect that will have stiffened the resolve from some in the PL that may have felt sympathy towards the EFL.

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How should the Premier League table be decided?

As it stands - Points Per Game

As it stands - Points Per Game

Weighted Points Per Game for Home and Away

Weighted Points Per Game for Home and Away

Half Way Standings

Half Way Standings

Standings after Gameweek 27

Standings after Gameweek 27

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