A cut and paste from an email from The Athletic this morning, which suggests it might all work out OK for dirty Leeds...
(This is only the start of the article which they freely distributed, the rest is behind the paywall here >>> https://theathletic.com/1809485/)
As the Premier League steps up its planned return to action for the second weekend of June and Leagues One and Two squabble over how to resolve their soon-to-be-abandoned campaigns, one division remains clouded in mystery.
The Championship, home to world-famous clubs including Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, has a rough plan for players to resume training this coming Monday but internally, several highly senior figures at a series of clubs have outlined fears that the second tier of English football will not be played to a conclusion. During discreet conversations with many Championship clubs this week, figures in both the boardroom and on coaching teams detailed widespread fears to The Athletic that the league campaign may join League One and Two in being curtailed. The consensus is that clubs still want to find a way to play on but that it feels increasingly unfeasible to do so. Several clubs are now suggesting that only Championship play-off fixtures between the clubs placed between third and sixth position will be played.
The unease over fulfilling the league fixture list centres on whether some of the smaller clubs in the Championship possess both the financial capacity and the logistical space to comply with the rigorous scientific advice that is guiding the Premier League's protocols. As one coach outlines: "The Championship is bigger in terms of the number of teams and number of matches still to be played than the Premier League but we also have reduced financial capability to fund testing and some teams just do not have the space at the training ground to safely fulfil the social distancing measures that will be necessary. If players in the Premier League do not think they are safe, can we really say Championship players are if there's less cash going into it?"
On Wednesday, the EFL is set to host a series of highly-charging meetings. In the morning, discussions will take place with League One and League Two clubs. These two divisions are expected to be abandoned and disputes are already emerging over the points-per-game formulas that may be applied to decide promotions and relegations. Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has, for example, warned the EFL to prepare for "a legal battle of epic proportions" if promotion is awarded and his side do not go up. Peterborough are one of seven clubs separated by three points between Rotherham in second and Wycombe in eighth. Between the seven, several teams have games in hand, while others have played an odd number of fixtures, skewing the number of home and away matches played.
If those conversations have the potential to be inflammatory, then the fate of Championship clubs will offer even greater turbulence. The divergence of briefings and vested interests in the Championship make it difficult, at this point, to speak with any level of certainty over conclusions.
(This is only the start of the article which they freely distributed, the rest is behind the paywall here >>> https://theathletic.com/1809485/)
As the Premier League steps up its planned return to action for the second weekend of June and Leagues One and Two squabble over how to resolve their soon-to-be-abandoned campaigns, one division remains clouded in mystery.
The Championship, home to world-famous clubs including Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, has a rough plan for players to resume training this coming Monday but internally, several highly senior figures at a series of clubs have outlined fears that the second tier of English football will not be played to a conclusion. During discreet conversations with many Championship clubs this week, figures in both the boardroom and on coaching teams detailed widespread fears to The Athletic that the league campaign may join League One and Two in being curtailed. The consensus is that clubs still want to find a way to play on but that it feels increasingly unfeasible to do so. Several clubs are now suggesting that only Championship play-off fixtures between the clubs placed between third and sixth position will be played.
The unease over fulfilling the league fixture list centres on whether some of the smaller clubs in the Championship possess both the financial capacity and the logistical space to comply with the rigorous scientific advice that is guiding the Premier League's protocols. As one coach outlines: "The Championship is bigger in terms of the number of teams and number of matches still to be played than the Premier League but we also have reduced financial capability to fund testing and some teams just do not have the space at the training ground to safely fulfil the social distancing measures that will be necessary. If players in the Premier League do not think they are safe, can we really say Championship players are if there's less cash going into it?"
On Wednesday, the EFL is set to host a series of highly-charging meetings. In the morning, discussions will take place with League One and League Two clubs. These two divisions are expected to be abandoned and disputes are already emerging over the points-per-game formulas that may be applied to decide promotions and relegations. Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has, for example, warned the EFL to prepare for "a legal battle of epic proportions" if promotion is awarded and his side do not go up. Peterborough are one of seven clubs separated by three points between Rotherham in second and Wycombe in eighth. Between the seven, several teams have games in hand, while others have played an odd number of fixtures, skewing the number of home and away matches played.
If those conversations have the potential to be inflammatory, then the fate of Championship clubs will offer even greater turbulence. The divergence of briefings and vested interests in the Championship make it difficult, at this point, to speak with any level of certainty over conclusions.
