Doncaster Rovers: ‘Unfair’ EFL accused of assuming their proposal for how to decide the season will win vote

The EFL have been accused of assuming their proposal for deciding the 2019/20 season will win today’s crucial vote by one of the main figures opposing it.
Tranmere chairman Mark PaliosTranmere chairman Mark Palios
Tranmere chairman Mark Palios

All 71 clubs have been invited to a meeting on Tuesday where they will vote on two main proposals - and potentially several amendments - for how to resolve the season in the event of no further regular season matches being played.

The EFL board have proposed that final placings are decided on a points per game calculation, with promotion, relegation and a four team play-off campaign taking place as normal.

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Tranmere Rovers have proposed an alternative, which includes a margin for error calculation into points per game, and could potentially see the play-offs in each division expanded.

The plan would also see Tranmere avoid relegation.

It was announced on Sunday night that four League One clubs had commenced Covid-19 testing, in anticipation of returning to training.

While the identity of the clubs was not revealed, it is expected that they are Wycombe Wanderers, Oxford United, Portsmouth and Fleetwood Town - the four clubs who would be involved in the play-offs under the EFL’s proposal.

This led to a backlash from Tranmere vice-chair Nicola Palios, who accused the EFL of being ‘unfair’ in the handling of the situation.

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Writing on Twitter, Palios said: “How can clubs have a fair vote on Tuesday re our proposals when the EFL have only done Covid testing for clubs who would be in the playoffs under their proposal and not ours? And have struck the deal for TV assuming theirs will go through? This is NOT a fair process.”

The TV deal referred to by Palios is the EFL’s agreement with Sky Sports over broadcast of play-off matches across all three divisions.

An announcement last week confirmed Sky would be broadcasting ‘the 15 games across all EFL divisions in the Sky Bet Play-Offs.’ This could be taken as an assumption that the three divisions will have four team campaigns as normal.

Senior figures at Peterborough United, who have strongly backed Tranmere’s proposal, believe it will not have enough support to be voted in on Tuesday, having canvased opinion across clubs.

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