Decisions being made

[chipmunx]

recent communiques suggest its 2 IF certain criteria is met - but quite simply they can't/won't be met - so it will be 1 up and Stevenage reprieved

[Adam29]

I only know what has been stated in the reports posted.
If League 2 can not complete their season then Stevenage get a reprieve therefore only 1 team can go up and even if Play Offs are voted for they wouldn’t happen and as Ian Dennis stated last night I would be very surprised if our play offs take place even if voted for because of contract situations with players

If our league isn’t voided and they choose PPG or current standings we would be promoted as champions

If the worst happens and the league is voided then the EFL have the task of choosing the team to be promoted

[Pedro]

Just mentioned on Radio 5
Barnet supporter saying Barrow should be promoted.
He said it's only right plus sentimental after way we were dumped out of league.
Robbie Savage and Chris Suttin both said we should ho up

[chipmunx]

Robbie Savage and Chris Suttin both said we should ho up

If i was a Barrow woman i'd be offended by that.....

[Suffolk Blue]

OK. Thanks Adam.

I agree that the completion of the EFL season cant be taken for granted. It might well not happen, although I do think we should see the EFL in its entirety. The Championship is also EFL and I think its chances of finishing are brighter than for L2. Its more incentivised to do so. Whilst you cannot rule the EFL eventually coming up with a solution that differentiates between its Divisions that would be quite a difficult one to pull off and would be pretty controversial. That's one of the problems with the EFL - its very diverse.

The problem as I see it for the NL is that they do not know, cannot know for certain right now how the EFL season will end and also because the NL tends to operate around an April key date when it is then forced to make decisions, and ahead of the EFL which is oriented more around June. It may believe that in all probability only 1 team will go up but it cannot make decisions on that basis. It has to plan for 2. The quotes such as they are from the EFL/NL would also seem to suggest this.

So the NL is going to have to make a decision without that question being answered - yet. Its in a highly vulnerable position because it cant make a decision that is guaranteed to be right. Stevenage will probably end up being the bargaining chip in this but the NL will take a hammering if it gets this wrong. Voiding in this respect creates a double jeopardy for the NL. As you've pointed out a void would allow the EFL in theory to select who it wanted to take the spare place - though I think the list of candidates is smaller than you suggest as not all 24 clubs are approved for the EFL or would want to go up. But if it weren't Barrow then this would subject the NL and the EFL to some ridicule. Secondly if the NL voided but the EFL season did complete or was declared then the EFL would reprieve Stevenage anyway using the excuse that the NL had in fact voided. In this instance it could have had two sides promoted but missed out by voiding.

I'm more inclined to the view that what we will get from the NL is a judgement that may not in fact look like a decision at all but is more hypothetical than real (i.e. If this happens...then we will do that). I'm not sure it'll be as clear and decisive as we might think.

[geobarrovian]

I only know what has been stated in the reports posted.
If League 2 can not complete their season then Stevenage get a reprieve therefore only 1 team can go up and even if Play Offs are voted for they wouldn’t happen and as Ian Dennis stated last night I would be very surprised if our play offs take place even if voted for because of contract situations with players

If our league isn’t voided and they choose PPG or current standings we would be promoted as champions

If the worst happens and the league is voided then the EFL have the task of choosing the team to be promoted

The EFL couldn't really just pick a team at random could they?

[chipmunx]

I only know what has been stated in the reports posted.
If League 2 can not complete their season then Stevenage get a reprieve therefore only 1 team can go up and even if Play Offs are voted for they wouldn’t happen and as Ian Dennis stated last night I would be very surprised if our play offs take place even if voted for because of contract situations with players

If our league isn’t voided and they choose PPG or current standings we would be promoted as champions

If the worst happens and the league is voided then the EFL have the task of choosing the team to be promoted

The EFL couldn't really just pick a team at random could they?

This is the basis on there being no legal arguments if the EFL were to invite Barrow (or any other club) to be in the EFL next season to replace Bury. from the EFL articles;-

5.3 Subject to the provisions of the Articles of Association and these Regulations, The League may from time to time and upon such terms and conditions as it may think fit admit any Association Football club as a member or expel or accept the retirement of any member from The League provided always that no member may be expelled without the sanction of a special resolution passed at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of The League. Any casual vacancy occurring in the membership of The League may be filled by the Board.

[chipmunx]

I've been discussing this with Notts fans on one of their boards and posted what i think will happen early next week;-

Ultimately i think the NL board will issue a "holding" statement early next week along the lines of "subject to confirmation from the EFL on what happens with Division 2 we are proceeding on the basis that play offs will take place" and will then ask the clubs on a format to get to a table to get the play off positions - and that can only reasonably be PPG.
That will effectively just kick the can down the street for another week or so, by which time the EFL may have made a decision - meaning that the NL board doesn't have to...

[barrowfan]

I've been discussing this with Notts fans on one of their boards and posted what i think will happen early next week;-

Ultimately i think the NL board will issue a "holding" statement early next week along the lines of "subject to confirmation from the EFL on what happens with Division 2 we are proceeding on the basis that play offs will take place" and will then ask the clubs on a format to get to a table to get the play off positions - and that can only reasonably be PPG.
That will effectively just kick the can down the street for another week or so, by which time the EFL may have made a decision - meaning that the NL board doesn't have to...

And no doubt the EFL will take their lead from the Premiership who are determined to finish the season, but the EFL too might have clubs who will suffer with players out of contract etc.

We just keep going round in circles.

[Suffolk Blue]

The EFL couldn't really just pick a team at random could they?

This is the basis on there being no legal arguments if the EFL were to invite Barrow (or any other club) to be in the EFL next season to replace Bury. from the EFL articles;-

5.3 Subject to the provisions of the Articles of Association and these Regulations, The League may from time to time and upon such terms and conditions as it may think fit admit any Association Football club as a member or expel or accept the retirement of any member from The League provided always that no member may be expelled without the sanction of a special resolution passed at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of The League. Any casual vacancy occurring in the membership of The League may be filled by the Board.

There is a process for determining that a club is "fit" to be a member. The process has a series of criteria that have to be met. These criteria have to be approved by the EFL in advance of any AGM/EGM. In the old days clubs used to frequently fail these criteria at the AGM itself and not go up. Now this process takes place in advance. We are approved as are others. The process is not random. The EFL could not just decide that it liked the idea of having Workington back as a member on a whim.

[chipmunx]

This is the basis on there being no legal arguments if the EFL were to invite Barrow (or any other club) to be in the EFL next season to replace Bury. from the EFL articles;-

5.3 Subject to the provisions of the Articles of Association and these Regulations, The League may from time to time and upon such terms and conditions as it may think fit admit any Association Football club as a member or expel or accept the retirement of any member from The League provided always that no member may be expelled without the sanction of a special resolution passed at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of The League. Any casual vacancy occurring in the membership of The League may be filled by the Board.

There is a process for determining that a club is "fit" to be a member. The process has a series of criteria that have to be met. These criteria have to be approved by the EFL in advance of any AGM/EGM. In the old days clubs used to frequently fail these criteria at the AGM itself and not go up. Now this process takes place in advance. We are approved as are others. The process is not random. The EFL could not just decide that it liked the idea of having Workington back as a member on a whim.

correct - it would need to be a club approved by the EFL and who had applied etc and had the ground accepted - which would limit it to around 12-18 teams from the NL

[Pedro]

Robbie Savage and Chris Suttin both said we should ho up

If i was a Barrow woman i'd be offended by that.....

Butter fingers.
I just do not trust that we will be treat fair.
The fact the league below us were void leads me to think the same will happen with us.
Whatever happens with the Premier League should apply right down the leagues and if its playing on ,which I think is wrong it should be financed by the Premier League.
Anything less is creating separate rules .

[andyg]

One thing that has not been discussed here is the problem of Bury. By that I mean Bury were in League 1 when they were expelled from the EFL. If say Barrow got the nod & Stevenage got a reprieve that would make 25 clubs in L2 & 23 in L1. Who actually goes up from L2 to L1 to even the numbers? That's if, of course, the EFL wants to have a 72 club system. This will become as issue if the EFL choose not to promote or relegate teams because they have decided, for the sake of argument, to null and void their season.

[Adam29]

Then a team would be promoted from League 2 into League one on the same principle

[andyg]

Then a team would be promoted from League 2 into League one on the same principle

Granted but there is a problem here Crewe are top on 69 points played 37 while Swindon also have 69 points but played only 36. Do they decide by placing or PPG (Swindon would then go up) as a decision will have to be made as null and void does not work here. They can't make one decision for one league and different ones for say L1, NL & the championship.