Thursday Fulham Stuff - 11/06/20...

[WhiteJC]

'Motivation for Fulham', 'Leeds United fans will wince' – Bold promotion claim comes out of Elland Road: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Adam Forshaw has bullishly claimed that he feels Leeds United will romp to promotion in the Sky Bet Championship run-in.

Leeds will have to do so without Forshaw due to the midfielder's season-ending injury, but he's got ultimate faith in his teammates to get the job done.

In a snippet of his catch up with the upcoming 'Leeds That' podcast, Forshaw is quoted as saying: "I'm convinced. I'm not just saying that, or being biased as we're all Leeds. 

"There will be no one as driven as us and I know how we train behind closed doors. 

"I think it is going to be a formality for us. That's my personal view. I think we will romp it."

It's a very confident statement from Forshaw and our writers discuss whether it is a measured statement, or added motivation to third-placed Fulham to catch the Whites...

George Harbey 

It's a confident statement from Adam Forshaw and you can't really blame him given the season he and his teammates have had, although they cannot afford to get ahead of themselves.

Leeds know all too well about promotion heartache, none more so than last year under Marcelo Bielsa and throwing away a golden opportunity to finish in the play-offs under Garry Monk, so Leeds fans are bound to feel that Forshaw is tempting fate in some ways.

Adapting to playing football without any fans in the ground and behind closed doors could be a mental challenge for some of the teams in the Championship, and it will be interesting to see how Leeds cope without 30,000 fans creating such a boisterous atmosphere.

Leeds and West Brom simply need to hit the ground running and get off to a good start, as six points is nothing in the Championship because anyone can beat anyone. It only takes a couple of defeats and a couple of wins for Fulham, and the gap is back to one point or maybe less again.

George Dagless

Leeds United fans will wince!

Given what has gone on at the club in the past, it's probably something that a fair few fans would rather he didn't say, as it could come back to bite them pretty spectacularly.

I don't think they will fall away this time, to be honest, and I admire the confidence of Forshaw – it's something you need at this stage.

However, plenty of footballers will tell you to not put your neck on the line with such comments and Fulham are bound to be eager to reel them and West Brom in, especially with a big game at Elland Road on the horizon.

If Leeds win that game, though, it's as good as over for me.

Jacob Potter 

It's going to be motivation for Fulham.

Leeds have been well-known for throwing away golden opportunities to win promotion into the Premier League, and if they bottle it now, Forshaw will look rather foolish.

Leeds have been brilliant this season, and I'll admit that I can't see them throwing away their seven-point advantage over their promotion rivals.

Bielsa has has team well-drilled enough to hold their nerve in the race for promotion this season though, and the Whites would be more than deserving of winning promotion into the top-flight this term.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/motivation-for-fulham-leeds-united-fans-will-wince-bold-promotion-claim-comes-out-of-elland-road-the-verdict/

[WhiteJC]

FFCtv Streaming Update

Following Monday's announcement regarding the next steps and rebate options for Season Ticket Holders, those who opt for access to live matches as their preferred rebate and are based in the UK, will be able to watch live streams of all nine remaining league matches – both home and away – including those selected for live coverage on Sky Sports.

Season Ticket Holders who choose this option will be issued a voucher code to redeem on FFCtv and provided instructions on how to set up an account and redeem.  Supporters are advised that this access sits outside of any existing FFCtv monthly or season pass subscriptions a Season Ticket Holder may hold and vouchers are for access to the live streams.

Sky Sports will not be resuming their red button service for midweek fixtures, and games which have been selected for live broadcast on Sky Sports will not be available for other fans to purchase – in the UK and overseas – including Season Ticket Holders who have chosen an alternative season ticket rebate.

Match passes for games eligible for live video streaming will be available to supporters in the UK to purchase for £10 and £5 for overseas supporters. At the time of writing, television picks for the EFL Championship's first three restart rounds of fixtures have been chosen, and the first Fulham match pass game available to purchase will be our trip to Loftus Road vs. QPR on Tuesday 30th June, KO 6.30pm.

Overseas supporters with a 19/20 season live video subscription will continue to receive their live access as normal. Live audio commentary will also continue to be available for all supporters with an active subscription.

Billing will resume for all monthly subscriptions from Thursday 11th June, having been suspended since March. All season packages are extended to allow for the completion of the campaign.

Fans are reminded that live matches on FFCtv can only be watched on a desktop or laptop (Windows or Mac), or via the FFCtv app – available on iOS and Android. Mobile browsers – i.e. mobiles/ tablets – are not permitted, in line with EFL broadcast regulations. Please note, that it is your responsibility to ensure you are using compatible technology ahead of purchasing any live subscriptions.

The Club will publish step-by-step guides on fulhamfc.com on how to watch or listen live to matches ahead of each game.

The Club's streaming partner Stream AMG manage customer support for the service – including the onboarding process for Season Ticket Holders due next week and on matchdays. Please report any technical queries or issues to [email protected] who can investigate further.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/june/10/ffctv-streaming-update

[WhiteJC]

We're on the box – Hornets Upset Bees Buzzing For Fulham clash

Cooped up for far too long, the Beesotted crew dared to venture out ... setting up their first ever socially distanced podcast in a Park in West London

Billy Grant, Dave Lane, Martin The Dutchman and Matt The Allard quite literally sat around and shot the breeze discussing all sorts ... The season restart. The choc-a-block TV schedule. Division One and Two finishing their Leagues on a points per place basis. Plus loads more

And all this whilst being attacked by a nest of hornets – allegedly planted by Fulham fans slightly nervous for Saturday week – causing the volume levels to be even more erratic than usual.

Don't forget to vote for Beesotted #BestPodcast in the football content awards
TWITTER – https://ctt.ac/tcT3e
WEBSITE – https://bit.ly/FCAsBees20



https://beesotted.com/were-on-the-box-hornets-upset-bees-buzzing-for-fulham-clash/

[WhiteJC]

Season Ticket Options – Q&A

Earlier today, the Trust board met with Alistair Mackintosh and his team by video conference for our regular monthly meeting. Most, but not all, of the meeting focused on the recently released options for 2019/20 season ticket holders.

Given that time is pressing for decisions to be made, we have produced a Q&A below which summarises answers to a range of questions raised by members and others who have contacted us.

We hope you find this Q&A useful in making your decision. If you aren't yet a member, please do consider joining the Trust.

GENERAL QUESTIONS
How many season ticket holders have responded so far?

At time of meeting, just under 4,500 season ticket holders have made a choice.
What is the take-up so far?

Approximate one third split between streaming, credit and refund.
How many season ticket holders have opened the email from the Club?

Approximately 75%
OPTIONS OVERVIEW AND DEADLINE
What is the rationale for the options provided?

The Club wanted to provide choice, including a refund option for those who required it or who were unhappy with the other options. Some other clubs have not provided so many options.

The Club appreciates all choices made and recognises that different supporters will have different circumstances.
Why is streaming the default option?

A choice had to be made quickly. This reflects EFL policy as of Friday 5th June, following the agreement between EFL and Sky on broadcast arrangements for the end of the season. The Premier League guidance was different.

The Club wants supporters to make an active choice from the four options presented.
Why is there a short deadline (Friday 3pm) for choices to be made?

The key is to identify quickly all those who wish to stream the remaining matches so that technical and support arrangements can be made before the first match, including distributing FFCtv codes to those who require them.

Those Season Ticket Holders who positively sign up for streaming will be prioritised over those who do not answer by Friday 3pm.
Are season ticket holders' seats still reserved for next season, regardless of choice made?

Yes
CONTACTING ALL SUPPORTERS
How will the Club contact those without an email address or those who opted out?

Anyone who didn't make a choice in the first 24 hours will receive a hard copy letter, which is in the post now, regardless of whether they have an email address. Households will be consolidated into one letter where possible.

It is possible that some who made a choice in the first 24 hours will receive a letter – this can be ignored.
What about juniors with no email address?

These will be picked up by the letter on a one per household basis.
THE ONLINE FORM
How can supporters, including juniors, with no email address make a choice?

You don't need an email address to fill out the form, just a client reference code. However please include an email for a parent or legal guardian.
How can supporters who are not online at all make a selection?

The ticket office can help if needed.
Do all members of one household need to make the same choice?

No, everyone can be different. A separate form needs to be completed for each season ticket holder.

When filling in the form for multiple people, refresh the browser each time.
Will supporters receive a confirmation email once they have made their choice?

No. The thank you message at the end of the form confirms completion.
Can I complete the form on behalf of somebody else?

Yes, if you have their permission and their client reference.
DONATION, CREDIT AND REFUND OPTIONS
Why does the Foundation donation option not include FFCtv as a way to increase funds?

It was a decision taken by the Club, which funds the Foundation.
Are the refund, credit and Foundation donation amounts the same?

Yes, they all equate to 4/23 of the season ticket price
STREAMING OPTION
Can concession season tickets be used to select the streaming option?

Yes. Some other clubs are not allowing this but Fulham are.
CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Will there be any refund options for Club members?

Options for Club members will be looked at once the urgency of the season ticket refunds has passed.
FFCtv – ACCOUNTS
Do supporters need an FFCtv account to take the streaming option?

Yes, all supporters wishing to stream will need to set up an FFCtv account if they don't already have one. Guidance of how to create an account and use the service will be provided by the Club.
Is there a guide to signing up for FFCtv?

The Club is producing a step by step guide for those not familiar with FFCtv.
Is there a cost to set up an FFCtv account?

No, not to set up an account. However there is a cost should supporters wish to also subscribe to the range of behind the scenes 'paywall' content provided by a FFCtv monthly or season pass.

Supporters who have an existing annual FFCtv subscription will have the duration extended to cover the re-started season. Those who pay monthly will have their charges – which had been suspended – restarted from 11th June.
How will I get access to the FFCtv match streams?

A code will be sent to all supporters who select the streaming option to cover all nine games.
Is the paywall content included with the season ticket streaming option?

No, the streaming option provides a nine game live match voucher only. The paywall content is provided with a monthly or season pass.
Will 'as live' 90 minute replays still be available?

Yes, but only to those who subscribe to a FFCtv monthly or season pass. It won't come with the season ticket streaming option.
Can all supporters, season ticket holders and non-season ticket holders, buy match passes?

Yes, for a per match cost of £10. However any game selected for Sky TV will NOT be available to FFCtv on a per match basis, only to season ticket holders selecting the streaming option.
Will season ticket holders get priority access to FFCtv over match by match purchasers?

No
The terms and conditions say "the Club reserves the right to substitute the FFCtv voucher code for an alternative of equal or greater value". What does this mean?

This is standard in most terms and conditions to cover an eventuality where FFCtv (in this case) is not available. The only eventuality that might cause FFCtv to not be available might be curtailment of the season due to Covid.
FFCtv – TECHNICAL
What work is being done to ensure FFCtv works well with the higher usage?

StreamAMG (the streaming provider) provide services for several other Championship clubs who sit outside of the EFL's iFollow platform. They are testing continually ready for the season resumption and are scaling up support capacity.
Will there be an FFCtv check session or test event?

This is a big part of the reason for wanting supporters to sign up quickly. Once those selecting the streaming option have set up an FFCtv account and received their nine game match code they will be directed to a test video to make sure everything is functioning normally.
Can AppleTV or Chromecast be used?

No, this is prohibited as part of the deal between EFL and Sky.
Can one FFCtv account be shared by multiple devices?

No, only one device can be logged in to each FFCtv account at one time. This device can change on a match by match basis.
Will any additional sound options be available apart from commentary e.g. artificial crowd noise?

No. This would risk delivery of the service as it requires an additional piece of software. The audio will be the sounds of the players plus commentary.

Note that there is a full set of FFCtv FAQ on the Fulham web site.
BROADCAST RELATED
Does the Club pay a per season ticket holder fee to Sky for FFCtv broadcast rights?

No
Will international or Sky TV picks affect availability of matches for FFCtv?

All UK based season ticket holders selecting the streaming option will be able to watch all nine remaining matches (excluding the play-offs) on FFCtv.

Any game selected for Sky will NOT be available on FFCtv to match by match purchasers but will be available to season ticket holders who selected streaming.

Overseas based season ticket holders who select the streaming option MAY NOT be able to see all nine remaining games if some are selected for international broadcast.
Will the play offs be on FFCtv?

No, they will only be on Sky TV.
Will midweek matches be available on the Sky Red button, as earlier in the season?

No. This service has been suspended.
Will FFCtv be available to shielding supporters when crowds are next allowed in?

This wouldn't be possible according to the current TV deal but if contracts change in the future it may be able to be discussed.
OTHER
Will home match programmes be produced?

Digital match programmes will be available for £2. The Club is consulting with its programme provider over whether printed programmes may be made available via the Club shop.
Will away match programmes be produced?

This will vary by club, but Fulham do not expect to be able to source any copies.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2020/06/season-ticket-options-qa/

[WhiteJC]

EFL Championship 2019/20 – Fulham vs Barnsley – tactical analysis



Back in February, Fulham and Barnsley faced off at Craven Cottage. These two teams are situated at either end of the EFL Championship table, with entirely different expectations and resources. The Cottagers' sole aim is an instant return to the Premier League, demonstrated by their significant financial outlay in the summer. Giving former West Ham man Scott Parker the job permanently may have been seen as a risk but their performances, if inconsistent at times, have seen them reside in the upper echelons of the table.

Barnsley's strategy is very much different. Their association with Billy Beane attracts much interest, as does their recruitment – heavily focusing on younger players whom they hope to develop into sellable, valuable assets. After a poor start to the campaign, Daniel Stendel left the club. Indeed, Barnsley beat Fulham in the reverse fixture at Oakwell on the opening day. Nevertheless, Stendel's departure led to Gerhard Struber arriving from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC, a rather left-field appointment. However, there has not been a drastic turnaround in fortunes with the club sitting bottom currently.

In this tactical analysis, I will conduct analysis to look at the tactics that helped Barnsley surprisingly beat Fulham so convincingly.
Line-ups



Parker had several of his talented, offensive players in his starting 11. Using a standard 4-3-3, the front three consisted of Ivan Cavaleiro, Aleksandar Mitrović, and Anthony Knockaert. The threatening Tom Cairney was also behind them in midfield but was allowed the freedom to contribute to offensive phases of play. Joe Bryan started at left-back while youngster Steven Sessegnon was on the opposite flank at right-back.

Struber's preferred system is the 4-1-2-1-2 diamond. Alex Mowatt is a key component as the pivot, and has stood out in a weak team. Similar to their opponents their attack is where their strength lies. Cauley Woodrow and Conor Chaplin have 14 and 10 goals respectively. Jacob Brown, meanwhile, has eight assists to his name.

Barnsley's Press

Struber's favoured formation lends itself to being an optimal pressing structure. The occupation of several, staggered lines allows for a more compact shape that is harder to bypass successfully. It's seemingly becoming more popular as Marco Rose at Borussia Monchengladbach also uses this specific formation, with success.

In the first half particularly Barnsley pressed intensely, seeking to disrupt the rhythm of Fulham's build-up and prevent them from progressing the ball through the thirds to their offensive dangerman, such as Knockaert. This led to the Tykes' PPDA being 4.7 in this period. An intense press is a hallmark of Struber's tactical philosophy.

Barnsley pressed in a man-orientated way. Their chosen formation and its subsequent pressing structure lines up well against such a 4-3-3 that Fulham play. The two strikers Brown and Chaplin pressed the centre-backs, Woodrow pressed Kevin McDonald, the pivot, and the widest central midfielders went out to press the full-backs. The numerical equality prevalent in the first phase for Fulham meant that the ball was commonly played into the full-backs where there are fewer passing options owing to the reduced space in these wide areas.



The image above portrays this structure. Left-centre-back Tim Ream has received possession, instigating a press off Brown, who has McDonald in his cover shadow. Additionally, because of Brown's positioning, Woodrow is capable of stepping out to pressure the keeper. Ream's body orientation indicates an imminent pass to Bryan, the left-back. This pass into a wide, deep area acts a trigger for Barnsley – below this is visible.



The wide-right central midfielder Luke Thomas then immediately presses Bryan to shut off the diagonal or vertical passing lane. What is also important to note is how Mowatt advances as well, keeping Barnsley's press unified and compact. Otherwise, Joshua Onomah could receive freely in the half-space. Maintaining this shape is of paramount importance as otherwise, their physical exertions will be of little worth.



This next instance, however, demonstrates when Mowatt doesn't push up in time with his teammates. There is the standard pressing quartet consisting of the three main attackers and the outer centre-midfielder who have applied pressure deep. However, as you can see below, Mowatt is delayed in his pressing movement. Therefore, Onamah has increased time to assess his options and retain possession. Consequently, Mowatt gives away a foul due to the increased space Onomah has to operate in.



Fulham build-up

This aforementioned press from the away side interrupted Fulham's attempts to progress the ball cleanly. The numerical inferiority present in midfield caused consistent problems for Fulham. The movements made by Barnsley's widest central-midfielders in particular blocked access to the half-space, and with the Strikers man-marking the central defenders, passing options were minimal. This, therefore, meant that turnovers were frequent.

As I've mentioned, Barnsley's pressing structure is particularly good in the coverage of space. The various lines make it harder to disorganise the shape and create sufficient space. With the Fulham centre-backs being matched up by Chaplin and Brown, play often levitated to the full-backs. Such a sideways pass was a pressing trigger for either Thomas or Mike Bähre to engage.

However, these players have greater distances to cover compared to natural wingers. Furthermore, they need to be aware of their arc to ensure an optimal cover shadow as well as their speed to prevent them from not being able to adjust their body orientation quickly. Thomas' and Bähre's roles saw them vacate space that Cairney and Onomah could subsequently exploit with correctly timed movements.



This image above illustrates this sequence, which occurred many a time and should have been utilised more effectively by the home side to escape the press. In this instance, with left-back Bryan now in possession, Thomas steps out to press and reduce Bryan's time on the ball. Onomah, however, can capitalise on this. Ideally, the left-winger (Cavaleiro) will pin his full-back and the striker (Mitrović) can pin the pivot, thus giving Onomah more space. Having the ball-far winger wide will help stretch the defence laterally and give the possibility of a switch pass to isolate him 1 v 1 vs their respective full-back.



This example above portrays this occurring in the game. Thomas does indeed engage Bryan, therefore vacating the half-space and wide channel. Woodrow as the '10' encounters a decisional problem: both McDonald and Onomah need marking to prevent them being a viable passing option.



Something similar happens here above on the opposite side. Again, Bähre moves out wide to pressure Sessegnon. Nonetheless, with the Knockaert on the right effectively pinning the right-back, Cairney can move across into a wider position and receive off Sessegnon. Below the sequence of events continues. Barnsley's left-back does advance and apply pressure onto Cairney. This emphasises the importance of providing support options, thereby exploiting space released by opposition pressure, especially when the ball-far winger is near the touchline in space.



Another dilemma is whether Mowatt jumps out. This is demonstrated below, whereby the ex-Leeds player has a decisional problem. Onomah has once more participated in the aforementioned build-up pattern, and to inhibit this, Mowatt has pushed up out of his designated area. The passing lane into Mitrović has opened up due to this. But again, you need teammates to either be available for a lay-off pass, or running beyond. A lack of this, and moments of poor technical ability, allowed Barnsley's defence to be their best form of attack.



Fulham's half-space focus in the second half

Considering the sheer quality of their offensive players Fulham's attack was wholly ineffective in the first 45 – they registered just 0.16 xG. This was much improved in the second half, however, with 1.70 xG.

One way they did this was to overload the half-space. This area provides superior angles and can create numerous dilemmas for the opponent. Here below we can see this. Cavaleiro, Mitrović, and Knockaert are all located in the right-half-space, thus overloading Mowatt who cannot cover all passing lanes. Furthermore, Mowatt being a lone pivot means it is easier to progress the ball into these areas, especially when the other central-midfielders should be being pinned by Fulham's own. However, particularly in an attacking sense, it is important to maintain optimum spacing and coverage. Additionally, this would help keep a solid, compact rest defence, thus also keeping a good counter-pressing structure to sustain attacks.



In the 54th minute, Parker made a double change, switching to a 4-2-3-1 in the process. This gives greater central occupation in the final third. Bobby Reid replaced Tom Cairney to play in the '10' role. Reid's presence and effect are visible below. Cavaleiro initially receives off substitute Harry Arter but can then combine with Reid to release into space. Such a movement will inevitably see space emerge somewhere, depending on the opponent's defensive style and actions.



In this final example here, a similar situation again arises. Arter is driving forward, with Reid having positioned himself in a neat – half-space – pocket. Cavaleiro is located more centrally but is also occupying Mowatt, therefore allowing an open passing lane to Reid. Fulham needed to utilise this tactic more in chasing the game as it usually resulted in space being created or a decent attacking chance.



Conclusion

In the context of the league, this was undeniably a hugely surprising result. The xG, however, indicated that despite the Whites' poor first-half performance the scoreline may have been fortunate on Barnsley's behalf. In the end, the xG scoreline was 1.86:1.26 (with a penalty). This may show why there has not been the desired upturn in form since Struber's arrival in November 2019. Nonetheless, with the talent at Parker's disposal, this should have been a routine victory, but the EFL Championship doesn't work like that.



https://totalfootballanalysis.com/match-analysis/efl-championship-201920-fulham-vs-barnsley-tactical-analysis-tactics

[WhiteJC]

Coronavirus testing: Eight positive for virus in Championship and League One

The Championship is set to resume on 20 June, but dates have not yet been confirmed for the League One play-offs

Six people from four Championship clubs have tested positive for Covid-19 in the latest round of results announced by the English Football League.

Tests in League One at the four clubs who will contest the play-offs showed two positive cases, both at Portsmouth.

A statement on the Pompey website said neither player was showing symptoms of the virus.

There were no positive tests at League Two clubs Cheltenham, Exeter, Colchester and Northampton.

Tests were carried out across all divisions from Sunday to Tuesday, and this is the fifth round which Championship clubs have taken part in since last month.

There were 1,192 tests carried out in the second tier, with a further 137 and 135 conducted in League One and League Two respectively.

Championship club Stoke announced on Tuesday evening that manager Michael O'Neill had tested positive.

Portsmouth had five players return positive tests for coronavirus in March but all made full recoveries.

Of the latest positive results, the club said they would "respect medical confidentiality and not name the players concerned or make any further comment on this matter".

The eight individuals who tested positive will now self-isolate in line with EFL guidelines.

The league has announced it will announce the results of future coronavirus tests every Wednesday at 12:00 BST.

The first legs of the League Two play-off semi-finals are set to take place on Thursday, 18 June while the Championship campaign is scheduled to resume on Saturday, 20 June.

Dates for the League One play-offs, which will involve Wycombe, Portsmouth, Oxford United and Fleetwood, have yet to be agreed.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53001669

[WhiteJC]

EFL: Threat of clubs going bust because of coronavirus not gone away - Rick Parry

Former Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry was named as the EFL's new chairman in September 2019

The threat of clubs going bust because of the financial impact of Covid-19 has not gone away, says Football League chairman Rick Parry.

After weeks of argument, Leagues One and Two voted by an "overwhelming majority" to end their seasons in line with EFL guidelines on Tuesday, after a number of alternative proposals and amendments were rejected.

It remains to be seen whether Tranmere and Peterborough, the most vocal opponents of the outcome, decide to pursue a legal fight.

However, for Parry, attention now turns to addressing the "£200m hole" that will exist in the finances of EFL clubs by September, which he outlined in his appearance before the DCMS Select Committee on 5 May.

"[These votes] have no bearing at all on where I said we were because we still have a massive shortfall," Parry told BBC Sport.

"My estimate was based essentially on the loss of matchday income, which still remains the case. There is still no prospect of games taking place in front of crowds in the near future.

"Having spent many hours over the last few days and weeks getting clarity on this season, now we can start to turn our attention to the challenges of next season. But those challenges have not diminished in any way shape or form. There is a major problem still facing us.

"The aim is to make sure all the clubs survive and and we will be working 24 hours a day to make sure they do.

"We can't give guarantees. Who knows whether we have seen the end of this crisis or whether there is going to be a second spike. But our aim, our avowed aim, and we will be giving it our very best shot, is to make sure the EFL comes through this stronger than we are at the moment."

'It wasn't a decision anybody wanted'

The EFL has confirmed two clubs will be promoted directly from League One and three from League Two, with Coventry and Swindon confirmed as respective champions.

Four teams will go into the play-offs from each league, with Wycombe the big winners, going from eighth in League One to third on points-per-game thanks to their match in hand on the teams above them. Peterborough lose their play-off spot as a result.

Three teams, including Tranmere, go down to League Two.

Parry rejected the suggestion Tranmere have been relegated by an arbitrary process.

"They have been undermined by the virus, rather than process," he said.

"It wasn't a decision anybody wanted to take. The board's position throughout has been that we wanted to finish the season. But a whole series of circumstances made that impossible.

"You feel for clubs but it is not as if these were marginal decisions. We had overwhelming votes in terms of the process for curtailing the season and two very strong votes on the part of League Two and League One to actually curtail."

Uncertainty at the foot of League Two

Arguably, the most difficult decision was to confirm the team that finishes bottom of League Two will be relegated into the National League.

As yet, there is no clear idea of if the National League will be able to start the 2020-21 season, given the uncertainty over when spectators will be allowed to watch games again.

The National League is still to decide how it will finish this season, although if it follows the EFL model, Barrow would be promoted, with Barnet moving into a six-team play-off at the expense of Stockport County.

Parry confirmed the EFL would only relegate a club into the National League if there was no "equivalent competition" for that club to play in, suggesting if the gap between respective leagues starting was too great, it would not happen.

However, it is not clear who the bottom club in League Two will eventually be.

Stevenage are currently bottom. However, Macclesfield, who have already had 11 points deducted - with an additional two currently suspended - are facing another EFL charge for late payment of March's salaries. If Macclesfield lost a further three points, they would replace Stevenage at the foot of League Two.

It is understood the EFL case will be heard before the end of the month.

"Macclesfield have been charged," said Parry. "That is a process that will take its course. We are not commenting on when but it will be resolved relatively soon."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52986953