Hawks ‘encouraged’ by EFL telling League Two clubs they can’t scrap relegation to the National League

Relegation across all three divisions of the EFL is ‘integral’ to the integrity of the competition, the league's board today declared.

The board's position appears to deal a blow to League Two's plans to curtail the 2019-20 season without a team being relegated to the National League, although the framework the board has laid out is still to be voted on by all clubs.

A club should be relegated to the National League, the EFL board states, ‘provided we have assurances that the National League will start season 2020-21 (i.e. the relegated club in League Two has somewhere to play)’.

The framework sets out that ‘the principle of relegation across all three divisions is integral to the integrity of the pyramid, from the Premier League down to the National League’.

As well as setting out the principle on relegation, the EFL board says the play-offs should be played in the event of curtailment - but should not be extended beyond the regular four teams.

It also says that the decision to curtail in each division should require a 51 per cent majority among the clubs concerned, with League One sides in open disagreement about whether to stop or play on.

Had League Two clubs had their wishes to scrap relegation accepted, Hawks’ chances of promotion from the National League South would have been virtually over.

As it now stands, though, there is still a chance if the National League vote in accordance with the EFL with regards to the ‘the principle of relegation’ being ‘integral to the integrity’ of the pyramid.

If the bottom three clubs in the NL are relegated, they could be replaced by the top two in NL South (Wealdstone and Hawks) and NL North (York City and King’s Lynn).

There would still be 24 clubs in the NL top flight as two would go up and only one come down from League Two - there is an extra space in the EFL due to Bury’s withdrawal last September.

‘It’s still up in the air as the EFL clubs have got to vote on it, but it is encouraging news,’ said Hawks director Trevor Brock.

‘It’s good to see.

‘Hopefully things should start moving now, this has gone on long enough. Obviously we want promotion, but we just want to be able to start planning for next season.

‘Clubs at all levels just need to be able to plan to make sure they still have a football club at the end of this.’

Brock wrote to Brian Barwick, chairman of the National League board, earlier this week insisting the league should honour normal protocol of promoting the top two in NL South and North.

EFL chairman Rick Parry said: ‘In the event that a divisional decision is made to curtail the 2019-20 season, the EFL board is recommending that the league adopts the original framework with the amendments as identified.

‘There is a strong desire to remain as faithful as possible to the regulations and ensure there is consistency in the approach adopted across the EFL in all divisions.

‘The board has always acknowledged that a single solution to satisfy all clubs would always be hard to find, but we are at the point now where strong, definitive action is needed for the good of the league and its members.’

League Two clubs indicated last week they were moving towards curtailing the season due to the costs attached to playing behind closed doors and adhering to safety protocols around testing.

Forest Green chairman Dale Vince, who was against the decision to curtail the League Two campaign, said last week it was ‘all kinds of wrong’ to block relegation.

Stevenage currently occupy bottom spot in League Two, but their chairman Phil Wallace said last weekend his club are prepared to play on.

‘We have 10 games to play and are three points behind, with a game in hand. Why should I think it was not possible to get out of it?’ he stated.

‘The League Two clubs cannot decide this. We can only tell the EFL of their indicative position but that is the collective view.’

Blocking relegation would still have allowed for National League leaders Barrow to be promoted, because of Bury's demise last summer.

The news that the top half of the pyramid will more than likely honour promotion and relegation will be met with mixed emotions lower down.

That’s because the FA quickly null and voided steps 3-7 of the non-league game - costing the likes of US Portsmouth (Wessex Division 1), Infinity (Hampshire Premier League Senior Division) and Moneyfields Reserves (HPL Division 1) potential promotion.

All three of those teams were top of their respective tables when the season was halted, and all would have gone up using a points-per-game methodology.

The ‘principle of relegation ... integral to the integrity of the pyramid’ was sadly absent in their cases.

‘One rule for all, not just the big boys!’ USP tweeted shortly after the EFL decision was made public.