Guardian details EFL 3-game plan B for promotion & play-offs, major boost for Leeds & West Brom
A Guardian report has given a major boost to the hopes of Leeds United winning promotion.
The report claims that if the 19/20 season can’t be completed, the contingency for the Championship is to promote Leeds and West Brom automatically.
The third promotion spot would be decided with a three-game play-off that includes the four teams in the current third-sixth spots in the Championship.
That would mean Forest, Brentford, Fulham and Preston playing one-off matches for the final promotion spot.
The EFL thinks that at the very least it should be able to stage three behind-closed-doors games.
However, this is still contingent on the Premier League getting finished – or at the very least deciding which three teams will get relegated.
We’ve noticed a shift in the narrative over the past week to 10 days, with moves now looking beyond finishing the season on the pitch.
That still seems to be plan A but this report shows that Leeds could get promoted without kicking another ball this season.
If games can’t be played, this contingency plan seems fair.
Bristol City might not think so – they’re currently one point off the play-offs with nine games to go.
However, any solution is unlikely to appease every team unless all nine games are played. This seems to be the fairest way of deciding the third promotion spot, with Leeds and West Brom well clear of the pack.
It now seems very unlikely that Leagues One and Two will finish on the pitch, with some hope remaining for the Championship.
In other Leeds United news, Reliable journalist: EFL likely to end leagues ‘soon’; plan to promote Leeds & West Brom dead