MOT View: SPFL vote to end 19/20 season is second-best solution for Leeds
Talk about how the 19/20 Championship season is going to finish is still ongoing, with no re-start date and Leeds United on top of the pile.
However, there was a communication from the EFL chairman Rick Parry on Thursday that hinted at a May 16 return date for clubs to start training.
The letter also unveiled a 56-day plan to finish the season in 56 days.
That would be the dream solution for Leeds, even if it is behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, there has been movement elsewhere in Europe with Bundesliga clubs back in training and looking to kick off the season again in early May behind closed doors.
La Liga is also gearing up for a May or June resumption.
There’s a more radical solution getting discussed closer to home.
In Scotland, clubs at Championship level and below are going to vote this week on ending the season and deciding the leagues on a points-per-game basis.
The BBC claims that would see Dundee United promoted to the Premiership. Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers would also come up from their leagues, while Partick Thistle and Stranraer would be relegated.
A decision on the Premiership is not going to be taken until after the UEFA meeting on April 23 but the BBC claims the same vote could take place if fixtures can’t be finished.
Deciding the English Championship on a points-per-game basis would see Leeds and West Brom promoted, but Fulham would miss out if the play-offs were scrapped.
The Scottish vote requires nine Premiership clubs, eight Championship clubs and 15 from Leagues One and Two to pass.
And a vote that’s agreed on ahead of time could see the threat of legal action fade.
The Scottish vote will have no direct effect on the English game but it brings the radical solution closer to home. And it would represent the second-best solution for Leeds who have already done enough to deserve promotion.
The will in England is still to play games and the Bundesliga and La Liga have shown a path for that to happen. That’s still the preferred route for Leeds.
However, so much is still up in the air and if things go wrong in Germany or Spain, or the Coronavirus outbreak gets worse, more radical solutions like the Scottish vote may have to be considered.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Bang on’ – Darren Gough delivers verdict as major statement on Leeds 19/20 season drops