Revealed: The EFL discussions that could shape Preston's promotion hopes - and what was said

The EFL Board held their weekly meeting on Wednesday as they look to determine the fate of the 2019/20 season – and ultimately, Preston’s promotion hopes.
Revealed: The EFL discussions that could shape Preston's promotion hopes - and what was saidRevealed: The EFL discussions that could shape Preston's promotion hopes - and what was said
Revealed: The EFL discussions that could shape Preston's promotion hopes - and what was said

And while the league released a brief statement on Wednesday evening following the meeting, national reports have delved deeper into what was discussed at the pivotal meeting.

Here are the key points that were discussed – and how they’ll affect Preston and their Championship rivals:

FINISHING THE 2019/20 SEASON

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According to the BBC, Championship clubs hope to gain government clearance for a 25 May return to regular training, as part of plans to resume the 2019-20 season.

This would avoid a potential legal minefield around promotion and relegation if the campaign ends early but the Premier League plays to a conclusion.

Indeed, the Evening Standard says the EFL plans to play out the remainder of the season at home grounds, which would mean Preston would be allowed to resume their promotion push.

Alex Neil's men are four points of second-placed West Brom with nine rounds of fixtures left to play.

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However, there are fears the critical nature of these one-off showdowns would cause problems on the streets outside stadiums.

THE PLAY-OFFS

The EFL want to stage one-leg play-off semi-finals at neutral venues, according to several reports,

And the Sun claim Championship clubs are looking at possible venues to stage the two semis ahead of a Wembley final to determine the third promotion spot.

FINANCIAL RULES

The Mirror claim that Championship clubs will be given a cap of between £15million and £20million – the exact figure is yet to be decided – which their wage bill must fall under.

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Crucially though, if clubs exceed this figure they will still be able to sign players – but only a maximum wage of £10,000 per week, which is the current Championship average.

In their statement on Wednesday the EFL said: “Current attention is clearly on the immediate next steps, but the long-term impact on the League and its Clubs remains as stark as previously outlined, and solutions are still required to fill the financial hole left by the crisis.

“The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be rectified simply by a return to play behind closed doors.”