EFL chairman says Peterborough United ran out of time to complete the season and he offers no guarantees for the future of lower division clubs

Parry claimed EFL policy was always to finish the campaign on the pitch, but ultimately the problems caused by the coronavirus proved too challenging.

Parry said: “The EFL Board were not in the position of trying to please everyone because you can’t.

“We tried to stick to our rules in tough circumstances and do the best we could.

“There was bound to be a split in League One because of the nature of what League One is.

“Our policy was always to play it out on the pitch, but we just ran out of road. The virus beat us in the end.

“We reached a stage when we needed clarity. We couldn’t let it drift on any longer.”

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony has expressed his frustration with Parry and the EFL for giving advice which led to Posh not furloughing their players in the belief the season would resume again.

Cost was a major factor in League One clubs wanting to shut up shop, but Parry has failed to guarantee all of his member clubs will survive the crisis.

In League One and Two match day income can represent upwards of 30 per cent of a club’s yearly turnover and next season could well start behind closed doors.

“There is still no prospect of games taking place in front of crowds in the near future,” Parry added.

“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 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.”