Peterborough United chairman to fight on, but it’s looking bleak for Posh after crunch EFL clubs meeting

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony insists the fight goes on to complete the 2019-20 League One season even though declaring it over appeared to move a step closer today (May 15).
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) with the club's director of football Barry Fry.Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) with the club's director of football Barry Fry.
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) with the club's director of football Barry Fry.

MacAnthony represented six promotion-chasing clubs at today’s EFL meeting who all want the current season to be played out to a finish when it is safe to do so.

A lengthy discussion failed to lead to a resolution among League One clubs, but League Two clubs have voted to end their season and use a straight points-per-game average to determine their final placings. Play-offs would still take place.

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MacAnthony, who has threatened to sue the EFL if they voided the season, sounded a little subdued in an interview with talkSPORT this afternoon, but declared: “We’re still in there fighting. Just because League Two have voted one way doesn’t mean we will automatically follow. We will fight to the end. There are still things to debate and there are some mid-table clubs open to backing us. The fat lady is not singing yet.

“There is a good batch of clubs who want to keep playing, but also a good number who want to shut up shop. It’s bizarre. We are all in the football business and now we have a green light to play again, lots of clubs don’t want to play.

“There was an openness at the meeting today which was good and I get the reasoning for clubs who don’t want to play, but the right thing to do is to play on whenever that’s possible.

“They might even use points per game to decide final placings which means we would be screwed out of the play-offs as well. It’s deflating, but I am still fighting and there will be more meetings and discussions taking place.

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“We have lost three of our last 10 games, we have nine matches left and five are at home. We really fancy it with the games we have left. How can it be right that the chance of promotion is just taken away from us? There are so many relevant factors that are ignored by using PPG. Wycombe would move above us under PPG, but their game in hand is at Coventry who have lost three times all season. Who decides they would win that game?

“It’s just wrong on so many fronts. I even suggested if we had play-offs we should go for broke and have an 8-10 team tournament with matches live on Sky to determine who joins the top two in the Championship.”

Posh would finish in the play-off places if a weighted PPG was used as in English rugby union. A weighted PPG takes into account home and away form.