Peterborough United chief says purgatory will soon be over and his club will be in good enough shape to launch another League One promotion bid

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, right, with director of football Barry Fry. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.

MacAnthony revealed in his latest ‘Hard Truths’ podcast he expects the 2020-2021 season to start on September 12 and he believes his club will be raring to go.

The self-styled club ‘El Presidente’ has been encouraged by 25% of eligible 2019-20 season ticket holders waiving the right to refunds in favour of donating to the Posh Academy and by commercial revenues showing a 20% increase on this time last year despite handing money back to shortchanged sponsors.

MacAnthony is excited about his 10 young players who return to training tomorrow (July 6) for extra tutelage from first-team manager Darren Ferguson. All those involved in the plan tested negative for coronavirus yesterday.

And Posh will unveil their 2020-2021 home strip this evening (Sunday, 8.30pm).

It’s all persuaded MacAnthony to look forward rather than back although he did send a strongly-worded e-mail to EFL chairman Rick Parry a couple of weeks ago registering his frustration at how the 2019-20 season was allowed to end and asking for details on how lower division clubs will be helped in their bid for survival.

MacAnthony said: “I did email Rick about the injustice of the League One vote, but I also asked him what the EFL were doing about securing the safety of clubs next season.

“That means a deal with the PFA on reducing players’ wages which has to happen. Thousands (of players) will be unemployed this summer and I have suggested all players take a 20% paycut with an extra year on their contracts as compensation. Everyone has to feel the pain if clubs are to survive. I don’t want to see any more ‘Wigans.’

“I also want the EFl to find cheaper testing for coronavirus. The £120 per test I’m paying is too much, We should be able to do it for £30-£40. It’s costing me £7k a week to test the players and staff who are involved in the training that starts tomorrow and that’s too much.

“And I want a bailout package for clubs who are now facing a backlog of bills for PAYE and VAT which will need paying soon.

“Rick has replied, but his comments will remain private. It’s been a frustrating time with not being able to train, to play or to sign players, but I am past apportioning blame. I want to look forward and we are planning to play and to succeed rather than planning to hibernate and fail. We want to do everything we can to achieve promotion next season and I believe we will be in good shape.

“There are a couple of horrible months ahead financially, but the support the club has received from season ticket holders and the work of the skeleton crew behind the scenes has been outstanding.

“We will emerge from purgatory soon and we have plenty to look forward to. I’m delighted Cobblers have won promotion to our division as that gives us a cash boost as well as a healthy local rivalry and I’m hoping Portsmouth win the League One play-offs as they backed our stance in wanting to play the season out and we have a six-figure fee coming our way if they do go up because of the Christian Burgess transfer.

“I’m excited for our younger players getting extra one-on-one coaching from the gaffer. They can be lost a bit in groups of 25, so we should see them progress and benefit from extra attention.

“The plans for the new stadium are still getting our attention and we launch the new home strip on Sunday evening so there is plenty to look forward to.”

MacAnthony also said a complete Posh retained list will be revealed early this week.

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/peterborough-uniteds-fergie-fledglings-return-training-club-start-preparations-2020-21-season-2898104