Darragh MacAnthony releases explosive statement as Sunderland and their promotion rivals unite against calls to end campaign

Sunderland are one of a number of League One clubs fighting to ensure the season is not brought to an early conclusion.
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Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has released a statement on twitter in which he says a number of clubs are determined to resume when safe to do so.

Sunderland are one of those clubs.

Interestingly, so are Oxford United, who could be promoted if the campaign was finished and the table settled on what is reportedly the EFL’s preferred method of a weighted points-per-game calculation.

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MacAnthony wrote on twitter: “I have been asked to relay this message on behalf of Oxford United, Fleetwood Town, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Peterborough United to the EFL and the media ahead of our League One meeting tomorrow morning.

“We as a collective are united in our goal to finish this season. We have no desire for voiding the season, PPG scenario’s/letting a computer decide our footballing fate. For our fans/staff & for the integrity of our sport we are all looking forward to completing our pending fixtures/season under guidance from the EFL at a time it is deemed safe to do so. Thank you for your time.”

League One clubs are set to meet on Friday morning to discuss their next steps with a growing sense that both they and League Two will call an early end to the season, though a definitive vote is not expected.

MacAnthony’s intervention came just moments after Rochdale CEO David Bottomley confirmed his club had become the first to propose settling the table on a PPG mechanism.

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony says Sunderland are supporting his calls for the season to resumePeterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony says Sunderland are supporting his calls for the season to resume
Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony says Sunderland are supporting his calls for the season to resume
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Southend United chairman Ron Martin earlier this week repeated his call for the season to be declared null and void.

A number of other clubs have expressed their reservations about the prospect of playing behind closed doors, and the timeframe for completing the season before Rick Parry's July 31st deadline is narrowing.

Clubs were informed earlier this week that they now cannot return to training until May 25th at the earliest. Parry has previously told clubs that he believes a 56-day period will be needed to complete the campaign.

Sunderland have been represented in their dialogue with the EFL and other clubs by new CEO Jim Rodwell, and are strongly in favour of the season resuming.

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Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden earlier this evening released a statement confirming that the government would support a behind-closed-doors return in June, saying that doing so should ‘include widening access for fans to view live coverage’ and that any return should ‘ensure finances from the game's resumption supports the wider football family’.

Following talks with the Premier League, the FA and the EFL, he added: “We all agreed that we will only go ahead if it is safe to do so and the health and welfare of players, coaches and staff comes first," said Dowden.

"It is now up to the football authorities to agree and finalise the detail of their plans, and there is combined goodwill to achieve this for their fans, the football community and the nation as a whole.”