Jim Rodwell's detailed view on why League One must resume and how the key hurdles can be overcome

Sunderland were one of six third-tier clubs to go public with their desire to play on last week, amid mounting calls for the season to be curtailed.

A number of clubs, which Portsmouth CEO Mark Catlin believes to be a narrow majority, have expressed reservations about the financial implications of resuming.

Central to their concerns are the costs of a comprehensive testing programme, as well as the money lost by playing behind closed doors and the burden of taking players and staff off the government’s furlough scheme.

Rodwell says he understands club’s financial concerns but believes that the resumption of football elsewhere means it is imperative League One attempts to return.

“We can do this,” Rodwell said.

“The Government says we can do this.

“We have a very detailed 47-page protocol and we know we can deliver it, we know we can deliver testing, we know we can deliver a safe environment for our players, we know we can provide streaming.

“Let’s play football.

“Look at the profile of the Bundesliga last weekend.

“I just think we are absolutely missing a trick in League One if we don’t play on.

“The Premier League are going to play, the Championship are going to play. It’s alright saying their income is far greater, but their outgoings are far greater, too.

“The Championship is the least profitable league in the world, by common consensus, so if they can play, why can’t we?”

Rodwell has urged the EFL to make the ‘right decision’, rather than rushing to a conclusion.

Sunderland’s CEO believes the governing body must make clear to clubs the costs of resuming or otherwise, and admits there are hurdles are to overcome.

On the costs of testing, he has already urged the PFA to intervene.

Financial support from the Premier League would also be ‘welcomed with open arms’.

He also says that clubs would have to be given a return date (in terms of competitive matches but firstly, full-contract training) in order to take players and staff off furlough.

“In League One, where the majority of players are furloughed, we would need to know the start date for the season,” Rodwell said.

“The Premier League have taken their players back to train without that because they're not furloughed and the figures are immaterial to them really.

“In League One, we would have to know what the start date is and work backwards from that.

“I think we would have to do that to then take players off furlough.

“The interesting thing is, if you've got the ability to get your business going again, and as a club you make a conscious decision that you don't want go back to your industry, it's interesting then what happens to the furlough.

“We're saying as Sunderland, we want to go back and so we have to take players off furlough if we want to reopen our industry.

“If other clubs are saying they don't want to start up again, it raises an interesting question.”

Another major hurdle to the conclusion of the campaign is the widespread expiration of player contracts on June 30th.

Rodwell concedes it is an issue, but believes the damage to the integrity of the competition would not be as great as curtailing it part of the way through.

“The EFL's stated position is they would like to finish by July 31st [due to expiring contracts],” Rodwell said.

“I have a slightly different view, if it went beyond that I don't think it would be the end of the world but that date does make sense in terms of the severance position of the players out of contract on June 30th.

“The players would always have a choice whether or not they want to play in July.

“I'd have thought they would, but they may not and it's entirely up to them.

“In the worst-case scenario that they don't, we have other players in contract.

“It is important, but my view is that it's more important to play the season out with whatever teams we can in terms of integrity, than not playing.

“There are things to address, we have important players that we would like to play the rest of the season who are out of contract.

“Everything can be negotiated.

“Worst-case scenario is a player decided he doesn't want to play, for whatever legitimate reason, and that's no problem, then you have to play someone else.

“I get that this is part of the integrity argument, that clubs could finish the season with weakened teams, but I think it is scales of integrity.

“I still think that situation has more integrity than finishing the league in a zoom call.”

The divide in League One led the EFL to invite clubs to offer compromise solutions.

One such idea, backed by Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson, is an extension of the play-off campaign to settle promotion issues.

Rodwell says Sunderland would ‘seriously consider’ such a proposal, but insists the best solution is to fulfil the fixture list.

“If that was a sensible compromise position that was fair to the vast majority, then I think that is something we would seriously consider,” he said.

“But it depends how many teams you drag into it, what would you do at the bottom of the table and who gets involved in that.

“There is only one way of avoiding absolute anarchy, in my opinion, and that is to play the season out.

“The thing I do find unacceptable is if clubs don’t want to come back because of a level of apathy and because they find it all too difficult.

“I do understand and have sympathy with clubs’ financial concerns – I still don’t think it stacks up in terms of the issues created by not playing, but I do at least see where they are coming from.”