Phil Parkinson backs radical proposal to conclude Sunderland's season and explains why it could suit all League One clubs

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Phil Parkinson has backed calls for an extended play-off campaign if the League One season cannot be concluded.

Sunderland are one of six teams who earlier this week went public with their view that the campaign should be played to a conclusion amid growing calls for it be curtailed.

Many other clubs have expressed reservations about the financial cost of playing behind closed doors, as well as funding the large-scale testing programme that would be required to allow a resumption.

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The third tier remains bitterly divided on the issue, with another meeting scheduled for Monday.

Phil Parkinson is backing an extension of the current play-off system to conclude the League One campaignPhil Parkinson is backing an extension of the current play-off system to conclude the League One campaign
Phil Parkinson is backing an extension of the current play-off system to conclude the League One campaign | JPIMedia

On Friday, the EFL outlined their proposals should any campaign be brought to an early conclusion, after League Two clubs signalled that this was their overwhelming preference.

The EFL want to settle the tables on an unweighted points-per-game mechanism, leave relegation and promotion in place, and still conduct a play-off campaign.

They also concluded that in the case of League One, the fierce contest for promotion places meant that there is a need to find ‘innovative and creative’ solutions.

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One such solution is the extension of the play-off campaign, something that has already been backed by Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony.

While it is not clear how many teams that would include (and there have been suggestions it could go as far down the table as Ipswich in 10th) and whether Coventry City and Rotherham United would still go up automatically, Parkinson believes a potentially universally acceptable compromise could be found.

He insists he is entirely sympathetic to those in midtable who do not want to continue.

“Early this week, I thought the likelihood of League One playing on was limited,” Parkinson said.

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“As the week went on, the government guidelines on training came out, and we looked at that and thought it was achievable.

“We accepted that we’d have to come back to training without a start date. But I felt we could come back in a way that was safe for players and staff.

“I was on a call yesterday with the LMA and doctors, about testing etc. [After that] I don’t see any reason why the first stage of resuming training [in groups of five] can’t go ahead.

“League Two obviously voted to end their season, while League One had a meeting with the chief executives and a decision is still to be made.

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“There is a split because everyone is going to vote for what they want for their club.

“I think the fairest thing is, we would like to play the season to a finish, but another solution could be that teams who don’t want to play, and you can understand why teams in mid-table wouldn’t, don’t play.

“But teams who are vying for promotion, can we have an extended play-off scenario?

“League One has been so tight all season.

“You look at teams like ourselves and Wycombe Wanderers, not only do we think we can get in the play-offs, we think we can get it into the top two.

“Anything can happen in the last eight to ten games.

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“I think it would be unfair to write promotion off as it stands, and the same in the relegation zone. I think it’s unfair to say to Tranmere that they’re relegated when they have a game-in-hand.

“If they win that, and it draws quite a few teams back in.

“I can understand why teams want to play, there is a cost to putting games on and the testing.

“Equally, I think there’s a solution which could probably suit everyone.

“Coventry City have been on an exceptional run and have got that lead, but it wasn’t that long ago that Wycombe Wanderers had a big lead at the top,” Parkinson added.

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“We beat Oxford at the Kassam Stadium and at that stage, we were well clear of them.

“Teams through the season have had dips and gone on runs, and there’s nothing to say it can’t swing around again.

“The history of football tells us all that in the last eight to ten games, things can change when the tension and pressure kicks in.

“League One has been very, very tight.

“There’s little between the teams and it’s probably fair to give everyone a crack at getting up, whether it’s by finishing the regulation season or by some other format.”

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Parkinson also believes an extended play-off could serve two further beneficial purposes.

One, it reduces the timescale needed to complete the season.

Secondly, it could provide a way around the major issue of expiring contracts, which many see as one of the biggest hurdles to resuming.

“The ideal solution is all games get played, I have to stress that," he said.

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“But I think there is a solution that could suit everybody.

“The other thing is, there has been a lot of talk about the out-of-contract players.

“If the season does get back up and running and the teams with nothing to play for have a lot of players out of contract, are they going to be fielding strong teams?

“Whereas if it’s a tournament or an extended play-off scenario for the top teams, the players out of contract would you’d imagine want to play.

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“You’d imagine they want to be part of trying to get their team promotion, to showcase themselves as well to earn a contract.

“The integrity of the competition and the actual games themselves could be served better that way.

“There is a cost of testing, and there is no date for when we can resume yet, as the government haven’t set the deadlines for when we can extend the training to include contact,” he added.

“So we don’t how long that will take, and the belief is that it will take 56 days to finish the [full season].

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“If we did a mini-tournament, then the amount of games to be played would be reduced, and the cost of testing would be less and the timescale would mean that even if we were pushed back, we could still get it in [before July 31st].

“That’s got to be part of the decision.”

Parkinson also wants the league to ponder whether in future, it may be worthwhile having an independent panel settle such matters, as self-interest is likely to guide any decision that clubs make.

“One thing I have been thinking about during this period, is that it is ultimately left to the clubs to decide as it stands,” he said.

“With scenarios like we have now in League One, where it is contentious, is it best to say, everyone has had their say and opinion, let’s have an independent panel make the final call?

“There is a case for that, in my view.

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“We will wait and see what is decided on Monday and Tuesday.”

As it stands, Sunderland are preparing for a return to training in line with the government guidelines on May 25th.

That clearly will depend on what decisions are taking at the start of what is sure to be a seismic week.

Parkinson is also firmly of the belief that is there is to be any kind of resumption, teams will need four weeks on the training pitch to be ready for any form of competitive action.

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“There are hurdles that have got to be overcome and the virus will dictate what happens,” he said.

“If there is a spike, we know and understand that football is secondary.

“But If things do progress in a positive way, I do feel there’s a chance we could play.”