Sunderland's promotion hopes may not be over as Portsmouth chief hits back at talk of ending season

Fixtures in the EFL have been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Sunderland's last game coming at Bristol Rovers on March 10.

And there is growing talk League One and Two could end early, with reports clubs are set to vote with promotion and relegation matters decided using a ‘weighted points-per-game’ formula.

That would see Coventry City, Rotherham and Oxford promoted.

The Pompey CEO has, however, rejected talk the season will soon be over.

Speaking to the News, Catlin said: “It’s news to me, the last I knew this had to go to a vote. We haven’t been given a vote yet.

“At the moment we can’t train, at the moment we can’t play games behind closed doors or let fans in. Until the situation or timescales change it’s very difficult to say what will happen.

“As far as I’m aware, unless there’s meetings taking place behind my back and a lot of other clubs’, there’s no defined date on votes being held or papers going out, not to my knowledge.

“Maybe the board decide that, but I’m pretty sure clubs are not aware of any dates at the moment - or what’s going to be on the papers.

“Clubs are going to need to know what’s on the table before you can vote.

“At this moment in time, in my mind, there is and still continues to be a determination to finish this season, whenever that may be.

“That’s the only early information we’ve been getting - there was a clear desire to finish the season. I’m still hoping that will be the case because that’s the camp we’re in.

“We, along with a number of other clubs I speak to, are still fully intent on exploring every way we can finish this season.

“Our position is to finish this season before we start the next. When it’s safe to restart we want to explore every avenue possible to do so.”

Portsmouth are fourth, two points adrift of a top two spot, with Sunderland seventh having slipped outside the play-off positions.