Will Sunderland play behind closed doors? League One bosses at loggerheads over key decision

All professional football is currently suspended until April 30, but that date is likely to be pushed back as the UK bids to turn the tide following the outbreak of coronavirus.

And it as of yet remains unclear when – if at all – the current campaign will be finished, with the EFL and Premier League set to meet later this week to thrash out plans.

A number of non-league and women’s leagues have already been declared null and void, but EFL clubs remain committed to finishing the season.

In a bid to speed-up the completion of fixtures, it had been suggested that fixtures could be played behind closed doors.

It’s a solution backed by Gillingham boss Steve Evans – who feels finishing the campaign is imperative.

“We need to do whatever we can to get the season done,” he said, speaking to Kent Messenger.

“We need to get the season finished, in fairness to everyone who has invested lots of money, not just that, in fairness to every player and for the integrity of the league.

“It might mean closed door games and it might mean two or three games a week but the one things the bodies will want to do is get this done.”

But his views aren’t echoed by Shrewsbury Town chief executive Brian Caldwell, for whom playing behind closed doors is not a safe option.

“Everyone is keen to restart the season if and when it is safe to do so,” he told the Shropshire Star.

“When that happens is up in the air right now, we obviously won’t do any more games until it’s safe to do that.

“With playing behind closed doors, which I know was muted as one of the options, you still have to probably bring around 100 people with the two teams, referees and various personnel.

“You don’t know if one is infected, it could potentially spread through the teams and make things worse.”