AFC Fylde owner David Haythornthwaite says: Premier League clubs will decide our fate

However, an early resumption of matches appears unlikely, posing the question of how the season will be resolved, with some speculating that final league positions could be based on current tables.

With Fylde currently sitting in the relegation spots in the National League, it is an issue of particular significance for Haythornthwaite. “I don’t think we’ll see any more football until it (the pandemic) is over,” he told The Gazette.

“Everything is going to be driven by the Premier League and whatever they decide will determine what happens everywhere else.

“My prediction is that they will give Liverpool the league and I don’t think even Manchester City would argue with that.

“The Premier League clubs will look to protect its own members and say there’s not going to be any relegation. It’s a known fact that if they had their own way, they wouldn’t have an up-and-down system anyway. I think that will follow all the way down and there will be no promotion or relegation in the other leagues.

“The exception potentially is League One, where Bury went out of business and they’re a club short. So they could play another season one short or let one into the EFL, which would probably be Barrow and that would be very hard to argue against.

“Our league would have to decide whether they wanted a season with 23 sides or let one up, which would have to be a play-off between the leaders of the National North and National South.

That would be slightly more complex behind closed doors.

“I think everyone is in a difficult position but that’s what I believe will happen. I think the Premier League will dictate everything and everyone else will follow suit.”