OPINION: New regime at the EFL but the same old delays

Regular readers of this column over the past few years will know I’ve relaxed my previously critical view of the EFL in recent times.
EFL chairman Rick ParryEFL chairman Rick Parry
EFL chairman Rick Parry

But in light of recent developments, I might need to reconsider my perspective.

During the Oyston saga, the EFL – led by the hapless Shaun Harvey, who has since departed – were the masters of the delaying tactic.

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So much so, it became apparent they were simply holding off from making any decision in the hope supporters would give up campaigning and forget about the whole sorry mess.

I’ve written time and time again about how the EFL derelicted its duties and responsibilities in its inaction against the Oystons in the wake of the 2017 court case.

Not once did they even condemn the club’s former owners, never mind take decisive action against them, despite a High Court judge laying out in no uncertain terms how they had “illegitimately stripped” the football club of funds.

And without going over old ground too much, this is the governing body that deemed Owen Oyston a worthy owner of a football club despite having a conviction for rape as recently as 1996.

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Perhaps then, given this is an organisation that lacks in leadership and struggles to make difficult decisions, it should come as no surprise that the EFL has yet to reach a decision on how the 2019/20 season should be completed.

It had been hoped that a decision would be reached today, with clubs expecting to hold a vote on how the campaign should be concluded.

But the process has been delayed once again, with an agreement not likely to be reached until Monday, June 8 at the earliest.

By the time a vote is eventually held, the chances are they’ll have run out of time for the remaining fixtures to be completed anyway.

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Clubs in the third tier haven’t even returned to training yet.

The irony is not lost on me that the EFL were only too happy to inform Blackpool supporters they couldn’t intervene during the Oyston years as they consider themselves to be a “competition organiser”, and were at pains to explain it wasn’t their job to decide which owners are fit and which owners aren’t.

Now, at a time when the game is in crisis and clubs are at risk of going bust, and it’s incumbent on them to organise their competitions, they’re unable to do it.

The only possible explanation is that the EFL are looking to drag this out as long as possible, claiming to do everything by the book, in the hope of avoiding any legal challenges.

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The EFL will claim it is the clubs causing the hold-up, especially in League One where there appears to be a major divide. There certainly appears to be a lot of bickering going on behind the scenes.

But I don’t see what a delay of an extra week will achieve, it’s not like clubs are going to change their minds all of a sudden.

It’s time for the EFL to put their foot down, take control of the situation, hold the vote and get this saga over and done with.

At least then clubs can plan for the future with a degree of certainty, which is the exact opposite of the current picture.

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How on earth clubs are supposed to make decisions on contracts and plan for next season when they’ve no idea what’s happening with the current campaign, I’ve no idea.

The way in which the EFL has dealt with this mess gives the impression they are trying to appease every club. As I’ve previously argued, that’s just not realistic.

Whatever system you implement to decide league placings, should the season be curtailed, there will inevitably be winners and losers.

Someone will be relegated who might still have had a chance while another side might miss out on promotion when they were right in the mix.

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I feel sorry for clubs in the Championship, who seem intent on carrying on.

Yet the EFL’s dithering will only cause more uncertainty when conviction and clarity is the order of the day.

We should also spare a thought for Ian Evatt and his Barrow side, who continue to wait on a decision from the EFL which will likely decide their fate in the National League.

Yes, weaving a route through this tangled web was always going to be tricky for the EFL.

However, the process is taking far too long and they’re beginning to make a dog’s dinner of it.