Fleetwood Town boss Andy Pilley: Why we must complete the season on the field

Fleetwood Town chairman Andy Pilley believes the EFL must find a way to complete the 2019/20 season on the field.
Andy Pilley believes the integrity of the game would be damaged if outstanding fixtures were not playedAndy Pilley believes the integrity of the game would be damaged if outstanding fixtures were not played
Andy Pilley believes the integrity of the game would be damaged if outstanding fixtures were not played
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This is where Blackpool and Fleetwood Town will finish in League One - IF 2019/2...

The Town owner believes failure to do so would damage the integrity of the game and would leave clubs open to the consequences of reneging on their deals with sponsors and broadcasters.

Pilley made his comments amid reports that a growing number of League One and Two clubs favour the option of ending the regular season now and using each club's average points per game to determine final league tables.

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The Town supremo, who has discussed the impact of coronavirus on football in a series of social media videos over the past week, told the BBC: "My view is that first and foremost we have to finish the season for the greater good.

"The reason for that is we have signed up to a broadcasting and sponsorship deal and we don't know the consequences if we break that deal.

"Will there be a clawback? Will there be a reconciliation? The prospect of that is quite hideous, not just for the EFL but for the Premier League as well.

"We have to finish for the integrity of the competition also. There are clubs and supporters in promotion chases, like myself.

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"There are clubs, I fully understand, who are midtable and are thinking, 'Why should we finish it?' But the reason is that they have already received the money to compete in this league.

"I'm sure they wouldn't want to give the last 20 per cent back to the Premier League or to Sky if we didn't finish the season.

"I just think we have to find a way, whether it is behind closed doors or not, to get some closure on the season and to know who goes up and who goes down."

In recent days, Pilley has suggested player wage deferrals, a cash-up-front finance deal with broadcasters, a salary cap and regionalised lower leagues as possible short and longer-term ideas to safeguard clubs who have seen their income wiped out.

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But he is clear that emergency cash has to be found to prevent the EFL from losing clubs, be that via a "rescue package" from the Premier League or the PFA or via another source.

Pilley added: "In any business you have to make sure your ins are more than your outs. What we don't want to see is CVAs (company voluntary arrangements) and clubs going to the wall.

"I I fear that if clubs don't have enough cashflow they are going to struggle to borrow. The business interruption loan is only there for profitable businesses and football clubs we know don't return a profit.

"There needs to be a solution sooner rather than later, be that a rescue package or a short-term deferral of wages to balance the books."

Fleetwood would hold on to a top-six place if the final League One table was decided on points per game.