Yorkshire's EFL clubs told of 56-day plan to complete season behind closed doors

The plan would allow for a full programme of play-offs, but is based on an assumption that matches will resume behind closed doors.

All planning is dependent on the Government response to the coronavirus pandemic. At present, players are not allowed to train as groups as part of the wider measures on society, and although it is due to be reviewed next week, as yet there is no date for it to be lifted, or any expectation that it will be so soon.

The plan affects Championship sides Barnsley, Huddersfield Town, Hull City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday, League One Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United, and League Two Bradford City.

The EFL wrote to its 71 clubs on Thursday, saying: "Whenever the decision is taken that is safe to resume, we currently estimate that the League will require approximately 56 days to complete the outstanding matches in the season (including play-offs)," the EFL wrote to its members.

"We are committed to ensuring that clubs are provided an appropriate notice period to ensure you are able to prepare operationally given the scale and impact of the postponements in place."

The League has maintained throughout it wants to complete the season if at all possible, and it reiterated it is “still remain hopeful of a conclusion in the summer months.”

Some league clubs, such as Doncaster, have furloughed players, meaning they are technically not supposed to be working at all. They are on leave, with the Government paying 80 per cent of their salaries and in Rovers' case, the club volunteering to top them up.

Leeds and Rotherham are in the automatic promotion places in their respective divisions, and abandoning the season and declaring it null and void would deny them promotion. It would spare Barnsley relegation, but even so, Gerhard Struber and Alex Mowatt have both told The Yorkshire Post they want the campaign to be completed for the sake of sporting integrity.

Doncaster and Bradford still have hopes of making the play-offs, and will be pleased to hear these have not yet been abandoned.

"The EFL board is currently working on the basis that the end-of-season play-offs will take place across all three divisions as normal with two-legged semi-finals and a final, although no decision has been taken on the likely venue as it will depend on the circumstances at play at the time,” said the letter.

"It is our working assumption at this stage that matches will be played behind closed doors when we eventually return and as part of our contingency planning we are absolutely mindful of the need to try and mitigate the cost of this to clubs as best we can."

Huddersfield, Hull and Middlesbrough would be involved in a relegation battle if and when the season resumes.

Such are the financial pressures on its clubs, there is always the possibility that when football resumes, some may have folded, adding another layer of confusion to the plans.

Most clubs have around nine matches still to play, but Doncaster still have 12 fixtures outstanding – plus, they will hope, three play-off games.

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