Is FA's stance on conclusion of 2019/20 good news for Harrogate Town's promotion hopes?

Currently, the National League is waiting to see how the EFL concludes 2019/20 before making any decision itself.

It is widely anticipated that Leagues One and Two will be abandoned on Friday due to it not being financially viable for their member clubs to play fixtures behind closed doors, so reliant are they on matchday income.

It was reported last month that should this happen, then it would be unlikely that League Two will relegate the team that ends the season in last place, meaning that two clubs will not be promoted from the fifth tier.

It was also stated by the National League that play-offs must be completed ‘following the existing approved format’, yet it also remains to be seen if this will be feasible given the current coronavirus-enforced restrictions in the UK.

With Town’s promotion hopes seemingly resting on two things that both now appear unlikely to happen, the picture was beginning to look fairly bleak from their point of view.

However, a message delivered by Football Association chairman Greg Clarke to Premier League clubs earlier this week will have given Harrogate boss Simon Weaver and his players renewed hope.

The FA has said that it will not sanction 2019/20 being voided, or relegation being scrapped and has advised that the season should be decided on ‘sporting merit’ – which effectively means completing all remaining fixtures or determining final league standings using a points-per-game method.

If clubs are relegated from the Premier League downwards and teams promoted in their place, then it would appear logical to assume that whoever finishes bottom of League Two will be demoted and, therefore, two sides must go up from the National League.

With this in mind, recent comments by the National League’s own chairman should also have been well-received at Wetherby Road.

Michael Tattersall told the Non-League Paper that the National League must move “in co-ordination” with the EFL and also said that he thought the FA would want uniformity in policy throughout the divisions.

“In the pyramid, your boat is tied to another boat. Our boat is tied to the EFL’s boat. The EFL’s boat is tied to the Premier League’s boat,” Tattersall said.

“They do move in co-ordination with one another, hence why we need further information before we commit to a final answer.

“Whatever happens at any level will have to go back to the FA for approval... so you think the FA would expect there to be some level of consistency.”

Town sat second in the table when competition was suspended in mid-March, just four points behind leaders Barrow, whom they still had to play at home in one of their nine remaining league fixtures.

Although the regular National League season was abandoned last month, play-offs have still not yet been ruled out, though the Harrogate Advertiser understands that the majority of member clubs are against them taking place.

If play-offs are not contested, then Town would seem the obvious choice to be promoted alongside Barrow should two clubs be required to go up because their points-per-game record is the best in the division after that of the Cumbrians.