Who has been saying what about League Two's proposal to scrap relegation to National League ?

Last week's meeting of fourth-tier members regarding the conclusion of the 2019/20 season saw teams agree to abandon all remaining fixtures and decide final standings and issues of promotion using a points-per-game method.

They did however also vote in favour of not demoting the side that finishes bottom of the division.

At this stage, Friday's proposal merely represents an expression of preference by League Two clubs, and is subject to ratification by both the Football League (EFL) and Football Association (FA).

It has subsequently been reported by the Daily Mail that League Two could be forced to fulfil its obligation to relegate whoever finishes 24th, but should this not prove to be the case, then it is possible that just one side, rather than two, will be promoted from the National League for 2020/21.

Naturally, Harrogate Town - second in the National League and just four points behind leaders Barrow when competition was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak - have not welcomed the proposal to abandon relegation. They are, however, far from alone in their opposition.

Bradford City and Grimsby Town were among a minority of League Two members to oppose the idea of not demoting the team that finishes bottom of the pile.

Ourselves and Grimsby are united in upholding the integrity of not only League Two but the EFL as a structure," Bantams director of communications Ryan Sparks told the Telegraph & Argus.

"Relegation has to happen. Otherwise the season should be made null and void.

“It’s not a pick and mix shop. If clubs are allowed to cherry-pick what they want, you will set a dangerous precedent.

“Say the Premier League take the same approach. Where’s that going to leave the Championship, League One and the EFL as a whole?”

Grimsby chairman Philip Day echoed Sparks' sentiments.

"I was in the minority who did not agree that there should be no relegation," he said.

“If we expected relegation from the Premier League, the Championship and League One, how could we justify no relegation from League Two?"

Another League Two chairman, Forest Green's Dale Vince, described the proposal not to relegate as "hypocrisy".

He added: "If you’re going to apply a rule that says we’re going to freeze the league where it is, you’ve got to do it top and bottom.

"It’s all kinds of wrong on the National League.”

Paul Doswell, manager of National League South promotion-hopefuls Havant & Waterlooville, believes that allowing League Two to scrap relegation would set a worrying precedent as far as the function of the footballing pyramid is concerned.

“If we are a football pyramid, a true football pyramid, then everyone in essence does the same,” Doswell told the Daily Telegraph.

“The whole pyramid system is under threat. How is it right that League Two don’t want to relegate but are happy to promote? To my mind there are 12 better run clubs in the National League than League Two anyway.

“They [the FA] haven’t shown any leadership. Everyone has gone on self-interest. We can’t have different leagues deciding different things for themselves. It’s the end of the pyramid in many ways. It’s a closed shop.”

The perceived threat to the EFL's sporting integrity - key to their hopes of getting three clubs up from the Championship and into the Premier League this season - is the reason that it is unlikely that League Two’s indicative vote to abandon relegation will ultimately be upheld, according to the Daily Mail.

'The entire EFL will vote on the final decisions and there is little chance they will spare clubs relegation, as it would allow the Premier League to argue they could do the same,' it reported on Sunday.

Stevenage currently occupy last place in League Two, but despite the fact that they have won just three of their 36 league fixtures this term and had lost seven in a row prior to the season's abandonment, chairman Phil Wallace is adamant that his club does not deserve to go down.

"If you are going to change the rules to allow a member club be relegated with 10 games to go - bearing in mind we are three points behind with a game in hand - and deprive them of the opportunity to save its EFL membership, I can't see how that's justified," he said.

"We absolutely believe we could overtake Macclesfield, who have got all sorts of financial troubles. To be denied the opportunity to do that and to lose your EFL status over that would be completely wrong. I think everyone agrees with that."

On the possibility of a National League club missing out on a place in the Football League because League Two don't want to relegate their worst-performing team, Wallace added: "They've not had the opportunity to win their league either, I don't see that claim at all.

"Nobody knows what would have happened in the next 10 games. How do we know?"

Macclesfield's situation complicates matters further. The Cheshire outfit have already been docked 11 points this term for failure to fulfill a fixture and late payment of players' wages and could yet face further sanctions.

Should the Silkmen have more than three additional points deducted further down the line, then that would see them drop beneath Stevenage and hit rock-bottom.

“My view is that first the outstanding disciplinary proceedings against Macclesfield for their fourth failure to pay wages should be concluded," Grimsby's Day added.

"Then and only then could the final position at the foot of the table be determined and the bottom team should be relegated.”

Meanwhile, Barrow manager Ian Evatt has welcomed League Two's decision to abandon 2019/20 as he believes it will lead to his own side being promoted.

"It's a big thing that League Two clubs have voted for promotion and an outcome which can only be good for us. Regardless of Stevenage's situation, they are still one club short," he said.

"We are extremely hopeful, we have known all along that the Bury situation was our trump card.

"If we [the National League] follow the EFL, which is what I understand we've been waiting for, I'm guessing we'll be crowned champions and will hopefully be invited to take Bury's place."