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KELVIN THOMAS SAYS CLUB WILL BE DELIGHTED TO BE IN PLAY OFFS (IF RATIFIED!)

Chairman excited to have a shot at promotion

19 May 2020

Interviews

KELVIN THOMAS SAYS CLUB WILL BE DELIGHTED TO BE IN PLAY OFFS (IF RATIFIED!)

Chairman excited to have a shot at promotion

19 May 2020

Northampton Town Chairman Kelvin Thomas says that, subject to EFL Board ratification, the club are delighted to be involved in the end of season play offs.

Taking part in those play offs will come at a considerable cost to the club, but the Chairman says the chance to try and win promotion to League 1 is the aim.

"The fact that, subject to ratification, we will be in the play offs is fantastic news for us as a club," he said.

"We have started to see a direction and a road ahead and as you saw with the indicative vote last week, the feeling was fairly clear among League 2 clubs.

"It seems like a simple decision but when you look at what is involved, there are a lot of moving parts and it is not as simple as it may seem. At the top of the list is the health and safety concerns and as long as they are met, everyone wants to play. But alongside that there are the financial commitments when football clubs don't have any income. It is easier for a Premier League club to play in these conditions than it is a League 2 club but we can start looking forward and planning and we can start planning for the play offs as long as things are ratified.

"We are, as clubs and as leagues, trying to figure out the best way forward. Port Vale and Bradford City deserve a lot of credit, they voted with the collective group to end the season this way when they both had a shot at making the play offs. It could not have been easy as it is not easy for anyone, no resolution is perfect but it is about finding a way forward as best we can. The financial commitment to finish the season was huge and if you have nothing to play for then that is difficult for a club in League 2 and we all understand that.

"We are waiting for the EFL to ratify the decision of League 2 clubs but we are confident the play offs will go ahead. All 24 clubs voted for this and we are expecting it to happen. The Government and the virus itself will ultimately dictate what happens and when but the indication from the Government at the current time is that this will happen and things are moving in this direction."


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