York City have welcomed tonight’s decision by the National League to reinstate the play-offs.
The vote revives City’s hopes of winning promotion.
Under the agreement, Kings Lynn Town are promoted as National League North champions based on a points-per-game calculation, despite City finishing the curtailed season at the top of the table.
Originally the National League had said there would be no play-offs in the North and South leagues – leading to City launching a #Promote2 social media campaign.
Tonight the National League said: “The end of season play-offs will now proceed with the clubs that qualify, subject to the competition rules and the applicable government guidance on the phased return of elite sport.”
City will now seek guidance from the league and government on a number of points including:
- hosting play-offs safely and in line with government guidelines
- testing protocols
- broadcast opportunities, and
- financial support.
Expensive business
City chairman Jason McGill estimates it will cost £120,000 to £150,000 to bring the players off furlough and test them for Covid-19.
Today, the club also raised a query directly with the league, regarding the protection of promotion places, asking that should the play-offs be cancelled for any reason two promotion places are still honoured.
Jason McGill said that the league could and should adopt the English Football League’s new regulations which state that: “If the board determines that it is necessary to cancel a Division’s 2019/20 play-off competition, the board shall determine which one of the four clubs (in this case six Clubs in the NLN and NLS) that would have participated in that play-off competition shall be promoted to the next highest division.”
If play-offs do go ahead it will mean at least one more game is played at Bootham Crescent.