Express & Star

Walsall set for crunch EFL meeting

Walsall are set to meet with EFL chiefs about a return to on-field action and the start of the 2020/21 season.

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The Saddlers have not played since March 7, after football was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2019/20 campaign was curtailed earlier this month and the table decided on a points per game system after it became clear that football could not resume in the fourth tier.

Now, Walsall and their League Two rivals will meet with the EFL tomorrow to discuss a start date for next season.

A mid-September start has been suggested by League Two clubs, with Saddlers chairman Leigh Pomlett revealing the club are operating on a ‘working assumption’ that football could return in the second week of September

It’s understood that tomorrow's conference call will also hold a discussion on whether fans could return to grounds in some capacity in September.

Pomlett has already backed the idea of social distancing within the Banks’s Stadium, with a fraction of the ground’s 11,300 capacity allowed inside.

However, Pomlett also believes Walsall could return to playing action without fans due to their alternative revenue streams.

A start date for the 2020/21 season will be a relief to clubs in League One and League Two, with uncertainly currently surrounding transfers and the government furlough scheme – with clubs unlikely to take their players off furlough until they can begin their pre-season preparations.

Previous EFL board meetings have taken place on Wednesdays and another is expected this week, while the League One meeting is expected for Thursday.