LEAGUE One clubs will try again this week to reach an agreement on how the season will finish.
While those in the Championship and League Two are broadly in agreement, talks in the third tier on Friday failed to reach a decision.
They will try again, possibly as early as tomorrow.
While Oxford United want to play the remaining games, if safe – which is the stance in the Championship – it is felt more likely the division will end up following League Two’s lead.
That would see the remaining fixtures scrapped and an unweighted points per game formula used, promoting Coventry City and Rotherham United automatically.
Tranmere Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Southend United would be relegated, with the U’s finishing fourth.
Also read: Club-by-club opinion on how the League One season should end
It would set up a play-off semi-final – providing conditions were safe – with Portsmouth, while Wycombe Wanderers faced Fleetwood Town.
Although a weighted points per game measure has been put forward, which would lift United to third, it is believed the league favour the unweighted measure after a consultation.
At this stage the EFL are hoping to stage two-legged matches to decide the finalists, but that could yet be cut to one game.
One of the main reasons League Two opted to finish was the cost of the testing, believed to be £140,000 per club.
For those in the play-offs, where clubs would play a maximum of three games, it is expected to be around £50,000.
They are unlikely to need to pay upfront and there is a belief among clubs the bill could end up being footed by the EFL themselves.
It comes after the U’s were one of six sides named in a statement released on Thursday night.
Darragh MacAnthony, chairman at Peterborough United, announced the group, all placed between third and tenth in the table, were united in their aim to play on.
But if it was meant to be the catalyst for building a consensus heading into Friday’s conference call, it did not work.
Up to nine clubs appear ready to play on, but another eight have an interest in cancelling the remaining games.
A further half dozen are on the fence, but with most of those having little at stake, the financial cost of continuing would seem to put them on the side of those favouring a League Two-style finish.
The other big factor which works against United’s group is time.
With clubs unable to train for at least another week, it is difficult to see how players could be given time to regain fitness and fit the remaining games in by the deadline at the end of July.
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