The EFL has today announced an extension to the Coronavirus suspension of fixtures and revealed that the Football Association has changed its rules in order to extend the current season ‘indefinitely’.
Last week, all football was postponed until at least April 3, and yesterday the EFL resolved to ensure the current season is completed, while announcing a £50million support package for its 71 member clubs, including Luton Town.
But the spread of the disease – which will also see schools closed from tomorrow and has already seen people advised to self isolate and work from home, while avoiding pubs, clubs and theatres – now means that football will not resume until April 30, at the earliest.
For now, that means Luton Town will not return to action until the Saturday May 2 visit to Kenilworth Road of Blackburn Rovers, which was scheduled to be the final game of the Championship season.
Fixtures against Leeds United (A), Reading (H), Barnsley (H), Huddersfield (A), QPR (H) and Hull City (A) – plus the Preston North End (H) and Swansea City (A) games that have already been missed – will now all have to be rescheduled. At this stage, that will see the Hatters playing into the summer months, providing it’s safe to do so in relation to the Coronavirus outbreak.
However, current FA Rules and Regulations state that, ‘the season shall terminate not later than the 1 June’ and ‘each competition shall, within the limit laid down by The FA, determine the length of its own playing season’.
But a statement released today by the EFL, The FA, Premier League, the women’s professional game, the PFA and the LMA, says: ‘The FA’s Board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019/20 season in relation to Professional Football. Additionally, we have collectively agreed that the professional game in Engalnd will be further postponed until no earlier than 30 April.’
