League Two clubs vote to curtail season with promotion, relegation and play-offs | League One

League Two clubs have voted to curtail the season because of coronavirus, with promotion and relegation decided according to points per game and play-offs held.

League Two clubs had indicated last month their desire not to continue with league matches and this was confirmed in Tuesday’s vote, in which only Forest Green Rovers voted to carry on.

Crewe, Swindon and Plymouth are promoted automatically and one club will be relegated to the National League. Stevenage are bottom but the situation is complicated by a disciplinary case brought by the league against Macclesfield, who are three points above Stevenage but could have points deducted if found guilty by an independent commission.

The League Two play-offs will be contested by Exeter, Cheltenham, Colchester and Northampton. Those clubs are being tested for Covid-19.

A vote by League One clubs is also being held on Tuesday and the same outcome is expected.

Meanwhile, the shadow sports minister, Alison McGovern, and shadow secretary of state, Jo Stevens, have called for an urgent meeting with the government and EFL. A letter sent to the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, Oliver Dowden, expressed grave concern at the “acute” challenges facing lower-league clubs following the coronavirus. Several clubs are thought to be in extremely precarious financial positions and some at risk of going bust without matchday revenue.

“So much work has been undertaken to try to address the current season, but the challenges in the season to come for EFL clubs will be just as acute,” read the letter sent to Dowden and parliamentary under-secretary Nigel Huddleston on Monday evening. “Unlike the Premier League, many rely on ticket income as their major source of revenue. Many clubs are located in places that have see highly challenging economic environments for the past decade, not just during this Covid-19 outbreak. Their fans may not be wealthy but they are dedicated, and we believe that no one should lose a well-loved club because of a virus outbreak.”