The Premier League and EFL will be conducting their own meetings this week which could have ramifications on what does or doesn’t happen to Leeds United.
Simon Jordan has questioned how Leeds – and the rest of the Championship’s top-six – will mount a legal challenge if promotion is blocked to the Premier League, as he told Jim White on talkSPORT (17/03/20 at 10:40 am).
The Times recently claimed that Leeds have held a secret meeting with the Championship’s top-six – West Brom, Fulham, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford – where they spoke about their promotion fate.
It is said that amid the global health pandemic and suggestions of how the rest of this current campaign should or shouldn’t pan out, they are ‘seething’ at the idea of the Premier League potentially voiding their season.
Former Crystal Palace chairman, Jordan, worryingly claimed that if the Premier League decided to void the 19/20 campaign then Leeds, and others, may not be able to mount a legal challenge because no rules have potentially been broken.
On the Championship’s top-six potentially mounting a legal challenge: “On what basis?” Jordan asked on talkSPORT.
On not being surprised at clubs like Leeds, Fulham, Brentford etc.. thinking what if: “Claptrap,” Jordan responded. “On what basis? They are signed up to a set of circumstances. They are bound by collective rules.
“If there is provision within the confines of the rules that they can sue the Premier League they’ll fill their boots. What’s that based upon? The only reason we have seen a situation where clubs have sued one another is Sheffield United suing West Ham because West Ham broke the rules.
“If the Premier League break the rules then they’ll be subject to a potential challenge from other people. But what rules are they breaking currently?
On the ramifications of Leeds not going up (Losing Phillips etc..): “Are huge,” Jordan responded. “There are ramifications for West Brom [also]. There are ramifications for Rotherham, for Coventry, for Swindon and for Crewe. Every club has its ramifications.
“I can understand the mentality will be I can only look at the ramifications for what my club are. But Leeds United aren’t at the table, right at this moment. This is about the PL and what they are going to do [at their Thursday meeting]. And what the EFL will do is react to what the PL does. I don’t think, and I may be proved to be wrong, that the PL will have the hootspa on the 19th of March [and say] ‘game up, we are not playing any more’. I don’t believe they’ll do it.”
No promotion would be a disaster
Finishing off the season is a must, and if it isn’t, then it would be a disaster for a club like Leeds. Last season, they brought Marcelo Bielsa on board and he has transformed the way of thinking at Elland Road from top to bottom.
The Whites may have missed out on promotion last season, but belief has still been growing that they can end their 16-year absence from England’s top-flight during this current halted campaign.
If the controversial decision of voiding the season goes ahead then Leeds’ future will be in tatters. From what they have been building towards during these past few seasons, to star players potentially leaving and to Bielsa’s future.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
