FC Halifax Town: “We all should be given the opportunity to finish the season” says Town boss Wild

The National League has written to clubs asking for their views on whether it would be feasible to play the play-offs.

It has been reported that the games would take place behind closed doors when safe to do so.

Teams have until Friday to respond with their opinions and the National League board will have the final decision. It is set to meet again early next week.

According to reports, the Football League is still working on the basis of two teams being promoted into League Two.

However, it emerged last Friday that if the EFL does not finish its season, then Stevenage are likely to avoid relegation, with only one team coming up from the National League.

Wild said: “We have to submit a proposal this week for how we feel we can end the season.

“We have to vote on whether we want play-offs or not and then we have to send a proposal of how we feel that should be played out.

“The vote for play-offs or no play-offs is for the clubs, and then if there are play-offs, it needs to be decided when and how.

“I think there’s two possibilities. One is that Barrow go up, one team come down, but there is a motion from the top seven to get a conclusion to the season.

“For me, I’d get us all down to St George’s Park and thrash it out over two weekends, that’s the easiest way.

“If there’s no fans going to be there we don’t need the stadiums.”

Wild has called on the rest of the league to preserve the integrity of the competition by backing the play-offs going ahead.

“I think you’ve got to do the honest thing,” he said. “Alright, the season might not have gone their way but it’s gone other peoples’ ways.

“Certainly if we were in that position, the one thing we wouldn’t do is deny people the opportunity to finish off excellent seasons they’ve had.

“For the integrity of the game and the spirit of football, we all should be given the opportunity to finish the season because we’ve worked so hard to get into this position.”

When asked how he would feel if the play-offs were cancelled, Wild said: “I’d be very disappointed. Very, very disappointed.

“Like I’ve said on numerous occasions, the two biggest jumps in football are National League to League Two and Championship to Premier League, and to be denied that opportunity, well, clubs, owners and fans have fought all their lives for that.

“Look at Harrogate Town, they’ve never been in the Football League, their opportunity could come, so could our opportunity to get back into the league after all these years.

“To be denied the opportunity to even play for that, having had such a good season, I think would be very disappointing.”

Wild believes a points-per-game ratio should be used to decide who would feature in the play-offs, and doesn’t expect them to be played until June if they go ahead.

Wild also said he will discuss the issue of players’ contracts with his squad this week, with deals due to expire before any potential return to action.

When asked about the possibility of bringing any new players into the club before any play-off games, Wild said: “I think it’ll depend on time-frames of when the play-offs are played.”