Scottish League One and Two clubs agree to reduce season to 22 games

Clubs are expected to return to training this week once players have passed initial Covid-19 tests; restart date expected to be March 20; Scottish Government confirmed on Tuesday that football below the Scottish Championship could resume on condition of regular Covid-19 testing

By Charles Paterson, Sky Sports News reporter

Friday 5 March 2021 09:13, UK

Scottish League One and Two clubs have unanimously decided to reduce their seasons from 27 to 22 games and the SPFL board has formally approved the restart later this month.

Most clubs are expected to return to training this week once players have passed initial Covid-19 tests, with the restart of the season expected on March 20.

Both 10-team divisions will be split in half after two rounds of fixtures (18 games), with four more games taking place to decide promotion, relegation, and play-off positions.

In a statement released by all 20 clubs, they say their agreement "allows a competitive end to the season that our fans are keen to see and we want to participate in".

During a series of meetings, the SPFL had initially wanted an 18-game season in order to ease "pressure on the fixture schedule".

A statement from SPFL Leagues One and Two said: "We are now calling on the SPFL to do everything in their power to work with us to overcome the perceived obstacles of a 22 game season, which all have solutions, and hope they will respond accordingly."

The lower divisions have been suspended since early January, but the Scottish Government confirmed on Tuesday that football below the Scottish Championship could resume, on the condition of regular Covid-19 testing taking place.

The SPFL board has since approved the restart of League One and League Two from March 20 but has expressed concerns about how realistic it is for all clubs to complete a 22-match season, including the introduction of a new 'split' in each division.

SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan said: "We are pleased that League One and League Two clubs have come together to propose a way forward for the resumption of their season.

"However, it's our duty to underline that the SPFL board has severe reservations about the practicality of part-time clubs being able to complete a 22-game season, including a 'split', in time to compete in the end of season play-offs.

"In the board's view, an 18-game season would have created far more flexibility but, that said, we respect the right of League One and League Two clubs to determine how many games they will play this season."

Among the options discussed included keeping the current structure of 27 games, a reduction to 22, a reduction to 18, or declaring the season null and void.

The moves will enable both divisions to be completed by the end of May, and preserve the format of the league as well as allowing play-offs for a place in the Scottish Championship to go ahead.

All clubs in League's One and Two have agreed to Covid-19 testing, despite the prohibitive costs involved.

The Scottish Cup is due to restart on Tuesday, March 23, with many League One and League Two clubs still involved in the competition.

League One and Two clubs first got together to create their own proposals for a restart of football in mid-January, after the Scottish FA's suspension due to rising Covid-19 cases across the country.