Notts County's promotion hopes are still alive

Last updated : 28 May 2020 By Magpie Mick

Should the league clubs vote in favour, then the play-offs look set to go ahead. With Notts in third place, seven points off Barrow who are in first, they have 8 games remaining.

Earlier this month Neal Ardley told Nottinghamshirelive "I think first and foremost it is really important to say that anything that goes on, as far as any form of football is concerned, to bring all the seasons to a close has to be done if it is safe to do so and can only be done if it safe to do so.

"Sometimes I feel like I am giving my response to a question and people think you're not taking into consideration people's safety.

"If the government's guidelines allow people to go back to work and they say it is OK for people to play football providing certain measures are met, then at that point then yes of course from a fairness point of view you have to look at a play-off scenario and you have to give chances to the teams at the top of National League North and South.

"You have to give them a chance to conclude their season, the same in the National League and obviously then it's not fair just to relegate teams in the bottom of the table.

"You have to find a way to give them chance to find a way to salvage their season or keep themselves up.

"There's no ideal solution to this but if - and it's a big if at the moment - the government say it is safe to do so, then realistically there shouldn't be any reason why, within a three week-period, you can play some form of play-off scenario to bring the season to a conclusion.

"Absolutely 100 per cent it's fair that you should try and come up with a way of concluding the season," he said.

"I don't believe it's fair to null and void the season.

"I saw a comment someone sent to me the other day, suggesting to null-and-void the season but then having a play off between Barrow and Harrogate to see who gets the one spot to go into League Two.

"How can you have a team promoted from a null and void season?

"If it's safe to have the one game, it's safe to have five games.

"The argument doesn't fit and if it's not safe to play any football whatsoever in the next three, four or five months then of course at that point you may have to come to a conclusion that the season cannot be decided one way or the other.

"At that point there's nothing anyone can do, but there's no need to jump into that decision at this precise moment because the second point to this that there is a good chance - as we all know - that football fans won't be going to matches at any point in the distant future, it's more than likely going to be the back end of the year.

"You shouldn't really be looking to start next season in August, because clubs simply could not afford to go three months without a fan at a game in lower levels.

"If that needs to be put back to give clubs a chance then at that point you need to be thinking about taking your time to get this part right."