David Prutton outlines only fair way of settling Leeds United and West Brom's promotion bids if season is scrapped

Leeds have seen their promotion push halted due to the country's battle against coronavirus which has the EFL season suspended and England on lockdown amidst strict social distancing measures until at least May 7.

The pause in play comes with United top of the Championship and holding a seven-point cushion in the division's automatic promotion spots with nine games left.

The Whites are one point ahead of second-placed West Brom who themselves are seven points clear of third-placed Fulham.

The EFL have said their priority is to resume the 2019-20 season as soon as it is possible but with matches only returning at an appropriate point and based on guidance from the relevant authorities.

The EFL intend to play all remaining games within a 56-day time-frame during the summer months on the assumption that those games would be played behind closed doors but the EFL have also stressed that the health and well-being of the nation has to come first.

With the Premier League taking the same viewpoint, debate continues as to how the English divisions could best be brought to a conclusion in the event of remaining fixtures being scrapped.

In Holland, the Dutch FA have already ended their season early by effectively null and voiding results and standings aside from using league positions to determine which sides qualify for Europe.

That move has denied second division leaders SC Cambuur promotion to the Eredivsie despite sitting 11-points clear of third in a division in which two teams normally go up.

In the event of the season not being concluded in England, there have been suggestions that current league placings should stand as they are or that Leeds and West Brom should be promoted into a 22-team Premier Division next term with no relegation from the country's top flight.

French officials also have a decision to make after Prime Minister said on Tuesday that sporting events will not be able to take place before September adding that "the 2019-20 season, notably for football, will not be able to resume."

Prutton, though, believes the only fair way of wrapping up proceedings early would be settling divisions based on points per game so far - a system that would still see Leeds crowned champions of English football's second tier and West Brom runners-up.

United have amassed 1.92 points per game with West Brom on 1.89 and Fulham on 1.73.

Former Leeds midfielder and now Sky Sports presenter Prutton told the YEP: "If they were trying to knit a season together without playing the games, I think the only way you could possibly do it is base it on maths - points per game and projecting where someone is going to finish.

"With Leeds and West Brom, I think that any team that is where they are at this stage of the season after doing what they have done and with regard to how big that gap has been at times merits that.

"To argue with that would be down to being either pedantic or having a vested interest.

"If you were asked to vote on it purely on the numbers of it and you voted against it purely because you just saw Leeds there then that's not in the spirit of how and why they are trying to do it.

"Leeds p*ss people off at times and that's just the very nature of what a big football club does.

"But to pull a season together, I honestly don't know how else you could do it.

"The null and void element of it, I don't think anybody wants to see that.

"Of the options, absolutely with bells on it try and get the season finished within everything that you feel should go without saying but you have got to reiterate it anyway.

"Everyone's health and well being and safety is of absolute paramount importance and comes first and foremost with no jeopardy of playing staff or club staff or safety or security staff or health workers, all that sort of stuff - as long as you can do it that way.

"If not and you have got to add it up to get to an end of a season and maintain the integrity then it must be points per game and then I think null and void is the last resort."

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