Leeds United latest - EFL chief Rick Parry expects promotion for Championship trio or 'it would get very messy'

The EFL chief, giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee this morning, says his expectation is that relegation from the top flight will go ahead.

Leeds United led the Championship by a point from West Brom, with Fulham a further six points behind in third, when the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Whites have consistently maintained that the season should be decided on the pitch, when it is safe to do so, but if no more games were to be played would argue that they deserve one of the promotion places.

Parry told the DCMS committee it was 'premature' to say whether Leeds United should be confirmed as title winners if the final nine games of the campaign could not be played, but insisted that the existing arrangement regarding promotion and relegation should stand.

Reports have suggested that a number of Premier League clubs would agree to play their remaining games in neutral venues, if relegation was removed as an option.

"We expect three Championship clubs to be promoted - the Premier League are aware of our position on that," said Parry.

"The Premier League expects three clubs to be relegated.

"The lawyers are going to get wealthy [if relegation from the Premier League was removed].

"There would be a degree of outrage from a number of clubs in our Championship, and it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement.

"The safe answer is that it would get very messy. Our expectation is there would be three clubs promoted from the Championship."

Parry also issued a warning over the dire financial position EFL members will find themselves in by September, with the absence of match-day revenue leading to a '£200m financial hole.'

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani revealed the club would lose £2.5m from the five home games that have not taken place due to the season suspension and Luton Town chief executive Gary Sweet believes the future of clubs 'at every level' of the EFL system are at risk.

Players, staff and senior management at Elland Road have taken a wage deferral for the foreseeable future to help safeguard the employment of hundreds of members of staff.

The EFL chairman was unable to suggest how many member clubs might go out of business but expressed his hope that football can emerge with a more robust business model.

"We would like to emerge stronger and leaner, with a proper reset post-Covid," he said.

"We are heading for a financial hole of £200m by the end of September.

"Clubs are stacking up creditors and there are a great deal of uncertainties."

Parry added that the EFL were happy to co-operate with the PFA, who have appointed financial services experts Deloitte to investigate whether or not clubs genuinely needed to defer player wages.

"We all need to share in the pain," Parry said.

"We are really having an open-book policy, and we are going to show (the players) how deep the pain is. We are absolutely on board with the Deloitte process."