Leeds United legend slams 'ridiculous' plans for football season and suggests immediate solution for Whites and West Brom

United's promotion charge has been on hold since the second week of March due to the nation's fight against coronavirus which still has the EFL and Premier League seasons suspended.

The Premier League and EFL have regularly stated their intentions to complete their seasons in full and play all remaining fixtures when it is safe to do.

EFL chairman Rick Parry announced this week that the EFL campaign must be completed by July 31 - when around 1,400 players would be out of contract - and the EFL feel their remaining fixtures could be played in a 56-day time frame in the summer months behind closed doors.

The country remains on lockdown amidst strict social distancing measures but Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to address the nation on Sunday with his coronavirus roadmap and exit plan.

Clarke, though, feels football is being driven to a return by financial reasons and believes the best option would be to end the season now and put football on hold until a vaccine for COVID-19 is found, something that experts say could take a year.

In the meantime, Clarke believes the Championship's top two Leeds and West Brom should be promoted into an expanded Premier League with no sides relegated from the top tier this term to avoid the inevitable legal battles from clubs who otherwise would go down.

"Money has ruined football, absolutely ruined it," Clarke told the YEP.

"But the thing about this virus and I am not on my own here is that until we get a vaccine for it I won't feel safe and that goes for me and my wife and my children too even though they are younger.

"Yet here they are talking about finishing the season which is absolutely ridiculous.

"What they should do is stop the season now and if you are in a promotion place then you go up and Leeds and West Brom deserve to be in next year's Premier League.

"And to stop arguments about teams going down then make it a bigger division such as 22 or 23 teams and just have more teams relegated the following year.

"They are on about the Premier League finishing behind closed doors but it's absolute rubbish as life is more important than football.

"Shanks (Bill Shankly) once said football was more important than life but he was having a bit of a laugh and talk of finishing the season is absolute rubbish.

"Players play in front of crowds and the crowds are there to provide the atmosphere so for me, finish the season now.

"They are on about finishing the season behind closed doors but if they did that can you imagine Liverpool and Leeds fans staying away from their stadiums and staying two metres apart from each other?

"It's not going to happen and it's absolutely scandalous as then you are risking another outbreak.

"The right thing to do is to finish the season and wait until we have a vaccine - like me and my wife have a flu injection every year.

"Until I get a vaccine for this virus I won't feel comfortable going out.

"If it takes a year, let it take a year because life is more important."

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