THE overwhelming majority of EFL clubs still want to finish the season when it is safe to do so, despite the emergence of alternative ideas.

That’s the conclusion from Oxford United’s managing director Niall McWilliams, who sits in on the league’s weekly conference calls with the 70 other clubs.

It is now more than six weeks since coronavirus shut down the competition – and it will be another six weeks until football restarts, in the best case scenario.

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In that vacuum, other suggestions have been put forward.

The latest was an idea to have a mini-league featuring the top eight sides in Leagues One and Two to decide promotion.

Other chairmen, notably at Accrington Stanley and Wycombe Wanderers, have called for the campaign to be scrapped.

But in general, McWilliams has not detected any noticeable shift in the tone across the EFL from a month ago.

He said: “The overwhelming opinion behind those meetings is the majority want to finish the season, as long as it’s safe. It makes sure it finishes with integrity.

“In League One we’ve only had a couple of dissenting voices.

“(Overall) it’s not changed in the last few weeks.”

As United sit third in the League One table, they have more than most on the line.

But McWilliams insists their stance would not be any different if they were at the other end of the table.

He said: “Honestly, hand on my heart if we were third bottom or just outside the relegation zone I would still be saying it needs to be finished.

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“It would cause so many ructions otherwise.

“You can see what’s happening in Scotland, Holland and Belgium where they’ve done it.

“It would cause so many threats of legal battles.”

The shutdown has also seen other ideas come out, in terms of using this situation as a chance to make structural changes.

It included an idea from Fleetwood Town owner Andy Pilley to regionalise Leagues One and Two.

That would mean a return to north and south divisions in the third tier, which existed between 1921 and 1958.

But while it would cut down on travel expenses, they are a relatively small part of a club’s total budget.

It is not an idea United are keen on.

McWilliams said: “Personally I think it would be a backwards step.

“In terms of costs it’s not significant.

“At different times Leeds have been in this division, as have Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn.

“Are we saying we’ll never get to go there to play?

“There’s nothing wrong with the structure and it’s not been mentioned on the EFL calls.

“For us we just want the status quo really and to finish the season.”