Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton has added his voice to the list of those who want to complete the League One season.
Barton, whose side currently sit fifth in the table, echoed his chairman Andy Pilley, who said that the ‘sporting integrity’ of the season must be upheld. Fleetwood are among six clubs - including Ipswich Town, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Oxford United – who are pushing the case for the season to be completed.
Pilley tweeted: “Sporting integrity is of paramount importance. We cannot accept ppg or any other conclusion without giving it our best shot in a safe environment.”
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And Barton added: “What about the players/people that need their routine, need their training, need their friendships, need their football and football family for mental health reasons?
“We have to get back to normal. Many people need their routines for their mental health.
“Covid-19 isn’t the only health issue here to contend with. If it’s safe we, like many others,have to get back to normality.
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“In my opinion, whether it’s in the next six weeks or six months away, we pick up where it was left.”
League One clubs are due to continue talks tomorrow in a bid to find a consensus about the way forward for the current season.
Barton also said that Premier League stars who have voiced opposition to ‘Project Restart’ - the top tier’s plan to return in June – are trying to avoid relegation.
He said: “Glenn Murray and Troy Deeney are in a relegation scrap. If they don’t want to play, I understand it. Don’t play then. Stay at home.
“There will be a lot of young players at Brighton/Watford, desperate for an opportunity and who will fight to save their respective clubs.
“Competitors don’t want to be given anything. They want to earn it.
“In my opinion, the only players/clubs who don’t want to go back are the ones with either a relegation battle they want to avoid or nothing to play for.”
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