No Sympathy For Silkmen!

If you can’t solve a problem, pass it on. That has long been the Football League’s modus operandi. Luton Town, Stockport County, Chester City. Like the problem child expelled from school, they have palmed their miscreants off to the next sap in line. In this case, the National League.

- Chris Dunlavy

Now they are at it again, at least if Macclesfield Town defender David Fitzpatrick is to be believed. Town’s longest-serving player said staff and players at Moss Rose were “upset” and “confused” by the “incorrect” way the EFL is calculating points per game to settle the League One and League Two standings.

“It is fair to say that we feel the EFL is trying its best to throw Macclesfield Town out of the league,” he complained.

The issue, in a nutshell, is this. The Silkmen lay 23rd in League Two when the season was curtailed, three points above bottom club Stevenage.

That total included an 11-point deduction for various breaches of regulations, including the repeated late payment of players and a failure to fulfill two fixtures.

After clubs voted to conclude the season using a points-per-game formula at a meeting on Tuesday, Macclesfield was left with 31.08 points, 2.9 more than Stevenage.

However, a further charge for failing to pay March wages on time was due to be heard on Friday. If more points are hacked from their record, Macc may yet find themselves in the solitary relegation spot.

Fitzpatrick’s issue is twofold. Firstly, that the existing 11-point penalty was applied before points-per-game was calculated. As a result, Macclesfield has effectively been docked 13.67 points.