The 2019-20 National League season set to be resolved after clubs pass 'ordinary resolution' proposal: Barrow, King's Lynn and Wealdstone champions while play-off hopefuls York City and Havant & Waterlooville have nervous wait
Subject to FA Council approval, the three National League divisions will be finalised using an ‘unweighted points-per-game system’.
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Hide AdThis will see Hartlepool United finish the season in 12th position despite sitting ninth when football was suspended back in March.
Crucially, Barrow have now been crowned champions of the fifth tier while King’s Lynn Town and Wealdstone are winners of the North and South divisions respectively.
Regarding the play-off situation and potential relegations from the fifth tier, a statement read: “The end of season Play-Offs will now proceed with the Clubs that qualify, subject to the competition rules and the applicable government guidance on the phased return of elite sport.
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Hide Ad“The number of Clubs to be relegated from the Vanarama National League will be determined so as to maintain a National Division of 24 Clubs after any relegation from EFL League Two, promotion to EFL League Two and promotion from the National League North and National League South divisions.
“There shall be no relegation from Vanarama National League North and Vanarama National League South.”
National League CEO Michael Tattersall commented: “I congratulate each of our champions Clubs on their successful campaigns.
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Hide Ad“The enforced curtailment of our season does nothing to discredit the quality of the football played and I am pleased that our Clubs have overwhelmingly supported the award of their titles. We can now also look towards the completion of end of season play-Offs.”
The National League clarified that the unweighted points-per-game total was measured using an equation which multiplied a club’s final points total by the number of originally scheduled matches and divided that total by the number of matches completed before the season was suspended back in March.
In Hartlepool’s case, the team ended the campaign with 55 points from 39 games.
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Hide AdThe 55 point total is then multiplied by the 46 originally scheduled matches, giving a total of 2,530 which is then divided by the number of matches completed (39).
Hartlepool’s points tally for the 2019-20 campaign based on this measure is 64.872.