SAFC’s new chief executive, Jim Rodwell, reckons that the 2019/20 season is likely to be completed, albeit behind closed doors. "My first job is to try and work out what will happen with this Covid-19 crisis, are we going to play, behind closed doors, what do the numbers look like. In that regard, I’ve walked into a situation where the club has a plan in place and they're on with it. My priority is to make sure I support Phil and the team so that when we do come back to train, we're the best prepared team in League One for eight games of football and maybe three more [potential play-off games], to try and get promoted. That's what will happen in this period, someone will adjust better than others and come through the pack. We’ve got to try and make sure that's us. If it doesn't, we’ve got to go into League One next season better prepared."
Rodwell added: "My personal opinion is that we’ll finish this season behind closed doors. I do think we will finish and what I’m desperately praying for is that when we start next season, it will be in front of spectators. If those things don’t happen, then solutions could become a little bit more radical to be honest. I’m having conversations with [EFL chairman] Rick Parry, it's a cliche but it is an unprecedented time and we just don't know. We've just to make sure that whatever happens, we have contingency plans in place. People are just trying to prepare for all eventualities. It's just about the 'when'. When can we go back to the Academy, when can we play again, only when those types of things are known can we then look ahead and plan for the following campaign. Until someone gives us that real steer, it's unknown."
