Port Vale owner left 'shaking' after voting to cancel season - despite narrowly missing out to Cobblers

Port Vale co-owner and chairperson Carol Shanahan says she 'came away shaking' after voting to end the League Two season immediately despite her club sitting just one point behind Northampton in the play-off race.

The EFL confirmed on Friday afternoon that League Two teams 'unanimously indicated' their desire to curtail the season at a conference call involving all 24 clubs, with the final standings to be decided by a points-per-game model.

Should it be ratified by the EFL and FA, the top three will be promoted to League One and there are also plans to hold the play-offs as usual.

Shanahan voted in favour of the proposals despite her side narrowly missing out to the Cobblers in the battle for a top-seven finish.

"It wasn't an easy thing to do. It's the hardest thing I've ever done," Shanahan told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Then I had to do the awful thing of ringing the manager to tell him.

"Port Vale fans could look at it and ask 'why on earth did Carol vote for this that meant we missed out?'. Well, it was for the greater good. I think it was the right thing to do.

"When I went on to the call today I felt I really wanted to finish the season. We're eighth in the table and have every chance of getting into the play-offs. We had everything to play for.

"[But being part of League Two I felt that the unity of League Two and the unity of the club we belong to, the needs of that was more important than the hurt Port Vale would feel.

"It's not been a great afternoon. We felt the hurt and went into a board meeting to plan for next season."

Forest Green owner Dale Vince disputed the notion that there was a 'unanimous' agreement to end the regular season, saying deciding on promotion and relegation in an incomplete campaign would cause 'lots of inequity'.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "How do you call the season now? It's a bit like pass the parcel - the music has stopped.

"Do we just call it according to where we all are in the league? Automatically promote the top three, relegate the bottom clubs and have a play-off, or not have a play-off?

"We think for the integrity of the competition, for the promotion and relegation battles, completing the season is the only proper way to do it."