THE prospect of the current football season being scrapped without reaching a conclusion has increased ahead of Thursday’s emergency Premier League board meeting.

Premier League executives will meet this week to discuss the league’s suspension in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, and discuss possible options if matches are unable to resume on the weekend of April 4 as currently scheduled.

UEFA meets tomorrow to discuss Euro 2020, with most observers expecting the tournament to be put back 12 months until the summer of 2021. That would potentially enable domestic leagues to be completed in June or July, but with medical experts predicting the coronavirus outbreak might not peak in the United Kingdom until the middle of summer, there is no guarantee football would be able to resume in time to complete the current season before a new one is due to begin.

West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady sparked a furious reaction on Saturday morning when she suggested the current campaign should be scrapped without Liverpool being crowned champions, but it is understood Thursday’s meeting will discuss the possibility of not being able to complete all remaining fixtures.

One possible solution would be to award Liverpool the title and scrap relegation, with Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion being promoted from the Championship to create a 22-team top-flight next season. Teams in the promotion places in Leagues One and Two would be promoted with no one going down, and there would be no relegation from the Football League into the National League. However, all governing bodies would have to agree to such a move.

The National League has convened a special meeting today at which it is expected to fall in line with the Premier League and EFL and ban all matches. Hartlepool, Darlington and Spennymoor Town were all involved in non-league games at the weekend.

Meanwhile, Durham CC have cut short their pre-season training camp in Zimbabwe in order to return to the UK.

No members of the playing or coaching staff have displayed any COVID-19 symptoms, but director of cricket Marcus North said: “Due to the potential travel disruption and uncertainty around the ongoing situation, it is in the best interest of everyone to bring the travelling party back to the UK at this time.”