Curle calls for the season to be extended to avoid fixture congestion

Cobblers boss Keith Curle believes the League One season should be extended to avoid teams having to play three times a week.

Town's campaign is currently due to finish at Sunderland on May 8 but playing all 25 remaining league games between now and then looks a tall order, especially given the prospect of more postponed fixtures due to COVID.

The Cobblers play six Tuesday games in the next eight weeks and that could become seven when their fixture with Oxford United, postponed on Saturday, is rearranged. A handful of other teams in League One face an even busier schedule having only played 18 or 19 games so far.

"Being honest, and this is my own individual opinion, I think the season for League One and League Two could be extended, whether that's by two or three weeks," said Curle.

"I don't think there are too many players in League One or League Two who will be on international duty in the summer so that shouldn't be a problem.

"But we have a fit group and if we have to play Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, it will be different but the players train those days anyway and it's only 90 minutes - the players train longer than that."

Asked if he's concerned about the backlog of fixtures, Curle added: "I wouldn't say it was a worry. Being an optimist, I'm hoping that by the end of the season, the supporters will be back in and we'll be able to play those games in front of them."

Town's first game of their busy run comes at Blackpool on Tuesday night. Neil Critchley has led the Seasiders to 14th place after leaving Liverpool U23s to take over last March.

"I think they've gone slightly under the radar but they have a new manager and he's brought his ideas to the club from Liverpool," Curle said. "It'll be an excellent challenge for ourselves.

"He's brought a spark to the club and I'm a big admirer of Gary Madine up front. In my mind the lad can play Championship football all day long and they've got other good players with a manager that's finding out about this division because it's completely different from U23 football."