There is no doubt that home advantage can be a deciding factor in games in the Championship and indeed in any division. This is the reason why the Premier League rebuffed ideas of all games being played at neutral venues despite some clubs putting this forward as a possible idea.
As reported by The Times, Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion could face a radical change in their games following an update from the EFL.
Both sides currently occupy for the top two spots in the Championship and are well on course for promotion to the Premier League and due to their ‘elite’ status in the division, there are reports that they could be forced to play their remaining games at neutral venues.
Leeds and West Brom have maintained the stance that they want to win promotion to the Premier League on the pitch and are fully committed to doing so but this latest update has understandably left supporters of both sides furious.
There is set to be a vote in the very near future as to whether the current season will even be resumed at all or if it should be curtailed.
The report regarding neutral venues for the top two indicates their concerns over fans congregating outside the stadiums which would be in breach of social distancing guidelines.
There will of course be a huge demand to be in the vicinity of the games with promotion on the horizon and due to this, games involving West Brom and Leeds could be moved across the country in order to avoid such a scenario.
DISADVANTAGE
This would take away their home advantage whilst other teams in the division would maintain theirs which seems highly unfair on both sides.
On social media there appeared to be a huge backlash when the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa were enquiring about the possibility of playing all of the games behind closed doors with many thinking this took away advantage for all clubs.
However, in this case, Leeds and West Brom would find themselves with the disadvantage and promotion could be on the line if this kind of decision was made.
