Carlisle United’s campaign could be over after League Two clubs agreed on how to end the 2019-20 season.

The fourth-tier sides gathered by conference call yesterday and it is understood the clubs were in favour of three teams being promoted automatically to League One, completing the play-offs to decide on one more side to go up, and on no teams being relegated to the National League.

A points-per-game format was discussed, with any formal ending of the season requiring a similar agreement being reached by League One - whose talks broke up earlier on Friday without a definitive outcome.

Any decision would then require the ratification of the English Football League and the Football Association.

Blue chief executive Nigel Clibbens spoke of his relief in a statement: “The uncertainty over completing the 2019/20 season has been huge, as I have explained in my previous updates. We are pleased to see a major step forward has been taken.

“League Two was totally united in its opinion, which is very unusual. The safety issues in completing the 19/20 season came into sharp focus, with the guidance on returning to training issued earlier this week.

“Our ability to provide the safe environment required would have been hugely challenging practically, even without considering the costs.

“The costs were very significant, and training sessions would have been highly restricted.

“Issues of safety, practicality, costs and timing have all increasingly made completing 19/20 unviable. We supported the season being curtailed.”

“We will now not be able to play the remaining games of the 2019/20 season. We need to address the consequences for our season ticket holders who will miss out on games they have paid for.

“The same applies for our commercial sponsors. They have supported us and paid for a full season, but they have not received that. This is a further challenge for the club to deal with.

“It will be a difficult task in the current circumstances, but we will give a further update on how we will deal with it as soon as we possibly can.

“We can now start to look ahead firmly to season 20/21, and all the challenges that will bring, starting with the release of the club’s retained and released list later today.”

Teams from other leagues could be set to play behind closed doors going forward but Alistair Woodcock, secretary of Carlisle United Official Supporters Club, believes that is not an option for the Blues.

“That just wouldn’t be viable for Carlisle or the other clubs at that level,” he told the News & Star.

Mr Woodcock added that the atmosphere at the club is one of relief as they can put speculation to bed and make plans for next season.

“Carlisle wasn’t in danger of relegation. It could be different for other clubs who are playing to get promoted.”

Swindon manager Richie Wellens - whose side were second in League Two when the competition was suspended - tweeted: “Even more good news today. Great day.”

League One clubs are expected to meet again on Monday after no definitive outcome was reached at their meeting on Friday morning.

Six third-tier clubs - Fleetwood, Ipswich, Oxford, Peterborough, Portsmouth, and Sunderland - said on Thursday that they were opposed to ending the season now on a points-per-game basis.

Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony tweeted on Thursday evening: “We as a collective are United in our goal to finish this season.

“We have no desire for voiding the season, PPG scenarios/letting a computer decide our footballing fate.

“For our fans/staff and for the integrity of our sport we are all looking forward to completing our pending fixtures/season under guidance from the EFL at a time it is deemed safe to do so. Thank you for your time.”

The teams involved are all in the top half of the League One standings, from Oxford in third to Ipswich in 10th. Teams in the division have between eight and 10 games left to play.

Rochdale chief executive David Bottomley said his club were firmly behind the EFL collective and would abide by the majority decision, but are in favour of ending the season now after the EFL said training could not resume until May 25 at the earliest.

He told the PA news agency on Thursday: “Our view now is that you have to end the season.

“The key date all along for the last five weeks has been May 18. If players could return to training then, there was a chance to conclude the season by the end of July, which is what the EFL wanted to do to avoid the issues of players out of contract.

“The word that has been bandied from the start by (EFL chairman) Rick Parry is integrity of the competition. I think integrity goes out the window on August 1 because all the players are gone.”

Parry told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee last week that for many clubs, playing behind closed doors would actually cost them money, and that finishing the 2019-20 season was overwhelmingly a matter of sporting integrity.