The glut of England withdrawls led by stars such as Jack Grealish and Declan Rice has sparked a chain of events which has left Exeter City seething.
They are among the League One clubs increasingly concerned about fixture postponements during international breaks with some bemoaning the cost of lost revenue and inconvenience for fans while others are demanding the right to call off games after the EFL deadline.
Exeter issued a strong statement after Kamari Doyle was summoned from the standby list by England U20s for games against Germany and Poland after all the withdrawls and promotions through the ranks, which leaves them without three key players against Lincoln City.
Clubs with three or more players on international duty can request a postponement according to the EFL rules but not after 5pm on the Sunday before an international week and Doyle, a 19-year-old midfielder on loan from Brighton, was not called up until Monday, after the deadline.
Exeter boss Gary Caldwell will be without Doyle, forward Josh Macgennis of Northern Ireland and winger Ilmari Niskanen of Finland against Lincoln on Saturday.
Lee Carsley saw eight players drop out of his England squad for the international break
The glut of England withdrawls led by stars has sparked a chain of events which has left Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell seething
Caldwell said: ‘As the leading supporter-owned club in England, we are used to facing the continual financial challenge of competing against much bigger clubs in League One and decisions like this only highlight the constant challenges that smaller clubs like ours face at this level.
‘We will continually meet this challenge through our determined squad, our phenomenal academy success and our amazing fans. It is hard enough to compete against these odds without being penalised by rules that no longer seem fit for purpose in the current financial climate of League One, and call into question the sporting integrity of the league overall.’
Caldwell, a former Scotland international, believes the EFL should consider postponing all League One fixtures during each international week or at least correlating the deadline for postponements with a deadline for call-ups.
The EFL recognise the challenge with an increasing number of international call-ups from clubs in League One.
The Sunday deadline is imposed to stop late postponements costing supporters. Charlton called off their home game against Peterborough on Saturday just before the deadline, with only six days to spare to the anger of some Posh fans.
Charlton are without three players, including 20-year-old Jamaica international Kaheim Dixon who has only ever played one minute of league football for them.
The situation is further complicated by those League One clubs who are disappointed to miss out on the financial boost that comes with Saturday afternoon fixtures.
Leyton Orient, whose game against Mansfield Town on Saturday has been called off, have now been deprived of three Saturday afternoon home games this season – the others were against Peterborough and Huddersfield – due to international call-ups.
The games are rescheduled for midweek evenings and Orient estimate that a midweek game will earn them about £70,000 less from tickets and match-day sales then one on Saturday afternoon.
The three postponements has cost an estimated £210,000 but there is also the knock-on effect because some fans, especially those who bring children and might not attend midweek evening games, have told the club they are considering not renewing season tickets because of the absence of Saturday league fixtures.
Orient say they are aware of the discontent among fans and have spoken to the EFL in the hope something can change.
