NEWPORT County AFC will ramp up preparations for next season after the 2019/20 League Two campaign was officially ended early.

Clubs indicated to the English Football League in May that they wanted to finish the regular season, which was suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

That was rubber-stamped at a meeting on Tuesday with Swindon confirmed as champions with Crewe and Plymouth also promoted.

Cheltenham, Exeter, Colchester and Northampton will contest the play-offs with the first games on June 18 while there will also be relegation to the National League, meaning a nervous few weeks for Lennie Lawrence.

He left his role with the Exiles as managing consultant, working as a sounding board for boss Michael Flynn, for a similar job at Stevenage.

South Wales Argus:

They currently sit in bottom place but could be saved from the drop after Macclesfield have points deducted.

The Silkmen, who have already had 11 points deducted, received a fresh EFL charge at the start of the month because of late payment of wages.

Macclesfield are three points ahead of Stevenage, who have a game in hand.

"Due to ongoing disciplinary matters, the final placings cannot yet be confirmed," read an EFL statement.

While Stevenage sweat on their Football League status, County can get to work on getting ready for 2020/21 after they finished 14th in the table, climbing above Grimsby courtesy of points per game.

Michael Flynn, his coaches and players have been sidelined since losing at Carlisle on March 10 and were furloughed in April.

South Wales Argus:

Several members of the squad are out of contract this summer – notably influential utility man Scot Bennett, striker Jamille Matt and goalkeeper Nick Townsend – and the Exiles will soon announce those that are staying and their leavers.

"We must emphasise again that, as a supporter-owned, community-based football club, our primary concern throughout this process has been the health and wellbeing of our players, staff and supporters, and the economic impact this pandemic is having on some of them and many others in the wider community of Newport," read a County statement.

"As we stated in our communication on June 4, now there is certainty over the end of the season, the club will be releasing a series of communications it has been working on for several weeks."

The club will give news on season ticket and shirt sponsorship for the curtailed campaign and their plans for next season.

Games look likely to start behind closed doors, with the lack of gate receipts being a key factor in League Two clubs opting to call off the rest of 2019/20.

County will also provide an update on a new kit supplier and sponsor.

Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince said he hopes the new campaign will start in September.