EFL grants James McClean special permission to bypass pitch exit rule

James McClean, captain of Wrexham, has received special permission from the EFL to bypass a rule requiring players to leave the pitch at the nearest touchline. He can now exit via the shortest route to the tunnel. This decision follows incidents where McClean faced abuse from fans, leading to concerns about his safety. The EFL, Wrexham, and PGMOL agreed on this change to help manage his departures from the field. The EFL rule was introduced in the 2019/20 season to reduce time-wasting. However, McClean's situation has prompted this exception due to ongoing harassment he has experienced during matches.