The Accrington owner Andy Holt has been told by the English Football League that he can continue to treat his players to post-match McDonald’s meals but only if he does so when they lose as well. Holt revealed his unusual incentive scheme via Twitter last month, prompting the league to check if the League Two club had declared it in their “bonus schedule” at the start of the season, as required under regulation 61.6.

Not finding a McDonald’s clause in Accrington’s player contracts, the league wrote to the club on 21 March to ask for an explanation. Holt, who posts regularly on Twitter, revealed this move on 1 April in two tweets that explained how “sometimes when we win” he gives captain Sean McConville “£200, less the £21.37 I get back in change, to get the lads McDonald’s or the like”.

He then explained that the players “get their own” if they lose, saying “it’s just how we roll”, and revealed that the league had “demanded an explanation because the McDonald’s is not specified” in their contracts. “You have to wonder what these folk would do with their lives if it wasn’t for my errors of judgement,” he added.

The date of those tweets did lead some to wonder if this was an April Fools’ Day joke but the league responded to Holt’s public statements by confirming its interest in the matter on 2 April. And now, four days later, it has also publicly confirmed that the matter is closed.

In a statement, the league said it had to question Holt’s payment for post-match food because he said it was related to the result. It explained that it would not normally comment on such correspondence with clubs but had to in this case because Holt had made it public and has since confirmed that there are no contractual provisions to support payments of this type.

“However, EFL regulations do not prohibit the provision of subsistence and as long as the club adopts a consistent approach for all matches, and arrangements are not linked to success on the pitch, the club can continue to make appropriate provision,” it said. The EFL statement concluded by reminding the club of its responsibilities to comply with league and HM Revenue and Customs rules.

The Lancashire club are currently three points clear at top of League Two, with two games in hand, after six straight wins.