[Football] Premier League / Football League attempts to finish the season

[dsr-burnley]

‘Only’ 108 have DIED.

You (along with the rest of the world) have no idea what all the long-term effects of this new virus might be. Significantly reduced lung capacity is reported to be one of them, in some cases. Why should the players be expected to risk their futures unnecessarily, purely on the grounds that they will ‘almost certainly not die’?

It is ****ing ridiculous

It's a fair argument that football (or all professional sport) should be stopped until there is a cure for coronavirus, and if that's what the players want, then that's what they will get. As long as they are aware they won't get paid. But it is absoultely guaranteed that if they can't start now because even a tiny risk of coronavirus is unsafe, then there will be no 20-21 season either, and probably no 21-22 because any vaccine won't be proven effective by then.

It's up to the players really, Do they want to give up football for the duration and live off savings? The ones who don't have savings, do they want to get another job which carries less risk of coronavirus? The one thing that is certain is, if they don't play next season, they don't get paid.

 

[swindonseagull]

Spitting, swapping shirts after matches, sharing water bottles & even team celebrations are expected to be banned in new Premier League protocols.
Its becoming more and more of a joke if this is true..

[tweet]1258110284188856325[/tweet]


And why use a picture of dirty leeds??

https://twitter.com/FootyAccums/status/1258110284188856325

 

[blue-shifted]

Spitting, swapping shirts after matches, sharing water bottles & even team celebrations are expected to be banned in new Premier League protocols.
Its becoming more and more of a joke if this is true..

[tweet]1258110284188856325[/tweet]


And why use a picture of dirty leeds??

https://twitter.com/FootyAccums/status/1258110284188856325

Did you expect football to come back in the exact same way it existed before?

I reckon you might be waiting a while to watch any if so

 

[swindonseagull]

Did you expect football to come back in the exact same way it existed before?

I reckon you might be waiting a while to watch any if so

Not At all ......but all the proposed rule changes/venues/testing is making it more of a joke than competitive football.....No team celebrations? No fans? what really is the point?

 

[blue-shifted]

It's a fair argument that football (or all professional sport) should be stopped until there is a cure for coronavirus, and if that's what the players want, then that's what they will get. As long as they are aware they won't get paid. But it is absoultely guaranteed that if they can't start now because even a tiny risk of coronavirus is unsafe, then there will be no 20-21 season either, and probably no 21-22 because any vaccine won't be proven effective by then.

It's up to the players really, Do they want to give up football for the duration and live off savings? The ones who don't have savings, do they want to get another job which carries less risk of coronavirus? The one thing that is certain is, if they don't play next season, they don't get paid.

Patently false. They have contracts. They will be paid whether they play or not. It wouldn't even amaze me if some are negotiating behind the scenes to get a proportion of any appearance or goal bonus they may have reasonably expected they would get.

The players have made it very clear that apart from a few exceptions, they aren't willing to take a reduction in salary. I'm sure there are some agents advising players that if their clubs goes under, they'll be able to get them a nice signing on fee somewhere else.

 

[blue-shifted]

Not At all ......but all the proposed rule changes/venues/testing is making it more of a joke than competitive football.....No team celebrations? No fans? what really is the point?

The point in my mind, is that when there is some sort of vaccine / treatment, then there will be clubs still afloat for fans to come back to.

 

[Milano]

I'm not sure at all about that.
Firstly, if the rules are spelt out like that then only the bottom 3 will have a reason to restart, nobody else apart from those few teams that could be in contention for a place in Europe (but aren't at the moment) will be in favour.
Secondly, there will be a big legal challenge if the PL try to change the rules of the league which, in itself, may prevent the next season starting (as there will be uncertainty over who will be in which league).

The only way to avoid playing all remaining games in the correct venue is if the PL (on instruction from the Govt) announces that the season is ended and is void.

Needs a tweak, it is the ‘void’ word which is the problem. The French have ‘finished’ their season not ‘voided’ it. Champions, Euro spaces, relegation is all happening. The Govt need to tell the EPL & EFL to ‘finish’ their seasons now and work out how they are going to award placings. A 22 club EPL next season avoids any legal challenges

 

[Easy 10]

Needs a tweak, it is the ‘void’ word which is the problem. The French have ‘finished’ their season not ‘voided’ it. Champions, Euro spaces, relegation is all happening. The Govt need to tell the EPL & EFL to ‘finish’ their seasons now and work out how they are going to award placings. A 22 club EPL next season avoids any legal challenges

Not sure about that. Who says Leeds and West Brom were already promoted ? They just happened to be in the promotion slots when the virus descended - they'd achieved nothing to justify automatic promotion. They hadn't earned it when the season stopped. Surely promotion to the Premier League has to be earned, not gifted.

 

[Weststander]

Needs a tweak, it is the ‘void’ word which is the problem. The French have ‘finished’ their season not ‘voided’ it. Champions, Euro spaces, relegation is all happening. The Govt need to tell the EPL & EFL to ‘finish’ their seasons now and work out how they are going to award placings. A 22 club EPL next season avoids any legal challenges

The ‘only’ snag, that too will cost the PL £0.75b due to broadcasters, with another £0.4b according to 5live on Monday. Paul Barber and others have said or indicated that the only way to stop that financial armageddon is to complete the season, WITH relegations.

The questions are when and where?

 

[LamieRobertson]

The ‘only’ snag, that too will cost the PL £0.75b due to broadcasters, with another £0.4b according to 5live on Monday. Paul Barber and others have said or indicated that the only way to stop that financial armageddon is to complete the season, WITH relegations.

The questions are when and where?

Exactly ..I find it interesting when people talk about the French and Dutch leagues being written off (that’s what it is) when they are really two of the weaker leagues in Europe ..we have Germany who currently are going ahead and Spain/Italy still in the melting pot

 

[Jeff Minton's Corners]

Did you expect football to come back in the exact same way it existed before?

I reckon you might be waiting a while to watch any if so

I personally don't think it'll come back anything near how it was and ever will. This is the beginning of the end of football I reckon/dread.

How can something which they call a spectators sport survive without spectators? It clearly won't. And anyways, I bet there's been a massive post coronavirus attitude change amongst fans globally about the financial side of football now? It's getting revolting how the money is being handled and all what's happened as a result is predictable top flight football in every country. It's the same old story every season now. Football is in a bad state and it's us fans who suffer the most from it.

This lockdown isn't some little blip in normality. This is where normality changes. Can't see football lasting too long with this change. Or anything fun for that matter. Even going out for a walk looks like it will never have that freedom it once had. Really doubt people will be giving 2 tosses about football by that point let alone playing the game n the parks with their mates. So try all you like Sky and everyone else still trying to squeeze every penny you can out of the game even during a lock down, but without us the fans there , footballs got no chance.

The bubble has burst

 

[oldboyroy]

According to leaked document premier league matches won't be played till October and behind closed doors.

 

[Weststander]

Exactly ..I find it interesting when people talk about the French and Dutch leagues being written off (that’s what it is) when they are really two of the weaker leagues in Europe ..we have Germany who currently are going ahead and Spain/Italy still in the melting pot

Did you listen to 5live this evening after 7?

Their telephone guests were a Bundesliga recent ex-manager, a German football writer, plus they had direct quotes from Thomas Muller and the Schalke manager. Despite BBC questioning looking for turmoil and dissent, they were universally looking forward to training and the matches. Thomas Muller was quoted as saying we’re well paid professionals, it’s no hardship to quarantine for a month to play these Bundesliga matches, we’re very used to doing something similar within Germany squads every other summer.

Such positivity, no wonder Germany makes a success of so many things.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Patently false. They have contracts. They will be paid whether they play or not. It wouldn't even amaze me if some are negotiating behind the scenes to get a proportion of any appearance or goal bonus they may have reasonably expected they would get.

The players have made it very clear that apart from a few exceptions, they aren't willing to take a reduction in salary. I'm sure there are some agents advising players that if their clubs goes under, they'll be able to get them a nice signing on fee somewhere else.

They won't be paid. If the club has no money, how is it going to pay its players? Take Burnley for example. Cash in bank perhaps £50m at the start of March, income from then until next June £nil, player wages expected £120m. Who's going to pay the odd £70m? There may be a legal requirement to pay it, but if the money isn't there, it can't be paid.

 

[dsr-burnley]

I'm not sure at all about that.
Firstly, if the rules are spelt out like that then only the bottom 3 will have a reason to restart, nobody else apart from those few teams that could be in contention for a place in Europe (but aren't at the moment) will be in favour.
Secondly, there will be a big legal challenge if the PL try to change the rules of the league which, in itself, may prevent the next season starting (as there will be uncertainty over who will be in which league).

The only way to avoid playing all remaining games in the correct venue is if the PL (on instruction from the Govt) announces that the season is ended and is void.

Money. That's the reason other teams will be in favour of restarting. Even some of the players recognise that if there is no money coming in, they can't expect to take any out. And of course many of them are footballers first and foremost and actually want to play.

FWIW, Burnley board are in favour of restarting, the manager is in favour of restarting, and every player is in favour of restarting.

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...art-players-vote-covid-19-coronavirus-2845034

 

[herecomesaregular]

I personally don't think it'll come back anything near how it was and ever will. This is the beginning of the end of football I reckon/dread.

How can something which they call a spectators sport survive without spectators? It clearly won't. And anyways, I bet there's been a massive post coronavirus attitude change amongst fans globally about the financial side of football now? It's getting revolting how the money is being handled and all what's happened as a result is predictable top flight football in every country. It's the same old story every season now. Football is in a bad state and it's us fans who suffer the most from it.

This lockdown isn't some little blip in normality. This is where normality changes. Can't see football lasting too long with this change. Or anything fun for that matter. Even going out for a walk looks like it will never have that freedom it once had. Really doubt people will be giving 2 tosses about football by that point let alone playing the game n the parks with their mates. So try all you like Sky and everyone else still trying to squeeze every penny you can out of the game even during a lock down, but without us the fans there , footballs got no chance.

The bubble has burst

Imo, that's absolute tosh. Human nature doesn't change. Normality will return. There might be some reboots of clubs (Palace might have to change from CPFC2000 to CPFC2021 for example).

 

[Jeff Minton's Corners]

Imo, that's absolute tosh. Human nature doesn't change. Normality will return. There might be some reboots of clubs (Palace might have to change from CPFC2000 to CPFC2021 for example).

How long do you think it'll be for 'normality' to return?

 

[Weststander]

They won't be paid. If the club has no money, how is it going to pay its players? Take Burnley for example. Cash in bank perhaps £50m at the start of March, income from then until next June £nil, player wages expected £120m. Who's going to pay the odd £70m? There may be a legal requirement to pay it, but if the money isn't there, it can't be paid.

That will be the case for the many clubs that’ll go bust if football doesn’t resume.

The moment pay isn’t paid, contracts are broken, players can walk.

Until now, they and their agents hold all the aces, but in finding new employment in that new football world, it won’t be as before.

Unless the PL are able to complete this season at some stage, and so retain the vast broadcasting monies.

 

[Milano]

That will be the case for the many clubs that’ll go bust if football doesn’t resume.

The moment pay isn’t paid, contracts are broken, players can walk.

Until now, they and their agents hold all the aces, but in finding new employment in that new football world, it won’t be as before.

Unless the PL are able to complete this season at some stage, and so retain the vast broadcasting monies.

I think it maybe this very stance that kills the EPL. They are playing the short game. The long game is to keep the romance for the EPL going. Armchair fans miss it right now, how much will they miss it after 92 games of zero atmosphere? Just 1 game when England played behind closed doors was awful, now add another 91. They might get the money for the remaining games this season but ALL of next season will be fooked IMO.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Did you listen to 5live this evening after 7?

Their telephone guests were a Bundesliga recent ex-manager, a German football writer, plus they had direct quotes from Thomas Muller and the Schalke manager. Despite BBC questioning looking for turmoil and dissent, they were universally looking forward to training and the matches. Thomas Muller was quoted as saying we’re well paid professionals, it’s no hardship to quarantine for a month to play these Bundesliga matches, we’re very used to doing something similar within Germany squads every other summer.

Such positivity, no wonder Germany makes a success of so many things.

Yes that 7/8pm slot has become compulsive listening...and I agree with everything you said...Sutton seemed to be rowing back a lot from his comments when Barber was on earlier in the week...

“Well paid professionals” nail on head