[Travel] Flying to Australia in the current climate.

[wellquickwoody]

Yeah, that was covered above.

But June is still some time away given how fast things move with this story.

The club must have sanctioned his travel, so I can only guess that they did so believing that if football is to resume then it's also likely that he would be able to travel back.

I hope that they are correct, it would mean that things were improving. Stay safe.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

So, it'll be Button and Steele for the behind doors June fiasco of football.

We are going down, and the financial hit will be massive.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

June this year is being mooted and reported by several places over the past couple of days...

The Premier League are in ‘advanced talks’ with the government over plans to resume the season in June.

All 20 clubs were told to prepare for a return in June after the Premier League reached a ‘tentative’ agreement with the government that would allow matches to be played behind-closed-doors, according to the Mirror.

The season has been suspended since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic reached the UK in early March and there was an initial dispute over how the season should be finished.

However, after agreeing that the campaign must be finished by whatever means, the Premier League’s focus has been on a safe return and the government is forecasting for the ‘peak’ of the pandemic to hit in around 10-14 days in the UK.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/05/premier-league-clubs-12513622/​

Anyone going into the stadia, all players and staff and TV people, would have to be virus tested on the morning of every game on the way in, held in solitary isolation till the all clear, then kept away from people outside the stadia till after the game.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, we could easily lose a few key players, drop more points, and Prexit.

We don't yet have portable cheap and fast tests for identifying people who are virus spreaders as far as I am aware. The logistics and costs of this will be quite a challenge. Moreover there is no chance this can be trickled down the leagues, so there won't be any promotion from the championship or, therefore, relegation from the PL, so what's the point? And unless the rest of Europe follows suit (can you imagine the error-prone French or Italians being able to manage this malarkey?), setting all this up just so Liverpool can win the league in August still won't get them into Europe next season, because there won't be anyone to play.

There is no chance of this happening, is there.

 

[happypig]

Completely this.

I have a holiday booked, North Devon, August. There is no chance.

It would be raining anyway

 

[Giraffe]

I really can't see it being played in June, unless we are all back at work by then which seems unlikely.

How can it crack on regardless of what the rest of us are doing. And I am still against the notion of being played behind closed doors. Its not right or fair to anyone from the players, to the fans or the owners. Either play it properly with fans present whenever that can be done or scrap the season.

 

[southstandandy]

I really can't see it being played in June, unless we are all back at work by then which seems unlikely.

How can it crack on regardless of what the rest of us are doing. And I am still against the notion of being played behind closed doors. Its not right or fair to anyone from the players, to the fans or the owners. Either play it properly with fans present whenever that can be done or scrap the season.

Yeah - as HIGNFY on Friday proved - a match or programme of this nature is crap without fans or an audience.

Regardless of whether they tried to play behind closed doors, the fact remains that the virus will not have decided to disappear by June (just so it can have a clear conscience and let the footy season be finished, then start spreading itself when the season has been completed).

What would the Premier League or any league do if just one player played a fixture in June and then infected his team and probably that of the opposition?

Would they then say those two teams could have another 2 or 3 weeks isolation and restart their matches another month on?

The spread might be slowing but footballers are no more immune to the chance of picking up the virus as us mere mortals.

As much as I'd love the season to be finished, if the authorities are determined that it finishes at all costs, then perhaps it would be simpler to just remove season 2020/21 from the schedule allowing ample time for the remaining fixtures from this season to be played.

 

[Springal]

Yeah - as HIGNFY on Friday proved - a match or programme of this nature is crap without fans or an audience.

Yep - can't imagine the TV companies too happy paying mega bucks for empty stadiums, no fans, no atmosphere. Global sales will surely drop

That England game that was behind closed doors was rubbish.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Yeah - as HIGNFY on Friday proved - a match or programme of this nature is crap without fans or an audience.

Regardless of whether they tried to play behind closed doors, the fact remains that the virus will not have decided to disappear by June (just so it can have a clear conscience and let the footy season be finished, then start spreading itself when the season has been completed).

What would the Premier League or any league do if just one player played a fixture in June and then infected his team and probably that of the opposition?

Would they then say those two teams could have another 2 or 3 weeks isolation and restart their matches another month on?

The spread might be slowing but footballers are no more immune to the chance of picking up the virus as us mere mortals.

As much as I'd love the season to be finished, if the authorities are determined that it finishes at all costs, then perhaps it would be simpler to just remove season 2020/21 from the schedule allowing ample time for the remaining fixtures from this season to be played.

Removing 20/21 and its TV income would bankrupt a lot of the PL.

It would be a years extra wages, with little income to cover them.


In effect, 1 year of TV money which had been budgeted to cover 1 year of wages, would suddenly have to cover 2 years of paychecks with little warning.


The league needs certainty asap, not continual failure to make a decision.

 

[southstandandy]

Removing 20/21 and its TV income would bankrupt a lot of the PL.

It would be a years extra wages, with little income to cover them.


In effect, 1 year of TV money which had been budgeted to cover 1 year of wages, would suddenly have to cover 2 years of paychecks with little warning.


The league needs certainty asap, not continual failure to make a decision.

I agree, but all the noises being made seem to indicate the powers at be are determined to finish this season however long it takes. If we can't restart this season say by August safely, what will they do for next season? Reduce the number of fixtures, drop the cups and play 2 games a week?

Whatever happens they will have to put a plan in place if in the unlikely event next year the virus reared it's head again and the league had to shut down again. There must be something put in place to reduce the uncertanty for the future.

 

[cloud]

What if the players are all overseas in their home countries with their families? Anyone with Italian or Spanish players for example will be badly disadvantaged.

 

[nickjhs]

June of which year? There can't seriously be any football by June of this year even if behind closed doors. If one player is infected but unknown he has the potential to infect not only his own squad but then the opposition etc etc. Would the season then get paused again?

Unless they're going to reinvent the game with 2 meter social distancing grids marked out on the pitch, I just can't see this being viable for several months. I seriously think next season is unlikely to start on time as things stand.

Maty might as well stay 'down under' and have his Christmas there as can't see any football being played until 2021.

Yep, I think Barbers solution to call the season off, two go up none go down, hand the title to Liverpool and 4 go down next season, is the best of a bad world. As to the costs involved in repaying the sponsors and lost revenue maybe this is, to quote a former Australian prime minister, the recession they needed to have. Players wages and transfer prices have gotten way out of control. The billionaire owners will just have to wear the brunt of all this if they want the clubs to survive. Apparently Burnley are crying poor saying that without a resumption of revenue they will go bust by August.