[Albion] How should the FA react if the Government decides to ban large scale gatherings?

[peterward]

No, the only fair way would be to promote the teams in the automatic promotion positions when the season is stopped but not relegate any teams. So each division is two teams bigger next season (League One is already short a club because of Bury), with two additional relegation places going down.

Alternatively, the FA could tell the government where to stick it, because football is more important that life and death (as Bill Shankly is wisely reported to have said but didn't quite).

Actually not a bad idea, except there would still be legal challenges from those leading play off spots who would argue they’d have a chance of finishing in the automatics. There won’t be a solution where someone won’t be royally pissed off unless seasons finishes.

Liverpool should be crowned winners imho. It’s inevitable they’d win. Relegation, places 2 through 5 and their subsequent TV money from CL/Europa next season will be contested also.

 

[GT49er]

How should the FA react if the Government decides to ban large scale gatherings?

Declare war!


Seriously, if the situation does get that serious, then the season must stop and be declared void. No awards, titles, promotion or relegation.

 

[beorhthelm]

if they did scrub the season i would honestly rather the Premier League declared Liverpool champions, as its only a matter of by how many points, and i wouldnt want the constant references for years of the champions that never were.

 

[studio150]

Before the issue of any Government legislation to ban large gatherings, there is the issue of the health of the players.
If a team's squad become exposed to the virus, or where they have similar symptoms they become unavailable for at least a two week period. For the integrity of the competition the PL would need to postpone that club's games for a 2 or 3 week period. Once more than a few clubs become affected, given the Euros it would not be possible to extend the end of the season date, and it would also be unfair to expect clubs to play 4 games in a week to catch up.

Therefore the PL would probably need to finish the league when the fixture backlog becomes too much. But what do they do. The easy thing is that prize money is still paid out based on the positions when they stop the season. But do they declare Liverpool champions. The European positions should be based on league positions when the season stops (assuming same games played, otherwise mayable an average points per game should be used.

Relegation becomes more difficult due to the financial penalties. So promote the top two from the Championship with no relegation.

For the new season, all PL teams are exempt from the League Cup and play 42 league games. For the next season and the season after 4 teams are relegated and 3 promoted to the PL, returning to a 20 team division in 22/23.

Until the season is finished due to teams being affected, if the Government legislate that the PL would probably go for games behind closed doors with all games being available on Sky/BT/Amazon live (I assume the no games on TV at 3pm would be relaxed.) However does the lack of fans give teams like Arsenal an unfair advantage due to the fact that they are used to playing in a library.

This is obviously not the desired outcome for any fans who have seen everyone of their clubs games for the last 15 years as their record would be broken.

The only other possible solution which I am not keen on, is once the Government stop large gatherings or players go down with the virus, all domestic league suspend the season. When we get around to August the remainder of the season is then concluded. There is then a two week break and the 2020/21 starts (with usual promotion/relegation having been achieved). To catch up, no domestic cup games are played for 2020/21 with season finish extending into May.

Then back to normal.

Hopefully the worse case predictions on the virus are not achieved and we can continue as normal in watching and enjoying football live in stadia up and down the country.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Hopefully... we can continue as normal in watching and enjoying football

Nurse!

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

The only other possible solution which I am not keen on, is once the Government stop large gatherings or players go down with the virus, all domestic league suspend the season. When we get around to August the remainder of the season is then concluded. There is then a two week break and the 2020/21 starts (with usual promotion/relegation having been achieved). To catch up, no domestic cup games are played for 2020/21 with season finish extending into May.

Then back to normal.

You're right - that would be a far from ideal solution. Relegated and promoted teams would have just two weeks to adjust to their new situations and buy/sell players before next season. And what if other countries had gone for different options? Where would the transfer windows begin and end?

I think the promotion but no relegation option is the only one that wouldn't lead to legal action from relegated clubs that could claim they were denied a chance to save themselves.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

No fair play handshakes from this weekend apparently.....will football become a non contact sport

HaHa banned for life from spitting.

 

[GT49er]

HaHa banned for life from spitting.

Actually I wouldn't mind a three match ban for spitters. Disgusting habit.

 

[Perkino]

Just pull this season now. Liverpool can have the title, the bottom 3 can be relegated and the transfer window can open at the end of March so we can spend the summer speculating

 

[sparkie]

Just pull this season now. Liverpool can have the title, the bottom 3 can be relegated and the transfer window can open at the end of March so we can spend the summer speculating

Only if they make that decision today.

Perhaps if they wait until after the weekend then that wouldn't seem so wise, if people reflect and think it through.

 

[Nathan]

There must be something in the PL handbook about games having to be abandoned and that effecting the season. We could be in the relegation spots come the end of the weekend and I am sure we wouldn't accept the season finishing like that.

Think it will be a case of postponing the fixtures until a time when we can play the games with fans in attendance. The main issue with this is the Euros, but will the governments in all 12 countries be happy for players and fans to travel so freely.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

The only fair way is to void this season , sorry Liverpool your wait goes on.

Feel sorry for the lower league clubs who would be denied promotion and those who rely on gate receipts to get by, how will the FA compensate them

Should the FA compensate them or should they look to their insurance company?

 

[Wozza]

Why do some people think the FA runs the Premier League?! Weird.

 

[Easy 10]

if they did scrub the season i would honestly rather the Premier League declared Liverpool champions, as its only a matter of by how many points, and i wouldnt want the constant references for years of the champions that never were.

Champions, but with an asterisk indicating "incomplete season". Therefore, a tainted Title, a little "yeah, but..."

Yes. I'd quite like that.

 

[rippleman]

Ignore it

 

[beorhthelm]

There must be something in the PL handbook about games having to be abandoned and that effecting the season. We could be in the relegation spots come the end of the weekend and I am sure we wouldn't accept the season finishing like that.

Think it will be a case of postponing the fixtures until a time when we can play the games with fans in attendance. The main issue with this is the Euros, but will the governments in all 12 countries be happy for players and fans to travel so freely.

i had a look at the Premier League regulations and there was nothing clear cut. however did note the shares in the League are to be transfered from relegated clubs to promoted, "as directed by the board" or similar phrase. this reminded me that admission to the Football League and Premier League is technically by invitation, its not an automatic right. therefore seems easiest outcome would be abandonment of the season and restart as is, no promotion/relegations.

 

[GT49er]

Relegation becomes more difficult due to the financial penalties. So promote the top two from the Championship with no relegation.

For the new season, all PL teams are exempt from the League Cup and play 42 league games. For the next season and the season after 4 teams are relegated and 3 promoted to the PL, returning to a 20 team division in 22/23...

That rather seems to assume that the lower leagues won't be similarly affected - they will have the same problems as the PL if this outbreak really does get serious.

The only other possible solution which I am not keen on, is once the Government stop large gatherings or players go down with the virus, all domestic league suspend the season. When we get around to August the remainder of the season is then concluded. There is then a two week break and the 2020/21 starts (with usual promotion/relegation having been achieved). To catch up, no domestic cup games are played for 2020/21 with season finish extending into May. .

That's assuming that Europe will play ball with us in respect of early rounds of the CL and the EL, not to mention the transfer window. And of course we don't know whether a). the crisis is over by August enabling matches to be played again, and b). how much European football will be affected; will there be a CL final, for example?

 

[Pavilionaire]

We should copy the League of Ireland, who are going to play all matches behind closed doors but show the action live on the big screen in a fans football park.

 

[Invicta]

Cancel the season. Cant risk the players health. Start again August. All in same Divisions as we started this season. Players can then self isolate in Dubai or Vegas.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

I have voted for "play in front of 5000", as the fun and games on here as to who gets the tickets would be brilliant.