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

[Marty___Mcfly]

I think if a couple of weeks of Bundesliga fixtures play out without too many problems, this will demonstrate the feasibility of operating a top level league and all of the others will submit their plan to UEFA by the 25th as required, for June re-starts.

 

[Jim in the West]

I think if a couple of weeks of Bundesliga fixtures play out without too many problems, this will demonstrate the feasibility of operating a top level league and all of the others will submit their plan to UEFA by the 25th as required, for June re-starts.

I think that will play a part in the EPL's planning - but ultimately it will be the trend in the R-value which will determine whether things can get started again.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

There's going to be the season after next with the Qater running halfway through it, granted not 3 months but certainly an extended period so a precedent has been set there really.

Not 3 months and it is known to be happening from the beginning of that season. Not the same precedent.

 

[Gwylan]

Elite level sports are an industry, so the PL within that all contrubute to the economy directly and indirectly.

How is playing a load of football matches in empty stadiums contributing to the economy? The TV rights have already been sold and there are going to be no visitors spending their dosh

lso the level of testing and safeguarding in attempting to get elite sports up and running would be unsustainable to the rest of society in time and financial cost, they will be at far lower risk of infecting each other than other amateur level sports.

An amateur team could get tested and play another team who have all been tested - and they'd be just as safe as a professional football team. But that's not even an option at the moment.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

If, and it's a colossal if, they manage to get this back on, there will be significant resistance from fans, on grounds of either public health, empty stadia or rule changes.

However, I predict this resistance will seriously peel away once the action has started, the changes have been got used to and there's wins / losses, promotion / relegation at stake. My guess is that TV viewing figures will be very healthy and this board will be rammed with threads on player ratings, ppg needed, players being lambasted, transfer rumours and all the normal stuff.

Football is a powerful drug and people want normality, (or an approximation of).

I don’t doubt it. I will watch, despite my opposition to the restart. The success or failure though will be determined by the impact on public health, not the degree of enjoyment felt by football fans from the safety of our living rooms. If this is going to happen regardless then I genuinely hope you and others are right about the risk/reward.

 

[Swansman]

I think they've basically got 2 weeks to get the plan in place. 3 weeks training prior to the start of the season (mooted as 12 June) would mean training needs to start by 22 May. UEFA said all plans to conclude national competitions should be submitted to them by 25 May.

UEFA can go **** themselves though. Their power is pretty limitied. "Do this or we wont give you any Champions League / Europa League spots!"... well, one or two domestic competitions out there might be able to finish the season, but there cant be one single human out there who genuinely believe that about a 100 teams from 40 or so countries will be travelling around in Europe next season. It is more than impossible. It is Ultra-Impossible 3000.

 

[Acker79]

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[Giraffe]

Football is a powerful drug and people want normality, (or an approximation of).

Football in it's normal form is a powerful drug.

Football, with no fans, no atmosphere, just watched on telly, is poor. It always has been it always will be. It's one reason why in general people don't attend pre season friendlies in any large number.

I am sure there will be great excitement when the matches start again, but within ten minutes of watching they will realise this is a farce. This sin't normal football. We have all been to pre-season friendlies, paid £10 and then sat there thinking why I have come to this. It's not the same with no crowd or atmosphere. It's that simple.

And whoever gets relegated will have a very good case to take legal proceedings.

 

[rippleman]

Football in it's normal form is a powerful drug.

Football, with no fans, no atmosphere, just watched on telly, is poor. It always has been it always will be. It's one reason why in general people don't attend pre season friendlies in any large number.

I am sure there will be great excitement when the matches start again, but within ten minutes of watching they will realise this is a farce. This sin't normal football. We have all been to pre-season friendlies, paid £10 and then sat there thinking why I have come to this. It's not the same with no crowd or atmosphere. It's that simple.

And whoever gets relegated will have a very good case to take legal proceedings.

And it is because "football is a powerful drug" that it should be setting the example. There shouldn't be any sport played until lockdown has ended and social distancing measures are no longer required. As a "global influencer", football in particular should not be played at any level until it is safe to do so.

We are only here now because of greed. The greed of football clubs and the greed of football players.

 

[blue-shifted]

Football in it's normal form is a powerful drug.

Football, with no fans, no atmosphere, just watched on telly, is poor. It always has been it always will be. It's one reason why in general people don't attend pre season friendlies in any large number.

I am sure there will be great excitement when the matches start again, but within ten minutes of watching they will realise this is a farce. This sin't normal football. We have all been to pre-season friendlies, paid £10 and then sat there thinking why I have come to this. It's not the same with no crowd or atmosphere. It's that simple.

And whoever gets relegated will have a very good case to take legal proceedings.

Pre season friendlies don't have relegation or European qualification at stake.

People will very soon get over the fact that there's no fans there. Like I say, this board will be crawling with football threads on a matchday. There will be huge demand to watch these matches on TV, empty stadia or otherwise.

 

[blue-shifted]

And it is because "football is a powerful drug" that it should be setting the example. There shouldn't be any sport played until lockdown has ended and social distancing measures are no longer required. As a "global influencer", football in particular should not be played at any level until it is safe to do so.

We are only here now because of greed. The greed of football clubs and the greed of football players.

Greed, I think is the wrong word. Greed implies that you can make money. Clubs, depending on their size or division want to get games on to either stem the worst of the hideous losses they will make or for the club to survive.

But yes it's totally financially motivated

 

[southstandandy]

I don’t doubt it. I will watch, despite my opposition to the restart. The success or failure though will be determined by the impact on public health, not the degree of enjoyment felt by football fans from the safety of our living rooms. If this is going to happen regardless then I genuinely hope you and others are right about the risk/reward.

If it does then I'd like to know what contingencies will be put into place if a player or players from one or more squads get infected.

Will it be "tough shit - take it on the chin and if you lose key players then so be it" or will it be a case of "in the event of a squad developing cases of infection all their fixtures will be delayed by 2 to 3 weeks for self isolation of said squad"

Love to know what their plans will be as it's almost inevitable that one or more squads are going to see a case or two when we're back up and running - and that goes for next season too!

 

[crodonilson]

Not 3 months and it is known to be happening from the beginning of that season. Not the same precedent.

No not quite as long but still a significant period and to now unprecedented in modern football, and not known from the beginning of this season although I don't see what impact the break would have had if it had been known, the league table would still look the same as it is now.

 

[crodonilson]

How is playing a load of football matches in empty stadiums contributing to the economy? The TV rights have already been sold and there are going to be no visitors spending their dosh



An amateur team could get tested and play another team who have all been tested - and they'd be just as safe as a professional football team. But that's not even an option at the moment.

The TV rights for elite level sports may have been sold but many have not yet been paid and will remain unpaid until the season resumes, for the PL as an example most foreign deals are payable monthly so that income hasn't been received.

 

[BBassic]

[tweet]1259857595424178178[/tweet]

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It'd be great if one of the teams against neutral venues was Liverpool or United or one of the other teams so far from relegation they've forgotten the word even exists.

EDIT: how have I done that?!

 

[Acker79]

It'd be great if one of the teams against neutral venues was Liverpool or United or one of the other teams so far from relegation they've forgotten the word even exists.

EDIT: how have I done that?!

No idea, it happens sometimes. I used to think it was people writing in the wrong place, but then it happened to me and I know I didn't write in the wrong place.

Further update:
[tweet]1259866510627135499[/tweet]

So 12 teams, now. At least two of them have to be top-half teams.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

No idea, it happens sometimes. I used to think it was people writing in the wrong place, but then it happened to me and I know I didn't write in the wrong place.

Further update:
[tweet]1259866510627135499[/tweet]

So 12 teams, now. At least two of them have to be top-half teams.

Confusing. We were told that Brighton were holding the rest of the PL to ransom. Now it has been confirmed that was a lie I don’t know whether or not to believe what Burnley fans tell me about the issues of the day.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Hpw many CV tests would be required to complete these remaining 92 fixtures? And how much PPE would be required? Tests and PPE that could be diverted to health care professionals, educators, police officers, supermarket staff, and also people who need to get back to work but at present are unable to do so.

It remains to be seen if the PL will be financially bankrupt but the fact they are even considering trying to get games on in July shows it is already morally bankrupt.

 

[Acker79]

Confusing. We were told that Brighton were holding the rest of the PL to ransom. Now it has been confirmed that was a lie I don’t know whether or not to believe what Burnley fans tell me about the issues of the day.

I don't think it helps when Sky Sports seem a bit behind and post tweets that seem to merge everything into one:

[tweet]1259876670476972032[/tweet]

"Majority of the bottom six rumoured to have this position on one aspect of the return, we won't name them, meanwhile here are the names of six teams who have a stated position on a different aspect of the return"

(Edit: the tweet looks a little different on the website than in the embed above)

 

[LamieRobertson]

Hpw many CV tests would be required to complete these remaining 92 fixtures? And how much PPE would be required? Tests and PPE that could be diverted to health care professionals, educators, police officers, supermarket staff, and also people who need to get back to work but at present are unable to do so.

It remains to be seen if the PL will be financially bankrupt but the fact they are even considering trying to get games on in July shows it is already morally bankrupt.

You’ve remained pretty constant on not wanting the PL to start again and fair enough ..but I’d ask would those for example tests have been used by say nhs workers if footballers don’t? It seems the government’s own target isn’t being hit with any regularity..but why? If clubs pay for it privately and it doesn’t divert tests that would have gone elsewhere is that wrong? Of course there remains loads of other questions over how a game can go ahead..but who knows where we will be at come two months time