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

[blue-shifted]

This is a finite problem though. These over inflated, ridiculous contracts will run down and those players can be moved on if they are unwilling to accept the new reality.

The contracts will, in most cases, take years to run down. Let's say, we don't finish the season and the facts on the ground haven't changed by August to get next season up and running. How many of the 92 clubs can survive until the end of 2020 with their existing player wage bill and no income? How many could survive until this time next year?

I can understand why the clubs are so keen to get back going again.

 

[blue-shifted]

Reports now on the radio that the PL have to 'pay back' broadcasters even if games are played behind closed doors ?

Which seems to take the whole financial reason for restarting the league away ?

They have to pay back a lot anyway, and a lot more than that if they can't get the season started again.

 

[atomised]

Reports now on the radio that the PL have to 'pay back' broadcasters even if games are played behind closed doors ?

Which seems to take the whole financial reason for restarting the league away ?

Utterly ridiculous if that is the case

 

[crodonilson]

This is a finite problem though. These over inflated, ridiculous contracts will run down and those players can be moved on if they are unwilling to accept the new reality.

Even if you prudently said the average length of a contract remaining across all PL players was 2 years that's still nearly £3billion worth of contracts to run down.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Would everyone jump for joy if the PL has to finish by hook or by crook, and teams relegated are replaced by Championship teams ( on points per game ) who don't complete their season ?

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

Brighton players back to 'training' Monday, according to Naylor.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

The contracts will, in most cases, take years to run down. Let's say, we don't finish the season and the facts on the ground haven't changed by August to get next season up and running. How many of the 92 clubs can survive until the end of 2020 with their existing player wage bill and no income? How many could survive until this time next year?

I can understand why the clubs are so keen to get back going again.

Even if you prudently said the average length of a contract remaining across all PL players was 2 years that's still nearly £3billion worth of contracts to run down.

Then we are all going to have to face the fact that a combination of Sky and success at all costs owners and fans may have killed our game. The economics are horrendous.

 

[Mellotron]

Brighton players back to 'training' Monday, according to Naylor.

Maty Ryan flying back last night. Looks like it's happening.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

No-one can and will force them, the PL are doing everything they can to mitigate the risks but you will never be able to fully make the risk zero so I guess it's the level of risk the players individually or collectively are willing to take.

I do wonder though if they agree they're not willing to play who they expect to pick up the tab of their wages. £26m+ collectively each week, if the risks are too great to play in month I don't see how the risks will materially be any different in 6 months, if we weren't to play again this year that's £952 million in wages someone has to pick up and it could affect the PLs ability to make solidarity payments with no significant revenue incoming which would put plenty of lower League clubs out of business.

Indeed. I don't have an answer to that.

Some weeks ago, based on what's happening where I work, I suggested that next season should start at the end of Jan 2021 (that's looking a bit optimistic now), and that the current season could be squeezed in to finish between October and December (maybe September if we are over it by then) and behind closed doors, or simply binned if, by Spetember there clearly remained no prospect of safe resumption.

With all of that, when football does resume, it won't look much like it does presently. With the current arrangements - the uneasy and slightly dystopian triumverate of soon-to-be competing interests of the players (and their union), the owners (and their very different depths of pocket), and TV companies (who hold most of the purse strings) - all supposedly under the leadership of the EPL management committee (or is it the FA, or EUFA or FIFA - there's some redundant organisations, we can now see - like the EU, sadly) the scope for carnage is almost limitless.

They really need to get together quickly, like the leadership where I work, and set a restart date that is realistic. OK, if by Jan 2021 football can't restart it is proper finished (as indeed will be my employer to a large extent - unless it wants to rebrand as the Open University mark II - there's an ironic name for a virtual campus if ever I saw one).

If they can agree on a realistic restart they then need to plan for what football will look like. There's a challenge. Can you imagine the chaiman of Morcambe, sat in a room with a member of the Saudi Royal family, Florin Andone's agent, one of Rupert Murdoch's lackies, and six Sheffield Wednesday players (representing the interests of all the massive clubs), hammering out a vision for how British football will look? And that's before we even think about the European and wider international game. It is doable, but bloody hell, lots and lots of people are going to have to give their heads a wobble of osteopathic proportions.

Or we could just tll them all to go back to work, or else.

I can't believe I'm having a serious conversation with you Crodo. What has the world come too?

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

Maty Ryan flying back last night. Looks like it's happening.

They're certainly giving it a good crack. As highlighted before, the only nations that have curtailed theirs are where their respective governments have not let them play. Ours is obviously very keen for them to play, both by allowing behind closed doors games by June 1st and by seemingly applying different social distancing rules (in relation to reports training will be 5 players and no tackling etc - as far am i'm aware I couldn't do this with my mates down the park). Still hundreds of hoops to jump through mind.

 

[blue-shifted]

They're certainly giving it a good crack. As highlighted before, the only nations that have curtailed theirs are where their respective governments have not let them play. Ours is obviously very keen for them to play, both by allowing behind closed doors games by June 1st and by seemingly applying different social distancing rules (in relation to reports training will be 5 players and no tackling etc - as far am i'm aware I couldn't do this with my mates down the park). Still hundreds of hoops to jump through mind.

There are, but don't forget, we've got the benefit of not being first. We can watch the Bundesliga and others, assess the practicability and learn any lessons.

 

[Springal]

Maty Ryan flying back last night. Looks like it's happening.

But now in quarantine for 2 weeks. I think a few other players are overseas too - Trossard at least was

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

But now in quarantine for 2 weeks. I think a few other players are overseas too - Trossard at least was

I don't think the Quarantine comes into effect until June 1st

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

There are, but don't forget, we've got the benefit of not being first. We can watch the Bundesliga and others, assess the practicability and learn any lessons.

Oh massively, i'm sceptical of the whole project. I guess they also have to be seen to be trying if they're hoping to reach some sort of deal with the angry parties should the leagues be cancelled.

 

[Springal]

I don't think the Quarantine comes into effect until June 1st

Shambles then. Or perhaps the club will mandate a 5-7 day isolation period for those abroad. Maty Ryan has been out and about in Sydney, socialising with family members and various people in that time.... Or perhaps it is part of Barbers masterplan to make sure another 4-5 players get infected

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

But now in quarantine for 2 weeks. I think a few other players are overseas too - Trossard at least was

We are only on notice of future quarantine. It's not started yet.

 

[Mellotron]

But now in quarantine for 2 weeks. I think a few other players are overseas too - Trossard at least was

I'm not sure he'll have to quarantine for the full 2 weeks.

That is surely for all us plebs who do not have access to regular testing? Why would he need to stay in isolation longer than a few days if he can be tested and shown not to have the virus after 3/5/7/9 days etc?

 

[Springal]

I'm not sure he'll have to quarantine for the full 2 weeks.

That is surely for all us plebs who do not have access to regular testing? Why would he need to stay in isolation longer than a few days if he can be tested and shown not to have the virus after 3/5/7/9 days etc?

See my second post

 

[Mellotron]

See my second post

Yeah - I would think something like 5 day isolation, then testing before allowed to rejoin group.

 

[Mellotron]

Amiens start legal case against Ligue 1 for being relegated.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52635003

Amiens have started legal proceedings for their "unjust" relegation after France's Ligue 1 season was ended early because of the coronavirus crisis.

Paris St-Germain were awarded the title last month, with Amiens and Toulouse relegated, after the French government cancelled the 2019-20 sporting season.

Amiens were 19th in the table, four points behind Nimes and 10 points ahead of Toulouse, with 10 games to play.

Club president Bernard Joannin said they would fight the "unfair decision".

He said in a news conference: "We find that this decision goes against sporting fairness. The decision is a punishment from the league. It is unjust.

"We have been forced into fighting, into going to court to try to overturn this unfair decision."

Earlier this month, Amiens launched a petition asking that the league's governing body, Ligue de Football Professionnel, reconsider its decision to relegate the two sides and instead have 22 teams instead of 20 in the top division in 2020-21.

This would include Lorient and Lens, who have been promoted from Ligue 2.

Club lawyer Christophe Bertrand said: "We are not contesting the decision to stop the season. That is not really the object of these proceedings. It would be a bit inappropriate.

"However, what we are contesting are the consequences of the decisions that were taken."