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

[LamieRobertson]

And punch ups on the sidelines

The entertainment values going up already

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Monkey Rush goalies

 

[crodonilson]

Looking more likely that the EPL simply cannot extend beyond 30 June. Not just because of player contracts, kit contracts, sponsorship deal contracts all come into play if that date is exceeded. While you could pass rules to give permission for temporary extension of contracts, you couldn't force a player to sign one.

There's a fairly simple way around this and that is for all clubs to agree not to sign out of contract players until the current season has finished. Players who are out of contract can leave of their own free will on 30th June but it won't be a good look for them rocking the boat at this time and also would they want to go without pay for several months until the season is completed to sign for another club?

 

[sparkie]

There's a fairly simple way around this and that is for all clubs to agree not to sign out of contract players until the current season has finished. Players who are out of contract can leave of their own free will on 30th June but it won't be a good look for them rocking the boat at this time and also would they want to go without pay for several months until the season is completed to sign for another club?

Won't happen, so not really a way around it.

If, for example, Real Madrid offered Schelotto a 3 year deal to start at the beginning of next season... he'd have to pass a medical at some point. So he'd be minimising his injury risk before that. So no training or playing after June 30th would seem wise.

 

[pasty]

I'm coming round to it being scrapped altogether.

The gap between the last set of games and the season resuming is going to be longer than a normal close season period. In effect the competition is rendered meaningless as it will just be a case of which clubs come out of isolation better, not a reflection of the season at all. There will be no match sharpness, no friendlies to get going. It would be a bit of a shambles. Chuck in the 80 or so players in the PL who will be out of contract in July, it's even more of just a lottery and no reflection of what has gone before. Cup competitions are a bit different as they are one off games anyway, but for leagues, as painful as it is, just think they're going to have to write last season off.

Completely agree. I simply cannot see a way this season can feasibly be completed without making a mockery of it.

 

[Hugo Rune]

There's a fairly simple way around this and that is for all clubs to agree not to sign out of contract players until the current season has finished. Players who are out of contract can leave of their own free will on 30th June but it won't be a good look for them rocking the boat at this time and also would they want to go without pay for several months until the season is completed to sign for another club?

Going forwards, clubs should ensure all new contacts will now have a clause that states and end date or end of the domestic season, whichever is later as the end of the contracted period of time.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

If the premier league clubs pushing for the season to end by July 1 are successful then a start will have to be made on rushing through the remaining fixtures by the end of next month. And as Kevin de Bruyne has pointed out, pre-resumption training should really get going a couple of weeks from now. Tight.

If it's too tight, the current Premier League season will have to end prematurely of course.

The Times yesterday outlined three ways this could be done.

1. Points per game played to date. The only change from the current table would be that Sheffield United and Arsenal would overtake Wolves and Spurs.

2. Only apply the first half of the season. Obvious drawbacks, not least that Watford would be unfairly penalised.

3. Predict the result of each remaining fixture by a process based on measuring both sides' home and away records, with extra weighting for last five games.

Under none of these options (including the third, which surprised me) would the Albion be relegated.

 

[sparkie]

Going forwards, clubs should ensure all new contacts will now have a clause that states and end date or end of the domestic season, whichever is later as the end of the contracted period of time.

A more essential contract change is a world wide compulsory clause that states if a club is prevented from playing by emergency laws, then the contracted wage must drop down to the average weekly wage of that country, or perhaps to a global standard agreed figure.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

If the premier league clubs pushing for the season to end by July 1 are successful then a start will have to be made on rushing through the remaining fixtures by the end of next month. And as Kevin de Bruyne has pointed out, pre-resumption training should really get going a couple of weeks from now. Tight.

If it's too tight, the current Premier League season will have to end prematurely of course.

The Times yesterday outlined three ways this could be done.

1. Points per game played to date. The only change from the current table would be that Sheffield United and Arsenal would overtake Wolves and Spurs.

2. Only apply the first half of the season. Obvious drawbacks, not least that Watford would be unfairly penalised.

3. Predict the result of each remaining fixture by a process based on measuring both sides' home and away records, with extra weighting for last five games.

Under none of these options (including the third, which surprised me) would the Albion be relegated.

I support any of these options

 

[blockhseagull]

The problem with ‘rushing’ through a completion to as season is that in itself takes away any integrity of the competition.

The way this season has panned out there are a number of sides who have little to gain or lose over the last 9 games. If they are playing twice a week over a 5 week period, what’s to stop some of these sides fielding severely weakened teams in some games ?

And after a 10-12 week gap the PL won’t be able to say anything about fielding weak sides in games should teams see fit as the clubs will just respond with player fitness... weather conditions in June etc etc.

 

[Bold Seagull]

There's a fairly simple way around this and that is for all clubs to agree not to sign out of contract players until the current season has finished. Players who are out of contract can leave of their own free will on 30th June but it won't be a good look for them rocking the boat at this time and also would they want to go without pay for several months until the season is completed to sign for another club?

So much more to it than just player contracts. The integrity of the competition itself is at stake. Potentially a 3 month break, perhaps not even played at home or away grounds, perhaps without crowds; the remaining 9 PL games will be fairly meaningless in context of the previous 29, it's just a separate new mini season. You may as well just award average points which in all honesty will be more of a reflection than playing fixtures that really will have no relation to what went before anyway.

I go back to previous ideas of scrapping the season, no relegations, promote top 2 teams, start PL season next season early with 22 teams in it. Min number of losers in the scenario.

 

[sparkie]

With 9 games to play in the mini-tournament some teams lose home advantage for 5 games, and others only lose it for 4 games

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Maybe we should just resurrect the Pools Panel and get them to decide the results of the outstanding fixtures.

Even televise their deliberations, that would be fun!

 

[Simster]

If the premier league clubs pushing for the season to end by July 1 are successful then a start will have to be made on rushing through the remaining fixtures by the end of next month. And as Kevin de Bruyne has pointed out, pre-resumption training should really get going a couple of weeks from now. Tight.

If it's too tight, the current Premier League season will have to end prematurely of course.

The Times yesterday outlined three ways this could be done.

1. Points per game played to date. The only change from the current table would be that Sheffield United and Arsenal would overtake Wolves and Spurs.

2. Only apply the first half of the season. Obvious drawbacks, not least that Watford would be unfairly penalised.

3. Predict the result of each remaining fixture by a process based on measuring both sides' home and away records, with extra weighting for last five games.

Under none of these options (including the third, which surprised me) would the Albion be relegated.

Any of these would have to be considered, but I also think that the teams relegated would probably expect a greater parachute payment than normal. Or no relegation from the Premier league at all, run a 23 team league for a season, then 4 down 3 up for the next 3 years?

 

[GT49er]

Any of these would have to be considered, but I also think that the teams relegated would probably expect a greater parachute payment than normal. Or no relegation from the Premier league at all, run a 23 team league for a season, then 4 down 3 up for the next 3 years?

Why 23? There won't be any pay-offs, so only 2 would be promoted.

 

[crodonilson]

So much more to it than just player contracts. The integrity of the competition itself is at stake. Potentially a 3 month break, perhaps not even played at home or away grounds, perhaps without crowds; the remaining 9 PL games will be fairly meaningless in context of the previous 29, it's just a separate new mini season. You may as well just award average points which in all honesty will be more of a reflection than playing fixtures that really will have no relation to what went before anyway.

I go back to previous ideas of scrapping the season, no relegations, promote top 2 teams, start PL season next season early with 22 teams in it. Min number of losers in the scenario.

I think you have to be pragmatic about it, realistically next season will have to start behind closed doors so how does that affect the integrity of that season? And if we are to wait until spectators are allowed into grounds for the next season we are likely to be waiting for a vaccine to be approved and distributed, so minimum Autumn 2021, in which case we are voiding this season and next season and with no revenue even top clubs will be going under by that point. Playing behind closed doors is not ideal but it's a level playing field, it's the same for all teams and in a relatively short space of time we can get the season finished.

To me the 22 team PL is a non starter, you can't promote 2 clubs who have a healthy lead but with more than enough points to be overhauled, Norwich are further adrift at the bottom than Leeds/West brom are at the top, if you have promotion you must have relegation, not to mention an already crowded fixture list will require another 4 rounds of games.

 

[Marshy]

The season will get cancelled I know until it is they have try and find solutions but it aint happening.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I think you have to be pragmatic about it, realistically next season will have to start behind closed doors so how does that affect the integrity of that season? And if we are to wait until spectators are allowed into grounds for the next season we are likely to be waiting for a vaccine to be approved and distributed, so minimum Autumn 2021, in which case we are voiding this season and next season and with no revenue even top clubs will be going under by that point. Playing behind closed doors is not ideal but it's a level playing field, it's the same for all teams and in a relatively short space of time we can get the season finished.

To me the 22 team PL is a non starter, you can't promote 2 clubs who have a healthy lead but with more than enough points to be overhauled, Norwich are further adrift at the bottom than Leeds/West brom are at the top, if you have promotion you must have relegation, not to mention an already crowded fixture list will require another 4 rounds of games.

You would be starting a season on a set of rules known at the start. If that means closed doors, neutral venues, all those things can be included in the rules at the start, so I don't agree, the integrity of next season can be set up accordingly, and everyone starts the season knowing that is the case.

Completing this season won't be a level playing field at all. Home and Away records are obviously a huge factor in deciding positions, it's not a level playing field because clubs have different levels of games left at home to others. As an example it would be a huge advantage to one of our rivals to playing ManUtd, Spurs, Arsenal at a neutral venue rather than away, and equally a huge disadvantage for us to play those similar fixtures that would have been at home for us at a neutral venue. The very nature of the competition, home and away games would be lost. You can of course do it, but promotions and relegations based on that will be as meaningless as your point saying whether Leeds/West Brom should go up or Norwich down.

I don't disagree with your final point, and perhaps everyone will need to get their head around this season simply being voided and the whole of 19/20 a footnote and left uncompleted. We then start next season with a set of rules that apply to the current situation.

 

[Weststander]

I think you have to be pragmatic about it, realistically next season will have to start behind closed doors so how does that affect the integrity of that season? And if we are to wait until spectators are allowed into grounds for the next season we are likely to be waiting for a vaccine to be approved and distributed, so minimum Autumn 2021, in which case we are voiding this season and next season and with no revenue even top clubs will be going under by that point. Playing behind closed doors is not ideal but it's a level playing field, it's the same for all teams and in a relatively short space of time we can get the season finished.

To me the 22 team PL is a non starter, you can't promote 2 clubs who have a healthy lead but with more than enough points to be overhauled, Norwich are further adrift at the bottom than Leeds/West brom are at the top, if you have promotion you must have relegation, not to mention an already crowded fixture list will require another 4 rounds of games.

Excellent post.

I’ve said throughout that null and voiding 2019/20, with a neat and tidy PL 2020/21 starting in August or September to packed stadia, is a pipe dream.

We won’t see up to 74,000 allowed into PL grounds for some considerable time. That would be the perfect breeding ground for Corona Virus.

We will see empty stadia football matches, whether it be tagged 2019/20, 2020/21 or 2021/22, or at most limited crowds.

It that angers people as “the sporting integrity is compromised”, that’s hard luck. Some football will keep clubs and related businesses from going under, there is no perfect solution.

 

[beorhthelm]

i reckon the Premier League will try to agree to something with unanimity, and the best way to gain support of the bottom clubs is no relegation. the season is over bar the paper work and who will take positions 2-5. if they can agree a fair way to do that, they could have this wrapped up this afternoon and focus on what to do for start of next season.