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

[Weststander]

What if though, halfway through next season you are then seeing progress against covid-19 and the government relaxes rules to allow spectators? Are you then going to continue that season behind closed doors to protect the integrity or allow spectators because that's the football we know and love and will also help financially boost clubs? Also what if then lockdowns are more localized, some clubs lose their home advantage or have to play at neutral stadia? I take the point about losing home advantage but then when you play the remaining 'away' games the home team will equally lose their advantage, there is no perfect solution but having played three quarters of this season I think when is practically possible we should pick this season up again.

Null and voiding this season may clear up this season but only leads to the same issues for next season, a full season that we do not know if or when it can be started and even then if there are 2nd or 3rd waves of infections potentially you have to suspend that season. I'd much rather we finish off this season as and when we practically can which looks increasingly likely to be over the summer behind closed doors and then we have a complete season and we can look at how to practically stage the 20/21 season.

Excellent post, again.

Every epidemiologist and virologist is advising that covid-19 will haunt the UK in 4 to 8 waves over a very long period. What happens if season 2020/21 or 2021/22 is under way, then halted, with resumed matches held behind closed doors? Complainants will mention, again, the unfairness that their table rivals difficult away games to come will be behind closed doors, that more of our home games came in the empty stadia period, and a long list of other injustices.

It’s a very imperfect sporting situation for many months and possibly a couple of years to come, we’ll all have to learn to accept this, as football flips back and forth from different crowd scenarios, on instruction from the government.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Excellent post, again.

Every epidemiologist and virologist is advising that covid-19 will haunt the UK in 4 to 8 waves over a very long period. What happens if season 2020/21 or 2021/22 is under way, then halted, with resumed matches held behind closed doors? Complainants will mention, again, the unfairness that their table rivals difficult away games to come will be behind closed doors, that more of our home games came in the empty stadia period, and a long list of other injustices.

It’s a very imperfect sporting situation for many months and possibly a couple of years to come, we’ll all have to learn to accept this, as football flips back and forth from different crowd scenarios, on instruction from the government.

But it comes back to the same point again - clubs will have agreed to provisions that will be made in those seasons and any complaints/grievances will fall on deaf ears as it will have been agreed at the start of the season.

If you make changes to a competition three quarters of the way through it’s completion, there will be rightful grievances and complaints.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

But it comes back to the same point again - clubs will have agreed to provisions that will be made in those seasons and any complaints/grievances will fall on deaf ears as it will have been agreed at the start of the season.

If you make changes to a competition three quarters of the way through it’s completion, there will be rightful grievances and complaints.

With so many 'what ifs' for the 20/21 season, put the 19/20 to bed, and get on with planning for it now.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Gareth Southgate said how miserable and demotivating it was for his team when they played a qualifier behind closed doors a while back- was it Croatia? Somewhere in the Balkans.
Imagine being a player who has to do that, not once, but nine or ten times. Nine or ten games in empty, echoing stadiums (I suppose at least Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday players will feel at home). Especially the clubs with nothing to play for. What sort of effort are Palace players, for example, going to make, especially angsty, tantrum-prone ones who have their annual summer transfer window SAGA coming up and who won't want to get injured? The matches will feel like training exercises and you could easily see some very odd results turning up. Everton, Burnley, Arsenal, Saints...why would their players put their careers on the line by risking an injury in a meaningless game played in front of nobody.

Even Liverpool would inevitably do the necessary for the one or two wins to secure the title, then piss about for the remaining seven/eight games, making a further mockery of proceedings. Once done, Klopp would probably field the U20s again to ensure his stars get (another) long break over the summer.

 

[NS Herald]

Yes, the integrity is gone.

Which is why I'll pay no particular attention to the end of season mini-tournament.

If we go down - after not being in the relegation zone for any of the normal season - then I'll just feel very disappointed for Tony. It would be a cruel twist.

Very much agree - to all intents and purposes this 'season' is already over.

A re-start of any sort will effectively be a new season albeit with (most of) the same players - you simply can't have such a long gap and consider it the same season.

Any more football classified as this season will be meaningless except to the bean counters - they can explain it away as much as they want but this sport we all support has no true meaning without supporters.

 

[essbee1]

Very much agree - to all intents and purposes this 'season' is already over.

A re-start of any sort will effectively be a new season albeit with (most of) the same players - you simply can't have such a long gap and consider it the same season.

Any more football classified as this season will be meaningless except to the bean counters - they can explain it away as much as they want but this sport we all support has no true meaning without supporters.

This.

 

[A1X]

It would be nice if those 9/10 games are so terrible a viewing experience with the lack of atmosphere that it makes clubs (and crucially the authorities) realise the importance of match day fans and start to lower the ticket prices.

 

[dazzer6666]

Gareth Southgate said how miserable and demotivating it was for his team when they played a qualifier behind closed doors a while back- was it Croatia? Somewhere in the Balkans.
Imagine being a player who has to do that, not once, but nine or ten times. Nine or ten games in empty, echoing stadiums (I suppose at least Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday players will feel at home). Especially the clubs with nothing to play for. What sort of effort are Palace players, for example, going to make, especially angsty, tantrum-prone ones who have their annual summer transfer window SAGA coming up and who won't want to get injured? The matches will feel like training exercises and you could easily see some very odd results turning up. Everton, Burnley, Arsenal, Saints...why would their players put their careers on the line by risking an injury in a meaningless game played in front of nobody.

Even Liverpool would inevitably do the necessary for the one or two wins to secure the title, then piss about for the remaining seven/eight games, making a further mockery of proceedings. Once done, Klopp would probably field the U20s again to ensure his stars get (another) long break over the summer.

Nice reference to Roy’s summer holiday booking there.......imagine that must be in doubt as well.

 

[GT49er]

We aren't going to finish the 2019-20 season. The sooner football takes a look outside its little bubble and recognises this fact the better. Void it, or just keep positions as they are, with no promotion or relegation, it makes no serious difference except to the bean counters. Self-proclaimed importance of the EPL 0, Coronavirus 1.

Time to start planning for 2020-21 with all sorts of scenarios factored in to the agreed formula.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Prem/FL plan to finish season behind closed doors in JULY

Looks like there is a plan to start the remaining Prem fixtures 13 June, and UEFA want them finished by 31 July to leave August clear to get through the Europa and Champs League. Behind closed doors this suggests.


https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...rn-by-mid-june-in-best-case-scenario-football

 

[sparkie]

Looks like there is a plan to start the remaining Prem fixtures 13 June, and UEFA want them finished by 31 July to leave August clear to get through the Europa and Champs League. Behind closed doors this suggests.


https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...rn-by-mid-june-in-best-case-scenario-football

"Best case scenario".

They also mention there may be no football until October.

 

[Arkwright]

I totally understand the desire to complete the season but I simply do not understand the behind closed doors and possibly on neutral venues.
Surely the completion of the season has to mirror what went on before if not it isn't a level playing field. The Albion had to travel to Newcastle away and yet the reverse fixture is potentially to be played at say St George's in the Midlands, where is the home advantage in that, Newcastle could have a shorter journey than us.

Saying the new season 20/21 could start in October I presume is with the aim of being played in front of paying fans, why not finish the 19/20 season in October and simply extend the following season but withdraw all cup competitions and play two games a week (we use to do this in the EFL).

The main aim at present is to save lives and yet sport seems obsessed with encouraging players to not social distance and not stay at home what sort of example is this setting. This is not about finishing the season this is simply about Sky funding and clubs having reduced income, if income is reduced in high street business employees often have to take a pay cut until finances get back to normal (I've had to) why not the same for footballers (I know this is harder outside the PL).

I heard on R5L the other day a scenario that Sky pay out in full for this season but reduce payments for following seasons, to me this works and means you can finish this season now and start a new season in October. Maybe relegate the bottom two and top two in each division but with no Play Off.

I fully understand football's dilemma however football also needs to be realistic.

 

[Bold Seagull]

"Best case scenario".

They also mention there may be no football until October.

I’ve just read it, the difference between best case and worse case is a chasm, 5 months difference. Best case includes players back in a mini-preseason in 3 weeks time, I’m assuming this has been pencilled in on the proviso the lockdown is relaxed in 3 weeks.

The article suggests clubs are agreeing that 4 weeks training is required before any formal matches can take place. With UEFA placing a long stop deadline of 31 July for domestic comps to complete, it seems a lot is going to have to happen for this best case to succeed.

To then have a worse case of no football till October and planning for that scenario in how 20/21 will look, this all seems like a slow drip feed PR exercise in letting people down gently that this season isn’t likely to finish.

 

[atomised]

It does feel like it's being drip fed to me. They clearly want to exhaust all possibilities but I would be surprised if more than half the clubs believe this season will finish now

 

[Jim D]

I’ve just read it, the difference between best case and worse case is a chasm, 5 months difference. Best case includes players back in a mini-preseason in 3 weeks time, I’m assuming this has been pencilled in on the proviso the lockdown is relaxed in 3 weeks.

The article suggests clubs are agreeing that 4 weeks training is required before any formal matches can take place. With UEFA placing a long stop deadline of 31 July for domestic comps to complete, it seems a lot is going to have to happen for this best case to succeed.

To then have a worse case of no football till October and planning for that scenario in how 20/21 will look, this all seems like a slow drip feed PR exercise in letting people down gently that this season isn’t likely to finish.

I can't see October as the worst case. If lockdown persists during May and June and there is a second wave in September I doubt we'll be restarting until May 2021.

 

[GT49er]

Looks like there is a plan to start the remaining Prem fixtures 13 June, and UEFA want them finished by 31 July to leave August clear to get through the Europa and Champs League. Behind closed doors this suggests.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...rn-by-mid-june-in-best-case-scenario-football

Straws; clutching; at.

One and a half million people (the group identified as particularly vulnerable) will still be in total lockdown (no trips to the shops or going out for exercise etc.) on 13th.June - do they seriously imagine the rest of the nation will be running about playing football by then?

 

[Bry Nylon]

This PL obsession with finishing a football season when hundreds are still dying and those caring for them don’t even have the basic protective gear is becoming quite distasteful.

 

[Bold Seagull]

This PL obsession with finishing a football season when hundreds are still dying and those caring for them don’t even have the basic protective gear is becoming quite distasteful.

It’s really odd the disconnect with the rest of football. It really is the PL as a complete separate entity to the wider football family, when really this should be a chance to present a united front, from Conference to PL, all clubs in this together, what’s good for the PL is good for all. Not a chance though, it’s like nothing exists outside the PL.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

It’s really odd the disconnect with the rest of football. It really is the PL as a complete separate entity to the wider football family, when really this should be a chance to present a united front, from Conference to PL, all clubs in this together, what’s good for the PL is good for all. Not a chance though, it’s like nothing exists outside the PL.

Yes l understand what you are saying, I really think the Premier League, (and football leagues in general), should worry more about when, and if, next season will get uinderway, never mind about finishing the current one.

At grass roots level, we as a Committee at Hoersham YMCA, have very much decided to put all plans for future football on to the back burner, untill all of the current troubles are over, when ever that may be..

 

[sparkie]

This PL obsession with finishing a football season when hundreds are still dying and those caring for them don’t even have the basic protective gear is becoming quite distasteful.

Overseas owners means more of a disconnect with UK issues.

I suspect the biggest voices amongst owners for finishing the season come from those based beyond these shores.