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

[Lincoln Imp]

But Bozza, a flaw in your argument. The businesses you mention haven't had the luxury of ~20 years of gross sums of money swilling around the place
and sp**king it all up on grossly inflated player's wages and wa***** agents while consistently milking its customers for cash. So you can hardly blame people for having
this perception, can you? I don't see how that compares with a shopkeeper living on the edge, trying to get by.

I have a friend with a small manufacturing business. He has recently invested - or spunked as you could say - over £400,000 on machinery. He didn't want to do it, just as I didn't want to blow most of my working capital on computer stuff when I started up, but he had to. He's in a competitive field (as was I) and he had to spend money on getting the best he could afford.

Surely no Premier League chairman can say "actually, I don't think I will give any of my players more than £10,000 a week" and expect his business to survive? It's not just extravagance on the part of individual clubs.

 

[drew]

EFL already been in touch with the government about using testing capacity Iso that’s 25,000 tests completed today including front line key workers oh and some footballers

To be fair, there has been a lot of talk about the testing capacity not being utilised so don't have a problem if the EFL have made enquiries about utilising that spare capacity. As far as I'm aware, they're not suggesting putting themselves ahead of key workers. That said, extending testing to key workers and their families seems to have absorbed that spare capacity.

 

[drew]

Sorry if I added to your annoyance but firstly it is all about money, many on here have been furloughed taking pay cuts of a minimum of 20% and in some cases a lot more. Players rightly or wrongly who earn a shed load more than anyone I know don't appear to be realistic enough to take the cuts required to save their employers from potential bankruptcy meaning clubs have little to no option but to complete the season in such an unsatisfactory fashion to fulfil the Sky Contract hence obtaining full reimbursement from Sky.
Is anyone listening to the opinions of fans who in general want the season finished and concentrate on saving lives and forget about this obsession of playing football behind closed doors on neutral venues, which in itself it ridiculous as it doesn't mirror what proceeded.
Maybe this is the right time for football to look at itself and say it simply can't continue running as it is and start to run clubs like the local coffee shop or pub landlord who look to make profits and not run at a loss. How many clubs have a rainy day fund despite the vast income, boom bust and a reliance on TV funding have meant football can be bullied by the deep pockets of Sky. Sorry but it's simply all about money and two fingers to the fans who they don't give a toss about.

I really don't think there is one EPL club that will go under just because they have to keep paying their players. The lost revenue at the moment is gate money and that is a relatively small percentage. In respect of TV moneys, I believe it is somewhere between £35/£50m per club which is a couple of players in the transfer market should the tv companies ask for it back. Future earnings will more than cover that. The problem is further down the pyramid and I don't think anyone has issues with clubs furloughing staff at those levels.

As for anyone listening to us about ending the season now. I suspect those that are having discussions know that only too well but the problem is lack of transparency. What would be good would be if they came out and advised what they will do under different scenarios. ie, if the league can be finished by playing June to July, fair enough, but what will happen if they start and a player goes down with Covid. Also, what if they can't start in June, what are the options for finishing the season and would they void it, finish as is, average points or what ever they decide.

Problem is they are not communicating to the fans or anyone.

 

[essbee1]

I have a friend with a small manufacturing business. He has recently invested - or spunked as you could say - over £400,000 on machinery. He didn't want to do it, just as I didn't want to blow most of my working capital on computer stuff when I started up, but he had to. He's in a competitive field (as was I) and he had to spend money on getting the best he could afford.

Surely no Premier League chairman can say "actually, I don't think I will give any of my players more than £10,000 a week" and expect his business to survive? It's not just extravagance on the part of individual clubs.

Really? Come on Imp. That's a weak argument.

 

[Weststander]

Sorry if I added to your annoyance but firstly it is all about money, many on here have been furloughed taking pay cuts of a minimum of 20% and in some cases a lot more. Players rightly or wrongly who earn a shed load more than anyone I know don't appear to be realistic enough to take the cuts required to save their employers from potential bankruptcy meaning clubs have little to no option but to complete the season in such an unsatisfactory fashion to fulfil the Sky Contract hence obtaining full reimbursement from Sky.
Is anyone listening to the opinions of fans who in general want the season finished and concentrate on saving lives and forget about this obsession of playing football behind closed doors on neutral venues, which in itself it ridiculous as it doesn't mirror what proceeded.
Maybe this is the right time for football to look at itself and say it simply can't continue running as it is and start to run clubs like the local coffee shop or pub landlord who look to make profits and not run at a loss. How many clubs have a rainy day fund despite the vast income, boom bust and a reliance on TV funding have meant football can be bullied by the deep pockets of Sky. Sorry but it's simply all about money and two fingers to the fans who they don't give a toss about.

Furloughed pay cuts should be at a maximum of 20%, not a minimum of 20%. It doesn’t cost employers a penny to pay 80%.

 

[sparkie]

The previous proper football games of the current season are now starting to seem like a century ago.

How they will now form any meaningful link to a pseudo-football behind closed doors mini-tournament is beyond me.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

The restart of Premier League football behind closed doors seems to include testing of everyone involved pre-match and it also seems to pre-suppose a negative outcome to 100% of those tests. There doesn't seem to be a protocol for players and staff testing positive on the day of the match. Let's say Brighton are playing Liverpool behind closed doors. Klopp and Mo Salah are asymptomatic, but test positive on the day of the match. Does the game go ahead without them or does the whole Liverpool squad go in to self isolation for 14 days? All the testing seems to be based on confirming nobody has the virus, but what if they do?

 

[Beach Hut]

The restart of Premier League football behind closed doors seems to include testing of everyone involved pre-match and it also seems to pre-suppose a negative outcome to 100% of those tests. There doesn't seem to be a protocol for players and staff testing positive on the day of the match. Let's say Brighton are playing Liverpool behind closed doors. Klopp and Mo Salah are asymptomatic, but test positive on the day of the match. Does the game go ahead without them or does the whole Liverpool squad go in to self isolation for 14 days? All the testing seems to be based on confirming nobody has the virus, but what if they do?

And if a player does have a virus it won't take long to spread whilst they endless spit during the game......

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

The restart of Premier League football behind closed doors seems to include testing of everyone involved pre-match and it also seems to pre-suppose a negative outcome to 100% of those tests. There doesn't seem to be a protocol for players and staff testing positive on the day of the match. Let's say Brighton are playing Liverpool behind closed doors. Klopp and Mo Salah are asymptomatic, but test positive on the day of the match. Does the game go ahead without them or does the whole Liverpool squad go in to self isolation for 14 days? All the testing seems to be based on confirming nobody has the virus, but what if they do?

Assuming the test results are pretty instant ( they would have to be on match day testing ), everyone involved would surely test the night before and the match day test would be more 'symbolic'....

If someone caught it between the previous night and the match day test then the match would be postponed...

 

[WilburySeagull]

Furloughed pay cuts should be at a maximum of 20%, not a minimum of 20%. It doesn’t cost employers a penny to pay 80%.

Just to be clear: tthe govt pays 20% up to a max of £2500 a month so a high paid employee would not get 80% of his normal pay unless the employer decided to make any shortfall up.

 

[GT49er]

Just to be clear: tthe govt pays 20% up to a max of £2500 a month so a high paid employee would not get 80% of his normal pay unless the employer decided to make any shortfall up.

The government pays 80% (up to a maximum of £2500 per month). The employer may (but doesn't have to) pay the remaining 20%.

 

[Triggaaar]

Understood, but I just think this rush to get football restarted is obscene, with what's going on at present..

Can you imagine the news, "so, today's death figures are 500 - and here's tonight's football results" - ok, so it might not happen quite like that, and maybe I'm a little too close to this to have a rational opinion, but quite frankly I think the whole desperate need to get football back stinks!

Personally I'm not bothered about it restarting, but another take on getting some sport going again is that it could help the public during this time of lockdown. If we need people to stay in, giving them sport to watch on the box could help.

 

[Icy Gull]

At the moment I couldn’t care less about how the season pans out or doesn’t. Once something FIRM is arrived at I will no doubt get very interested again

Trying to second guess is a complete waste of time.

 

[WilburySeagull]

Assuming the test results are pretty instant ( they would have to be on match day testing ), everyone involved would surely test the night before and the match day test would be more 'symbolic'....

If someone caught it between the previous night and the match day test then the match would be postponed...

I dont think it would be like that. Everyone involved including squads trainers support staff and match officials would need to be tested well before the restart and then those ok would be isolated for the whole rest of season (assuming it is finished quickly with matches every few days.) Anyone positive would have to be separated and only rejoin squad after 14 days.

 

[cjd]

This testing lark that so many mention.

A genuine question........if someone with the virus passes it on to any of the players or officials of any given game, how quick will it show that person is now infected ...? Does it show after being infected for 5 minutes or 5 hours or 5 days ?

 

[Triggaaar]

Just to be clear: tthe govt pays 20% up to a max of £2500 a month so a high paid employee would not get 80% of his normal pay unless the employer decided to make any shortfall up.

I thought the govt paid 80%. Have you got a link to show they only pay 20%?

 

[GT49er]

I dont think it would be like that. Everyone involved including squads trainers support staff and match officials would need to be tested well before the restart and then those ok would be isolated for the whole rest of season (assuming it is finished quickly with matches every few days.) Anyone positive would have to be separated and only rejoin squad after 14 days.

Yes, footballers are very good at remaining in self-isolation for several weeks aren't they? Presumably Villa will be allowed to shackle Grealish to the bed in his hotel room...........

 

[GT49er]

I thought the govt paid 80%. Have you got a link to show they only pay 20%?

This link shows they pay 80%.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-i...virus-job-retention-scheme#how-much-youll-get

 

[Triggaaar]

This link shows they pay 80%.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-i...virus-job-retention-scheme#how-much-youll-get

It's not something I've ever looked into as it doesn't affect anyone in my family, but I'm interested to hear how Wilbury was so sure they only paid 20%

 

[darkwolf666]

Personally I'm not bothered about it restarting, but another take on getting some sport going again is that it could help the public during this time of lockdown. If we need people to stay in, giving them sport to watch on the box could help.

Yep, that was the way they were selling it on ITV news, with the tag "football's coming home", which I thought was a bit crass!