[Football] Premier League to Go Ahead

[Jeremiah]

It's a shame that some rules were not set up about 2 weeks ago. Already some clubs have gained out of the situation - Wolves played against a Covid hit Albion and Chelsea and picked up 4 points while others conveniently had their matches postponed - Man U , Spurs , Villa etc.

 

[Hamilton]

Can I just be a lone voice here and say (transport issues completely excepted) isn't it better for families to have the whole day together with football in the evening? I completely accept every family is different and some prefer evenings together but normally with a 3pm kick off or an away game a vast chunk of the day is gone. Just an alternative view but I really don't think a late kick off is that bad (again with the proviso that transport is a huge issue).

It's a fair point. I guess that others might say, why play on Boxing Day at all.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Instead, clubs have been advised if they have 13 fit players, plus a goalkeeper, they should fulfil their games.

Turns it into a lottery. A joke Premier League season to be followed by another joke season with a World Cup in the Middle East crowbarred into it.

Money trumps common sense

What are the odds of some U23s picking up some interesting niggles just before matchday?

Should have been the rules from day 1 so we everyone knew

 

[Jim in the West]

Should have been the rules from day 1 so everyone knew

Agree that there should have been SOME clear rules, but 13 players and just one GK is a pretty tough place to draw the line - especially given the holiday fixture list (3 games in a week)....if a team is down to the bare bones there is no chance of rotation, and a massive increase in the risk of muscle injuries. Of course, as ever this favours the big clubs with big squads.

 

[BNthree]

Having to seriously think about this, infection growth rates are off the charts and hard to see how you aren't begging to catch it by attending. I attended all the ballot games in between lockdowns so am not a total panicker on this but the risks starting to look disproportional

Given there’s likely to be same sort of numbers at the Amex for this as those ballot matches it shouldn’t be too risky.


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[BNthree]

Can I just be a lone voice here and say (transport issues completely excepted) isn't it better for families to have the whole day together with football in the evening? I completely accept every family is different and some prefer evenings together but normally with a 3pm kick off or an away game a vast chunk of the day is gone. Just an alternative view but I really don't think a late kick off is that bad (again with the proviso that transport is a huge issue).

I agree, works better for us it being in the evening but obviously transport will be a nightmare for most folks.


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[GT49er]

If they have 13 players plus keeper the game must go ahead.
Strange the article says 'no vote took place'.

Please note - nowhere is the nowadays heretical 'must' word used. The clubs are 'advised' that they 'should'................

PL Reflecting Johnson really, with their fear of 'must' - i.e. 'You must wear a mask in shops - unless you really don't want to, of course............"

None of the big clubs will play if they don't want to - they'll probably interpret the rules as 'We must have 13 players that we would normally want to pick plus a [first team] GK'.

 

[loz]

It's a fair point. I guess that others might say, why play on Boxing Day at all.

What! Boxing Day = football and always has… it Santa that long ago they played Xmas day as well.

 

[Acker79]

Is it 13 players. Or 13 of your named 25 man squad. If it's the former, I wonder if we'll see a starting 11 of:

Thomas McGill
Tariq Lamptey
Marc Cucurella
Adam Webster
Lewis Dunk
Shane Duffy
Hayden Roberts
Dan Burn
Joel Veltman
Antef Tsoungui
James Furlong

Subs
Ed Turns
Odeluga Offiah
Marc Leonard

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Agree that there should have been SOME clear rules, but 13 players and just one GK is a pretty tough place to draw the line - especially given the holiday fixture list (3 games in a week)....if a team is down to the bare bones there is no chance of rotation, and a massive increase in the risk of muscle injuries. Of course, as ever this favours the big clubs with big squads.

Does it only look harsh because it’s being brought in now?

I’m not sure anyone would have questioned it at the start of the season.

Common sense would have been to leave the loan window open for emergencies

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Still PLENTY of time for the decision to be reversed...

 

[Ken Newbury]

My guess, and it's just a guess, is that the PL have said play-on in the hope that the government announces a two-week circuit breaker from 28th December which may limit their contractual liability with the TV companies than if they made the decision themselves.

 

[The Oldman]

If they have 13 players plus keeper the game must go ahead.
Strange the article says 'no vote took place'.

Surprised no mention of back up staff. What if pitch doctor and Physio not available?

 

[portslade seagull]

Money talks and the PL are knee deep in hock to the tv schedules and companies

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I hope the EPL has clarified what constitutes a player being qualified to be one of the lucky 13. Is it just the 25 man squad or does it extend to untried under 21s in the Development Squad like Ferguson who made the bench against Wolves. Pity the poor club with just 13 fit players on the 26th and the 28th.

 

[RexCathedra]

This is going to knock the gambling all to hell. Even less idea from day to day, from hour to hour, who's even playing....

 

[beorhthelm]

probably in a minority thinking they should play. football had a special case exemption to continue last year and clubs and players should have planned around this possibility, had their jabs, stayed away from people to keep exposure to a minimum. postponment just delays any advantage of bigger squads who'll cope with the fixture congestion.

 

[ac gull]

todays summary of cancelled Boxing Day games

Full list of Boxing Day matches off
Championship

Barnsley v Stoke City

Cardiff City v Coventry City

League Two

Bristol Rovers v Sutton United

Bradford City v Harrogate Town

Exeter City v Swindon Town

Newport County v Forest Green Rovers

Northampton Town v Walsall

 

[Husty]

Can I just be a lone voice here and say (transport issues completely excepted) isn't it better for families to have the whole day together with football in the evening? I completely accept every family is different and some prefer evenings together but normally with a 3pm kick off or an away game a vast chunk of the day is gone. Just an alternative view but I really don't think a late kick off is that bad (again with the proviso that transport is a huge issue).

You're not wrong, I'd say it's either a special family day or it's not, the fact your spending the whole afternoon or the evening away from your family watching the football is neither here nor there.

On the other hand, the added difficulty of arranging transport is a valid argument.

 

[BNthree]

probably in a minority thinking they should play. football had a special case exemption to continue last year and clubs and players should have planned around this possibility, had their jabs, stayed away from people to keep exposure to a minimum. postponment just delays any advantage of bigger squads who'll cope with the fixture congestion.

Given the average PL footballer doesn’t seem to be the brightest spark I think they’d have trouble doing what you said (thinking of all the parties during the lockdowns etc).

Though if I was paying someone well over £2m a year I’d expect them to be doing all they could in their powers to be avoiding covid so they could play.