[Football] Should This Season Be Suspended?

[Official Old Man]

I've voted yes but I'm not too sure. Last season it re-started to allow Liverpool to win the league, along with all the money involved.
This season there is only one thing for sure, Sheff United are going down. But there is still a lot of money involved. Championship and all leagues down are struggling unbelievably with little to no income but fixtures to play. Canceling would allow them to put players on furlough at least.
Thought. If a League 1 or 2 player was told to train at home and only come in on match day, can the club claim wages for the 6 days at home?

 

[mwrpoole]

I've voted yes but I'm not too sure. Last season it re-started to allow Liverpool to win the league, along with all the money involved.
This season there is only one thing for sure, Sheff United are going down. But there is still a lot of money involved. Championship and all leagues down are struggling unbelievably with little to no income but fixtures to play. Canceling would allow them to put players on furlough at least.
Thought. If a League 1 or 2 player was told to train at home and only come in on match day, can the club claim wages for the 6 days at home?

I would say not. They would be working from home.

 

[vagabond]

A couple of weeks off seems like a good idea to me. Why not suspend things now, then look at how things are going each week and then decide when to restart - it's not as if any ticket holders will cause any problems.

I think this is a good shout.

Would be best to postpone the season now and take stock of what happens in the next month. If some games are cancelled and some not, we may as well postpone.

 

[swindonseagull]

The Null and Void reporters are out again, according to the Telegraph ( behind a paywall) The Premier League has to complete 60% of games or the season will be null and void if cancelled..

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...box=1609347140

 

[Bry Nylon]

Ethically, I can't see how it can go on much longer with transmission rates as they are and hospitals at or near capacity.

With more and more squads reporting cases I can't imagine the players are too keen on training and playing either, given the implications for their career if they contract 'long covid.'

I don't think it should be voided yet; just suspended whilst this third wave is brought under some form of control.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It only needs one to get seriously ill whether manager, coach, physio, doctor or player and it will shut down and that's only a matter of time.

 

[sparkie]

The Null and Void reporters are out again, according to the Telegraph ( behind a paywall) The Premier League has to complete 60% of games or the season will be null and void if cancelled..

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...box=1609347140

Ah ha !


I was sure they'd already agreed the voiding threshold for this season - unlike last season - but I couldn't remember the important details of what was decided.

 

[clapham_gull]

At this point it appears a really odd thing for football to continue. I understand the club was upfront in pointing out the contradictions, but personally I was very uncomfortable with them being at the forefront of the campaign of letting fans back in. I'll rather listen to the scientists than the CEO of a football club.

The pandemic has become hugely politicised rather than being a simple health issue. Premier League clubs used their wealth and access to power to act politically to stay open and I suspect history will judge them as such.

It doesn't sit nicely with me when other businesses have been forced (rightly) to close.

 

[Steve in Japan]

I think it should. Restart when things have returned closer to normal.

(Plus the Albion are pony at the moment, I am deriving little pleasure from watching them Or the rest of the PL for that matter.)

 

[herecomesaregular]

It would have been suspended by now but for the headaches of future fixture congestion re impact on the Euros and then WC. That's the main reason obviously. It should be the government enforcing it (and they should have done by now) rather than letting Fifa/Eufa/Premier League make the decision.

However, on a purely selfish outlook I'm glad it's still on, even though it shouldn't be.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I've voted yes but I'm not too sure. Last season it re-started to allow Liverpool to win the league, along with all the money involved.
This season there is only one thing for sure, Sheff United are going down. But there is still a lot of money involved. Championship and all leagues down are struggling unbelievably with little to no income but fixtures to play. Canceling would allow them to put players on furlough at least.
Thought. If a League 1 or 2 player was told to train at home and only come in on match day, can the club claim wages for the 6 days at home?

Hasn’t furlough finished ?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Hasn’t furlough finished ?

I thought it was extended - perhaps to April ??

 

[Weststander]

I thought it was extended - perhaps to April ??

Yes, to April 21.

 

[dsr-burnley]

At this point it appears a really odd thing for football to continue. I understand the club was upfront in pointing out the contradictions, but personally I was very uncomfortable with them being at the forefront of the campaign of letting fans back in. I'll rather listen to the scientists than the CEO of a football club.

The pandemic has become hugely politicised rather than being a simple health issue. Premier League clubs used their wealth and access to power to act politically to stay open and I suspect history will judge them as such.

It doesn't sit nicely with me when other businesses have been forced (rightly) to close.

Is the argument about football simply because some businesses have closed and it isn't fair that others stay open, or is there actual evidence that football is spreading the disease to the point that it is increasing hospital visits? In spite of extensive testing, it appears that they are finding confirmed coronavirus cases at a lower rate than the population as a whole. I know football is only entertainment and not life and death, but on the other hand when you are forced to sit at home for months on end, a bit of entertainment is a good thing.

 

[DumLum]

36 more PL positive tests since the 4th of January. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55624533

 

[GT49er]

Hasn’t furlough finished ?

I thought it was extended - perhaps to April ??

Yes, to April 21.

Yes, but furlough pay is 80% of wages up to a maximum of £2500 per month - can't see players, or their agents, or the PFA putting up with that! They'll have lawyers all over it like flies on a rotting carcass.

 

[Mellotron]

It seems probably we're in the "eye of the storm" now virus-wise at the moment. If it's going to be suspended, it'll happen pretty soon.

I think it's unlikely, rightly or wrongly.

 

[Tokyohands]

Where's the 'I couldn't give a flying ****' option?

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Not yet but we're close...

 

[warmleyseagull]

Saw a report that there are only 3 dates available for rearranged PL matches due to European competition and national weeks. Some of those already taken due to previously postponed matches, so understandable reluctance to suspend. 30-40 positive tests including some non players is surely manageable but an increase could cause a rethink. The problem is that suspending more than 2 matches (which may only be a week) will mean fixture congestion the like of which has not been seen.