Football league suspended until April 4th

[ROKERITE]

So halve the match day income for clubs over the course of a season? Yep, that’ll go down well.

There is no easy solution to this that will please everyone equally. But there will come a time when attention will need to turn towards making sure that next season can go off with little more than a delay to its start. Rightly or wrongly, cancelling and voiding this season will be the most consistent and least unfair/contentious way to do so.

Well at least I trust I'd get my money refunded that I was unwise enough to put on you staying up back in November. I would still prefer to see this season completed even if it's in September/ October. Declaring the season null and void is preferable to allowing the incomplete season to stand or going for some football equivalent of Duckworth/Lewis though.

 

[Medway Blue]

Well at least I trust I'd get my money refunded that I was unwise enough to put on you staying up back in November. I would still prefer to see this season completed even if it's in September/ October. Declaring the season null and void is preferable to allowing the incomplete season to stand or going for some football equivalent of Duckworth/Lewis though.

That’s the thing. The choice will be between completing the season or declaring the whole hing null and void. If we really can resume on April/May then great, resume it. But I just can’t see it happening. Once you go beyond the end of June, it just needs to be dropped. Especially if UEFA, as expected, cancels the Euros, which would effectively rule out football in July too.

 

[kentblues]

Exactly this.

Attention will need to turn to making sure 20/21 is able to go ahead as normal if there is the opportunity to do so.

Whilst you can say “club X probably has title/promotion/relegation wrapped up”, nothing is mathematically confirmed yet. So the fairest and most consistent thing to do will be to void the season and have every club start next season in the same division that they started 19/20 in. As if 19/20 never happened. Obviously I am aware that it will favour our club should we survive financially until then, but I can’t see any other solution. No solution will ever be ideal but if anybody thinks football will be played before or during the predicted peak of this thing in June/July then they are mental. The legal and sporting ramifications of awarding promotions/relegations based on current positions if the rest of the season were to be cancelled now are surely far larger than if the season was voided. Neither solution is fair but one is less unfair than the other.

Exactly this- numerous teams in the upper and lower mid tables still have plenty of time to be drawn in to promotion and relegation battles. And if you look at upcoming fixtures some have much easier run ins than others. I would have thought the only options are to complete the season (even if behind closed doors) or cancel it. Apparently when the season didn't complete in Chile (or somewhere in South America) the league leader where crowned champions, current positions were taken for the purpose of qualification for international/region tournaments but there were no promotions or relegations.

 

[Joolz]

I think the legal ramifications of voiding this season need to be considered - clubs like Liverpool may not be discussing it right now, but when this has all quietened down I can't see them taking the cancellation lying down.

I think the fairest thing (& I appreciate this doesn't mean it will happen) is to complete this season and shorten next. If we didn't want to shorten the league, we could cancel all the cups - surely we have the wit and wisdom to work something out. We will see.

 

[IamJack]

Well it would be nice to have that verified, or for you to share how you know.

For obvious reasons I’m unable to say how I know. But I can confirm it, and if Chris Phillips talks to a couple of players I’m sure he can confirm it also.

 

[ROKERITE]

I think the legal ramifications of voiding this season need to be considered - clubs like Liverpool may not be discussing it right now, but when this has all quietened down I can't see them taking the cancellation lying down.

I think the fairest thing (& I appreciate this doesn't mean it will happen) is to complete this season and shorten next. If we didn't want to shorten the league, we could cancel all the cups - surely we have the wit and wisdom to work something out. We will see.

Indeed and what about Leeds and WBA who stand to miss out on tens of millions?

 

[Medway Blue]

Indeed and what about Leeds and WBA who stand to miss out on tens of millions?

But there is no guarantee that either of them will get promoted? What if they finished it now and awarded those 2 promotion? Fulham, Brentford and Forest say “hang on, we’re only 6-10 points of the top two with 27 points to play for and we have easier fixture run-ins on paper, we might have caught-up”. It would seem fair to West Brom and Leeds but not to the chasing clubs. It’s not consistent. The only consistent thing to do is to void it. Using the fact that no promotions or relegations have been mathematically confirmed yet and coming to terms with the fact that we have no crystal balls to guess where those teams will finish after 46 games as the basis for the decision to void the season is the most consistent and least unfair way of doing things.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I heard today on the radio that The Premier League have over £1.5 Billion sitting in the bank, just growing every day, due to their cut in Sky Sports money and sponsorships. etc, etc. The football expert rightly said that now would be the perfect time to throw a lifeline down to League One and Two clubs. He said them giving £10 Million or so would be small change for them, as they earn that in less than a month. But it would be a massive help to clubs in peril financially, to help them pay wages and expenses during the current crisis. The Premier League may be the cream, but they still need the Leagues below to make the Premier League relegation battles interesting and relevant. Most football pundits and fans have been saying for years that too much money stays at the top, and more should filter down. Now's the time.

They won't do that as they are only interested in themselves

 

[ROKERITE]

But there is no guarantee that either of them will get promoted? What if they finished it now and awarded those 2 promotion? Fulham, Brentford and Forest say “hang on, we’re only 6-10 points of the top two with 27 points to play for and we have easier fixture run-ins on paper, we might have caught-up”. It would seem fair to West Brom and Leeds but not to the chasing clubs. It’s not consistent. The only consistent thing to do is to void it. Using the fact that no promotions or relegations have been mathematically confirmed yet and coming to terms with the fact that we have no crystal balls to guess where those teams will finish after 46 games as the basis for the decision to void the season is the most consistent and least unfair way of doing things.

I have already agreed that the worst options would be allow the season to stand as it is or use some convoluted, glorified pools panel. My preference is to complete the season even if it is in six months time though I accept if it went beyond 2020 it would be ridiculous.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United's next three matches have been postponed after the EFL have opted to suspend the professional game until the start of April.

More...

 

[Kris]

I have no idea if this has been considered, but I think a sensible solution would be to complete this season ASAP after things return to normal (assuming they do), and curtail the 2020-2021 season by only playing half the league fixtures. So you'll only play each team once, with half your games being at home. This is after all how the Six Nations operates already.

You beat me to it. That's precisely what I was going to suggest. With Euro 2020 almost certain to be postponed until next summer, that would provide space to complete the season at a more gradual pace, even if it means completing it as late as December. But...

So halve the match day income for clubs over the course of a season? Yep, that’ll go down well.

There is no easy solution to this that will please everyone equally. But there will come a time when attention will need to turn towards making sure that next season can go off with little more than a delay to its start. Rightly or wrongly, cancelling and voiding this season will be the most consistent and least unfair/contentious way to do so.

... I agree with this as well. From a footballing perspective it would be awful to declare this season as null and void but unless we restart and complete the season before 30 June when contracts come into play - albeit there is a slim possibility if teams are prepared to play a continual cycle of three games a week until then - I don't see another option.

I know the powers-that-be have suggested restarting in April but I would be shocked if that was considered feasible. May at the very earliest.

 

[Callum]

I think the best decision would be null and void the league we stay up

 

[kentblues]

I have already agreed that the worst options would be allow the season to stand as it is or use some convoluted, glorified pools panel. My preference is to complete the season even if it is in six months time though I accept if it went beyond 2020 it would be ridiculous.

Personally I can’t see this season running beyond the end of June. But we shall see

 

[kentblues]

You beat me to it. That's precisely what I was going to suggest. With Euro 2020 almost certain to be postponed until next summer, that would provide space to complete the season at a more gradual pace, even if it means completing it as late as December. But...


... I agree with this as well. From a footballing perspective it would be awful to declare this season as null and void but unless we restart and complete the season before 30 June when contracts come into play - albeit there is a slim possibility if teams are prepared to play a continual cycle of three games a week until then - I don't see another option.

I know the powers-that-be have suggested restarting in April but I would be shocked if that was considered feasible. May at the very earliest.

The government expert is currently saying the peak for the virus will be mid June..

 

[Alex]

In my opinion Man City consent to Liverpool being crowned Prem champions as they only need to win 1 more and city lose then it mathematical.

No relegations down the football league ladder, however Leeds and West Brom promoted to form a 22 team Premier League. They would be replaced in the Championship by Coventry and Rotherham who would be replaced by Crewe, Swindon and Plymouth. As no teams are being relegated Plymouth will be replacing Bury. The Conference would promote 3 team. That way they would keep 24 teams in all 3 leagues and the Premier League gets bigger. The playoffs would be cancelled and any team that protests and says well we maybe 4th but we feel we could have caught the top 2 had we played all our games could be told that if the season is completely null and void you wouldn't get promotion anyway.

If they start the season up again towards the end of April/May they could extend the end of the season however would need to cancel the playoffs.

 

[kentblues]

In my opinion Man City consent to Liverpool being crowned Prem champions as they only need to win 1 more and city lose then it mathematical.

No relegations down the football league ladder, however Leeds and West Brom promoted to form a 22 team Premier League. They would be replaced in the Championship by Coventry and Rotherham who would be replaced by Crewe, Swindon and Plymouth. As no teams are being relegated Plymouth will be replacing Bury. The Conference would promote 3 team. That way they would keep 24 teams in all 3 leagues and the Premier League gets bigger. The playoffs would be cancelled and any team that protests and says well we maybe 4th but we feel we could have caught the top 2 had we played all our games could be told that if the season is completely null and void you wouldn't get promotion anyway.

If they start the season up again towards the end of April/May they could extend the end of the season however would need to cancel the playoffs.

The reason this wont happen is that its way way way too sensible a suggestion..

 

[danbowen]

Anyone who thinks football will be back anytime soon needs their heads checking! This is only going to get much worse! THERE IS NO WAY FOOTBALL WILL BE BACK IN THE NEXT 3 MONTHS MINIMUM!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Anyone who thinks football will be back anytime soon needs their heads checking! This is only going to get much worse! THERE IS NO WAY FOOTBALL WILL BE BACK IN THE NEXT 3 MONTHS MINIMUM!

As you have said so in capitals, it must be true

 

[kentblues]

As you have said so in capitals, it must be true

FACT

 

[kentblues]

It has earlier been mentioned that the players were paid yesterday? CP could just phone a couple and confirm? Was hoping that someone from the ITK team could confirm either way? Not an unimportant matter?