Promotion and relegation 2019/20 season

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I think this will be a lot clearer after the UEFA meeting today. I still think that the season is going to be finished somehow. There are plans for certain shops to be open in a couple of weeks, then a couple of weeks after that some more. Some sort of traffic light system I have heard.

Yes, pubs and clubs are going to be the last to re-open, but with appropriate social distancing things can start to get back to normal.

I can see the cricket season starting on the 28th May behind closed doors, and then open to the public a few weeks later. (A lot easier to social distance than football anyway).

We cant as a country and an economy keep under complete lockdown forever. I don't think it will be long before we start to see protests like in the USA. Although that will be a test, either they will prove that everyone has overreacted, or 100's of thousands of them are going to die.

 

[kentblues]

It is extraordinary the levels of delusion and fantasy that exist that are completely tone deaf to the core realities which have not changed, and will not change.

UEFA will not bring clarity, they will kick the can down the road. They might suggest that leagues can apply to end early - and then strongly discourage it and suggest they wait. They might come up with a plan that purports to show the season can end by end of August but it will be one built on fantasies such as blanket contract extensions that have already been discounted in practical and legal terms.

L1 and L2 EFL sides will start going out of business and into severe financial distress at the very moment (if not before) that the EFL dream that the season can restart (June 8 earliest based on May 17 or similar back to training). They say they need 56 days to finish yet on June 30 over 50% of the squads will be out of contract and the clubs will not be able to afford to keep them on and even if they can players can't be forced to re-sign.

It is obvious the pantomime is a slow agonising crawl to the inevitable realisation that the lower leagues will not finish. The only question is whether they allow promotions but no relegations as the solution straight away, or do a Scotland of pretending to take current league positions but at the same time putting in place a league structure review the sole purpose of which is to increase the number of clubs in the SPL so that the knock on effect is nobody gets relegated. Neat.

This is the frustration in all this - the destination is pretty obvious but the journey is causing untold damage to players and clubs along the way which is unforgivable. Expect dither, expect delay..

PS even above assumes May 17 or similar back to training- it is very unlikely that football training will be back in that timescale, in fact there are strong hints the lockdown will run to the end of May.

 

[kentblues]

An interesting dimension to all this is that the top divisions - Prem etc.- could try follow a different path because they can afford to and have massive squads even if many are out of contract. Decisions to end the season are over time working up the leagues and will probably reach the top divisions but maybe not necessarily all.

The Prem are driven purely by £££ (forget all the drivel about integrity of the leagues). Most (probably 95%) of TV money will be saved/protected purely based on what happens with the top leagues. But here is another issue (the not necessarily all)- some countries have handled this virus so much better than others- places like UK/US at one end of the scale, places like Germany/Denmark at the other.

There is the uncomfortable possibility that this will come into sharp football focus in May where the Bundesliga may restart and reach a conclusion, whilst this is simply not possible here.

'Positive signals' for Bundesliga restart
Football

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says there are "positive signals" for a restart of football in Germany after the country's health minister and regional leaders said matches could potentially resume, behind closed doors, from 9 May.
The Bundesliga has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 143,000 people and claimed over 4,500 lives in Germany.
"It is important that we carefully adhere to any legal and medical guidelines in order to minimise any health risk," Rummenigge added.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

There’s simply no way the “lockdown” will continue till the end of May in its’ current form. The economy can’t take that sort of hit. They’ll be looking to establish back to work conditions ASAP .. airlines are already looking at ways as will pubs, restaurants etc. when their turn comes. What isn’t clear is how these businesses (football clubs included) will be able to survive on much less revenue .. the inevitable price of social distancing. Of more concern than simply finishing the season is how matches will be able to take place at all. Whatever is decided will **** somebody off.

 

[kentblues]

There’s simply no way the “lockdown” will continue till the end of May in its’ current form. The economy can’t take that sort of hit. They’ll be looking to establish back to work conditions ASAP .. airlines are already looking at ways as will pubs, restaurants etc. when their turn comes. What isn’t clear is how these businesses (football clubs included) will be able to survive on much less revenue .. the inevitable price of social distancing. Of more concern than simply finishing the season is how matches will be able to take place at all. Whatever is decided will **** somebody off.

I admire your certainty- end of May would be a further (maybe hoped final) 2 week extension I think. The reality is the Gov have no idea what the plan is so on that basis I struggle to see how we can- you might be right, I fear you might not..

However, a moot point really given as you say either way leads to precisely the same conclusion.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I admire your certainty- end of May would be a further (maybe hoped final) 2 week extension I think. The reality is the Gov have no idea what the plan is so on that basis I struggle to see how we can- you might be right, I fear you might not..

However, a moot point really given as you say either way leads to precisely the same conclusion.

I’d say at the least they’d have most non essential businesses back to work and kids back to school by mid May with strict social distancing rules ... though yup, who knows?
Agree with the “kicking the can down the road” analogy as any UEFA/EFL proposals would be based on ifs buts and maybes and the reality may be their hands are forced anyway by stuff outside their control. Drawing a line in the sand and scrapping the end of the season would be the most logical thing to do but they’ll no doubt hang on by their fingernails as long as they can.

 

[Mick]

I admire your certainty- end of May would be a further (maybe hoped final) 2 week extension I think. The reality is the Gov have no idea what the plan is so on that basis I struggle to see how we can- you might be right, I fear you might not..

However, a moot point really given as you say either way leads to precisely the same conclusion.

You could take 8 consecutive words roughly in the middle of that first paragraph and they work stand alone.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

You could take 8 consecutive words roughly in the middle of that first paragraph and they work stand alone.

Those 8 words would apply to any party in power right now, or in fact just any party lol

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

UEFA open to domestic leagues being cancelled in 'special cases'

UEFA has opened the door to domestic league and cup competitions being cancelled "in special cases" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

www.echo-news.co.uk

 

[tallboyblue]

I would have thought that this bug is special enough.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

I would have thought that this bug is special enough.

I do not think they mean the virus for some reason.

they have made various statements while football has been suspended, and not once said can end league due to the virus. Persoanlly I think the mean it makes economical sense, again this should meet the criteria. However that then means the FA needs to decide how they do that, if it is agreed it can be ended, the championship clubs apparently want to finish the league, so if just L1 & L2 how do they end it? Void it, average points, results as is, give out the EPL money received and insist the league is finished. If voided what about FFP how can that be held into accounts for a voided season. Lots of issues.

I dont get why the EPL money hasnt been distributed, are they wanting clubs to fold, or earn interest before passing on. Very strange as given to help out smaller clubs, surely the EPL need to ask this.

 

[ace]

All sport in Holland has been cancelled until September 1st by order of their government.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

I thought there be an meeting between League 1 & 2 with votes to cancel our season or not?!

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I thought there be an meeting between League 1 & 2 with votes to cancel our season or not?!

Well, this outcome was really worth waiting for........................I wish them luck with that!

Clubs keen to conclude League Two season

League Two clubs remain committed to finishing the 2019-20 season, but questions remain over their ability to achieve it.

www.bbc.com

 

[kentblues]

Well, this outcome was really worth waiting for........................I wish them luck with that!

Clubs keen to conclude League Two season

League Two clubs remain committed to finishing the 2019-20 season, but questions remain over their ability to achieve it.

www.bbc.com

Yet more dither, yet more delay to keep the EFL happy (I can imagine all sorts of dark threats and ££ related whisperings in the background) who in turn look to keep the Prem happy.. yet the end place for all this has not changed. The can is kicked down the road..

More valuable insight comes from the Chairman of Accrington Stanley who are currently in danger of neither promotion or relegation, when he makes clear that if the EFL forces them to complete the season they will go under.. the real world not the fantasy one. And he can't afford contract extensions at end June either so...forget integrity of the league as clubs will have U16s in goal.

League One club ‘will not survive’ if they are forced to complete season, says chief

Accrington Stanley chairman Andy Holt has told talkSPORT his club will likely COLLAPSE if the English Football League force teams to complete the 2019/20 season. There remains great uncertainly ove…

talksport.com

BTW there is an increasing realisation amongst players at least that even if clubs offer short term extensions for a month or two its fantasy to assume players will sign- as has been pointed out if they get a serious injury during this mini contract who compensates them when they then can't get a new contract? Agents will be demanding a minimum extension of 1 year (yet again reality collides with fantasy).

 

[kentblues]

So as of course utterly predictable the National Leagues have now been cancelled- the death by a thousand cuts of dither and delay continues. The EFL will have their fingers in their ears and eyes covered..

"National League clubs have reached a majority in support of a resolution to end the season for all fixtures scheduled up to and including 25 April 2020.

Ninety per cent of the 68 clubs responded in the vote and a clear majority were in favour."

 

[kentblues]

Exactly..

"National League Chief Executive Officer Michael Tattersall added: 'At a time when the entire country is wrestling with the devastating impact of Covid-19, the cancellation of the remaining normal season matches brings a degree of certainty to our Clubs coping with the business implications of the virus.'"

 

[Barling Magna]

It seems bloomin' obvious that the seasons in League 1 and League 2 should be cancelled. The lack of vision of the chairmen is breathtaking - with the exceptions of Accrington and Southend, at least.

 

[northlincsshrimper1]

It seems bloomin' obvious that the seasons in League 1 and League 2 should be cancelled. The lack of vision of the chairmen is breathtaking - with the exceptions of Accrington and Southend, at least.

While Nero fiddles, Rome burns!

 

[Westcliff DGS]

While I don’t disagree with the cal calling of the season, has anyone thought of other aspects, I keep saying it what about FFP. Will the spends this year be removed From the calculations, hard to p8nish someone for that if the season is void and never happened.

there are a lot of issues to resolve such as personnel (financial and contractual), club fianances and more, let’s not forget they even if L1 and L2 do cancel the seasons, they still have to decide how to end it (national league are deciding this now as well). While money shouldnt be the driver, it will be in some way at all levels of the game.