After Coronavirus - What next for league football? (poll)

[Spanishstag]

They are actually explaining how/when restrictions will be lifted. At the moment they are in place until 27 April. Bars/restaurants will open only if they have outside areas. Any tourists will have to be tested.

Its gonna be interesting here ,still quite a few brits who are not legal ,when they get pulled over by the guardia could be some explaining to do

 

[Indian Dan]

I’d imagine it’ll be difficult for the Spanish/Italian tourist industries to recover. Mind you, that probably applies to most everywhere.

 

[County1]

Some major cities such as Birmingham and Glasgow, but sadly Newport leads them all.

Seems to have tailed off in Cumbria, I think the early spike in infections we had was just after people flocked to the Lake District thinking it would be a good place to self-isolate.

A few theories behind that. A rugby team from Treviso, northern Italy, played a match in Newport shortly before lockdown which raised a few eyebrows, though they had apparently been in the U.K. for some weeks previously so maybe not connected.
More likely, there were a few cases in the city’s Business Statistics Office, a significant local employer, and subsequently the Royal Gwent Hospital, which resulted in more testing in Newport than other areas of Wales.
Plus, the Gwent area is one of the more densely populated areas of Wales and the First Minister says that the illness tends to spread from east to west of the country (North East Wales also has a larger number of infections).
Bottom line I suppose, we don’t really know.

 

[Indian Dan]

From Alan Nixon

Players off until May 16. Full season to complete inside 56 days. Play offs retained. Home and away semis. All closed doors. Players must be paid. Prem rescue cash NOT being handed out yet. Up to clubs to have a say on all this. Parry has put a lot of though into this. Fair play.

Is this a good outcome? All clubs will take a big hit re Matchday income, the £125m PL money is only part of next season’s income so there will be a massive shortfall next season as well. Unless fresh money is forthcoming some clubs might be better off just closing down right now.

 

[Super_horns]

Be ok till a player or manager gets the virus ..

 

[valefan16]

From Alan Nixon

Players off until May 16. Full season to complete inside 56 days. Play offs retained. Home and away semis. All closed doors. Players must be paid. Prem rescue cash NOT being handed out yet. Up to clubs to have a say on all this. Parry has put a lot of though into this. Fair play.

Is this a good outcome? All clubs will take a big hit re Matchday income, the £125m PL money is only part of next season’s income so there will be a massive shortfall next season as well. Unless fresh money is forthcoming some clubs might be better off just closing down right now.

Gets it done I suppose if the finances can be covered, it’s likely that or close the season down which would lose money anyway and some sides missing out of promotion would lose even more. Would be gutting to not be at the play offs if we made them for the first time in nearly 3 decades mind!

 

[chipmunx]

Be ok till a player or manager gets the virus ..

... then everyone at that club and any team they faced in the previous 2 weeks, and any team them teams have faced since (etc) will all have to self isolate for 2 weeks....

 

[dedwardp]

It's up to clubs to rework their budgets for next season to account for the shortfall. Use the advanced money to cover as many holes now and then cut their cloth more accordingly next season knowing there is less due to come in.

 

[Greenacres]

Be ok till a player or manager gets the virus ..

A few have already had it, from memory at Arsenal, Chelsea and Pompey...there might be a few more that escape me. I wonder if those clubs will test their players, management and club staff to see if they have already had the virus but not developed the symptoms. It could be that some clubs will be given a clean bill of health.

 

[Indian Dan]

Whatever problems may arise over a resumption of football - or any other aspect of daily life, tbh - will be the same no matter when it happens.

There are, undoubtedly, people who are carriers without symptoms that will set the whole thing off again. Unfortunately, we are going to have to live - or die - with it for some time. People can’t continue to cower in their homes forever.

 

[Super_horns]

No that is true.

This is more to do with limiting the number of cases and ensuring the NHS is over burdened with people.

Most vulnerable people will be needing to earn and go back to work as much as everyone.

 

[Spanishstag]

A few have already had it, from memory at Arsenal, Chelsea and Pompey...there might be a few more that escape me. I wonder if those clubs will test their players, management and club staff to see if they have already had the virus but not developed the symptoms. It could be that some clubs will be given a clean bill of health.

At least fgr will still be able to maintain social distancing

 

[shoddycollins]

From Alan Nixon

Players off until May 16. Full season to complete inside 56 days. Play offs retained. Home and away semis. All closed doors. Players must be paid. Prem rescue cash NOT being handed out yet. Up to clubs to have a say on all this. Parry has put a lot of though into this. Fair play.

Is this a good outcome? All clubs will take a big hit re Matchday income, the £125m PL money is only part of next season’s income so there will be a massive shortfall next season as well. Unless fresh money is forthcoming some clubs might be better off just closing down right now.

Sounds like they're still hoping that they can finish this season with time to spare for a summer break and a full 2020/21 season. While that ship hasn't sailed yet, the boarding ramp has been raised and the passengers instructed to leave the car deck.

Our CEO made reference the other day to the fact that the rescue money was just money being paid in advance of when it normally would, leaving us out of pocket next season. Interesting he said that mainly because it was common knowledge anyway, and our board almost never comment on wider football events. Our managing director is also on the FA board so we tend to be very 'pro-ruling-bodies' in our statements as he enjoys being one of those handing medals out at the FA cup final too much.

 

[Spanishstag]

This is clearly ludicrous ,its not possible at all ,CARLISLE HAVE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE

 

[Spanishstag]

You mean carlisle have a ceo

 

[Richard Cranium]

If they can get the entire season finished for the end of July then great but I think it's optimistic. After that, teams need the break, many pitches need the work doing and in some cases relaying, if the following season can kick off mid September, play extra games mid week and scrap the Checkatrade at last.

Got a feeling after all this the Premier League will get their wish for FA Cup replays to be scrapped aswell.

 

[Super_horns]

What do you think of these top players and what they been doing or not doing over the past week - bad PR for them and been greedy or maybe been singled out a bit?

Know they have set up an NHS fund which is good but do get the feeling the horse has already bolted in terms of their relationship with fans (if they can about that..)

Mind you the ground will still be full up when football returns!

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Where will they get the medical staff from to cover the games?

 

[valefan16]

If they can get the entire season finished for the end of July then great but I think it's optimistic. After that, teams need the break, many pitches need the work doing and in some cases relaying, if the following season can kick off mid September, play extra games mid week and scrap the Checkatrade at last.

Got a feeling after all this the Premier League will get their wish for FA Cup replays to be scrapped aswell.

Most clubs will surely work their pitches now in many cases, ours looks in great nick! Askey was saying it needs to finish but they need a pre season with friendlies to get up to speed, certainly if potentially playing 12 games in 56 days. Doing that from cold and half the players will be out for the start of the next season!

 

[Laker]

It would be irresponsible to even attempt to get going in the next couple of months, even aiming for an end of July finish sounds naive to me. One player gets it from an opponent, takes it home to god knows who and then the chain starts from there.

Edit: takes the piss out of the whole concept of social distancing.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Most clubs will surely work their pitches now in many cases, ours looks in great nick! Askey was saying it needs to finish but they need a pre season with friendlies to get up to speed, certainly if potentially playing 12 games in 56 days. Doing that from cold and half the players will be out for the start of the next season!

Exactly but can't see teams being given the time. Our pitch is fucked, No idea if anything is happening with it currently as the stadium is meant to be on lockdown but there's no way it will make it to the Winter let alone through it.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Players are going to need longer than 2 weeks to train and get fit ready to play 9/10 games in 5/6 weeks. If not as said above there will be injury lists longer than this break.

So if they even get back on May 16th, IMO it's very optimistic you've got to be looking at the 2nd/3rd week in June before they start, so no finish until August. The players will need a break, some form of pre season, next season wont kick off till October at least, Unless they've got a masterplan on next season, Scrapping the cups for a season, reduced season or whatever the experts come up with I think it's a massive ask.

If they're not back on May 16th then for me it's got to be scrapped.

And that's all before you even sort the contract scenario out.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

From Alan Nixon

Players off until May 16. Full season to complete inside 56 days. Play offs retained. Home and away semis. All closed doors. Players must be paid. Prem rescue cash NOT being handed out yet. Up to clubs to have a say on all this. Parry has put a lot of though into this. Fair play.

Is this a good outcome? All clubs will take a big hit re Matchday income, the £125m PL money is only part of next season’s income so there will be a massive shortfall next season as well. Unless fresh money is forthcoming some clubs might be better off just closing down right now.

So five weeks time. Cannot see it myself. We are all assuming that we won’t be in the office until July. Plus the government seem to be saying that manufacturing will be first on line and entertainment at the end of the line.

 

[shoddycollins]

This is clearly ludicrous ,its not possible at all ,CARLISLE HAVE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE

We have a CEO, a Chairman, a Managing Director AND a President... and they're four different people.

Too many cooks and all that.

 

[Super_horns]

So five weeks time. Cannot see it myself. We are all assuming that we won’t be in the office until July. Plus the government seem to be saying that manufacturing will be first on line and entertainment at the end of the line.

Quite true - cannot have one rule for one and another for the rest...

Also as suggested above players/clubs will want some sort of Pre-season training to gain fitness and work on things before big pressure games.

 

[shoddycollins]

'Several weeks' is what the government scientific advisor is saying 'at least' for lockdown to be lifted. So I'd say five weeks' time is the absolute soonest players might be back in training. Even if that's the case and lockdown is suddenly lifted on that day (and not phased as another advisor reckons it will be) then having matches resume in mid-May is just not possible.

By that point players will have been away from their clubs for seven weeks, pretty much the length of time they are usually away over summer. Normally you'd say they require a month in training before they play their first competitive fixture.

You could argue that their fitness routines in those seven weeks have been focussed on remaining match ready, in contrast to their routines in the seven weeks they usually spend over summer which will just be about maintaining fitness, I'm not a sports scientist but I know they will do different types of exercise at different times depending on what they're preparing for. Given that and also that most of them are only going to be playing a block of 9-10 games before mid-season starts, it's possible they don't need a full month of 'pre-season'. Again, not a sports scientist but lets say two week of training with their clubs before resuming the season, sounds like the minimum.

At this point then the season resumes at the beginning of June. Depending on their fitness it might not be wise to play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday and get the season done for most clubs in six weeks or so. If they do that then the players will be away again mid-July, will surely need a proper break as well as time for teams to conduct business and stadium maintenance, so minimum for next season starting is September.

This is all best-case scenario stuff. I don't think it will be anywhere near the start of September at all. Add another month to lockdown with footballers being one of the last professions to be allowed back to work, put their time preparing with their clubs back to a more reasonable month and also bin off the midweek games for the sake of fitness so that it takes thirteen weeks to play ten games plus playoffs and now we're talking about early December.

Like I say, the ship hasn't sailed but it has sounded its horn.

 

[Chris FGR]

We have quite a few loan players, who I take it will have left after we furloughed our squad? If that's the case will we have to complete the season without them?

 

[Boletus Edulis]

'Like I say, the ship hasn't sailed but it has sounded its horn.

I think the ship has sailed, and is making straight for the Eddystone Rocks. And because no one can agree who the Captain is, I am not convinced any one is looking at the lighthouse.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

It's time EPPP was scrapped at once and clubs in this division and the one above were encouraged to give more of their Academy lads a chance. Let clubs dictate how much they want to spend on their Academy, not the FA. And give clubs the best possible protection when the vultures inevitably want to poach them.

The clubs who love spending money and blowing it on big wages and agents fees might disagree, but it's one solution of facing up to the incoming shortfall. Some clubs will be better prepared than others to do that, but it's the only way unsustainable wage levels will reduce. Play the kids and the experienced pros will realise they have to take a pay cut if they want to stay in the game.

 

[redjed]

Lee Johnson, manager of Bristol city, came up with what I think is a decent proposal.
He said that get all your players tested for the virus , if they are clear , get them together, move the squad into a hotel, and play a game every 3 or 4 days, behind closed doors, like the world cup. The season could be completed in 3 or 4 weeks!