Coronavirus and League 2

[shoddycollins]

Panic on the streets here. Thoughts and prayers for my friends in Dublin, Dundee, Humberside

 

[shoddycollins]

Football’s Twitter section has been the worst bit tbf. Like school kids when a dog is in the playground.

Leyton Orient staged a virtual match and still managed to lose.

 

[Indian Dan]

Panic on the streets here. Thoughts and prayers for my friends in Dublin, Dundee, Humberside

 

[TimeyWimey]

 

[LS Bantam]

And the only way you would go up.

 

[Chris FGR]

Ban on public gatherings could last for as long as 18 months apparently, if that happens I doubt there will be much of a football league left. How can many clubs survive for that long without any income?

Maybe the big clubs could share their revenues, but will they actually do that or will they see this as an opportunity to ringfence their cash cow, set up Premier League 1 and 2 for the 40 biggest clubs and shut the trapdoor? Doubt many would be in a position to stop them at that point.

 

[shoddycollins]

Euro 2020 postponed until 2021, hopefully to allow domestic leagues to complete. Correct decision I think, I think domestic leagues integrity is more important to most fans.

 

[Chris FGR]

It’s going to be a shit situation for out of contract lower league pro footballers everywhere come July if there’s no resumption, no income, no club to sign for and probably nowhere to train.

They aren’t the only ones that will be made redundant obviously, but still seems rough that they literally won’t be able to even attempt to ply their trade anywhere, not even part time or on a trial basis for what might be a very long time.

 

[GEORGE]

It’s going to be a shit situation for out of contract lower league pro footballers everywhere come July if there’s no resumption, no income, no club to sign for and probably nowhere to train.

They aren’t the only ones that will be made redundant obviously, but still seems rough that they literally won’t be able to even attempt to ply their trade anywhere, not even part time or on a trial basis for what might be a very long time.

Surely they will have to extend the contracts to whatever the perceived end of the season occurs.

 

[Chris FGR]

Surely they will have to extend the contracts to whatever the perceived end of the season occurs.

You can’t expect clubs to extend contracts of players they’d otherwise have released indefinitely surely? Where’s the money going to come from if there’s no sign of the season restarting?

There’ll be a lot of current EFL players down the job centre at this rate.

 

[AdamStag]

Obviously my original take wasn’t quite accurate given that I’ve got to work from home for the next 8 weeks - which is unreal / this is something clearly something we’ve never encountered before

 

[valefan16]

We simulated our game against Bradford on Fifa tonight... 1-1 draw Pope 90 Donaldson 12 mins.

It’s all we have...

 

[Chris FGR]

We won 1-0 against Morecambe, Winchester 30 mins. Not very realistic, we never win at home.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

I can't see the shut-down ending any time soon, maybe not for a year or more. And a fair number of clubs, not just in League 2, but also League 1 and the Championship risk going the same way as those in the Scottish Third Division in the 1920s. When it finally starts up again, I suspect the Football League will be a very different place. And what chance of support from the Premier League? Not much I fear.

 

[chipmunx]

We're not going up so I say just scrap this season altogether and start afresh come August.

Of course, it all depends on the side you follow. Boro fans will be eternallygrateful(#stevenageforleaguefootball), as will the Wrexham and Chesterfield fans as they'll be assured of National League footy next year.

Spare a thought for others though. Chipmunx won't be seen ever again on this forum, while Liverpool's 30 year plus wait for a PL title won't be over just yet.

you won't get rid of me that easy

 

[Chris FGR]

you won't get rid of me that easy

It will only cost a tenner...

 

[shoddycollins]

I can't see the shut-down ending any time soon, maybe not for a year or more. And a fair number of clubs, not just in League 2, but also League 1 and the Championship risk going the same way as those in the Scottish Third Division in the 1920s. When it finally starts up again, I suspect the Football League will be a very different place. And what chance of support from the Premier League? Not much I fear.

Can't see it lasting that long. If the virus is still doing the rounds in July then we're just gonna have to get on with things in spite of it. It's not just football that will be affected, every part of the economy will and we'll have mass unemployment and a potential increase in homelessness. If the shut-down lasts that long there's a greater risk of people dying due to poverty than there ever was due to coronavirus.

 

[Chris FGR]

Agreed that some things will have to get going again otherwise the economy will collapse, but lower league football will be a long way down the list of importance though. Emergency services won't be in a position to cover games being on by that point imo. Behind closed doors might work for bigger clubs.

 

[chipmunx]

Agreed that some things will have to get going again otherwise the economy will collapse, but lower league football will be a long way down the list of importance though. Emergency services won't be in a position to cover games being on by that point imo. Behind closed doors might work for bigger clubs.

with St John's likely to be busy, club doctors likely to be busy and ambulances largely unavailable behind closed doors is a likely non starter - the last thing the NHS will need is footballers turning up with broken bones....

 

[TheDon]

View attachment 12675

Sorry missed out the word 'ever.'

 

[shoddycollins]

Agreed that some things will have to get going again otherwise the economy will collapse, but lower league football will be a long way down the list of importance though. Emergency services won't be in a position to cover games being on by that point imo. Behind closed doors might work for bigger clubs.

Maybe Premier League clubs should have their stadium capacities limited for a season, both to reduce virus transmission and also to reduce the number of police and medical staff required to cover games. As everyone has said, they don't really rely on ticket sales anyway, 12,000 capacity limit at the likes of Anfield, Old Trafford and The Emirates.

 

[Indian Dan]

That would have a detrimental effect on the plastic industry.

 

[TimeyWimey]

with St John's likely to be busy, club doctors likely to be busy and ambulances largely unavailable behind closed doors is a likely non starter - the last thing the NHS will need is footballers turning up with broken bones....

It's not the broken bones that are the issue, it's people turning up to A&E with paper cuts or because their kid 'feels a bit warm'. But it shouldn't take a pandemic for people to use common sense.

 

[Carver]

Just end the season as it stands and tough shit if you missed out on promotion or get relegated.

As for the financial problems the Premier League can help the lower leagues for once and bail us out of trouble since they have all the money in the world.

 

[chipmunx]

It's not the broken bones that are the issue, it's people turning up to A&E with paper cuts or because their kid 'feels a bit warm'. But it shouldn't take a pandemic for people to use common sense.

there are millions of "snowflakes" out there who had no common sense even before this pandemic - there is unfortunately no chance they will learn common sense now...

 

[Vanni]

Best idea so far is the one I've come up with And then some people reckon I'm thick ha.

Here's my suggestion -

Scrap the league now and go with the current standings as far as promotion is concerned. BUT first the FL needs to ask the top seven sides if they fancy going up in the first place cos I'm sure that not all of them want to.

I'm 99% positive that only three L2 clubs will take up the FL's kind offer - Swindon, Plymouth and Exeter, the latter only because they've been trying to go up for decades and not because they think they can compete with the likes of Lincoln and Burton. The others will see common sense and decline promotion 'cos they'll well aware they'll only be getting a right spanking week in week out should they go up.

Do the same with L1's bottom 3 sides and I'm sure that shit sides like Southend and Bolton will be grateful for a spot in L2 next season. Unsure about Tranny's wishes though.

Just think about it. You know it makes sense.

 

[Chris FGR]

Crewe?

 

[Vanni]

tl;dr

Literally anything but this regionalised crap that I'm reading about.

I'm a U's fan, and in all probability, we'll get shafted and thrown into the Southern Division. And therein lies the problem. It is an undeniable fact that the strongest L2 sides are all to be found in the Southern* part of the country.

*southern = Land's End up to Coventry.

 

[Chris FGR]

tl;dr

Literally anything but this regionalised crap that I'm reading about.

I'm a U's fan, and in all probability, we'll get shafted and thrown into the Southern Division. And therein lies the problem. It is an undeniable fact that the strongest L2 sides are all to be found in the Southern* part of the country.

*southern = Land's End up to Coventry.

But you won’t have to play Salford.

 

[chipmunx]

But you won’t have to play Salford.

but they would have to play FGR....