Could they void the PL due to the Coronavirus? | No | Resuming June 17th

[Sandikan]

First off that’s not true - fans of Celtic, Leicester, Leeds and many others want it finished.
Secondly Utd fans don’t want it completed to stop Liverpool winning the title, despite the fact that this would mean they miss out on CL. What does that tell you in terms of priorities for Utd fans?

All fans want it finished, but the small problem is that it's massively likely it can't be.
That's the situation.
They're bloody talking about locking old folks in the house for 3-4months for goodness sake. They're just on the cusp of bringing in legislation to properly ban all meetings and groups over certain numbers. At the moment they're just "advising" against it.

Does it sound to you like we'll wrap up the season anytime in months to come?

 

[ti vu]

Out of the options, postponing Euro 2020 makes the most sense. European leagues simply have to be finished, there's too much at stake, matches being played behind closed doors and the league finishing in July if need be. The Euros can either be played in December/January or delayed until summer 2021.

Abandoning the league now will just wrap any FA up in lawsuits for months and even years. Likewise, UEFA could also be wrapped up in lawsuits if the Champions League/Europa League isn't finished properly. If European leagues can't be finished until July then I would move the transfer window to August until the end of September or even October. Start next season in mid-late September and scrap the league cup maybe even FA cup if need be.

Scrapping the league simply serves self-interest from clubs who didn't have a good season.

Of course, if the crisis is even worse in the coming months then another alternative will have to be found but finishing domestic competitions is more important than the Euros in my opinion.

WHO global pandemic call & governmental national emergency act solve all those lawsuits. This is like war.

It’s just that simple. Please stop taking advises from your sports pundits and sports journalists.

 

[Sandikan]

Talking about a 12 week quarantine period for certain groups suggests there’s really no chance of getting through 9 rounds of games (10 for some teams) to finish the season before player contracts expire at the end of June.

To do so would surely require around five weeks of games without the FA Cup or the European cups returning - maybe they could try to do it quicker, but we can’t forget that players are humans and can only play so much football in such a time period, especially as they’ll have not played for so long that match fitness will be a big issue - they might need to give teams a week or two notice to get back up to speed.

Finishing the season would be the ideal result here, but it’s not looking possible. That leaves a choice between calling the season now and relegating Aston Villa with a game-in-hand that could’ve moved them out of the bottom three, or voiding the season. Seems a clear choice to me.

I think a lot of Liverpool fans are optimistically thinking they'll either just be awarded the league as it stands, or that we'll re-open games just for them to get their 2 wins in.
Unofrtunately it surely has to be the whole season or nothing.

The last league games were due to be 17th May.

To finish it by end of June, seeing as those we'll lose a minimum of 3 weeks, gives us about 3-4 weeks beyond early April to get things going again.
Which by all accounts is just impossible.

 

[Finn MacCool]

I wasn’t 'playing' a 'card'; that was a legitimate reference to the Heysel tragedy as a whole, as something that stands as a lesson of history (after all, there were two clubs involved, plus all the organisers and TV channels and whatnot who were in on or would've had an influence on the decision to kick-off. It would've almost certainly played out the way it did the regardless of the teams involved). Whatever else it represents, Heysel can serve as a sort of 'How Not To' guide. As I said, the specificities pertaining to that tragedy are distinctly different, but it still stands as an example of what can happen to the way an event can come to be viewed in retrospect, if you let sporting (and commercial) concerns cloud your decision-making too much.

A tragedy caused primarily by football hooligans will always be viewed differently than one caused by a global disease. You are literally the first person I’ve seen online and anywhere in the media who has suggested lessons from Heysel should inform how football proceeds re: covid-19.
The fact that you stated “I’m looking at you, 1985 European Cup Final” with the you in italics for added dramatic effect tells me it was nothing but an opportunistic cheap shot. When there is a statement from someone in the FA, PL or UEFA saying “having learned from Heysel.....” I will then change my opinion.

 

[Berbaclass]

Grand National called off now

 

[Finn MacCool]

All fans want it finished, but the small problem is that it's massively likely it can't be.
That's the situation.
They're bloody talking about locking old folks in the house for 3-4months for goodness sake. They're just on the cusp of bringing in legislation to properly ban all meetings and groups over certain numbers. At the moment they're just "advising" against it.

Does it sound to you like we'll wrap up the season anytime in months to come?

But not all fans want it finished. Fans of clubs in the relegation zone don’t want it finished. They see this as an opportunity to retain their PL status which was in doubt.

I have no idea when it will resume. The biggest issue could be around registration and players contracts. If they can solve that then I think when it resumes it will be with this season finishing. That is the ONLY way to prevent a mountain of legal issues.

 

[Judas]

Also, restarting the league isn't just an FA decision.

It also depends on what FIFA/UEFA do. Will FIFA/UEFA agree to freeze the transfer window and their own competitions to wait for us to finish our disease peak? We have taken a long term approach to this disease.

If the rest of Europe is ready to proceed with the new season in August/September and we are not ready, what happens then?

Exactly, every league will need to be in sync to a certain degree, or the next season will be disrupted too.

I just don't see anything but a cancelled and voided season.

 

[Sandikan]

But not all fans want it finished. Fans of clubs in the relegation zone don’t want it finished. They see this as an opportunity to retain their PL status which was in doubt.

I have no idea when it will resume. The biggest issue could be around registration and players contracts. If they can solve that then I think when it resumes it will be with this season finishing. That is the ONLY way to prevent a mountain of legal issues.

There are no legal issues with voiding things as no-one has been treated differently. It's force majeure / act of God in company and legal terminology.

Legal issues result if they try and do stuff like take positions as they stand.

 

[Berbaclass]

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This season is finished people, they’re not finishing it!

 

[Finn MacCool]

There are no legal issues with voiding things as no-one has been treated differently. It's force majeure / act of God in company and legal terminology.

Legal issues result if they try and do stuff like take positions as they stand.

Really? Leeds and a huge number of other clubs will beg to differ. There is no rule to say the league can simply be voided.

 

[TheReligion]

But not all fans want it finished. Fans of clubs in the relegation zone don’t want it finished. They see this as an opportunity to retain their PL status which was in doubt.

I have no idea when it will resume. The biggest issue could be around registration and players contracts. If they can solve that then I think when it resumes it will be with this season finishing. That is the ONLY way to prevent a mountain of legal issues.

Disagree. ONLY way to avoid legal action regarding fairness is to null and void it. Everyone is treated equally then.

It's simply too much of a minefield trying to come to a decision for an intervention. That's when challenges would appear.

 

[Sandikan]

Really? Leeds and a huge number of other clubs will beg to differ. There is no rule to say the league can simply be voided.

So you think this season has to be played first before any other starts, even if that might be in 12-15months?
That's mad.

They didn't stubbornly insist on that in the war years, and for all intents and purposes this is the equivalent of a war.

Genuinely trying to understand how clubs think they would win any legal battle

"well...we're in the mix for promotion, it's unfair for the season not to end"

"there's a bloody worldwide pandemic, that's taking standard liberties away from people, like going out to the shops, for frig's sake"

"oh yeah"

 

[ti vu]

Really? Leeds and a huge number of other clubs will beg to differ. There is no rule to say the league can simply be voided.

WHO global pandemic announcement. National emergency act.

That overrides anything else. Some sport clubs and their fan vs the whole population. Good luck.

 

[spiriticon]

I just realised... Say we restart the league in August, will Dean Henderson be our player instead?

Sheff United will have no goalie haha!

 

[Berbaclass]

Really? Leeds and a huge number of other clubs will beg to differ. There is no rule to say the league can simply be voided.

I think there is in the PL if play is suspended for more than 60 days no?

 

[Finn MacCool]

Disagree. ONLY way to avoid legal action regarding fairness is to null and void it. Everyone is treated equally then.

It's simply too much of a minefield trying to come to a decision for an intervention. That's when challenges would appear.

Teams would not get treated equally if it was voided. That would be the opposite of being treated equally. Every team is in a unique position with final placings, prize money, CL EL qualification and relegation undecided.

Thankfully the mood music from most leagues so far is they want to finish the season when football resumes.

 

[Flying high]

But not all fans want it finished. Fans of clubs in the relegation zone don’t want it finished. They see this as an opportunity to retain their PL status which was in doubt.

I have no idea when it will resume. The biggest issue could be around registration and players contracts. If they can solve that then I think when it resumes it will be with this season finishing. That is the ONLY way to prevent a mountain of legal issues.

I'm sure you're hurting right now. But that is some serious straw-clutching.

 

[Finn MacCool]

So you think this season has to be played first before any other starts, even if that might be in 12-15months?
That's mad.

They didn't stubbornly insist on that in the war years, and for all intents and purposes this is the equivalent of a war.

Genuinely trying to understand how clubs think they would win any legal battle

"well...we're in the mix for promotion, it's unfair for the season not to end"

"there's a bloody worldwide pandemic, that's taking standard liberties away from people, like going out to the shops, for frig's sake"

"oh yeah"

In the First World War they finished the season in the second the league was cancelled - after 3 games! A huge difference.

Former EFL executive on Sky now talking about long term ramifications if it’s a long break.Says that for integrity it’s paramount to finish the season. We’ll get an idea later this week after EFL, PL andUEFA meetings.

 

[Sandikan]

Teams would not get treated equally if it was voided. That would be the opposite of being treated equally. Every team is in a unique position with final placings, prize money, CL EL qualification and relegation undecided.

Thankfully the mood music from most leagues so far is they want to finish the season when football resumes.

There's a real one eyed Pool fan at work. Never admits they played badly, says Heysel was about Pool fans "defending themselves", backed the Suarez t shirts etc.

He says it's a "manc fantasy" that there's any chance of voiding the season.

I think he knows deep down there's a really big chance of it going.
It's not "fair", but it's not fair that a virus has come in from nowhere and started smashing our ways of life up. In that context, you just have to suck up mere leisure stuff like football.

Do you worry about all the smaller clubs who have no income for months and might go to the wall?

 

[Sandikan]

I'm sure you're hurting right now. But that is some serious straw-clutching.

Check his next post

 

[Finn MacCool]

I'm sure you're hurting right now. But that is some serious straw-clutching.

I’m just softening the blow for you guys when you find out that the season will be finished. Having come to terms with us almost certainly winning it then being given a get out clause it will be tough to take when they announce that it will be finished before a new season begins.

 

[Sandikan]

In the First World War they finished the season in the second the league was cancelled - after 3 games! A huge difference.

Former EFL executive on Sky now talking about long term ramifications if it’s a long break.Says that for integrity it’s paramount to finish the season. We’ll get an idea later this week after EFL, PL andUEFA meetings.

You can have as many former this that or the others, or scouse mafia trying to influence things, but in reality things depend on the below

1)when this pandemic goes away
2)the current powers that be.

As indications seem to stretch from the summer through to a year from now, and the current chairman making noises about it not being possible to finish the season, I'd be pretty worried.

You forget United will be affected too more than most. It's just obviously your Liverpool supporting and being the heaviest affected clouding your view.

 

[Sandikan]

I’m just softening the blow for you guys when you find out that the season will be finished. Having come to terms with us almost certainly winning it then being given a get out clause it will be tough to take when they announce that it will be finished before a new season begins.

We'll bookmark this one my friend.

 

[McGrathsipan]

It's a clusterfcuk. Really difficult to sort out but it's only football

 

[Berbaclass]

I’m just softening the blow for you guys when you find out that the season will be finished. Having come to terms with us almost certainly winning it then being given a get out clause it will be tough to take when they announce that it will be finished before a new season begins.

The season will not be finished mate. It seems pretty obvious at this point. People are saying that’s what they want to happen. Logistically it’s going to be impossible.

 

[Finn MacCool]

There's a real one eyed Pool fan at work. Never admits they played badly, says Heysel was about Pool fans "defending themselves", backed the Suarez t shirts etc.

He says it's a "manc fantasy" that there's any chance of voiding the season.

I think he knows deep down there's a really big chance of it going.
It's not "fair", but it's not fair that a virus has come in from nowhere and started smashing our ways of life up. In that context, you just have to suck up mere leisure stuff like football.

Do you worry about all the smaller clubs who have no income for months and might go to the wall?

he sounds like an idiot.

I think the first football priority from the PL and govt should be a financial package to help smaller clubs from going bust. With the amount of money at the top of football if lower league clubs go bust it will be shameful.

 

[TheReligion]

Teams would not get treated equally if it was voided. That would be the opposite of being treated equally. Every team is in a unique position with final placings, prize money, CL EL qualification and relegation undecided.

Thankfully the mood music from most leagues so far is they want to finish the season when football resumes.

They may want to finish it (although not sure where you've seen that) but it just won't be possible. There's no way of doing it if this stretches on as predicted.

Consider this;

1) following a long break do you expect players to be able to jump back into competitive matches? We have a pre season for a reason. It's simply not going to happen unless they factor in that before hand.

2) In addition what happens with teams who have players/managers with expired loans/contacts? Again, can't see how that's solved.

3) What would happen to the following season? If they factor in all of the above what do you do with the next season. Delay that and then have a knock on effect which goes on and on and on. No transfer window?

I get you're desperate for this to be finished but I just can't see it. When you think logically about it just picking up where we left off in a few months or whatever it is isn't so simple which is why I think they'll end it. What they decide to do with the honours and spots is the interesting part but as said before the only way to treat everyone the same is to void everything from top to bottom in each league. Anything else will attract legal challenge which they will want to avoid at all costs.

 

[Mb194dc]

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This season is finished people, they’re not finishing it!

Ok in theory, impossible in practice. People won't accept being locked down for months on end. We don't have prison space and government won't use lethal force.

So it'll continue for a few months then all fall apart.

Agree re season.

 

[Finn MacCool]

You can have as many former this that or the others, or scouse mafia trying to influence things, but in reality things depend on the below

1)when this pandemic goes away
2)the current powers that be.

As indications seem to stretch from the summer through to a year from now, and the current chairman making noises about it not being possible to finish the season, I'd be pretty worried.

You forget United will be affected too more than most. It's just obviously your Liverpool supporting and being the heaviest affected clouding your view.

heaviest affected in terms is trophies but Leeds and WBA and others challenging for promotion will be heavily penalised financially.

 

[Zen86]

I’m just softening the blow for you guys when you find out that the season will be finished. Having come to terms with us almost certainly winning it then being given a get out clause it will be tough to take when they announce that it will be finished before a new season begins.

It will be incredibly funny when they cancel the league. Incredibly funny.

 

[Berbaclass]

Void the league and use the parachute payments which would be given to the relegated teams to help lower league sides.

 

[Sandikan]

he sounds like an idiot.

I think the first football priority from the PL and govt should be a financial package to help smaller clubs from going bust. With the amount of money at the top of football if lower league clubs go bust it will be shameful.

Wisest thing you've said.
My other boys Wycombe will only be ok as we've recently had an American owner come in. By no means any sort of sugar daddy, but if this had happened a year ago before he came in, we'd have been utterly screwed.
We were already working off 1 home game in a month, due to the odd circumstance of Bury going bust!
We were already without a game at all for 2 weeks before this 3 week game kicked in!

A lot of league 2 will be in dire straights. There are a lot of hand to mouth clubs down there!

 

[Finn MacCool]

They may want to finish it (although not sure where you've seen that) but it just won't be possible. There's no way of doing it if this stretches on as predicted.

Consider this;

1) following a long break do you expect players to be able to jump back into competitive matches? We have a pre season for a reason. It's simply not going to happen unless they factor in that before hand.

2) In addition what happens with teams who have players/managers with expired loans/contacts? Again, can't see how that's solved.

3) What would happen to the following season? If they factor in all of the above what do you do with the next season. Delay that and then have a knock on effect which goes on and on and on. No transfer window?

I get you're desperate for this to be finished but I just can't see it. When you think logically about it just picking up where we left off in a few months or whatever it is isn't so simple which is I think they'll end it. What the decide to do with the honours and spots is the interesting part but as said before the only way to treat everyone the same is to void everything from top to bottom in each league.

agree logistics are a nightmare but I think they value integrity of the leagues above some extra logistical tasks. I’m encouraged by what I heard tonight on sky. Sounds like a lot of clubs want to finish it.

 

[ti vu]

You can have as many former this that or the others, or scouse mafia trying to influence things, but in reality things depend on the below

1)when this pandemic goes away
2)the current powers that be.

As indications seem to stretch from the summer through to a year from now, and the current chairman making noises about it not being possible to finish the season, I'd be pretty worried.

You forget United will be affected too more than most. It's just obviously your Liverpool supporting and being the heaviest affected clouding your view.

This. Even reigning chairmen of sports association have power in this situation. Such a stupid argument mentioning league being cancelled after 3 games when WW2 broke out. Showing how deluded how one can be.

Players join the army to fight for their nations, for the people. They didn’t void the league because it’s an easy decision on prize money, integrity value...

If sports nowadays are so detached from the society then they need a revamp. To hell with your selfishness.

 

[Berbaclass]

agree logistics are a nightmare but I think they value integrity of the leagues above some extra logistical tasks. I’m encouraged by what I heard tonight on sky. Sounds like a lot of clubs want to finish it.

There are maybe a handful of clubs wanting to finish it at best.

 

[Finn MacCool]

Wisest thing you've said.
My other boys Wycombe will only be ok as we've recently had an American owner come in. By no means any sort of sugar daddy, but if this had happened a year ago before he came in, we'd have been utterly screwed.
We were already working off 1 home game in a month, due to the odd circumstance of Bury going bust!
We were already without a game at all for 2 weeks before this 3 week game kicked in!

A lot of league 2 will be in dire straights. There are a lot of hand to mouth clubs down there!

Some lower league clubs could be in trouble in the next couple of weeks - no season ticket sales for next season.

 

[wolvored]

I think it will be scrapped and it will be as if it never existed as there is no other alternative. They wont be kicking off again in April. When the new season starts it will probably be as this season started, same teams, Champions league spaces will be Liverpool Spurs Chelsea and Arsenal, (minus City). Unfortunately Utd will still be in the Europa.

 

[Oldyella]

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This season is finished people, they’re not finishing it!

At this point, we should be discussing if we are even ready for next seasons start.

 

[Sandikan]

heaviest affected in terms is trophies but Leeds and WBA and others challenging for promotion will be heavily penalised financially.

Leeds and WBA have 7 and 6 point leads with 9 games to go.
They can't even use Liverpool's angle that it's a done deal.

Leeds were 2nd this time last year, and bombed out.

They haven't any sort of leg to stand on in this emergency situation.

 

[Antisocial]

In the First World War they finished the season in the second the league was cancelled - after 3 games! A huge difference.

Former EFL executive on Sky now talking about long term ramifications if it’s a long break.Says that for integrity it’s paramount to finish the season. We’ll get an idea later this week after EFL, PL andUEFA meetings.

What would you suggest if the league can’t be completed by the end of June? Should the league remain open to be completed beyond that even if teams have lost players for those last 9/10 games due to expired contracts/loans/retirements, even if the calender crosses into what should be the next season?

Should we still be talking about completing the 2019/20 season in 2021? Or 2022 if things are particularly bad? Or would you have a date in mind when completing the season is no longer possible?

And in the event of not being able to complete, would you be adequating relegating Aston Villa for having been unable to play their game-in-hand that could‘ve taken them out of the relegation places? Or denying Sheffield United their game-in-hand that might raise them up to 5th and a possible Champions League place if City’s ban is upheld? And Arsenal any European football at all when they also have a game-in-hand (admittedly one that they’d almost certainly lose against City, but lets be charitable ).

There would be no good answer if the season can’t be completed, but voiding the season would be the least bad option I’ve seen. I’m open to hearing alternatives though.