How will football look after coronavirus?

[worldgonemad]

Not sure if ive seen a thread about this as yet. Mods, please delete or move if already discussed.

Ok, so i guess we are all resigned to the fact that football is unlikely to return for the foreseeable future. To us as fans its a nightmare without seeing football for so long.

The thing is though, when football returns, what do we expect it to look like? Im fairly optimistic by nature but i do genuinly fear for the game. Clubs have various fixed costs that cant be reduced, financing deals ( united debt payments? Other clubs stadiums etc) also huge salaries as a proportion of almost every clubs turnover, maintenance on grounds etc etc, too many to list.

Although its probably not a thought we all have had to deal with, its really not sustainable for any club to function without any income for any period of time. Take for example almost every club from championship down. What revenue if any have they had since lockdown ( i mean in every country by the way, not just the uk) The players at those clubs are under contract and do need paying, many of them really are not on eye-watering money and will need paying monthly, they have mortgages and mouths to feed just like us all. Also do sponsorship deals get paid by a number of games played basis. Loss of gate receipts will be crippling .

How long do you think it will be before clubs start to enter administration? How many clubs will cease to be? Do you feel your club will be one of them?

My local club is york city, non league with one of the highest wage structures in that division and financially supported by a local business family. I fear for them. The club i support is Liverpool, other end of the scale and i would imagine if they fold, almost every club would. That's not to say every club in the premier league will survive though, im sure ive read burnley and Bournemouth may already be struggling, Aston villa surely must be fearful given the spend when they git promoted.

I have read that people are suggesting back end of the year at the earliest for football to resume (behind closed doors) some saying summer 2021 before crowds let back in

Im optimistic by nature, but who else fears how football will look once this is done?

 

[Pughnichi]

Sponsors surely wouldn’t want to bite the hand that feeds. Why demand money if it causes a club to collapse and subsequently negate availability for future sponsorship.

I also believe the FA are sat on a gold mine and historically been criticised for not sharing it. It could be that in the near future this pot of gold is used to maintain struggling clubs. Again without the clubs, the FA are nothing.

with that in mind I’m optimistic about the future. Although perhaps I’m blinkered cos let’s be honest,we are in a far better place to survive than Blackburn, Bolton and the like

 

[TheLord]

At least for one or two years:
1. Transfer market will take a hit
2. Filthy agents will run for cover.
3. Disgruntled fans will refuse to show up in droves for the crap that is generally thrown at them
4. TV money reduced as early as next season
5. Exorbitant player wages decreased in the next rounds of contracts
6. People will finally realise that behind closed door football does not make the cut
7. The true faces of some filthy owners clearly revealed
8. Many lower league clubs and one or two PL clubs will go bust
9. Piracy will increase manifold
10. Football-related violence will decrease when people realise that it is absolutely not worth it
11. WAGs and HABs will no longer be routinely featured as headlines in mainstream newspapers

 

[Web of Bissaka]

10. Football-related violence will decrease when people realise that it is absolutely not worth it

This. The matches will be like friendly games.

 

[worldgonemad]

8. Many lower league clubs and one or two PL clubs will go bust

This is my fear more than anything. All through europe. If the Fa are sitting on so much money i cant believe they havnt announced anything as yet.

Wimbledon had insurance against this pandemic ( tennis, not the football club)
If English football is the pinnacle as we are led to believe, surely clubs, or the fa would have taken insurance out.
Even the ecb announced 66 million quids worth of help weeks ago for cricket.

Surely if any help was available it would have been announced by now?
To any of our overseas members, have your fa's announced any help yet?

 

[T00lsh3d]

The bubble will burst

 

[Dancfc]

We could come into an era where the strength of teams youth academy's become very prominent once again due to a lack of funds for football in general, atleast for the short term.

Would be great news for us!

 

[Mb194dc]

They'll be a big financial hit. How big depends on how long the pandemic drags on for.

 

[kouroux]

At least for one or two years:
1. Transfer market will take a hit
2. Filthy agents will run for cover.
3. Disgruntled fans will refuse to show up in droves for the crap that is generally thrown at them
4. TV money reduced as early as next season
5. Exorbitant player wages decreased in the next rounds of contracts
6. People will finally realise that behind closed door football does not make the cut
7. The true faces of some filthy owners clearly revealed
8. Many lower league clubs and one or two PL clubs will go bust
9. Piracy will increase manifold
10. Football-related violence will decrease when people realise that it is absolutely not worth it
11. WAGs and HABs will no longer be routinely featured as headlines in mainstream newspapers

I don't see why 9 would happen anymore than it already has so far.

 

[worldgonemad]

We could come into an era where the strength of teams youth academy's become very prominent once again due to a lack of funds for football in general, atleast for the short term.

Would be great news for us!

Do you think we could rapidly be in an era of substantial wage cuts for players, once current contracts end?

 

[kouroux]

Do you think we could rapidly be in an era of substantial wage cuts for players, once current contracts end?

Without a doubt. If everything football related will take a financial hit, the players will.

 

[Dancfc]

Do you think we could rapidly be in an era of substantial wage cuts for players, once current contracts end?

I'm not too sure about that one, possibly/hopefully the trajectory of fees and wages will stop at the unsustainable rise they were on pre pandemic (possibly drop a bit) but in the long run I can't see too substantial a drop, especially at the bigger clubs.

For example, coming out of a pandemic or no, there's absolutely no chance Dortmund are selling Sancho for anything less than £100m. Levy won't be budging on his price tag for Kane either (rumours he will consider a sale for a certain high price).

 

[Sandikan]

No lasting impact on the top clubs.
Potential huge impact on the league 1,2 and non league clubs, unless there is a new season with fans able to go in 2020/21

The 3pm no live games ruling has already been temporarily removed, and you can well see that being permanently removed. It's the last untapped resource in football and it's ludicrous how you can see every game of even your lower league club abroad, but not in England. (without VPN shenanighans)

 

[Web of Bissaka]

It still depends on when football will return.

Think it's still manageable and won't change much if the time is within this year. August is probably the threshold of when it seriously gets worse and financially harming.

Contingency plannings and financial managements has to start asap though.

 

[Peter van der Gea]

I wonder if some stars have contracted this, at low levels, but there's been a small amount of scarring, so they'll never be as good before, how will that effect the market. Will some clubs hide it?

 

[redshaw]

Pogba won't get closed down.

 

[Cloud7]

We could come into an era where the strength of teams youth academy's become very prominent once again due to a lack of funds for football in general, atleast for the short term.

Would be great news for us!

This will be good for football on the whole in my opinion. Focus on developing your own and bringing through players rather than a dick waving contest of who can spend the most.

 

[paraguayo]

Nothing will change

 

[Luke1995]

At first, the games will be technically ugly as players will absolutely not be at 100% physical shape and will struggle with finding rythim with the ball and other little things after so long.

Expect lots of crosses and long balls in general

 

[worldgonemad]

At first, the games will be technically ugly as players will absolutely not be at 100% physical shape and will struggle with finding rythim with the ball and other little things after so long.

Expect lots of crosses and long balls in general

Thats interesting actually. Some players seem to let themselves go in close season. Remember thomas brolin at leeds? Shakiri at Liverpool has struggled with weight. How long will it take pogba for instance will it take to get upto match speed. Its conceivable that it will be around a year since hes played competitively by the time this is done.

 

[Luke1995]

Thats interesting actually. Some players seem to let themselves go in close season. Remember thomas brolin at leeds? Shakiri at Liverpool has struggled with weight. How long will it take pogba for instance will it take to get upto match speed. Its conceivable that it will be around a year since hes played competitively by the time this is done.

I don't expect Pogba to struggle that much because he really has a special quality on the ball, but players less gifted technically will make more mistakes than they usually do.

Rooney is one who will need several games to pick up the pace, which gets more difficult with each year, as he goes into his mid 30's

 

[Sweet Square]

 

[ariveded]

Its a big break and lockout, with zero outdoor activities. Thus, certain players and age groups will never be the same. Some top players will regress and past their peak.

People will be anxious about going to bars, pubs at least for this entire year. Thus, sales will be down and that would also affect the football cycle including TV rights.

 

[njred]

Transfer fees will go down along with wages. You would hope ticket prices might drop although I wouldn't count on it. Many more people will stay at home to watch. And finally Liverpool will be sitting on 19 going for 20.

 

[dumbo]

Middle of nowhere, chain link dome, fans poking through the gaps, players half dressed in leather and chrome, Tina Turner soundtrack, chainsaws.

 

[horsechoker]

Middle of nowhere, chain link dome, fans poking through the gaps, players half dressed in leather and chrome, Tina Turner soundtrack, chainsaws.

 

[horsechoker]

Could this be how football stands will look also?

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[worldgonemad]

Was on the radio earlier that in germany , clubs are trainong with a view to playing soon . Apparently they are trainng in groups of 5 players at a time so god knows how they expect to get 2 teams on a pitch at once . Seems premature to me .

 

[Sweet Square]

Middle of nowhere, chain link dome, fans poking through the gaps, players half dressed in leather and chrome, Tina Turner soundtrack, chainsaws.

So you've been to the Stadium of Light ?

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

Was on the radio earlier that in germany , clubs are trainong with a view to playing soon . Apparently they are trainng in groups of 5 players at a time so god knows how they expect to get 2 teams on a pitch at once . Seems premature to me .

Nothing modern Germany does seems to be premature. They are meticulous. If they are even contemplating football returning, you can bet your house on the fact that this has been backed by serious scientific statistics to suggest things are returning to normal in Germany, very slowly but steadily. It's fantastic news, and I'm not talking about the football here.