Which is fairer? Coronavirus implications

[Saoirse]

I can't see how this would work personally. If I were in charge of Tottenham and the decision was made to finish as per the standings now then I would immediately file a lawsuit for loss of potential earnings. We are not mathematically out of the Champions League & with Kane & Son making their returns, a top 4 finish isn't impossible to imagine.

I personally think there are two options:

1 - Finish the season behind closed doors, extend the Transfer Window & shorten the summer break (considering players are essentially 'off' now).

2 - Void the season & standings from last season stay in place.

These are the only two fair outcomes. Either play the games & see who wins, or don't and void it. I have seen some suggestions regarding full stadiums etc & I understand it, however football is ultimately a game between 22 players at once and the most goals win, that is it & the crowds etc do play a part, but I don't think a claim would stand in court that it makes that much of a difference.

I don't think you can avoid lawsuits whatever you do unless you can a) finish this season and b) still start next one on time-ish and finish it as normal, which just doesn't seem possible sadly. If you void it for instance, Leicester, Wolves and Sheffield United will miss out on European revenue they'd very likely have received (near-certain in Leicester's case).

 

[sundanceyid10]

The crowd may not but there would be more than enough evidence to show home advantage makes a difference and lawyers would argue that home fans play a part in that I’m certain.

Yep completely agree with you, and for that reason it would not maintain the integrity of the league.

 

[sundanceyid10]

Yep completely agree with you, and for that reason it would not maintain the integrity of the league. I’m not sure that law suits will be successful in a void season, as it would be argued it had to be cancelled along with all sport around the globe.

 

[sundanceyid10]

The integrity would be maintained if the reverse fixture was played under the same conditions but obviously that cant happen. To say that crowds have no effect on result seems ludicrous to me.

 

[ShayLaB]

On the Totally Football Show.

They were talking about Spain and the figures were asserted by the La Ligue president. This is what it would cost the clubs given three scenarios:

- abandon season: €1bn
- season complete with no fans : €350m
- season complete delayed: €150m

The survival of clubs requires the season is completed to protect the TV rights and nobody now doubts the season will be completed albeit probably behind closed doors. Even behind closed doors each match requires 271 people to be at the stadium per match - players, TV folk etc

The amounts may vary by country obviously and the ratios may change depending upon how much money is derived from TV.

If the PL is in any way similar it would seem very unlikely that the season will not finish especially if, as in Spain, the full TV money has been forwarded to the clubs already and the clubs would now have to pay it back.

 

[yankspurs]

On the Totally Football Show.

They were talking about Spain and the figures were asserted by the La Ligue president. This is what it would cost the clubs given three scenarios:

- abandon season: €1bn
- season complete with no fans : €350m
- season complete delayed: €150m

The survival of clubs requires the season is completed to protect the TV rights and nobody now doubts the season will be completed albeit probably behind closed doors. Even behind closed doors each match requires 271 people to be at the stadium per match - players, TV folk etc

The amounts may vary by country obviously and the ratios may change depending upon how much money is derived from TV.

If the PL is in any way similar it would seem very unlikely that the season will not finish especially if, as in Spain, the full TV money has been forwarded to the clubs already and the clubs would now have to pay it back.

Health issues take precedent over all. The sport will not be returning this season and likely will not next season. This is a pandemic with a 2nd wave incredibly likely. All social distancing measures will have to remain in place and we will have to be prepared to go back into lockdown at a moments notice until a vaccine is safely approved and scaled. Unless, of course, the virus just dies out completely in the next 1-2 months but the odds of that are almost non existant.

 

[Spursmatty87]

Love that we talking about top flight football and integrity in the same sentence, and being serious. The pl, the players and the clubs have zero integrity.

 

[spursfan77]

Sugar with some good points here

 

['O Zio]

I've thought since the beginning that by far the fairest option is to just void the season and start over again next year. The trouble is the financial aspect of having to pay back the TV companies etc obviously means the PL is desperate to play the games even behind closed doors. They'll obviously push for that for as long as possible but ultimately I think it will get to a point where the time has run out and there is no choice but to just void the season. If, for example, it gets to September before they're able to even play behind closed doors, then continuing the season just makes no sense because you'd then have to push back the following season etc and drag the whole thing out for years to come while we all play catch up.

 

[Tucker]

I've thought since the beginning that by far the fairest option is to just void the season and start over again next year. The trouble is the financial aspect of having to pay back the TV companies etc obviously means the PL is desperate to play the games even behind closed doors. They'll obviously push for that for as long as possible but ultimately I think it will get to a point where the time has run out and there is no choice but to just void the season. If, for example, it gets to September before they're able to even play behind closed doors, then continuing the season just makes no sense because you'd then have to push back the following season etc and drag the whole thing out for years to come while we all play catch up.

The TV companies should think on, do they really want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

 

[spursfan77]

I've thought since the beginning that by far the fairest option is to just void the season and start over again next year. The trouble is the financial aspect of having to pay back the TV companies etc obviously means the PL is desperate to play the games even behind closed doors. They'll obviously push for that for as long as possible but ultimately I think it will get to a point where the time has run out and there is no choice but to just void the season. If, for example, it gets to September before they're able to even play behind closed doors, then continuing the season just makes no sense because you'd then have to push back the following season etc and drag the whole thing out for years to come while we all play catch up.

I've been thinking the following and your post gives me the chance to give my ideas towards a couple of things:

1. Why don't the tv companies renegotiate the deals for next season and the next period now. The money the clubs have to pay back stays with the clubs, but in return, the tv companies offer a lower fee over the period to compensate for this loss (over the period), they could also be awarded more games and with the 3pm rule abolished, be given some of those games live too.

2. The cost of playing behind closed doors in the stadiums must be greater than playing at the training ground. The risk of catching the virus equally so. If players and staff stayed at training grounds, played the games there and moved to and fro from each club's training ground the disruption is kept to a minimum. The atmosphere will be rubbish in the stadium without fans anyway, so whats the difference playing them at a truing ground (it could also eliminate VAR so a win there). I've been saying this for ages. It will be shit without the fans anyway, not that us may=tch going fans will be treated any different because of it anyway. But you never know.

 

[vegassd]

The trouble is the financial aspect of having to pay back the TV companies etc obviously means the PL is desperate to play the games even behind closed doors.

The murmurs seem to be that Sky won't be requesting a refund now regardless, but there are still the overseas rights which would be trickier.

I've got a couple of mates who work in the TV industry and they say that things there are screwed because nobody can produce new studio content at the moment. So it might be in everybody's interest for the clubs and Sky to agree to some other way of creating content (either now or in the future) where Sky feel they are getting enough value that they don't want any kind of refund.

 

[RichieS]

Couldn't there be a way to combine the disruption due to Coronavirus and the disruption that the ridiculous winter World Cup will cause?

 

['O Zio]

I've been thinking the following and your post gives me the chance to give my ideas towards a couple of things:

1. Why don't the tv companies renegotiate the deals for next season and the next period now. The money the clubs have to pay back stays with the clubs, but in return, the tv companies offer a lower fee over the period to compensate for this loss (over the period), they could also be awarded more games and with the 3pm rule abolished, be given some of those games live too.

2. The cost of playing behind closed doors in the stadiums must be greater than playing at the training ground. The risk of catching the virus equally so. If players and staff stayed at training grounds, played the games there and moved to and fro from each club's training ground the disruption is kept to a minimum. The atmosphere will be rubbish in the stadium without fans anyway, so whats the difference playing them at a truing ground (it could also eliminate VAR so a win there). I've been saying this for ages. It will be shit without the fans anyway, not that us may=tch going fans will be treated any different because of it anyway. But you never know.

The trouble with your training ground idea is that most of them won't be suitable because there'll be nowhere to put camera and all the other circus that goes with hosting a televised match. I reckon there's more to it than people think and it would be difficult to do except for at a few select training grounds.

As for deducting the money owed from future contracts, that actually makes a lot of sense.

 

[SpunkyBackpack]

The trouble with your training ground idea is that most of them won't be suitable because there'll be nowhere to put camera and all the other circus that goes with hosting a televised match. I reckon there's more to it than people think and it would be difficult to do except for at a few select training grounds.

As for deducting the money owed from future contracts, that actually makes a lot of sense.

If they can do it at non-league venues for FA Cup etc they can do it at training grounds, a cherry picker and an outside broadcast truck is all you need.

 

[Trotter]

Austrian Government allowing teams to resume training on Monday (in effect calling them key workers).

Intention is to play games behind closed doors, with players tested before matches

 

[spursfan77]

The trouble with your training ground idea is that most of them won't be suitable because there'll be nowhere to put camera and all the other circus that goes with hosting a televised match. I reckon there's more to it than people think and it would be difficult to do except for at a few select training grounds.

As for deducting the money owed from future contracts, that actually makes a lot of sense.

Just stick one camera up. Seems the media only care about the games being played and the season finishing. They only need proof the games have happened.

Regarding the tv money, I see no other way.

 

[vegassd]

Austrian Government allowing teams to resume training on Monday (in effect calling them key workers).

Intention is to play games behind closed doors, with players tested before matches

They aren't calling them key workers, they are just loosening their lockdown measures in general. They have a better number of tests per million citizens than Germany but with 10% the total number of deaths so I think they feel well setup to handle a gradual return to normal.

It's definitely encouraging and a lot of football leagues (and countries in general) will be watching Austria and other countries loosening their lockdowns to see if they suffer the expected second waves. Fingers crossed things work out well.

 

[spursfan77]

They aren't calling them key workers, they are just loosening their lockdown measures in general. They have a better number of tests per million citizens than Germany but with 10% the total number of deaths so I think they feel well setup to handle a gradual return to normal.

It's definitely encouraging and a lot of football leagues (and countries in general) will be watching Austria and other countries loosening their lockdowns to see if they suffer the expected second waves. Fingers crossed things work out well.

I like Austria. Had a mate who worked there for 8/9 years and visited him a few times. Vienna is a great city. One I would definitely recommend visiting. A really low population density too so it doesn’t really feel like a busy place.

 

[Wsussexspur]

Several EFL clubs 'days away from going bust' amid wage dispute

Growing number of League One and League Two club owners believe 2019-2020 season should be cancelled

www.skysports.com

Some EFL clubs calling for season to be cancelled.