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Which is fairer? Coronavirus implications

Trotter

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2009
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3,312
Would you advocate playing the remaining games of the season behind closed doors, just to get it over and done with? Some people are saying the Covid-19 crisis could possibly be reaching it's peak over the next three or four months, so do you think playing behind closed doors would be making the best of the worst case scenario, or would you rule that out completely?

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Whether I would advocate that I'm not sure, but as in my post above, I think that is quite a likely outcome, and quite possibly at training grounds, where conditions can be controlled easier.
 
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Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
Would you advocate playing the remaining games of the season behind closed doors, just to get it over and done with? Some people are saying the Covid-19 crisis could possibly be reaching it's peak over the next three or four months, so do you think playing behind closed doors would be making the best of the worst case scenario, or would you rule that out completely?

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PS...I just read your posst which was sent about the same time as mine, so no need to answer me.

(y)

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thebenjamin

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2008
12,164
38,545
Behind closed doors is certainly the only way this gets done this year. Not a chance in hell there's 60K people in a football stadium I would think at the very least until winter is over. Probably this time next year, and that's if everything goes well. The insurance implications alone would be massive.

The problem of course with BCD games is that one member of staff at any club gets it, that entire club gets quarantined for 2 weeks. So that club's fixtures can't be fulfilled not only for that period of time, but also they're at a disadvantage because they can't train so they need to be given time to get their players fit again before a match, which knocks the whole thing on. And then it happens at another club, etc.

The interesting thing is who's going to be first to blink. La Liga have had C-19 run through clubs like Valencia and Espanyol - I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them call their league void as the chance of there being zero cases in the entire league to complete fixtures by the June 30th deadline must be very small. If that happens, what do the rest of Europe do...
 

Trotter

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2009
2,169
3,312
Behind closed doors is certainly the only way this gets done this year. Not a chance in hell there's 60K people in a football stadium I would think at the very least until winter is over. Probably this time next year, and that's if everything goes well. The insurance implications alone would be massive.

The problem of course with BCD games is that one member of staff at any club gets it, that entire club gets quarantined for 2 weeks. So that club's fixtures can't be fulfilled for that period of time. So then they're at a disadvantage because they can't train. So then they need to be given time to get their players fit again before a match, which knocks the whole thing on. And then it happens at another club, etc.

The interesting thing is who's going to be first to blink. La Liga have had C-19 run through clubs like Valencia and Espanyol - I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them call their league void as the chance of there being zero cases in the entire league to complete fixtures by the June 30th deadline must be very small. If that happens, what do the rest of Europe do...

I don't think any league will blink first, think the leagues and UEFA are all on the same page, 2019-20 season is to finish, to its conclusion, but as soon as feasible, before we start off whatever we call the next season, and we open transfer window between the seasons which will be consistent throughout Europe.

In fact could see This season ending in say October, window opening, next season going from say December 2020 to October 2021 (with a summer break) finishing few weeks before World Cup starts and then adjusting from there.
 
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Wsussexspur

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
8,918
10,176
What people need to understand about the behind closed doors games is your still going to need the emergency services in attendance. Sure not as many as if you were playing at a full stadium but some will be there. Your also bound to get people who will turn up outside the ground like the PSG fans did last week.. Especially if there are games which are going to decide relegation or Liverpool being crowned champions. I just don't see behind closed doors working or being allowed to go head by the government.
 

thebenjamin

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2008
12,164
38,545
I don't think any league will blink first, think the leagues and UEFA are all on the same page, 2019-20 season is to finish, to its conclusion, but as soon as feasible, before we start off whatever we call the next season, and we open transfer window between the seasons which will be consistent throughout Europe.

I think there will have to be a choice between finishing this season and having a next season. I don't see both happening. And then it will come down to money. As in how much clubs will miss out on in either scenario. Scrapping a whole season will mean clubs losing £100s of millions in broadcasting revenue.

Personally I think the best solution is to finish this season this time next year. So starting in March / April, run up to the Euros, and then the next actual season is August 21. But I'm really not sure if that's possible financially and contractually.
 

thebenjamin

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2008
12,164
38,545
What people need to understand about the behind closed doors games is your still going to need the emergency services in attendance. Sure not as many as if you were playing at a full stadium but some will be there. Your also bound to get people who will turn up outside the ground like the PSG fans did last week.. Especially if there are games which are going to decide relegation or Liverpool being crowned champions. I just don't see behind closed doors working or being allowed to go head by the government.

Very good points. Would have to be total lockdown in the area surrounding the stadiums - as in if you go you get arrested. I think there's a good chance that even the suggestion of all that just to play some football will become quite distasteful given people dying all over the place.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
30,536
46,628
Transfers won't be allowed to happen, FIFA will put an embargo on that happening until the current season ends.
What is going to happen in PL will be repeated across Europe, leagues will finish, although the timeline for that is not known yet.
Players out of contract will be allowed to sign short-term contracts to continue playing with their current employers, and out of contract players who have already signed a pre-contract would be able to join a new club, but not play for their new club initially (or come to mutual agreement to re=date the start of that new deal)

Personally I think matches will resume sooner than we think, but quite probably behind closed doors, in sterilised conditions, possibly even at training grounds.

What you're suggesting is a legal minefield. Its trampling all over players working rights, freedom of movement, etc. Whatever they decide there's no simple solution to this.
 

Trotter

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2009
2,169
3,312
What you're suggesting is a legal minefield. Its trampling all over players working rights, freedom of movement, etc. Whatever they decide there's no simple solution to this.

I don't think it does open up a legal minefield in respect of players.
The vast majority of players have contracts that extend beyond the upcoming closed season, they are not affected, they are under contract to stay.
Players out of contract have a choice, they can accept a short term contract from their current club, or sign terms with a new club if they wish, but they would need to understand that they could not play first team games until the current season has finished. They would be paid if they found another club, just like happens nowadays, and have freedom of movement, but likely would stay with current club to finish season off.
If players have signed a pre-contract that would still be valid, but again they could not play for new club, but would still be paid. One rule change is they could also be loaned back to the club they have come from and continue playing.
 

whitesocks

The past means nothing. This is a message for life
Jan 16, 2014
4,652
5,738
Play the games behind closed doors and don't tell us the results either.
Less we know about it the better.
 

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
What people need to understand about the behind closed doors games is your still going to need the emergency services in attendance. Sure not as many as if you were playing at a full stadium but some will be there. Your also bound to get people who will turn up outside the ground like the PSG fans did last week.. Especially if there are games which are going to decide relegation or Liverpool being crowned champions. I just don't see behind closed doors working or being allowed to go head by the government.

Exactly, and this is why I suggested perhaps live televised games could be banned from pubs and sports bars, to stop all the mass gatherings around the stadiums on match days, like with the PSG fans.

Whichever solutions we seem to come up with, there are problems with one group or another, sadly, that seems to be the way.

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Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
And just as we go bonkers with all the possible scenarios swimming around our heads and possible outcomes those scenrios would incur, there's this (see main page for details...)


Whatever happens with football from now on is going to be governed by legisltaion. It's not even as if the clubs are even going to have any unilateral responsibility for how this is all going to play out. I think football owing SKY and BT Sport all that money is frankly, outrageous because we all know who's going to pay for it eventually, and both main broadcasters are not exactly falling over themselves to make any price concessions to the consumers in the meantime whilst all this is going on, are they?

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Ray_Evans

SC Supporter
Aug 28, 2011
1,367
1,878
I think football owing SKY and BT Sport all that money is frankly, outrageous because we all know who's going to pay for it eventually, and both main broadcasters are not exactly falling over themselves to make any price concessions to the consumers in the meantime whilst all this is going on, are they?
[/QUOTE]

For those with Sky Sports, you can now pause the subscription without paying a fee or being held to any notice period, due to the lack of live sport thanks to Covid-19. Payments will go back to normal "once the action resumes".

If you subscribe directly to Sky, it's basically log in and click a button. You get the Sports elements (channels and HD cost) reduced to zero.

https://www.sky.com/shop/tv/sports/pause
 

SUIYHA

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2017
1,723
8,579
Play the games behind closed doors and don't tell us the results either.
Less we know about it the better.

If there were only one or two matchdays left I'd actually say that wasn't a bad idea - play the games in secret, don't tell anyone other than the immediate playing/coaching staff and a few key people in broadcasting, then show all of the games afterwards like a Netflix series - upload a different one every day.

With the number of games left though it would be impossible to keep it quiet - too many moving parts that could potentially let it slip.
 

BehindEnemyLines

Twisting a Melon with the Rev. Black Grape
Apr 13, 2006
4,571
13,157
If there were only one or two matchdays left I'd actually say that wasn't a bad idea - play the games in secret, don't tell anyone other than the immediate playing/coaching staff and a few key people in broadcasting, then show all of the games afterwards like a Netflix series - upload a different one every day.

With the number of games left though it would be impossible to keep it quiet - too many moving parts that could potentially let it slip.
That could actually make it a lot more interesting with less deadheaders, as teams wouldn't know if they are safe or not, or in the European spots or not.........would make a fun last day when they reveal the scores and positions (more than a substitute for Eurovision!)........though they seem to leak the fixtures every year, so god only knows how they would keep this a secret!
 

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
I think football owing SKY and BT Sport all that money is frankly, outrageous because we all know who's going to pay for it eventually, and both main broadcasters are not exactly falling over themselves to make any price concessions to the consumers in the meantime whilst all this is going on, are they?

For those with Sky Sports, you can now pause the subscription without paying a fee or being held to any notice period, due to the lack of live sport thanks to Covid-19. Payments will go back to normal "once the action resumes".

If you subscribe directly to Sky, it's basically log in and click a button. You get the Sports elements (channels and HD cost) reduced to zero.

https://www.sky.com/shop/tv/sports/pause
[/QUOTE]

I'm with Virgin Media, who rent the channels off SKY and BT Sport. I'll have to check to see what they're prepared do for me (if anything) but I won't hold my breath. Cheers for the heads up. (y)

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John48

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2015
2,249
3,143
Really don't think behind closed doors is feasible unless someone can tell me what they're going to do about ambulances?

I believe every major game has at least one available just in case there's a serious accident & a player needs hospitalisation & I don't see the Gov releasing any of them until we're well on the downward curve, but others may tell me differently.
 

SUIYHA

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2017
1,723
8,579
I may have missed it several pages back in the thread, but is there any reason out of interest why the season HAS to be finished within the traditional times?

Say it's not possible to play football for five years, then what? Is there a reason why we cannot start the PL again, five years from now, and just resume as we were, like in Jumanji? Why does there have to be a finite stop date?

I know that would mean we'd finish the "season" with vastly different playing squads than started it, but it seems like the fairest way to me - wait however long it takes until we can carry on and finish, then do so.
 

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
What I'm grappling with is the idea that no matter what happens, this season will HAVE to be finished, regardless of how long that takes.

Effectively, with nine games to go, it could very easily run into half way through the next season if this season is suspended until at least April 30th, but then we have the World Cup in QATAR in February 2021 FFS (yeah, I know...) and then there's the re-arranged Euro's in 2021...

Seriously, Isn't it insane to have completely dismissed the whole idea of declaring the season 'null and void' but apparently, that idea is no longer an option for discussion. Been ruled out as a non-starter.

Surely, nothing can be ruled out as we have no idea what the end of this crisis even looks like, or even when it's going to happen. By my way of thinking, it's not about Liverpool winning the Premiership or Norwich getting relegated or even Leeds coming up. Contracts can be re-negotiated (lawyers and agents love that sort of thing..) but football is in danger of overloading itself and players are going to be knackered with all the games potentially running into each other.

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Yid-ol

Just-outside Edinburgh
Jan 16, 2006
31,097
19,275
I may have missed it several pages back in the thread, but is there any reason out of interest why the season HAS to be finished within the traditional times?

Say it's not possible to play football for five years, then what? Is there a reason why we cannot start the PL again, five years from now, and just resume as we were, like in Jumanji? Why does there have to be a finite stop date?

I know that would mean we'd finish the "season" with vastly different playing squads than started it, but it seems like the fairest way to me - wait however long it takes until we can carry on and finish, then do so.

As you said, it could be with different players or even club's if some go bust in those 5 years, which is why it can't be the same season as it's different players/teams.

Say in 5 years (as your example) we line up against Man U to finish our season and they have Kane playing for them.... When he had played for us all season! To me that isn't the fairest thing. The season ends when players can leave or move.
 
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