Football and the Coronavirus

BaZ87 · 17 Mar 2020 at 23:39

Because you were confusing two very different things. As I said, the government will decide if and when we can resume playing football and more specifically with crowds. They won't determine when this season is officially ended and next season starts.

It doesn't matter how old the competition is. Finishing the FA Cup this season (or next season) isn't going to save clubs from going bankrupt. Completing League seasons will.

As for how late things can go, it's possible that the window for completing next season is actually smaller than the window for completing this season. I'd guess that providing we're playing by June then we could complete the remainder of this season* and have time to complete next season. You've then probably got a 3 month window where, assuming you intend to complete next season without changes, you'd probably have to scrap the remainder of this season in order to be finished in time for the Euros. However if things dragged on beyond September then it would be very possible that you couldn't complete a full calendar next season regardless of the remainder of this season. In which case you'd probably just finish this season, have a couple of months of exhibition games then go straight into the Euros.

*assuming there's some compromises with how the CL/EL is finished, FA Cup etc.

rebel rebel · 17 Mar 2020 at 23:52

Who made the decision to end football during WW2? Did the FA make it or did the government?

I know this isn't a war, but with forced closures and hospitals close to breaking point, it's certainly the most serious threat to our way of life in my lifetime.

BaZ87 · 17 Mar 2020 at 23:58

We're going round in circles here. There's a difference between preventing football from happening and deciding that this season will be finished. At some point in time we will start playing football again, that could be in a couple of months or 100 years. That decision will be taken by the government however whether we formally end this season or not will be taken by the League. In other words, the government might prevent us starting again until January however the PL (and all the other Leagues) will decide whether they are going to carry on from the point we ended and complete the '19/20 season or just start from the 20/21 season.

rebel rebel · 18 Mar 2020 at 00:13

Sorry but I don't believe that. If they stop football for a long time, then I'm pretty sure they would be part of the conversation about what to do when it restarts.

BaZ87 · 18 Mar 2020 at 00:17

It would not be a government decision. It's like the government closing down a restaurant and then deciding that when it reopens it needs to change from it's winter menu to a summer menu. It's not their decision, only when the restaurant can open.

rebel rebel · 18 Mar 2020 at 00:31

The government closes restaurants and prevents them from serving certain items all the time. Plastic straws for instance.

BaZ87 · 18 Mar 2020 at 00:41

rebel rebel said:
The government closes restaurants and prevents them from serving certain items all the time. Plastic straws for instance.

rebel maybe it's late and you're tired. Read this again in the morning or something because we're just going around in circles - the government can determine if and when we play, they cannot determine what season it is, just like they cannot tell a restaurant that they have to take beef stew off the menu and start selling summer meals.

rebel rebel · 18 Mar 2020 at 01:07

T bone steak?

I agree we're both going around in circles. You think they won't get involved I think they might. Neither of us know for sure.

Anyway it's nice to have a conversation on here without it turning nasty.

Mark1989 · 18 Mar 2020 at 07:39

Personally at this stage I'd just get every one up to the same number of games played and end it there, that way it's not unfair if every one has played 29 games each team has had same amount of chances to be higher up the table.

Also that way less matches to try fit in

Journey · 18 Mar 2020 at 07:45

I can see it now "Premier League 2019-20 finally concludes in 2031."

rebel rebel said:
You think they won't get involved I think they might. Neither of us know for sure.

You did miss the point completely though, 'the season' is just a predetermined set of matches that would normally take place over a specific time period, if the government stops football being played for 27 years, they can still finish that season, as it was effectively paused, but that can't force them to declare who won the league/season, or indeed who is relegated etc. anytime prior to that as the UK Gov don't 'own' the league/season.

inogen · 18 Mar 2020 at 07:49

“Euro 2020” will be played in 2021. We know that much. And it will be called “Euro 2020” when it is. UEFA confirmed that yesterday.

they also stated that the priority of the all of national FAs is preserve the integrity of the current league seasons by completing their current league fixtures.

so there we go.

omnomnom · 18 Mar 2020 at 08:01

rebel rebel said:
T bone steak?

I agree we're both going around in circles. You think they won't get involved I think they might. Neither of us know for sure.

Anyway it's nice to have a conversation on here without it turning nasty.

They CANT that is the point.

Robbo · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:37

Based on the current outbreak modelling, finishing leagues and competitions by the end of June would be very difficult - even with a packed schedule. That’s just a guideline and will change again I’m sure.

There’s really not much chance of the leagues resuming in April, and we’re still supposed to be in a bad phase of the outbreak in May too.

rebel rebel · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:39

Journey said:
I can see it now "Premier League 2019-20 finally concludes in 2031."

You did miss the point completely though, 'the season' is just a predetermined set of matches that would normally take place over a specific time period, if the government stops football being played for 27 years, they can still finish that season, as it was effectively paused, but that can't force them to declare who won the league/season, or indeed who is relegated etc. anytime prior to that as the UK Gov don't 'own' the league/season.

omnomnom said:
They CANT that is the point.

Nope you have both missed the point. In times of crisis the government can do what it likes, and they could quite easily get involved and suggest/advice the season to be scrapped. The season either finishes or its scrapped, there's no way it will be called with games left to play. The lawsuits would go on forever.

Fubsy · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:44

Clubs will fold by the time games resume. Already rumblings of clubs withholding wages for staff and players.

Journey · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:44

Robbo said:
There’s really not much chance of the leagues resuming in April, and we’re still supposed to be in a bad phase of the outbreak in May too.

I agree, the chances of any games being played before the end of next month are minimal. I'd suspect that the earliest they'd do closed door games is May, or early June, but they can't do them all in 6 weeks for all the leagues.

rebel rebel · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:46

Fubsy said:
Clubs will fold by the time games resume. Already rumblings of clubs withholding wages for staff and players.

Southend and Charlton were struggling before this crisis hit. There must be loads of clubs on the brink.

adam cool dude · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:54

rebel rebel said:
Southend and Charlton were struggling before this crisis hit. There must be loads of clubs on the brink.

I thought Charlton had a rich owner?

rebel rebel · 18 Mar 2020 at 09:59

adam cool dude said:
I thought Charlton had a rich owner?

They have had problems and he's withholding money. They had a meeting a few weeks ago and the players and staff were told the money would run out in December. Then this virus hit.

BaZ87 · 18 Mar 2020 at 10:13

Robbo said:
Based on the current outbreak modelling, finishing leagues and competitions by the end of June would be very difficult - even with a packed schedule. That’s just a guideline and will change again I’m sure.

The UEFA statement already does raise the possibility of Leagues being finished after June 30. The FA's CEO has also commented on it, saying that it would be more complicated if we go beyond June 30 but that they are building contigency plans for that. The question is how late they can go before it impacts on the following season. With such a long break coming now, there's an argument that you wouldn't need much of an end of season break and could possibly begin next season as little as 2 weeks after this season ends, although the transfer window would then probably have to overlap the two. Winter breaks would probably have to go and possibly the League Cup and who knows, maybe the FA Cup. All of that would probably create enough time to go as late as August/September but getting everybody to agree on that would be another matter.

rebel rebel said:
Nope you have both missed the point. In times of crisis the government can do what it likes, and they could quite easily get involved and suggest/advice the season to be scrapped. The season either finishes or its scrapped, there's no way it will be called with games left to play. The lawsuits would go on forever.

You've not been to sleep, have you?

Why on earth would the government tell the PL that it must begin the 20/21 season and not finish the 19/20 season? It literally has nothing to do with the government. We may as well be having a debate about the government deciding we must walk on our hands because it's a time of crisis and they can do what they want.

The government will decide when football can begin again, they will not decide what season it is. The government will decide when restaurants can open, they will not decide on the seasonality of the menu. The government will decide when you can go outside, they will not decide on what colour shoes you have to wear or whether you walk, hop or skip down the road.

Journey said:
I agree, the chances of any games being played before the end of next month are minimal. I'd suspect that the earliest they'd do closed door games is May, or early June, but they can't do them all in 6 weeks for all the leagues.

If worst comes to worst and cup competitions are scrapped, 6 weeks would be more than enough time to complete the season. There's 9 games left in the Championship and either 9 or 10 games left in the PL. Even playing twice per week, which is fairly normal, would allow you to finish the League within 5 weeks from the point you begin playing. You could even squeeze that to every 3 days and be finished in 4 weeks.