Realism at last re 2019/20?

[baldy]

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin says the current football season could be lost if it cannot be restarted by the end of June.

[St Darren]

Why though? The season can be finished and then the next season adjusted accordingly. 
 

Who qualifies for Champions League or does it go back to the start? City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea?

Obviously this is just at premier league level but I’m sure the Football League would adjust as well. 
 

Although I would caveat that by saying that there does need to be a date out on it at some stage but I believe that currently they shouldn’t be thinking of starting next season yet (at the pro level)

[St Darren]

2 hours ago, Keith B said:

I think that as long as COVID 19 is still around, the powers that be will be very hesitant to start football again. This virus has got to be got rid off.

Completely agree. And when it’s started again, the season needs to be finished at professional level. 

[Ian Pethick]

On 29/03/2020 at 16:19, St Darren said:

Completely agree. And when it’s started again, the season needs to be finished at professional level. 

Was listening to Celtic manager Neil Lennon on the radio yesterday evening, he mentioned that most of their foreign players have gone back to their home countries.  Would be very difficult to resume the pro game if restrictions on international travel are still in place, not to mention non availability of flights due to airlines grounding their fleets. Hopefully the non league game can start again in August/September, but struggling to see how the professional game can resume this year. Being positive, could be a boom time for non league attendances as football starved folk pack into grounds (within whatever measures are still in place though).

[St Darren]

17 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Was listening to Celtic manager Neil Lennon on the radio yesterday evening, he mentioned that most of their foreign players have gone back to their home countries.  Would be very difficult to resume the pro game if restrictions on international travel are still in place, not to mention non availability of flights due to airlines grounding their fleets. Hopefully the non league game can start again in August/September, but struggling to see how the professional game can resume this year. Being positive, could be a boom time for non league attendances as football starved folk pack into grounds (within whatever measures are still in place though).

Are you saying start again (resume) or start a new season in August / September

[Ian Pethick]

57 minutes ago, St Darren said:

Are you saying start again (resume) or start a new season in August / September

New season.  Play the cups left over from 2019/20 as pre-season tournaments, but begin the new 2020/21 league season as soon as possible. As I said before, just don't see how the pro game can resume, or season completed, while international travel restrictions are in place (according to some medical professionals and academics,it could be a year to 18 months that these exist to varying degrees).

[baldy]

National leagues now “suspended indefinitely”. Many foreign players have gone to their own countries apparently so to restart the higher levels with contracts expiring, travel restrictions etc is looking remoter by the day. Going to be a lot of anger all round and the lawyers may well be making big money.

[St Darren]

They’ll restart the 19/20 season when they can. It doesn’t matter if it starts in June or August. Makes no odds, the future leagues can be amended accordingly as they haven’t happened yet. 

[baldy]

Sounds like wishful thinking. What if it’s November/December. Too many unknowns.

[St Darren]

23 minutes ago, baldy said:

Sounds like wishful thinking. What if it’s November/December. Too many unknowns.

It doesn’t matter does it? They need to finish this season in order to move forward with everything else. Do teams just start the league again, transfer windows, suspensions. Who goes in the Champions League
 

it’s far easier to finish this season and then  arrange next season accordingly. The year after is the World Cup during December so the leagues will need to be adjusted anyway

[Dave Deacon]

1 hour ago, St Darren said:

It doesn’t matter does it? They need to finish this season in order to move forward with everything else. Do teams just start the league again, transfer windows, suspensions. Who goes in the Champions League
 

it’s far easier to finish this season and then  arrange next season accordingly. The year after is the World Cup during December so the leagues will need to be adjusted anyway

Me thinks could be a Liverpool supporter writing this! 😀

[St Darren]

8 hours ago, Dave Deacon said:

Me thinks could be a Liverpool supporter writing this! 😀

I’d say it anyway Dave I think. Leeds, West Brom have the chance of automatic promotion. Clubs have invested for champions league, if it’s not finished then it’s the same as last year!!

Team at the top of the conference has probably invested heavily as well

[baldy]

REALLY??

Well, we may well actually see some football being played again sometime in the not so distant future, if the new Premier League plans go ahead.

According to the reliable Independent writer Miguel Delaney, Premier League bosses are currently discussing setting up World Cup style camps to house players in isolation, so that they can finish playing matches behind closed doors.

The camp would be setup in the Midlands in the UK and all remaining 92 matches will be televised in a ‘TV mega event.’

All games are aiming to be played throughout June and July.

The idea has reportedly gained government backing, too, as they like the idea of the population engrossed in the national sport, especially in the event that lock down measures are tightened or extended.

Despite it still being a very ambitious idea, and I am sure many things will need to be considered yet, the idea of at least having live football back on our screens would be an appealing aspect for most.

[St Darren]

39 minutes ago, Keith B said:

Are you sure this isn't just another bit of fake news baldy ?

No. It’s real news

[baldy]

Well it is April 1st. But a bit detailed to be a joke.

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

32 minutes ago, baldy said:

Well it is April 1st. But a bit detailed to be a joke.

If it's a joke...its a good one.

[baldy]

And they think the fans wouldn’t turn up, come what may, although Midlands not a hotbed for Premiership.

[Savo]

3 hours ago, baldy said:

And they think the fans wouldn’t turn up, come what may, although Midlands not a hotbed for Premiership.

No the Midlands only has wolves, Vila and Leicester plus west brom, Birmingham, derby and forest who have all been there at some point😂😂😂

[baldy]

And there goes the National League(s).

[St Darren]

Ah I right in saying that it unlikely the top 3 non leagues will not start again until January?

[baldy]

There has been no official statement so believe whatever you want. Personally I think you’re in the ballpark but it could be that there will be no season at all. Time and government will tell.

[St Darren]

I’m confused by it all really. The current season is 19/20 therefore they should have until 31/12/2020 to complete it but I appreciate it’s not as easy as that. 

[baldy]

World players' union Fifpro says the return of football risks sending a "bad signal".
"There is a huge logistical and medical/scientific question about testing and protocols but also a social one," said secretary-general Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.
"We need guidance and protocols on how to return in a healthy and safe manner. Football is a contact sport and we feel very high protection standards are required.
"Are we sending the right message to society, and are we encouraging a healthy return to normal life? Or are we sending a bad signal that football has different rules to the rest of the world?"

[baldy]

So it looks like Belgium, Holland and France have finished. The mayor of Liverpool says it’s dangerous to restart Premier League, top medics say it’s not advisable to restart, the police are dubious, players are scared to return. How much more do you want?

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

28 minutes ago, baldy said:

So it looks like Belgium, Holland and France have finished. The mayor of Liverpool says it’s dangerous to restart Premier League, top medics say it’s not advisable to restart, the police are dubious, players are scared to return. How much more do you want?

Television runs sport...£££££s

[baldy]

1 hour ago, TheolderIgetthebetterIwas said:

Television runs sport...£££££s

Well it used to. We will see.

[St Darren]

There are lots of aspects that some fans don’t think about. 
 

Lots talk about ‘null and void’ without thinking about the financial consequences. The majority of clubs tv revenue money is around 75/80% of their turnover and the players wages take up around 70% of the turnover. Clubs will do under if the null and void. 
 

At the moment next season doesn’t matter. That can start whenever is necessary. 
 

I don’t think that they should be looking at football starting at any time soon. 

[fenman]

Slightly different subject but !!!  With all palaver  over whether or not the Premiership should restart I think many people in the cold light of reality are now questioning  some players obscene wages  . The refusal , whether right or wrong , to take a wage cut by some prima donnas  has left them open to accusations of greed . Should we all now be questioning whether a player ,  like for instance  Gareth Bale should he   earn a minimum of £600,000 per week  ?  I always say that by quoting a players weekly wage , it is a clever way of disguising the true obscenity of it . £600,000 per week seems a lot ( or is a lot of money ) but it equates to nearly £2 and a half million a month . or £ 31million a year  . That's just one player in a club . It's a bit like the adverts to save the snow leopard or donkey rescue etc. etc . " just send £2 a week  , it doesn't seem much but over a year its  £104  .. If they were to ask for £105 per year people wouldn't fall for it .Wouldn't £600,000 a year still be too much for a top footballers ?

Just an opinion .

[baldy]

Market rates, Fenman.

Just ask any FTSE100 CEO/CFO. They will tell you they're worth it but I expect there are thousands who could do the job just as well if given the chance.

Not too many Gareth Bale types out there.

Just blame SKY/BT or rather, the people who buy their sport packages.

[fenman]

Your'e obviously right Baldy , the spin off from shirt sales and general mass hysteria connected with football  makes the wages common sense to the clubs . Ignoring the Gareth Bale situation , taking the example  of several other players , would a wage of £300,000 a year , (  still be too much ), be a more sensible wage . I must that I have problems in life in seeing the king with no clothes on . In my eyes if people loved football so much as entertainment they would watch  their local village team , rather than a number of prima donnas who have no real love of the team  they play for  and the fans and , generally speaking , are aiming for a transfer to the next team for a cut of the transfer fee plus a larger wage packet . Unfortunately my thinking has no place in the modern world  long gone are the days when you would see die hard Plymouth players in a local café  playing cards and drinking  tea after training , mixing with mere mortal carpenters or electricians. I'll bet most Premiership and Championship players  wouldn't speak to the man , or woman in the street  let alone sit in a working class café and do something as mundane as playing darts or cards .  There are the odd exceptions , John Ruddy the Wolves goalie being one , he's quite happy mixing with people and does a lot for ex serviceman charities , without shouting about it or being filmed doing it .

As regards Sky / BT yes you're right again . I'm one of the mugs who spends £80 per month  for my wife to watch awful American programmes with their appalling grammar which forces me to sit in another room  so I don't have to hear " I was like " aaaawsome . oh my gaaad ,  and amazing  " over and over again .  I could take the easy and preferable option of cancelling Sky  and have her divorce me ( wishful thinking but she's a good cook ) but  satellite television is the only media that covers live motorcycle racing  ( and a good coverage it is )  . Football I could probably live without , particularly as I can watch Match of the day highlights , but not the motorcycle racing  . So yes I'm one of those responsible for the wage lunacy .

I've just realised that my wife's obsession with American programmes has been training for me for self isolation .

[fenman]

Why are you up and about at 6 in the morning Keith ? do you think you're still getting up for a 6 till 2 shift or pretend you've just finishing a night shift .?

[fenman]

Old habits die hard Keith . Luckily I didn't have to travel far in my career  I'm glad to say  so 6.00 was getting up time , although I do remember working with your flying squad on several occasions and starting at 3 00 in the morning , to get out on the plots  early . Pathetically I still pretend sometimes that I've got to ready for night shift and fill myself with gloom . There I've proved I'm unbalanced !!!!!!!!!!