‘behind Closed Doors’ Competition

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by UEA_Hornet, Mar 6, 2020.

?

Which game do we fans get banned from first?

  1. It’ll never happen. The virus will wipe out everyone before that.

    7.9%
  2. Leicester (H)

    23.7%
  3. Burnley (A)

    35.5%
  4. Southampton (H)

    18.4%
  5. Chelsea (A)

    9.2%
  6. Norwich (H)

    3.9%
  7. Newcastle (H)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. West Ham (A)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Man City (H)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  10. Arsenal (A)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  11. First match 20/21 season

    1.3%
  1. Rontaylor

    Rontaylor Reservist

    If the season is abandoned should promotion/relegation take place based on current positions or should next season simply start as this season did?
     
  2. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Financially i don't think they can afford to abandon it. They will need to find a way to complete the season somehow, sometime. The matches will need to be played due to potential cost to the PL of not honouring their TV agreement I've heard.
     
  3. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    Rock Paper Scissors?
     
  4. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Pick a fan from each club to engage in a bare-knuckle no holds barred fight with fans of other clubs.

    I'd vote for HB1. I might have said Cleyhorn, but the virus has taken him from us.
     
    Robert Peel and SkylaRose like this.
  5. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    They don't call @Daft Row the tinker for nothing.
     
    Daft Row likes this.
  6. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    While I throughly expect Sky/BT to pursue their own interests, you’d have thought that a measure could/should be put in place where the football can be cancelled in the wake of a public health crisis and that the TV companies can be given extra games next season to make up for the shortfall this season.
     
  7. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    Given that it doesn't seem likely this will all blow over inside a couple of months, yes, I think it is problematic.

    The world is probably still going to be grappling with this in 2021. December 31st last year marked the confirmation of the coronavirus; it has run for 2.5 months so far, and is only getting started. I feel the notion that we're going to have everything put to bed inside 2 months when there is no treatment or vaccine available is extremely optimistic.

    I wouldn't even be confident of the next football season starting at this point. There's every chance it won't.
     
  8. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    I doubt anyone responsible for Premier League contractual obligations ever really thought this would happen. As a result, I'll bet there's no clause to address this kind of scenario.

    I feel that Sky and BT will probably end up compromising, though, should it come to that. It would be enormously bad PR to be seen as applying financial pressure in a fashion that could seriously undermine public safety. The last thing any brand wants to do in an enormous health crisis is become the face of corporate greed at the expense of people's lives.
     
  9. lowerrous

    lowerrous First Team

    It is anticipated that warmer weather should cause it to subside.

    Also, it isn't "only getting started" - new cases in China for example have already dropped significantly. Maybe it hasn't yet reached its peak yet in Europe, but the peak won't be indefinite.
     
    UEA_Hornet and Jumbolina like this.
  10. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    SSN have just reported that Chelsea cancelled their training session as a precautionary measure. Obviously there's no smoke without fire.

    Now 2 Champions League matches for next week have been postponed

    I think we are rapidly reaching the point of cancellation rather than behind closed doors.

    We await what Boris has to say, but Nichola Sturgeon has already banned gatherings of more than 500 from Monday.
     
  11. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    You say that - but it’s a huge huge contract. It will have gone through weeks of litigation and perusal. Any contract worth it’s salt that is based on future events should have a ‘force majeure’ appendix within it. I’d be hugely surprised if the TV deal didn’t.
     
  12. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    It's not a question of optimism, it's a strategy which allows for flexibility, which abandonment of the season now does not. You postpone in the first instance in the hope that the season can be completed later, and then change strategy subsequently if things haven't improved.

    As LR says, new cases are now falling in China, and see https://www.usnews.com/news/world/a...er-expects-global-pandemic-to-be-over-by-june

    In short, we cannot be certain how things will pan out. So why take definite, final action now?
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2020
  13. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I heard a clever virologist on radio saying that this virus doesn't seem to be affected by warm summer weather like usual flu and is spreading comfortably in places that are much warmer than a british summer....
     
  14. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    There is no scientific evidence supporting that yet. It's nothing more than speculation.

    The WHO said only a week ago that there's no reason to believe temperature will play any role in how this pandemic continues to unfold.

    https://www.who.int/docs/default-so...ference-final-05mar2020.pdf?sfvrsn=3855ddcd_0

    And why have those new cases in China dropped?

    They have entire areas of the country on complete lockdown, and have done for weeks. Being an authoritarian country that's quite willing to use draconian measures, they have trampled over civilians to do what they thought was necessary to stem the virus. They've literally welded people into homes. They have threatened to use the death penalty for violation of quarantine. Which EU countries do you think will follow suit on those kind of policies?

    There is also no data on what is going to happen when schools reopen, when public transport starts up again, when employees return to work. And even if none of those events cause another flare up, the rest of the world will still be dealing the virus and it might find its way back into China.
     
    Davidmsawyer likes this.
  15. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    Nothing whatsoever wrong with hedging. I don't think it'll change the outcome, though.
     
  16. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    It just seems unlikely that a money-spinning enterprise like football would, or should, take definitive, final action now when no one else is. The Six Nations hasn't been abandoned, for example.
     
  17. HappyHornet24

    HappyHornet24 Crapster Staff Member

    Ironically, I understand that a large proportion of the new cases being reported by China now are being brought in by people who have come from other countries, such as Italy.
     
  18. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    Unlikely in isolation? 100% agree. My underlying assumption is that the government will eventually do the right thing.

    Perhaps I'm being too generous or ridiculously naive.
     
  19. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Yes, well if the government requires it, that would be a different story. But even the Italians are only locking down sport until 3 April at this stage.

    Just can't see abandonment of the season being on the table... yet.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2020
  20. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    The Six Nations is different as it (a) doesn't have promotion/relegation, (b) only affects a few matches and (c) the next is scheduled for 11 months time.

    There is also a precedent, during the Foot & Mouth outbreak in 2001, Ireland played their final game in the November.
     
  21. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    So does that make it more or less likely to be abandoned than the PL? I'd suggest it cuts both ways.
     
    Herbert likes this.
  22. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    So this wont affect Bournemouth's home games then.
     
  23. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    I did read somewhere they didn't expect a peak of this virus till next winter!

    The Government themselves have talked about the summer being a peak period.
     
  24. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    It may be a ban on sporting events. Whether that does mean season voided we won't know for sure as of yet. There are no immediate plans to do this, but it looks very likely. Playing BCD will not really help, as it just means fans gathet outside stadiums instead.
     
  25. FromDiv4

    FromDiv4 Reservist

    Anyone who goes to a stadium when they are banned is an idiot.
     
  26. V Crabro

    V Crabro Reservist

    Apologies for bumping my own post from yesterday, but I had forgotten that the PL would also have budgeted c. £150m for parachute payments - so this could be added to the EFL compensation.

    Forget any idea of the TV companies taking the PL to court. Firstly, their PR advisers would never let them do it, and secondly "force majeure" clauses would surely make it impossible.
     
  27. Wexford-yellow

    Wexford-yellow Academy Graduate

    There was also a specialist on newsnight earlier in the week when asked about this flu corrected the presenter and stated this was not a flu but it is a viral infection.
    It's more like pneumonia and causes inflammation of the lungs
     
  28. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    Mikel Arteta has tested positive. Despite the PL statement, I really think they will go above and beyond the Govts advice and suspend the league tomorrow. They have to. There’s no way at all Arsenal can play their fixture!
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2020
  29. Aberystwyth_Hornet

    Aberystwyth_Hornet Squad Player

    We're next door to them so surely a matter of time.
     
  30. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

  31. Have you seen our fans, or any other fans for that matter?
     
  32. Irishorn

    Irishorn Gael Force

    Callum Hudson Odio has it too. Premier League will have to shut down. When, if ever, it will be finished is anyone’s guess.
     
  33. samuihorn

    samuihorn Academy Graduate

    Here’s a plan..
    No relegations, but the top two from each division go up. The PL becomes 22 clubs, then 4 down 3 up for 2 seasons to get back to 20.
    There’s one spare slot in EFL currently due to Bury’s demise.
     
    folkestone orn likes this.
  34. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    There's a case for this, in 1994 the PL changed from 22 teams to 20 by having 4 going down and 2 going up. They can do it in one season rather than two.
     
  35. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Nothing will be fair whatever is picked. Why should it be assumed that the 3rd placed team in the champ should miss out. What about the play off spot ? How would the extra games be fitted in? Why shouldn't L**** be relegated ? Surely the season either has to finish late or be declared null and void?
     
    WillisWasTheWorst likes this.

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