Ways To End The Season Fairly

Never looked at it from that angle. Money always wins in the end I suppose.

 

Yes I agree, and that’s just the economic implications. People will only tolerate extreme measures for so long, it stands to reason that at some point the balance will tip for most people and life is simply not worth living that way anymore. Basically it won’t take long for the balance between the sacrifice and the risk to tip to a point where people don’t give a toss about the virus because their alternative way of living is far worse. People choose to smoke even though they know it heightens the risk of death and illness, people aren’t going to willingly give up their civil liberties indefinitely for something that is actually relatively low risk to them.

Then you’ve got the scenario of enforcing it, eventually you’d get to the London riots scenario, you then end up with a problem significantly worse than the one you had to start with

 

I find this aspect quite amusing.
SSN and Talk***** are completely stuffed.
They remind me of Martin and his new chums Dan and Diana in 'Ever Decreasing Circles',discussing their favourite jams.

 

Have been reading that one option is being seriously considered is that matches resume from July to September, not sure how this would work particularly as players contracts finish in June

 

Times yesterday suggested short term contracts could be agreed.

 

That is plausible, so long as we're away from this complete lockdown as the world seems to be in at the moment. But it opens a real can of worms. Player contracts expire typically on June 30th, but I expect in these unprecedented times short terms deals could be agreed.

The transfer window. Will that open in August? This is something that is not controlled nationally. Do FIFA change the transfer window until all domestic seasons have been finalised?

The end of season. Once all games have been played, cup competitions and play-offs all decided, how long is the close of season? Do we leave it a couple of weeks then start all over again? No end of season, no holiday time.

I suppose it could all be achieved and agreed, because this is a world situation and everyone is affected, but there will be knock on effects. Say the new season starts mid-October, that means the season will not end until July, although of course you could have more mid-week matches to catch up a bit, but it's going to lead to exhausted players, more injuries....and how do the lower leagues cope with catching up? They already play a lot of mid-week games in normal circumstances.

Plus if the Euro's are postponed until 2021, which seems likely, we'll be leading up to that with a season ending in June/July. Something has got to give here, as the mess is too great in staggering the start of next season.

 

One potential release valve is the winter World Cup in 2022. Provides a chance to move the football calendar around, just earlier than expected.

 

Wonder if the bookies will reimburse my start of season bets?


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Yeah I suppose that’s a fair point. But then wouldn’t they be paying out more than normal in parachute payments in the subsequent years as the division returns to 20 clubs?

 

Not if they don't promote L & WBA....and they shouldn't....

 

They’ll do four down two and then back to normal, so will largely even itself out

 

In my opinion voiding this season sets a dangerous precedent that could destroy the game that we enjoy. If its not safe to play football up until July for instance I think its highly unlikely that the virus will simply vanish and the season starts up as normal in August or September. It may only be safe to start January 2021 for instance. How do you start a new 2020/21 season then?

Even if we are told the virus has gone away by the experts then there is a strong possibility of the virus returning. Viruses mutate and change form so by winter next season we could have a new strain of virus that causes another pandemic. The flu vaccine for instance that is out at the moment only protects against one particular strain of virus. That is why every year a new vaccine is brought out as the flu virus has mutated and those who had the vaccine the previous year are not immune to the new strain. I studied Pharmaceutical Science for four years at university and have a Masters degree in the subject so I am well aware that any vaccine created is not a permanent prevention against the virus that has caused a suspension to football but only to the current strain. Sometimes there is more than one strain of any particular virus around at once.

Lets say for instance that this season is made void and the season starts as normal this August. Watford give a new contract to Pearson and Sarr stays. Welbeck gets properly fit and Pedro turns out to be a class player. Watford start the season incredibly well and we are witnessing the most joyous season since the 1982/83 season and Watford are challenging for a top 4 position. It gets to December and its announced that a new strain of COVID-19 has been detected and that football has to be suspended. This drags on for months as the same problems occur as they did the previous year and everyone waits for the peak of the new strain. There is no time for the rest of the season to be completed and the season is made void. Are Watford fans going to be delighted then to see the season being made void then? The only reason why we want it is because it suits us, we will not have to endure a relegation battle and all the mistakes from the season are forgotten about. I am not saying this WILL happen but its certainly a possibility if this season is made void. You simply cannot go voiding seasons especially when there is only a few games left for the sake of sporting integrity otherwise why get emotional over any result next season when its at risk of being made void over any new outbreak?

 

I think given the circumstances a lot of people see it as the cleanest way to deal with it with as minimal future impact on future seasons. We can only cross next seasons bridge when we come to it. You’re clearly better placed to say than me, but I thought Covid-19 was more a variant of Sarrs rather than traditional flu which ultimately died out? And if it does end up behaving like Flu then once we have a vaccine we will be able adapt it for any mutations.

The short answer is we don’t know how it will pan out yet

 

listening to the radio & seeing whats been on Sky i think its agreed that the only fair way is to see the season out in some way

It would be wholey unfair ( but funny ) if Liverpool missed out on being champions, but i don't think they can award this unless the season is completed.

Leicester, Wolves, Sheffield United are all pushing for European and champions league places, especially if Man City are kicked out for a year or two. Why should they miss out ? Leicester are 12 points ahead of Spurs, surely they can't give their place over.

Somehow they have to see the season out and if necessary adapt next years cup games to accommodate the league fixtures.

There is though no way that the European competitions will be cancelled next year. The money this generates is huge and non English clubs need that extra revenue to compete and survive

 

Who else thinks it Giraldi that started this mess. I blame him for this virus


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**** yes.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51896488 A great example of the way footballers and managers have proved again they think they are something special and do not have to do what the general person does.

Does he not realise everyone else still has to go to work and he is being a complete ****head.

 

The Euros will be cancelled. You’d think that the reasoning given for doing so will influence what happens going forward.

If UEFA cancel then because they don’t think it’ll be safe to play football in the summer, you’d hope the leagues would all quickly follow suit - even though the PL showed with their hasty statement the other night that they are quite prepared to do things their own way.

If UEFA cancel the Euro’s so as to make time for domestic competitions to be completed, then obviously everyone will work to that end. I still suspect they won’t manage that though.

I still can’t comprehend some of the suggestions being made though - giving Liverpool the title, promoting Leeds/WBA, making it a double season etc etc. Attempting to move away from voiding the season seems to just be for the benefit of a minority of clubs to me.

 

Yeah I read that, it’s also a virus that has a death rate of 0.18% for most football players. He’s talking like they’ve been asked to play with half the crowd having Ebola.

 

And if they can’t be? Teams who have players who leave would be at a disadvantage so I don’t see how that’s any more fair than just voiding the season.

 

But you might say that about any contract. It’s “not fair” that we couldn’t afford Danny Rose’s wages. Don’t see how this situation is any more unfair.

 

The thing about ****heads is that they don't even realise they are ****heads.

I'm glad I'm not one.

I know I'm not because I haven't suggested some cockbrained idea about super seasons or carrying points over.

 

You’re being quite presumptuous is saying some want the season voided purely because it suits as a Watford fan. I’ve said a number of times I would be saying the same if Watford were in Liverpool’s, Leeds or Norwich’s position.

I say that because I think the plan should be about getting back to normal structure as quick as possible when it’s safe to do so. There will be no way of pleasing everyone at that point I doubt - so you minimise the displeasure. Continuing with this season outside of a sensible timeframe seems to only serve the interests of a minority of clubs.

Personally, if I was a Liverpool fan, I wouldn’t want to be handed a trophy - or if it was Watford in that position. It would be tainted due to the circumstances and would always be remembered as the trophy we didn’t actually win.

Promoting the top 2 in the Championship is also farcical - if they came up and stayed up, they’d receive hundreds of millions off the back of a place in a league they were handed - how is that fair to the likes of Forest, Fulham etc?

 

Well no, because contracts are designed in football to end when the season has curtailed so everyone is level in that situation. Not being able to afford Danny Rose’s wages would have been a situation of our own making so it’s totally fair.

 

Not really, contracts and transfer windows are deliberately structured around the start and end date of our season. Change the season and unless the contracts automatically change (which they can’t) and it becomes unfair.

 

But why would a player choose to leave when they can make an extra two months of pay and then leave anyway?

Also, why can’t contracts automatically change? Why not simply institute a PL rule whereby, for the purposes of this season only, 30 June in a contract is interpreted as 30 August?

 

Because it’s a contract of employment. The PL can’t just make a rule to tie someone into 2 more months of work somewhere if they don’t want to work there. It would need the agreement of both parties.

If you were leaving your place of employment and had a new job you were going to, but suddenly your current company turned around and said you’re staying for 2 months as we really need you and you have no choice, how can that happen?

 

I’m pretty sure that’s not how contracts work. I don’t think the PL can influence an employment contract between a club and a player anymore than they can influence mine. As long as it was unilaterally agreed by all players then it might work, but if even one doesn’t want to then it’s unfair.

 

Because it would form part of the rules of the competition, on a one off basis. I quite agree this is not how it usually works, but it’s not a usual situation.

 

It's difficult to comprehend for some but footballers actually have an existence beyond training and football matches.

Why should Rooney or any other footballer put themselves at risk just because they are footballers?

He's, and I can't believe I'm saying this about a footballer I despise, completely correct.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this. On the artificial promotion issue, look at the situation of Rotherham in league 1 for example: they are in a promotion position two points clear of the pack with eleven games to go but at the same time are only three points ahead of teams who are not even in the play-off positions. How could they possibly be awarded promotion to the Championship?

 

No one knows enough about the virus to give a definitive answer, what I am suggesting is a possibility based on how a lot of viruses behave. It is also a possibility that COVID-19 will be less active in the summer but become more active in the winter hence causing next season to be voided too.

If we end or void this season it most certainly is not a clean way of dealing with the situation. The precedent would be set. Fans are paying for a season ticket when there is a reasonable chance of the virus returning. That is also assuming that the virus goes away before the start of the season. Fans are paying for a season ticket knowing it may not be finished, games are called of on a whim and fans are cheering for victories that will be struck from the record. I would not even bother getting a season ticket next season unless they promise to refund the entire season ticket if the season is voided.

 

Yes yes yes, but there must be a way that L**** can still be relegated ?