Good Afternoon

Just to keep the football part of the brain active!
Where do you stand on how to finish the season, whatever decision is made will not be popular with all I suspect.
It looks like being a long term break, not just a week or so.

Are there more than three basic options?
A Cancel and void all season
B. Take it as it stands now
C. Wait until safe to complete, however far in the future that might be.

I wouldn’t want to be making that decision!

People might say it’s only football and not important, but to those whose employment and income relies on football, it’s as important as your job or mine.

I think it could be a season void situation. A comparable situation to the war period? Not too sure on my history there, anyone remember?

Anyway, engage the football thinking part of the brain and put your opinions forward...

Phil in Northampton

Perhaps the season being suspended as it was in 1963 due to the big freeze will be comparable with what happens now, but in reality I think the football season will be voided.

Whether the positions stand as they are remains to be seen but I cannot see the league season or European competitions continuing again for a long while.

The euros will most definitely be rescheduled, which means they will have to be played in the domestic season, prolonging it - causing fixture backlogs and logistical issues.

Therefore, in my opinion, the only credible option would be to void the league season now and cancel all remaining fixtures.

The football governing bodies should perhaps subsidise clubs through the period who will lose important revenue.

Hold fire for the moment.

If it can't be restarted by mid July (finishing September), then void the season.*

If it can be restarted and finished by mid September, then 2020/21 season should start by end of October and be extended into June/July 2021 (possibly retaining only one of EFL cup/trophy), and then the 2021/22 season could be back to normal August to May.

*Unless, in the extremely pessimistic case, it looks like the crisis might take best part of a year, then restart where we left off and finish this season in May 2020/21!

They don’t need to make any decision yet. All suspended till April 3rd then they re look at it. Best case scenario clubs might have part of May and June to complete fixtures. Personally think even that’s a big ask.

The decision due to be made on Tuesday regarding whether to postpone the euros will impact on the options available for leagues

Amberexile wrote:The decision due to be made on Tuesday regarding whether to postpone the euros will impact on the options available for leagues

Can't see anything other than a twelve month postponement of the Euros. Too much cross-border movement is involved. That clears the way for domestic football leagues at the top level to run through to the end of May, although even that seems an unlikely time scale.

B - it's not compatible with the war period because the season had only just begun. At least that's what the Carpenters said.

If games recommence April finish the season with a crowded slightly extended schedule. If there is a further delay cancel the season in terms of promotion/ relegation too much can happen in final games - we know this!

Obviously too many ifs and buts.. but..

Postpone Euros. Surely cant happen.

If the season cannot be finished by 30th June, Void the season. Players contracts tend to end then I believe? Theres already so much to negotiate. Adding the extension of player contracts and the start of the transfer window to the situation is a whole pile of worms on top of the current cans.

Preseason cut short and kept local, could help struggling clubs earn some bread to have the Uniteds in the country and not in Asia.

Domestic cups need to make way due to shortened preseason and impending Euro 2021.

No easy way to decide the results of this seasons tables. I say void the season and start as 2019/20 2.0. Keeping any disciplinary decisions live; Bury, Bolton, Man Citys ban etc..

Untold riches are spent on agent fees and transfers, I'm sure we all agree theres enough money at the top of the game to support and subsidise clubs who end up struggling from this.

With that said, even the top clubs will lose millions. Transfer fees will surely drop. Footballers wages could potentially drop. TV deals possibly lower.

Whatever is decided, someone will be unhappy and potentially rightly so, but only from a footballing perspective of course.

Getting rid of the play-offs if the season restarts would I guess be universally accepted.

I can't see option A being acceptable, especially in the Premier League where Liverpool have all but won it already. Plus those currently in EFL promotion spots will be immensely unhappy.

C has many merits but is not a decision that PL and EFL will be able to make anytime soon and I suspect clubs want a degree of certainty as soon as possible.

So B seems the option most likely to prevail. Obviously those in relegation positions will possibly litigate because I doubt such circumstances have been worked into the legislature of either PL or EFL.

I am still of the opinion that covid-19 will not be as bad as many are predicting. I think the peak could be reached in 4-6 weeks and the decline could be more rapid than expected. If I was involved in making the decision then I would take a chance on waiting and seeing. But the clubs won't consider this unless the Govt. give financial support during the period of inactivity...

If the season restarts, it surely must be continued to its normal conclusion, that is, playoffs to be completed. You can't change the rules midstream just to finish by an arbitrary date.

On the other hand we could still be deep in the doo doos beyond the scheduled start date of season 2020/21 never having finished this one.

Seasons End .... Great album from Marillion

The idea that we are within a few weeks of footballing normality seems fanciful.

I understand the reasons they kicked the can along the road but it's going to get another kick shortly. And a few more after that.

What's not been mentioned as an option is the remaining fixtures being played 'behind closed doors'