Thoughts on where this situation will go for football.

[Mr Wolf]

Not read the thread as I’m only just back on here but we’ve got to finish the season somehow. If it goes onto December then so be it, better the start the next one with everyone in the same boat.

Could potentially play the Euro’s in January.

 

[Deleted member 4099]

Tbh I think there are more worrying things going on right now than the loss of football clubs?

I didn’t say there wasn’t I’m commenting on the idea that there will be no fans inside football grounds till next August. Nothing more nothing less.

 

[WolvesAreBoringOnCeefax]

The talk of behind closed doors for 18 months has made my blood run cold. I can just imagine us miraculously qualifying for Champs League and then never seeing a game in the flesh, all the players will move on ahead of the re-opening of stadia, the best period in the last 50 years all done without a fan in sight.... really hope there can be fans present, the Olympiakos away match showed it's not the same without support. Surely they'd not play in silent stadiums, would make more sense to play in small arenas where the few people present can make some noise

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

There is absolutely no way large gatherings, football and all sport, concerts, festivals, possibly even pubs and restaurants will be sanctioned until it's safe; it's only safe with a vaccine. The vaccine has to be discovered, made, trialled and passed for general use (12 months?) and the roll out across the population could possibly take a further 4- 6 months? I'd say around 16- 18 months until life is safe again. Focussing on football the 2021-22 season is 16 months away. It does not take a rocket scientist to suggest this would be the safe start date for football again. This season could be completed behind closed doors in the next 12 months? It's a horrible scenario but we are living in horrible times.

 

[Deleted member 8913]

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease doctor in the United States, said there’s a chance sports can come back this year but with stipulations.

“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci told Snapchat’s Peter Hamby on Wednesday in one interview of a week-long series. “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put them (athletes) in big hotels, wherever you want to play. Keep them very well surveilled ... and have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out.”

 

[RosehillWolf]

It would be absolute disaster to start the season again until there’s absolute minimal new cases. To have football back and crowds is crazy. You would need the trains , metro and buses all running a full service to get fans to the game. Pubs if opened would be another breeding ground for the return of the virus
I say just bin off the season and done with it. I won’t be watching soul less games behind closed doors , waste of time.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

The top leagues will want this resolved by hook or by crook, just to try and get past the legal hellstorm that will blow up every time someone pushes for the season to be voided. Games will take place - money talks - but it won't be with fans in the stadiums. And it will be farcical, and awful, but it will be done.

Far worse will be the end of so many of the smaller clubs. They simply can't survive without revenue if this lasts beyond the summer (which you have to think it will). By the time football as we know it starts up again properly, with crowds and travel and leagues, I think there will have been thirty or more English clubs gone to the wall. There's going to need to be a complete restructuring of the professional game.

 

[WickedWolfie]

The top leagues will want this resolved by hook or by crook, just to try and get past the legal hellstorm that will blow up every time someone pushes for the season to be voided. Games will take place - money talks - but it won't be with fans in the stadiums. And it will be farcical, and awful, but it will be done.

Far worse will be the end of so many of the smaller clubs. They simply can't survive without revenue if this lasts beyond the summer (which you have to think it will). By the time football as we know it starts up again properly, with crowds and travel and leagues, I think there will have been thirty or more English clubs gone to the wall. There's going to need to be a complete restructuring of the professional game.

Re your last sentence that is something which has been necessary for a long time. What a bloody awful way it's been brought about though...

 

[rincewind]

I wonder. Football clubs have made a habit of going bump then reappearing next day effectively debt free. Depends if there's enough people prepared to bail them out.
As for this season it will be completed, behind closed doors but completed

 

[WonderWolf]

Get it sorted whichever way possible, without crowds most likely if toss-ups to resolve remaining results isn’t on…..no way are clubs going to amicably accept a sweeping voiding of the season when positions and related prizes are to be settled.

If crowd concerns are still an issue towards the end of the year the best solution is to look to play a condensed new ‘half season’ in Spring - one-off league games with clubs playing half at home should be a solution that suits all. Hopefully by then it will be safe with a vaccine and/or drug world solution ready and easily available for all.

Impossible for Euro 2021 in June to go ahead without a decent amount of football played beforehand.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

The league is a lumbering, aged beast, and the financial inbalance between the top flight and everyone else causes no end of problems, not least bloodsucking, unscrupulous owners... but for the fans it will be devastating. Bolton somehow squirrelled their way to survival, Bury didn't. I wonder how many clubs will take the nuclear option this summer, with phoenix clubs rising in some new overall structure when football returns properly. Three leagues of twenty clubs, at best? How much history could be lost?

 

[Deleted member 8913]

Must play for tv...3 games s day all live on tv....no crowd ...only way. Then start new season when safe.

 

[Burton Wolf]

The league is a lumbering, aged beast, and the financial inbalance between the top flight and everyone else causes no end of problems, not least bloodsucking, unscrupulous owners... but for the fans it will be devastating. Bolton somehow squirrelled their way to survival, Bury didn't. I wonder how many clubs will take the nuclear option this summer, with phoenix clubs rising in some new overall structure when football returns properly. Three leagues of twenty clubs, at best? How much history could be lost?

History is never lost.

 

[WonderWolf]

History is never lost.

True, but sadly very easily forgotten.

What was before the PL as is generally consumed??

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Must play for tv...3 games s day all live on tv....no crowd ...only way. Then start new season when safe.

If, as I think will happen, we will 'lose' next season and get this season done some time, does anyone know what the ramifications are for the TV deals?

 

[maws]

Sad to say but money will govern it all, UEFA, the FA EPL will all be looking to satisfy their sponsors more than the fans

 

[waggys left foot]

PL conference call tomorrow.Some want season to be completed by June 30.Needs 14 votes.

King Canute rides again.

Clubs in Europe (us?) said to be nervous about end of contracts on June 30 even tho FIFA say they will pass temporary regulations to extend.

 

[WickedWolfie]

PL conference call tomorrow.Some want season to be completed by June 30.Needs 14 votes.

King Canute rides again.

Clubs in Europe (us?) said to be nervous about end of contracts on June 30 even tho FIFA say they will pass temporary regulations to extend.

FIFA's regulations on player contracts are worthless without player agreement. There is no way that any national or European court will let them override national legislation.

 

[kidder_wolf_II]

I’m quietly confident we will see fans inside stadiums again come September/October.

It’s quite obviously there will have to be some form of social distancing in place until a vaccine is available. But if we reduce measures by July time and we don’t see a huge spike or a second wave after a while the natural thing to do will be to start lifting restrictions on other things.

It’s already looking likely that we will be made to wear masks on public transport so maybe that could happen at football stadiums as well?

Holiday destinations in Asia are starting to open up again. So let’s see how this has an effect of how many cases they get in the next few months.

Also it would be interesting to find out how many people who caught the virus attended football matches on the build up or were in regular contact with friends or family who did.

 

[waggys left foot]

FIFA's regulations on player contracts are worthless without player agreement. There is no way that any national or European court will let them override national legislation.

So it's a question of trust ?.Players whose contracts expire on June 30 or who are on loan could just walk away and refuse to play ?.

As long as the season has resumed before June 30 any player that walks away would surely be vilified .

 

[WickedWolfie]

I’m quietly confident we will see fans inside stadiums again come September/October.

It’s quite obviously there will have to be some form of social distancing in place until a vaccine is available. But if we reduce measures by July time and we don’t see a huge spike or a second wave after a while the natural thing to do will be to start lifting restrictions on other things.

It’s already looking likely that we will be made to wear masks on public transport so maybe that could happen at football stadiums as well?

Holiday destinations in Asia are starting to open up again. So let’s see how this has an effect of how many cases they get in the next few months.

Also it would be interesting to find out how many people who caught the virus attended football matches on the build up or were in regular contact with friends or family who did.

Nope. The forecast was always a second big peak come winter...

Re fans spreading the virus:

Bergamo mayor says football match escalated infections in Italian province

How Atalanta's feel-good story became a 'biological bomb' for coronavirus in Italy, Spain

 

[WickedWolfie]

So it's a question of trust ?.Players whose contracts expire on June 30 or who are on loan could just walk away and refuse to play ?.

As long as the season has resumed before June 30 any player that walks away would surely be vilified .

If they are going to a different country or up one or more levels, very possibly for more money, players won't care. Should FIFA/UEFA try to stop them signing for others clubs (e.g. by refusing to register them) just watch the litigation that follows. Despite their posturing FIFA are not more important than one or more nation state. Football did well in the Bosman case - NOT!
Some of the last generation of FIFA bigwigs thought that they and the organisation was above national laws and are now in US jails...

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

I shouldn't rise to this but I will! If Raheem goes to a private clinic to get his leg fixed Reg will get exactly the same treatment in an A&E Dept. I accept that Raheem will not have to hang around on a trolley for 3 or 4 hours as Reg most probably will but the treatment for an identical leg break would be the same? If we're talking about Covid testing so players can play again then so long as there is no queue jumping, as I suppose there would not be in a private clinic, then so be it. I think there's an issue if there are not enough tests for NHS/care staff and footballers are seen to be getting a preferential service. I'm not against private health care.

Any Wolves player testing will be done at Compton.
It's one of those mountain going to Mohammed moments.

 

[kidder_wolf_II]

Nope. The forecast was always a second big peak come winter...

Re fans spreading the virus:

Bergamo mayor says football match escalated infections in Italian province

How Atalanta's feel-good story became a 'biological bomb' for coronavirus in Italy, Spain

Sorry but there’s lots of “mights” and “thinks” in both of these articles. In fact the first article suggests that an outbreak in the hospital was the most likely cause of the acceleration of the virus. The fact is we just don’t know for sure. You may be right but I wouldn’t want to bet my house on it until a full tracing of all cases is done.

How many people do you know that went to Spurs, Barca, Brighton at home or Athens ended up with the virus? It’s just as likely that it’s been spread in hospitals, supermarkets, public transport, via nurses and family visiting care homes and other households.

If we continue to follow the social distancing that’s been put in place as well as other measure that will be put in place once restrictions are relaxed. Then that second wave may never come.

Anyway where were these expert forecasts 4 months ago when this first kicked off in China?

 

[WickedWolfie]

Sorry but there’s lots of “mights” and “thinks” in both of these articles. In fact the first article suggests that an outbreak in the hospital was the most likely cause of the acceleration of the virus. The fact is we just don’t know for sure. You may be right but I wouldn’t want to bet my house on it until a full tracing of all cases is done.

How many people do you know that went to Spurs, Barca, Brighton at home or Athens ended up with the virus? It’s just as likely that it’s been spread in hospitals, supermarkets, public transport, via nurses and family visiting care homes and other households.

If we continue to follow the social distancing that’s been put in place as well as other measure that will be put in place once restrictions are relaxed. Then that second wave may never come.

Anyway where were these expert forecasts 4 months ago when this first kicked off in China?

The expert forecasts are based on evidence seen in the spread of the virus. It would have been a tad difficult to do that before it had started spreading. What could have been done, and to some extent was, were forecasts based on how other broadly similar virus outbreaks had progressed.

Re the second wave may never come, no chance until a vacine is found. Oh, and social distancing both at a football ground and in the build-up to a match? Yeah, right...

Relaxing lockdowns without boosting care could lead to new COVID spike: WHO

 

[Goodbye Horse]

So the rich get private treatment/priority over everyone else? I don't think so.

Ever was it thus.

 

[waggys left foot]

If they are going to a different country or up one or more levels, very possibly for more money, players won't care. Should FIFA/UEFA try to stop them signing for others clubs (e.g. by refusing to register them) just watch the litigation that follows. Despite their posturing FIFA are not more important than one or more nation state. Football did well in the Bosman case - NOT!
Some of the last generation of FIFA bigwigs thought that they and the organisation was above national laws and are now in US jails...

Yes of course players are in the box seat but staying on a match by match basis doesn't mean they won't be able to move somewhere better for 2020/21.

Have we got anyone out of contract ? Say they walked away with four or five games to go when we were still in with a shout of winning EL or qualifying for CL.What would we think of them ?.

And how about players at clubs in the dog fight at the bottom.?

I don't see it myself .

 

[The Professional]

Where we are as today, is that no one actually does know. All the information or rumours are just that, rumours. I know two people closely that are high up at two clubs local to me, one at a big club, one in the third tier. They know nothing yet- one is concerned but laid back somehow about the situation, the other is terrified about what the future holds if crowds and subsequent match day revenue is cut, let alone zero. Until things are confirmed, which isn’t going to be anytime soon, the future of possibly 10s or even 100s of clubs are very much at risk. The clubs that were well run and have the true backing of their communities will have the best chance of survival, obviously.

 

[kidder_wolf_II]

The expert forecasts are based on evidence seen in the spread of the virus. It would have been a tad difficult to do that before it had started spreading. What could have been done, and to some extent was, were forecasts based on how other broadly similar virus outbreaks had progressed.

Re the second wave may never come, no chance until a vacine is found. Oh, and social distancing both at a football ground and in the build-up to a match? Yeah, right...

Relaxing lockdowns without boosting care could lead to new COVID spike: WHO

You seem very confident which is strange as know one really knows what will happen over the next 6 months.

If in 6 months time we are hardly getting any confirmed cases are you telling me we still won’t be allowed to go to sporting events? I’ve got a place for Brighton Marathon in September (moved from April) if that does go ahead with spectators then why not football? Lets wait and see.

Don’t be so negative and have a bit of faith for once.

If we contain and kill the virus in this country then focus will quickly move onto stopping it re entering at a later date. We are luckily that we are an island. If we test everyone who enters the country like we are doing with the Romanian fruit pickers who are coming over this week then we may just be able to keep our country safe and working fully until a vaccine is available

 

[WickedWolfie]

You seem very confident which is strange as know one really knows what will happen over the next 6 months.

If in 6 months time we are hardly getting any confirmed cases are you telling me we still won’t be allowed to go to sporting events? I’ve got a place for Brighton Marathon in September (moved from April) if that does go ahead with spectators then why not football? Lets wait and see.

Don’t be so negative and have a bit of faith for once.

If we contain and kill the virus in this country then focus will quickly move onto stopping it re entering at a later date. We are luckily that we are an island. If we test everyone who enters the country like we are doing with the Romanian fruit pickers who are coming over this week then we may just be able to keep our country safe and working fully until a vaccine is available

I think that you are overly optimistic. I really and truly hope that l am wrong. Sadly all of the expert advice tends to disagree with you. If you want a thoroughly depressing read:

No matter how you crunch the numbers, this pandemic is only just getting started | William Hanage

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I’m quietly confident we will see fans inside stadiums again come September/October.

It’s quite obviously there will have to be some form of social distancing in place until a vaccine is available. But if we reduce measures by July time and we don’t see a huge spike or a second wave after a while the natural thing to do will be to start lifting restrictions on other things.

It’s already looking likely that we will be made to wear masks on public transport so maybe that could happen at football stadiums as well?

Holiday destinations in Asia are starting to open up again. So let’s see how this has an effect of how many cases they get in the next few months.

Also it would be interesting to find out how many people who caught the virus attended football matches on the build up or were in regular contact with friends or family who did.

Social distancing at football - you're having a laugh? The headline on the BBC this morning was a Professor saying that until a vaccine is found social distancing must remain in force. That is complete common sense to me. Like a lot of people you're mixing up the relaxing of lockdown, ( which is sensible to grow the economy) and social distancing. The 2 are completely separate things. Lockdown will ease away whilst social distancing is still in place. Football in Sep/Oct is a dream; fans in the grounds then is pure fantasy.

 

[Dingle Chris]

There will be no fans this season and I should imagine most of next if not all. People will start to go back to work in certain sectors. But people traveling all round the country in tens of thousand to meet up in confined spaces will not be happening until a vaccine has been found and 60-70 percent of the population has had it. This will be at least 12 months but probably longer. Luckily we are not Spurs who have spunked all their money on a new stadium. We’ll be ok due to our small squad. We’ll probably be better off thank most to be honest.

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

The Telegraph is stating this afternoon that UEFA have provisionally booked in August 26th for UEL Final and August 29th for UCL Final, with the current preference being for all games to be played.

But the option of squashing the Last 8, Semis and Final into the same week - within the Host City's of Istanbul and Gdnask is still a live one and all games would be 99% likely behind closed doors.

Uefa are proposing to play the Champions League final on the last Saturday in August as talks over the rescheduling of the end of the European and domestic seasons continue.

The final was due to be played at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on May 30 but it could now be pushed back to Aug. 29 as result of the coronavirus crisis.

The Europa League final in Gdansk has been provisionally earmarked for Aug 26.

Four Champions League Round of 16 second leg ties have still to be concluded, including Manchester City against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium and Chelsea’s trip to Bayern Munich.

But there have been discussions about provisionally playing the quarter-final matches from July 28/29, with the rest of the competition concluded in August.

Europa League ties would, in theory, be played in the same weeks although there are still 10 Round of 16 matches to factor in - two first leg ties and eight second leg games.

Manchester United hold a 5-0 first leg advantage over LASK while Wolverhampton Wanderers face Olympiacos having drawn 1-1 in the first leg in Greece.

Uefa are still open to playing European matches concurrently with domestic games but the strong preference of many clubs at this stage has been to first finish their own league campaigns before turning their attention to Europe.

Aleksander Ceferin, the Uefa president, has already ruled out the prospect of Champions League and Europa League matches being played in September or October.

But a late August finish to European competition would give clubs as much time as possible to finish their domestic seasons, even if all plans to resume football will be subject to an easing of lockdown restrictions and government advice.

Additionally, Ceferin has said that playing games behind closed doors would be preferable to abandoning matches.

Uefa have also discussed the possibility of squashing the remaining Champions League and Europa League ties so they are played over one leg if necessary and have even proposed the idea of a mini-tournament, where all quarter-final, semi-final and final matches are played over one leg over the course of a week in one location.

But the ideal scenario is for all existing matches to be played. Broadcasters have already paid tens of millions of pounds to televise games and any reduction in matches would, in theory, mean clubs having to reimburse the television companies.

Concluding the remaining games in late July and August would not be without its complications, though. Premier League clubs are already worried about the matter of expiring player and staff contracts.

Fifa has introduced measures that would enable clubs to extend contracts for players whose deals are due to expire on June 30 but legal experts have already warned that this will be impossible to enforce under English employment law without the player’s consent.

Equally, if the Premier League campaign was to conclude before July 1 - which a number of top flight clubs could push for at a shareholders’ meeting on Friday - there would be a significant gap between the end of the domestic campaign and the European matches resuming and finishing.

 

[clivewolves]

Chairman Guo showing off his Wolves mask & jumper. I can see he's itching for football to return.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

The thing that no one seems to consider in all the talk of social distancing for players. Any sort of contact is against medical advice currently so even if they play behind closed doors there is a lot of people at risk players, management, staff (there will still even need to be ball boys). Ive noticed ive not seen anything from the PFA with all this and im sure the player would have a concern if they were told they were back training in the next 3-4 weeks

 

[WickedWolfie]

Chairman Guo showing off his Wolves mask & jumper. I can see he's itching for football to return.

Image doesn't show on your original post, is inaccessible when l try to link directly, but does when l reply... strange! Also, l was half-expecting from your original post that Guo had some sort of Wolfhead mask on.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

If, as has been reported, that social distancing needs to be in place until a vaccine is available, then there could be an awful lot of football clubs going out of business. I could be at least a year until a vaccine is available, there are many clubs that will simply not be able to continue operating.

 

[Stourport wolf]

Spain have just announced that if they dont finish la Liga, that the positions after the last match they play will count. So if there are no more matches, the positions teams have today will be where they classify.

 

[waggys left foot]

The options if we don't complete -

What are the Premier League options to conclude season amid coronavirus pandemic? | Daily Mail Online

Best to finish methinks.

 

[stuj4z]

What we know for sure is life as we knew it is gone forever.
Pubs will be a thing of the past if this last to the end of the year, which it will and longer.
It will be stadiums and hotel bars left after all of this.
Maybe large chains but even Spoons can't go on indefinitely without income.
There will be zero live sport until a vacine is found, regardless of if there are no cases for 3 months etc.
The quicker people accept this the better.
I'd be amazed if there are 60 clubs left by the start of 2021/22.
Couple that with mass unemployment, ticket prices being huge. Some people will have no chance of seeing live football again.
This isnt doomsday stuff, its fact