Football Ban extended to April 30th

To be expected i suppose. Will probably go on longer than that

They’ve also scrubbed the season must finish by June rule too so this season will be concluded. Common sense imo and probably means there’ll be no 20/21 season.

Premier extended indefinitely

The 1939–40 season was never completed. Grimsby were 13th in Division One when Hitler decided to invade Poland.

We're 13th now, albeit 3 divisions lower.

2019-20 may well go the same way, although obviously its much more advanced.

Quoted from GrimRob

The 1939–40 season was never completed. Grimsby were 13th in Division One when Hitler decided to invade Poland.

We're 13th now, albeit 3 divisions lower.

2019-20 may well go the same way, although obviously its much more advanced.

So we’ll get relegated again in 2028?

meaningful friendlies  in readiness for one promotion charge next season  

If 19/20 finished in August/September (complete guess, obviously), I can't see there being no 20/21. A shortened one maybe, but not none. Golly will know!

If they could squeeze in a 30-odd match season with the away games those closest to your home ground, it might work out.

This presupposes, of course, that the pandemic has subsided enough for matches to be permitted in August/September which might not be possible.

Quoted from GrimRob

The 1939–40 season was never completed. Grimsby were 13th in Division One when Hitler decided to invade Poland.

We're 13th now, albeit 3 divisions lower.

2019-20 may well go the same way, although obviously its much more advanced.

Well, yes, 3 games played vs 10 games left to play...

plus most players being march off to the front line vs people being in temporary lockdown.

Hardly comparable.

Quoted from Abdul19

If 19/20 finished in August/September (complete guess, obviously), I can't see there being no 20/21. A shortened one maybe, but not none. Golly will know!

I think it’s pretty optimistic to think that 19/20 will be finished before 20/21 was due to start. Expect the current season might be able to finish just before Christmas and then some sort of half division comp to be played in the Jan-May.

In that situation it would be good if they could get some leagues made up entirely of local rivals so there’s big crowds to fill lower league clubs coffers again. Imagine us, Scunny, Hull, Lincoln, Donny, Leeds, the Sheffield clubs, Rotherham and Barnsley in a division.

They could still get all the games in before the Euros next summer if they just played a few more night games and ditched that shambolic checkatrade thing and the league cup.

Play the FA cup mid week if they still want it and ditch replays for one season.

I’m sure they’ll come up with something...

It's a big assumption, but assuming the season kick-starts in May or even June, then finishes in August or so, then of course there will be a 20/21 season.  Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday all season, and start it in October or something.  It's really no problem.  The players need to treat NOW as their pre-season, then they'll have another mini pre-season at the end of the 19/20 season.

The implications of having no 20/21 season could be massive for lower league clubs, I think it will happen in some form - possibly with no cups to free up some days?

If and its a big IF we can start playing again by August we can use the remaining 9 league game as our pre season friendlies  so they could be played with no fans if that what the government says.

We then start season 20/21 end of Sept/ Oct hopefully in front of big crowds.

No micky mouse cup or league trophy so extra mid weeks available for league games.

End the season by the end of June giving our players a couple of weeks off before coming back for the pre season 21/22 ready to start our return to L1.

If not possible to do the above and we can not play until xmas or later then finish the last 9 games of this season and hopefully a FA CUP  and maybe a league trophy to finish off the season.

There is no chance of spectator sport re-starting before September at the very earliest. The schools might not even start back then.

Highly likely that the 2019/20 season will be abandoned. Spare a thought for the Liverpool supporters of course. The players will need time to get back to match fitness too.

Mass gatherings will be out of the question so the idea of 8,000 people watching a football match simply won't be allowed. Look at what is happening in Italy today and where it will only get worse sadly.

Could this be used to start the 20/21 season and then the 21/22 season later and later so the mid season break coincides with 22 World Cup and then pick up the peices after that ?????

Quoted from Welwynmariner

There is no chance of spectator sport re-starting before September at the very earliest. The schools might not even start back then.

Highly likely that the 2019/20 season will be abandoned. Spare a thought for the Liverpool supporters of course. The players will need time to get back to match fitness too.

Mass gatherings will be out of the question so the idea of 8,000 people watching a football match simply won't be allowed. Look at what is happening in Italy today and where it will only get worse sadly.

So, the complete opposite of what they want and say they are hoping for , really? Where you plucked the September idea from?

The most sensible solution i ve heard was to combine this season with next season so that it becomes a 75-85 game season,.Liverpool would therefore start with their points advantage and so have a big advantage. You'd use  average pointed per game to allow for games in hand

I don’t know where WM got it from but it sort of makes sense
The only fact based evidence we have is Wuhan which started in September and is petering out now, 7 months later
Our infections started in January so hopefully we will see the same decline by August
Loads of unknowns and differences of course but we’ve got sodomist else to go on

For me:
- Finish season 19/20 whenever possible this year.
- Move to a temporary calendar season for (formerly) 20/21, so February - November, which would tie in nicely with the 2022 winter world cup.  One caveat to that would be an enforced summer break for Euro 2021.
- Gradually move back to a traditional August - May season.

This would probably be the cleanest solution in terms of legal and financial issues, but would impact league organisation for the next 3/4 years.  These are just my armchair ramblings though, wouldn't like to be the one trying to sort this mess.

Quoted from AussieMariner

I don’t know where WM got it from but it sort of makes sense
The only fact based evidence we have is Wuhan which started in September and is petering out now, 7 months later
Our infections started in January so hopefully we will see the same decline by August
Loads of unknowns and differences of course but we’ve got sodomist else to go on

The first recorded cases were in December, where is your source that they started in September?

Quoted from mariner91

The first recorded cases were in December, where is your source that they started in September?

TBH I just heard that somewhere so may be completely wrong. Sort of makes sense though that the Chinese would ‘identify’ it later as they didn’t know what they were looking for.
If it’s true that it started in December then that implies a much shorter timeframe. Still can’t see us only being one month behind in terms of coming out of it. Anyway it’s all speculation, just trying to make some sort of sense out of an unprecedented situation.
Stay safe everyone.

Split league 2 into two regionalised divisions of 12 teams each, play each team home and away (22 games). Take top 4 from each division to form a new league of eight play each other home and away (14 games). Top 3 go up, next 4 into the play offs. Take bottom 4 in each of the regionalised divisions to determine who gets relegated. Do the same with League 1. Each team would then have to  play 36-38 games to complete the season. As it is now we play around 50 games so the 20/21 season could start as late as mid October.
There will then be 8 teams from Leagues 1 and 2 not involved with relegation or Promotion, these form another league of 8 to play for a one off cup competition.
Scrub round the FA Cup and League Cup for the season.
Premier League clubs play their league as normal giving them 38 games.
Championship play their  league as normal giving them the challenge of playing 46 games in a shortened season but no cup distractions.

Quoted from thevera

Split league 2 into two regionalised divisions of 12 teams each, play each team home and away (22 games). Take top 4 from each division to form a new league of eight play each other home and away (14 games). Top 3 go up, next 4 into the play offs. Take bottom 4 in each of the regionalised divisions to determine who gets relegated. Do the same with League 1. Each team would then have to  play 36-38 games to complete the season. As it is now we play around 50 games so the 20/21 season could start as late as mid October.
There will then be 8 teams from Leagues 1 and 2 not involved with relegation or Promotion, these form another league of 8 to play for a one off cup competition.
Scrub round the FA Cup and League Cup for the season.
Premier League clubs play their league as normal giving them 38 games.
Championship play their  league as normal giving them the challenge of playing 46 games in a shortened season but no cup distractions.

Yes the simplest solutions are often the best.

Quoted from mariner91

The first recorded cases were in December, where is your source that they started in September?

If you read the comments on the Grimsby Live facebook page some in Grimsby are absolutely convinced they had it back in September.

Quoted from scrumble

If you read the comments on the Grimsby Live facebook page some in Grimsby are absolutely convinced they had it back in September.

Well it must be true then!

Quoted from supertown

Where you plucked the September idea from?

Someone I work with who ought to understand these things.

I think Boris's 12 weeks was a spin on - things are going to get worse for 12 weeks - until the end of June and then it might level off a bit like China has done. But then it might come back again. Spanish flu did that in 1919 as I understand it. We are in unknown territory.

So I cannot see mass spectator sports - even in front of 5,000 people as at Town, being permitted before September 2020 and that might be ludicrously optimistic. If anyone thinks the Olympics will happen this year they are kidding themselves. Nobody in their right mind would allow 75,000 people to watch a match at Old Trafford or Tottenham. In any case will the players stick around?

This is why the Government's emergency powers legislation is scheduled for two years

Looks like this social distancing will carry on for a long time:

[url]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51977802[/url]

Reading this makes the thought of getting the season up and running again by the summer seem increasing unlikely...

More than likely that this season will played behind closed doors in July/August to reach a conclusion, with the possibility of a new season starting in at the end of September/October, with hopefully spectators.