Proposal from EFL to complete the season

Now being suggested that season could be completed behind closed doors at regional hubs.

https://www.standard.co.uk/spo.....vid-19-a4427041.html

Scrap the playoffs  and make our league 3 up I down and play the matches but any matches between clubs that can not go either up or down are also scrapped. Play the same procedure in the national league with two automatic promotion places.
Fair to all teams with a outcome to the season but reduces the number of matches played and no large followings for the playoff games

Finish the season off on one day with penalties at one venue.

If we can not play our games at home or away I can not see the point going to Leeds Newcastle or wherever scrap the bloody thing and do what crusty says.

Quoted from GrimRob

Finish the season off on one day with penalties at one venue.

I know our players are fit Rob but asking them to play 11 games in one day is asking too much.

Oh you meant no games just Penalties  

Can not see any club agreeing to that but who knows ?

Please void the season now...thanks

Quoted from Boris Johnson

Please void the season now...thanks

What you doing on here Boris haven't you got some nappies to change ?  

Quoted from grimsby pete

What you doing on here Boris haven't you got some nappies to change ?  

I’ll have you know that inability to run a country aside, he is more than capable of taking himself to the toilet...

Quoted from aldi_01

I’ll have you know that inability to run a country aside, he is more than capable of taking himself to the toilet...

PMSL 😂 😂😂

I see the Young Conservatives are logged in tonight judging by the red crosses. I thought they were supposed to have a sense of humour. That’s what they always say when someone tells them off for making un-PC remarks.

Poor old Boris  looks bad enough at times with his hair all over the place. cant imagine what he will look like after a few sleepless nights .

There are only 8 or 9 games left plus play offs. That's 4 weeks at 3 games a week. Then the playoffs. Probably holiday travel will still be curtailed and the euros have been cancelled, I don't see any reason why we cannot finish this season in the summer. It's a bit early to be calling it off since nobody knows what the likely outcome is going to be. Even playing behind closed doors is preferable to calling it off completely IMHO.

Piece on the bbc website this morning involving Alex Rodman who is the union rep at Bristol Rovers having his meeting leaked, saying that unsurprisingly there wont be any crowds at EFL games until 2021.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52493649

If there’s no crowds until then the I can’t see how a new season could start . No crowds means no income , no money no contracts for players etc etc etc .... finishing this season is completely pointless. All leagues should just be voided until normality in whatever form that is can be restored...

Not sure if this is a stupid idea or not, but maybe a for EFL and Premiership would be to :-

Start all leagues again in August
No promotions / relegations from 2019/2020 ( sorry all clubs that could have got promotion )
First few months of new season should be the planed games that would have finished off last season.
All these outstanding games count as double points, so points go towards last season and new season.
I.e.  Liverpool win their first game they get 3 points towards 2019 / 2020 and 3 points towards 2020/2021 season.  
At least this way we still get league champions and money can be split fairly for league positions.  

I'm very uneasy that fans of a club with no chance of either promotion or relegation sitting in 13th place of Division Two could  advocate the voiding of this season. It wouldn't only affect the often mentioned headline teams of Liverpool, Leeds and West Brom but also affect teams like long suffering Coventry as well as a long list of promotion hopefuls including clubs who have overperformed like Wycombe, Rotherham, Oxford, Crewe, Cheltenham etc. Realistically there's nearly a third of all clubs chasing promotions that would be a huge boost to every one of them in different ways. And what about the clubs that are destined for relegation? Why should they get a free hit.. especially Stevenage? Void the season and the integrity of British football will be broken along with neverending lawsuits flying around in the aftermath. We need to show the English game is the strongest out there. There's enough money around in our game to sort out any shortcomings like players' contracts etc. We play the end of the season when it's safe to do so and we adjust the following season's timings over the next couple of years to recalibrate. We play behind closed doors if we have to. The fans of Coventry, Crewe and Rotherham matter as much as Liverpool's first title in thirty years or Leeds's return to the Premier League. We can't be weak and go for easier options like some countries have done, we need to work our way through it.. patiently and pragmatically to keep the integrity of our national sport intact..

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

If there’s no crowds until then the I can’t see how a new season could start . No crowds means no income , no money no contracts for players etc etc etc .... finishing this season is completely pointless. All leagues should just be voided until normality in whatever form that is can be restored...

I Suppose there would be Ifollow income that might replace some of the lost revenue from tickets (as someone who doesn't have a season ticket as I live away I'd be ploughing 10-15 quid most weeks that I otherwise don't), presumably we would still receive TV money, there would still be sponsorship (although much reduced), there would also be some cash from merchandise. Costs would be lower as well - No Police costs, You don't have much of the Admin wages.

I expect most clubs in EFL 2 will:
Axe their youth set up, Reduce squad size and renegotiate contracts. If you are a player and you are out of contract then this will be a massive problem, player wages will go through the floor.

All of this suggests to me it comes down to a pure financial decision on whether to finish the league or not. Can clubs make money from Ifollow than they have to pay to stage the games or not?

For the Premier league, a suggestion would be to test and isolate each squad and a list of officials. They have enough money to book hotel for June with training facilities nearby. Most have 9 games left, the games could then be played . Most are international players used to being in a camps for the Euros or world cups. The games could then be played at a couple a week either behind closed doors or even a lottery from season ticket holders to have a minimum safe distancing crowd

If the season restarts after the players contracts run out, will those players still be eligible to play for us? Or will we have to field a team of next seasons contracted players and youth? I'm just wondering what that team would look like and would maybe give us more time to find the right players for the 2020/21 season

Put the goalie in a car, send him to the match, one goalie against the other goalie from opposing club, one penalty each, could be a draw or 1-0 win, job sorted, saves on money and will be isolated, job done, season done.

Quoted from dicko995

Put the goalie in a car, send him to the match, one goalie against the other goalie from opposing club, one penalty each, could be a draw or 1-0 win, job sorted, saves on money and will be isolated, job done, season done.

Incredible,why on earth haven't they thought of that simple solution?

Quoted from horsforthmariner

I Suppose there would be Ifollow income that might replace some of the lost revenue from tickets (as someone who doesn't have a season ticket as I live away I'd be ploughing 10-15 quid most weeks that I otherwise don't), presumably we would still receive TV money, there would still be sponsorship (although much reduced), there would also be some cash from merchandise. Costs would be lower as well - No Police costs, You don't have much of the Admin wages.

I was thinking the same thing. I haven't been to game in ages, between living 250 miles away and working Saturdays its kind of tricky, but I would pay to watch online. Add to that how many away fans wouldn't spend a whole day  travelling to Cleethorpes but would happily pay to watch from home. We probably wouldn't make the same money overall, even allowing for savings in costs, but as long as running costs and wages are covered I'd think its worth it just to be fair to other teams who still have something to play for.

Coupled with someones earlier idea of seeing this season through, and then having the next season split into North and South to  make it shorter we could get back on track and keep most people happy#

The thing is would you pay to watch a match with no crowd? The crowd/atmosphere is what makes it to a large degree. Even on a fairly basic ifollow-type coverage it's still there in the background and the players respond to it too. A game without a crowd is like a training game for them. I don't think they'd put the same effort it, maybe subconciously then if thousands of people were cheering them on.

Quoted from GrimRob

The thing is would you pay to watch a match with no crowd? The crowd/atmosphere is what makes it to a large degree. Even on a fairly basic ifollow-type coverage it's still there in the background and the players respond to it too. A game without a crowd is like a training game for them. I don't think they'd put the same effort it, maybe subconsciously then if thousands of people were cheering them on.

I watched the Man U game just before the lockdown (don't laugh, my stepson is a fan), and you're its not the same, but I would still. For me personally it works, as rarely get the chance now.

Maybe they could do it as a giant zoom meeting. So we can all hear everyone, plus the occasional shout of "Your not watching that in the living room"

Home games also generate additional income from bars, non-alcoholic refreshments, half-time ticket draw and merchandise sales.  Fans are also kept directly involved with the club.

These income streams would be lost.  Also, the habit of not going to live matches might be hard to break for some fans when spectators are welcomed back.

Quoted from scrumble

I watched the Man U game just before the lockdown (don't laugh, my stepson is a fan), and you're its not the same, but I would still. For me personally it works, as rarely get the chance now.

Maybe they could do it as a giant zoom meeting. So we can all hear everyone, plus the occasional shout of "Your not watching that in the living room"

That figures he’s a Man U fan. You did say you live 250 miles away 😉

If i hear or see the word Zoom again..................................

Quoted from Boris Johnson

If i hear or see the word Zoom again..................................

Should have used it more & you wouldn't have got ill.

Quoted from Boris Johnson

If i hear or see the word Zoom again..................................

Just one look and then my heart went boom

Quoted from dicko995

Put the goalie in a car, send him to the match, one goalie against the other goalie from opposing club, one penalty each, could be a draw or 1-0 win, job sorted, saves on money and will be isolated, job done, season done.

Surely when the goalkeepers drive over the ball to take the penalty it will burst ?
And when in goal do they park head on or sideways ?

Not sure you have thought this through .....

Quoted from Boris Johnson

If i hear or see the word Zoom again..................................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMo6Ju8SJ8o

This plan to finish seasons at all costs has got off to a good start:

In Germany, Bundesliga side FC Cologne have announced tonight 3 positive COVID-19 cases after the squad and coaching staff were tested on Thursday at training.

They are symptom-free but will spend 14 days in quarantine.

Group training will continue

To save playing ALL remaining matches in each division, just play the matches that will influence promotion or relegation positions. Number of matches would be a quarter of what remains. Easier to organise, and not as many COVID-19 tests need doing. Depending on remaining fixtures some teams may only need to play 1 or 2 games, whereas those who are in the hunt for promotion or fighting relegation will only need to play until promotion or relegation is guaranteed.

That would be impracticable. Teams near the bottom, near the top and near the playoffs would all be involved in matches that would influence promotion and relegation. Naturally some of those games will also be against teams with nothing to play for. I bet you'd only shave off a third at most of games. And some teams (mostly the safe, but not likely to get in the playoffs) would play less than others, giving them more recovery time and a better chance. Normally it's these teams that the others pick up extra points from near the end of the season.

And that's before you try to decide what will and won't affect promotion or relegation. In theory that still involves us.

It highly unlikely there will be football with crowds until the end of the year or maybe 2021. I don't see the point in a aborting a season that is 80% complete and starting a new one with no fans. The only income clubs will have will be from online viewers. More people are likely to watch games at the business end of the season.

The solution is simple. Complete the 2019/20 season in full whenever it is possible to restart. Then have a small break of 4 or 5 weeks & maybe play EFL Trophy 2020/21 group stage & EFL Cup 1st & 2nd Round during this period and then start a new (probably shortened) season initially behind closed doors until fans in the stadium are permitted.

Matches in each EFL division could be spread over the entire weekend to help iFollow cope with additional demand. Maybe matches:-

Friday 19:30
Saturday 12:00, 14:30, 17:00 & 19:30.
Sunday 12:00, 14:30, 17:00 & 19:30.

With 35 League matches per round (12 in FLC & FL2 & 11 in FL1) that would mean no more than 4 matches played at the same time across the 4 divisions.

Midweek games could be played:-

Tuesday 18:00 & 20:30
Wednesday 18:00 & 20:30
Thursday 18:00 & 20:30

The average points per game gained over the season so far should be awarded for each remaining game that way promotion and relegation would be based on what each team achieved when playing with a regular squad. No play offs just highest and lowest position counts. Every person working in the footballing industry deserves the right to health and safety in the work place and with this killer it can't be guaranteed. I like every football fan in the world thought the game meant everything ( after family of course ), boy have we been brought down to earth with a bump.
Stay safe all footy fans and be ready for the first game in the new world were we can enjoy the game the way it's meant to be with crowd's that cheer together and were you  talk to the person sat next to you and enjoy the atmosphere even though you have never met before. Good luck and stay safe looking forward to that first virus free game.

I personally don't think in the general community that there is much concern if the season is finished or not. There are far more important things for people to be worried about. To be quite honest I can't remember which team we last played and have no chance of naming what our line up was -can anybody else without looking it up. Clue -Macca was in goal - er - I think

The boss giving his views

“I don’t want to risk anybody’s life in any way, shape or form. I don’t want to risk my life. I’m 57. I don’t want to die early.

“If it’s not safe for fans to go to a game, it’s not safe for players, managers or anybody else.”.



https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/holloway-behind-closed-doors-grimsby-4104375

What remains of this season needs scrapping to give clubs a manageable amount of time plan for next season to give themselves maximum income streams to survive if you ask me . An ifollow season ticket could be a short term solution giving fans the chance to pay and stream matches up to Christmas and then see where we are with fans being allowed back into grounds . It would also giive the clubs and players time to organise who or where they’ll be playing. I can see a lot of players going part time as there’s going to be a dramatic cut in salaries no doubt .

I seem to remember we had to have crowd's of 3000 to break even if that is still the case what sort of crowd's would we get if the over 70s and the vulnerable can't go. The season should not be played out and the new season should not  start until the virus is defeated.

Lewis Duckworth would sort it out once and for all !

Jack's son?

"Creative" ideas now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52542756

Quoted from Boris Johnson

If i hear or see the word Zoom again..................................

If I see another bloody rainbow in someone's window...

Looking forward to the re-runs of Euro 96 especially England v Holland and England v Scotland, great stuff

I wonder where Stevie Cammack is??

Now looks like GTFC will finish c15th and Scunts c20th if the present EFL proposals to end Div 1 and 2 are concluded. Also bye to Stevenage!!