This is what I’ve been saying mate. Its not the case that ‘should be all football’, if the season is declared null and void by the FA, that then becomes their choice, it voids all TV deals and it’s football Armageddon Its not just the clubs that then suffer, it supply chains and businesses. Voiding the season could end footy ball in this country, such is its utter reliance on TV and advertising income. How people don’t see this is beyond me. Clubs down the pyramid will lose a few quid and some sponsorship, but they can be compensated. Who is compensating the Premier League of the FA cost them their TV money? That’s over £2billion and it isn’t happening.
That's why its been an easy decision to avoid Steps 3-6 but they're still holding out higher up. The circumstances mean that from National League up, it can't be done. But those different circumstances also mean that it for full time clubs, it should be easier to finish the season.
Stopping the Premier League would cost thousands of jobs. For me it’s simple and it’s like many have said. You finish this season, however long it takes, then make a plan for the new one. You protect the competitions integrity, the clubs revenue, and the livelihoods of many. A delayed season can be worked around the Qatar World Cup and we can have summer football for 3 years, which frankly would be fantastic. The FA will not abandon this season, not a chance in hell.
I'm not sure I understand how this would work tbh. As an example. If the virus is done by the end of June the players would need a pre-season of at least July then play out the season during August, September and October. With November and December as the close season we'd start again in January. Wouldn't voiding this season and starting a new season in August or September be much simpler?
From a purely sporting and ‘order’ perspective, absolutely. Its not that simple though. The prize pots and such for the season are what ‘big’ clubs use to pay salaries, run academies, develop facilities. Now, if this season ends, no ‘prize money’ would be allocated, no TV payment would be due from the broadcasters (not just Sky and BT, there’s a whole chain of worldwide partners as well, just nobody ever mentions them). Without the TV payments, due on completion of contract (120 games live or whatever) the FA does not receive it payments and can’t pay the clubs their ‘share’. This crippled the league, only the top 6 or so clubs have billionaires with unlimited facilities to bankroll. If you took the £170,000 guaranteed away from Bournemouth, Brighton etc that club is finished with the first months payroll. Whether we like it or not the game is a massive business, and thousands rely on the clubs in the top divisions receiving their income. Just look at the stories in Bury about the impact on local business when the club folded. The season simply has to be completed. There’s nothing at stake from a season that’s not yet kicked off, it’s an irrelevance. It can be delayed and fitted in with everyone on an even keel from whenever. You simply can’t do that now. On top, how can they decide how to play next season without finishing this? What league are clubs in? Who’s in the Champions League? Who financially compensated a club like a Leeds who have been close to 20 years outside the league? All UEFA leagues would need to agree a blanket policy on all of this, and that would never happen in a trillion years. The show must go on has never been more apt. Would summer football in the future be a big issue? Or would it solve fixture pile ups due to weather etc as a positive side note?
I personally think this season will be replayed with everyone going back to where they were. The football authorities and TV companies will come to an agreement and the clubs will have to live with it. You can't just pretend that this virus hasn't happened, it's a catastrophe and everything's changed. The authorities, clubs and TV companies all depend on each other so they'll find a way ... ... none of them can live without the other.
Very true mate. None of them can live without their product or income either though. In the same way that you, mad dad and 9 million others expected Sky not to charge them, that’s then Sky to the FA and then the FA to the clubs. It’s all exactly the same principle on an ever growing scale. If the season is finished, regardless of delays, all parties fulfilled their contracts. They will finish the season, I am absolutely certain of it.
And yet there's no mention anywhere of insurance. Surely there's some kind of back up for frustration of contract, otherwise you'd question what these people actually know about business. This particular event wasn't predictable but it's not like leagues haven't been suspended and cancelled before.
I don’t see how they’ll finish the season off. The games will all have to be completed by 30th June and the way it’s looking I don’t see that happening. Once we hit that date new sponsorships are looking for big advertising campaigns and by law some players contracts will expire and they’ll be free to sign for other clubs. It will be a mess.
I’ve never said I wouldn’t welcome billionaires at Sunderland just saying it’s hard to sympathise with clubs missing out on a trophy/promotion who are bankrolled to success and will come out of this crisis alright when other clubs at the same levels will fold.
A good thing to come out of all this imo would be all clubs survive and the money squandered in the top leagues is capped, grass roots football for all ? Of course it won't happen. https://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/fa-end-grassroots-football-season/178663 If South Shields dont get it, neither should Liverpool.
I would find it highly amusing if these clubs paying £350,000 on one player a week go into administration and get kicked into league 2
Just finish the season now Liverpool win the league bottom 3 go down, i don't think the 5th place team will get man city's place as they have not earned it. Leeds WBA fulham ? go up, bottom 3 go down, league 1 Cov, rotherham and oxford go up, tran, Southend, bolton down, only the top 3 go up from league 2 go up and no play offs and finish them all together, 2 down from league 2. play the f a cup in empty stadiums but the final with supporters.
It’ll be a very hard decision to do that as those clubs that go down have more of a right to take to court then if they just void the season and Liverpool look to take the fa to court. Any decision that is made by any associations are gonna have to be agreed by all members and I cannot see either relegated or champions teams agreeing.