Four fixtures to rearrange.

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

I suppose this is the price of a bit of success plus the virus. There will be a lot for the Premier League to sort out after this lot, Villa, Newcastle, Man. Utd, and The Arse and that’s if we start again on the fourth of April which I can’t see happening. The Cup is likely to be the big problem whoever goes through due to being able to sell the volume of tickets.
So what happens now? It’s either going to get to the stage where we’re playing two games a week or they close the season early. I’d rather play the games if possible, it’s the same for most teams and finish the season before the holiday season starts.

 

[Withington Blade]

Postponing the Euros for 12 months and extending the season seems the most obvious and best solution?

 

[BushBlade]

Postponing the Euros for 12 months and extending the season seems the most obvious and best solution?

I think it’s inevitable that the Euros will be postponed.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I think it’s inevitable that the Euros will be postponed.

At least Foxy will have some spare time to merge threads.

 

[Silent Blade]

Postponing the Euros for 12 months and extending the season seems the most obvious and best solution?

My solution would be Saturday May 22nd for the PL fixtures that were scheduled for this weekend and 29th May for the fixtures that was scheduled for 21st March weekend. FA Cup 6th round matches and semi finals (at neutral grounds instead of Wembley) to be played in midweek. FA Cup final on 5th June

 

[Sheffsteel]

It’s already been announced on the radio that UEFA are holding a meeting next week
and it’s expected that the Euros will be postponed and played Summer 2021 instead.

However the problems relates to what do UEFA do with the European competitions this season...do they freeze them or declare them null and void.
and also what about next season? Remember qualification for the Europa Cup usually starts in July. Will there be Euro competitions next season?

The UK might have corona virus under relative control but UK nationals travelling to countries that don’t have it under control will create problems.

 

[BladeFisher]

It’s already been announced on the radio that UEFA are holding a meeting next week
and it’s expected that the Euros will be postponed and played Summer 2021 instead.

However the problems relates to what do UEFA do with the European competitions this season...do they freeze them or declare them null and void.
and also what about next season? Remember qualification for the Europa Cup usually starts in July. Will there be Euro competitions next season?

The UK might have corona virus under relative control but UK nationals travelling to countries that don’t have it under control will create problems.

If as I expect the cv goes on and on, play games behind closed doors otherwie there is a danger of this never ending.

Perhaps (tongue in cheek) teams go into quarantine for two weeks then play the game at a neutral venue where there is no cv outbreak !

 

[finlaytheblade]

Dont see an end to this in April.
The governments own time table says it will still be ramping up in April (virus).
This season will go into summer I it finishes at all.Where does the FA cup stand in all this? Wembley booked for final at end of May 6th round and semi 's to fit in as well.
Logistical nightmare coming .

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The don't think the season will restart nor the new one starting whilst at least October. I wonder how they will decide how to end the season if this is the case.

 

[Upton_Blade]

The don't think the season will restart nor the new one starting whilst at least October. I wonder how they will decide how to end the season if this is the case.

From a domestic perspective I'm really not in favour of just declaring this season null and void with very nearly 3/4 of it completed. My suggestion, no way they'll do it, that seems fairest would be to take everyone's points per game currently and times by 38 to get a final total as some teams have games in hand etc.

The final table would look like this if they did.

#	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPG	Points
1	Liverpool	29	27	1	1	66	21	45	82	2.83	107.45
2	Manchester City	28	18	3	7	68	31	37	57	2.04	77.36
3	Leicester City	29	16	5	8	58	28	30	53	1.83	69.45
4	Chelsea	29	14	6	9	51	39	12	48	1.66	62.90
5	Manchester United	29	12	9	8	44	30	14	45	1.55	58.97
6	Sheffield United	28	11	10	7	30	25	5	43	1.54	58.36
7	Wolverhampton Wanderers	29	10	13	6	41	34	7	43	1.48	56.34
8	Arsenal	28	9	13	6	40	36	4	40	1.43	54.29
9	Tottenham Hotspur	29	11	8	10	47	40	7	41	1.41	53.72
10	Burnley	29	11	6	12	34	40	-6	39	1.34	51.10
11	Crystal Palace	29	10	9	10	26	32	-6	39	1.34	51.10
12	Everton	29	10	7	12	37	46	-9	37	1.28	48.48
13	Newcastle United	29	9	8	12	25	41	-16	35	1.21	45.86
14	Southampton	29	10	4	15	35	52	-17	34	1.17	44.55
15	Brighton and Hove Albion	29	6	11	12	32	40	-8	29	1.00	38.00
16	West Ham United	29	7	6	16	35	50	-15	27	0.93	35.38
17	Watford	29	6	9	14	27	44	-17	27	0.93	35.38
18	Bournemouth	29	7	6	16	29	47	-18	27	0.93	35.38
19	Aston Villa	28	7	4	17	34	56	-22	25	0.89	33.93
20	Norwich City	29	5	6	18	25	52	-27	21	0.72	27.52

 

[TAMUS]

Dont forget we have finished with Man City and the victims this season , that must be worth a extra point or two .

 

[Harrisblade]

The don't think the season will restart nor the new one starting whilst at least October. I wonder how they will decide how to end the season if this is the case.

The 'final day of the season' is set by the management committee of the relevant league. It can be changed if necessary by an EGM of the same committee.
If the Euros are postponed there will be a bit of flexibility

 

[gordoncharles]

From a domestic perspective I'm really not in favour of just declaring this season null and void with very nearly 3/4 of it completed. My suggestion, no way they'll do it, that seems fairest would be to take everyone's points per game currently and times by 38 to get a final total as some teams have games in hand etc.

The final table would look like this if they did.

That will be impossible. There's no way anyone denied a CL place on that basis will accept it, and those teams relegated by that method certainly won't either.

It would be like that old joke about the club who were relegated by the Pools Panel (for anyone of a certain age).

And that's not even considering that each position in the league is worth around an extra £1m in merit payments.

It either has to be finished, by June when many contracts terminate, or scratched.

 

[Upton_Blade]

It either has to be finished, by June when many contracts terminate, or scratched.

If it's scratched though how would the prize money be distributed?

If you took the table as it is now then surely you've got the same issue and if the EPL suggested splitting the pot evenly then you'd get another issue with teams at the top end not happy with getting the same as at the bottom?

 

[YES Blade]

It’s ridiculous they didn’t allow us to play Newcastle tomorrow behind closed doors. There was no reason the match couldn’t go ahead.

The situation is only going to get worse and worse over the next two weeks so they should’ve tried to complete as many fixtures as possible in the short term and lessen the problem of how to finish the season.

 

[Farnboroughblade]

Rather than trying to cram in the remaining fixtures of the FA Cup this spring, why not suspend the cup games until the start of next season with the final being played early October? Takes off the pressure from trying to fit them into what will already be a congested end of season providing the league games are finally held.

 

[BladeByChoice]

From a domestic perspective I'm really not in favour of just declaring this season null and void with very nearly 3/4 of it completed. My suggestion, no way they'll do it, that seems fairest would be to take everyone's points per game currently and times by 38 to get a final total as some teams have games in hand etc.

The final table would look like this if they did.

#	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	PPG	Points
1	Liverpool	29	27	1	1	66	21	45	82	2.83	107.45
2	Manchester City	28	18	3	7	68	31	37	57	2.04	77.36
3	Leicester City	29	16	5	8	58	28	30	53	1.83	69.45
4	Chelsea	29	14	6	9	51	39	12	48	1.66	62.90
5	Manchester United	29	12	9	8	44	30	14	45	1.55	58.97
6	Sheffield United	28	11	10	7	30	25	5	43	1.54	58.36
7	Wolverhampton Wanderers	29	10	13	6	41	34	7	43	1.48	56.34
8	Arsenal	28	9	13	6	40	36	4	40	1.43	54.29
9	Tottenham Hotspur	29	11	8	10	47	40	7	41	1.41	53.72
10	Burnley	29	11	6	12	34	40	-6	39	1.34	51.10
11	Crystal Palace	29	10	9	10	26	32	-6	39	1.34	51.10
12	Everton	29	10	7	12	37	46	-9	37	1.28	48.48
13	Newcastle United	29	9	8	12	25	41	-16	35	1.21	45.86
14	Southampton	29	10	4	15	35	52	-17	34	1.17	44.55
15	Brighton and Hove Albion	29	6	11	12	32	40	-8	29	1.00	38.00
16	West Ham United	29	7	6	16	35	50	-15	27	0.93	35.38
17	Watford	29	6	9	14	27	44	-17	27	0.93	35.38
18	Bournemouth	29	7	6	16	29	47	-18	27	0.93	35.38
19	Aston Villa	28	7	4	17	34	56	-22	25	0.89	33.93
20	Norwich City	29	5	6	18	25	52	-27	21	0.72	27.52

I see the logic behind this but what about the massive flaw.

Blades in 6th, that’s a European place depending on how the FA turns out, how would the FA cup winner be decided without playing.

Factor in Man City’s ban and we’re in but it just moves the problem down to wolves.

 

[Booker4]

The relegation issue and Champions league qualification are both worth millions. There's no way we can just do some Duckworth Lewis type solution!

Only solution I see is to postpone the league until most likely August, finish off this season and then continue immediately into the next season with a reduced calendar but how that would work I'm not so sure!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If games cannot be completed they can't just void the season in the final stretch. No matter how you look at it someone is going to be pissed off unless you are a club that has nothing to play for. I think Bladeybychoices theory is probably the fairest.

 

[Blade in Brid]

I suppose this is the price of a bit of success plus the virus. There will be a lot for the Premier League to sort out after this lot, Villa, Newcastle, Man. Utd, and The Arse and that’s if we start again on the fourth of April which I can’t see happening. The Cup is likely to be the big problem whoever goes through due to being able to sell the volume of tickets.
So what happens now? It’s either going to get to the stage where we’re playing two games a week or they close the season early. I’d rather play the games if possible, it’s the same for most teams and finish the season before the holiday season starts.

Turns out 2 PL teams called for season to be scrapped and deemed null and void. West Ham and Tottenham. Hmmm wonder why?

 

[thawot]

Can't see how this season won't be abandoned now.

If you allow six weeks to play the remaining league and cup games and a month's break before next season then it would have to restart in June.

The situation is not going to be better by then, it's going to be much worse.

My guess is they'll abandon it either in April, or after another months suspension.

I don't think anyone would argue with Liverpool being awarded the title, but relegation and promotion would have to be cancelled. I guess next season's European places would have to be assigned bases on the current standings.

Works for us. Leeds and Spurs wouldn't be happy though

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

I think panic has set in and they’ve jumped the gun in suspending the league programme at least two weeks too soon. Horse racing went ahead today so why not football? We could have played tomorrow and next Sunday, then the international break would have kicked after which the situation could have been reviewed again.
Any club with players who become unwell would just have to use squad players and get on with it like they’ve done in The Cup games.
This thing is going to spread anyway and attending football can’t be any worse than going to Meadowhall or town or using public transport.

 

[Oldun]

I think panic has set in and they’ve jumped the gun in suspending the league programme at least two weeks too soon. Horse racing went ahead today so why not football? We could have played tomorrow and next Sunday, then the international break would have kicked after which the situation could have been reviewed again.
Any club with players who become unwell would just have to use squad players and get on with it like they’ve done in The Cup games.
This thing is going to spread anyway and attending football can’t be any worse than going to Meadowhall or town or using public transport.

Arsenals entire squad was in isolation. How do you suggest they field a team of registered players? Football clubs are close knit. Once one player or member of staff is tested positive contact tracing means that the majority of other players and staff will need to isolate as well. It’s fine saying Blades would be ok, but what if we were isolating? You wouldn’t want us to be disadvantaged. Don’t know of any horses or jockeys that have tested positive so not sure of the horse racing relevance.

 

[Upton_Blade]

Personally I think what'll happen is they'll use the next 3 weeks to make sure all clubs/players/staff are free from the virus and then resume the season on April 4th but with all matches behind closed doors until the season is completed.

Kiss goodbye to The Euros as well.

 

[Oldun]

Personally I think what'll happen is they'll use the next 3 weeks to make sure all clubs/players/staff are free from the virus and then resume the season on April 4th but with all matches behind closed doors until the season is completed.

Kiss goodbye to The Euros as well.

That. Is. Genius! Not just for football, but if we use the next 3 weeks to make sure the whole country is free from the virus we will literally save thousands of lives!! Problem solved! Now the FA just need to share their virus dodging plan with everyone else and we are all saved! Amazing!!!!

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Arsenals entire squad was in isolation. How do you suggest they field a team of registered players? Football clubs are close knit. Once one player or member of staff is tested positive contact tracing means that the majority of other players and staff will need to isolate as well. It’s fine saying Blades would be ok, but what if we were isolating? You wouldn’t want us to be disadvantaged. Don’t know of any horses or jockeys that have tested positive so not sure of the horse racing relevance.

They might have to skip playing this weekend but by next Tuesday they will have been in isolation for a week and if they are showing no symptoms they would be back in training for at least three days before leaving to play us. Individual players should be keeping fit anyway even in isolation.
Anyway, I’m a Blade, where does fairness come into this?
Regarding the horse racing, there must have been a massive crowd at Cheltenham today, weren’t they at risk? I assumed the main reason for stopping football was the risk to spectators.

 

[Oldun]

They might have to skip playing this weekend but by next Tuesday they will have been in isolation for a week and if they are showing no symptoms they would be back in training for at least three days before leaving to play us. Individual players should be keeping fit anyway even in isolation.
Anyway, I’m a Blade, where does fairness come into this?
Regarding the horse racing, there must have been a massive crowd at Cheltenham today, weren’t they at risk? I assumed the main reason for stopping football was the risk to spectators.

Nope. That’s the governments role. The main reason for stopping fixtures was due to the chaos of teams isolating and not being able to fulfil fixtures. Arsenal this week, another team next week, it would be unplayable with the number of players and staff involved in keeping the leagues going.

 

[10-0 win]

it'll be much worse in june, whole season void as WWII when we were also at the top, second above arsenal and liverpool after beating the latter before the brake. Don't think the severity has sunk in yet.....PL will loose enormous sums in tv-revenues, just like all other businesses. A swedish icehockey club sold solidarity -tickets at £ 5 each allthough people were banned to keep 'em alive. Do likewise at our place to set up a support found as the tv money will be reduced severely. Then also think of the great recession these weeks will impact wages and income for the common man. These days are uncompared. Best of health to all, beeing in isolation myself , keep up the love for our fantastic footballclub

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Nope. That’s the governments role. The main reason for stopping fixtures was due to the chaos of teams isolating and not being able to fulfil fixtures. Arsenal this week, another team next week, it would be unplayable with the number of players and staff involved in keeping the leagues going.

Are you sure of that, because most fixtures could have been played this weekend by clubs unaffected by the virus. National League games are still going ahead after all.

 

[Silent Blade]

Just been reading that they speculate that there will be no football until September with the season abandoned with no relegation from the Premier League with the top 2 Championship clubs promoted for a 22 team Premier league just for 2020-21...and Liverpool being confirmed Champions