Covid & Football

The BBC reported a couple of days ago that the government’s central planning assumption is that the number of cases in the UK will peak in 10-14 weeks’ time, in other words in June: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51874084

There clearly is no chance of completing the season this side of the summer. Given that, I imagine that the Premier League have asked a leading QC for legal advice on the most important topic for them, which is how they can hang on to as much of the TV money as possible.

That advice will be the single most important factor in deciding what happens to the 2019/20 Premier League season.
 
Sorry Roger said:
The BBC reported a couple of days ago that the government’s central planning assumption is that the number of cases in the UK will peak in 10-14 weeks’ time, in other words in June: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51874084

There clearly is no chance of completing the season this side of the summer. Given that, I imagine that the Premier League have asked a leading QC for legal advice on the most important topic for them, which is how they can hang on to as much of the TV money as possible.

That advice will be the single most important factor in deciding what happens to the 2019/20 Premier League season.
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The more you think about it, the more inevitable it seems that they will have to declare this season null and void. Unfortunately as you say, I'm sure the PL will choose the option with the least financial pain, rather than the most logical one.
I think there will be a lot of legal consultation and political manoeuvring going on behind the scenes and what the result of that will be, nobody knows.

If we are taking this pandemic seriously then these competitions ( including other more global championships like F1, MotoGP etc. ) need to be stopped and declared null and void, since they could not run their course. I think everybody, possibly even Liverpool fans, would understand that. This is a unique situation.

Experience tells me to expect some fustercluck of a decision to come from the PL though, possibly one which shafts us royally.
 
Just a thought on how they could decide the league. Also, saw someone mentioned players contracts.

Below only based on what are in their rules, and not a perfect answer. Probably totally wrong, but just a thought on where they might start from. I'm sure it could/would be tweaked as in there are plenty of mentions of the 'boards discretionary powers'.

Premier League handbook - season 2019/20

Fixtures - Page 102, C17 - Worst case scenario. They end the season now, and apply 'head to head' results. Eg relegation. Take the teams that can be relegated, and put them into a table, minus their results against the teams that cant be relegated. I cant do the maths, but looking at the current table, Chelsea and downward. Think they could fudge something for the fact Villa have played one game less. Maybe points based on stadium size :). Likewise the champions are decided between those who mathematically can win it and you take out those that cant. Its just Man City v Liverpool so would look messy, as they have just played once, (3-1 Liverpool) but i suppose we are in strange times.

C.17. If at the end of the Season either the League Champions or the Clubs to be relegated or the question of qualification for other competitions cannot be determined because two or more Clubs are equal on points, goal difference and goals scored, the relative position in the table of the Clubs will be determined by the following means:

C.17.1. the total points scored by the relevant Clubs in the League Matches in that Season contested by those Clubs (“Head-to-Head Matches”), with the Club having scored the highest number of points in Head-to-Head Matches occupying the highest position in the table and the Club having scored the lowest number of points in Head-to-Head Matches occupying the lowest position in the table;

C.17.2. if the Clubs cannot be separated by operation of Rule C.17.1, the Club scoring the higher number of goals whilst the Visiting Club in Head-to Head Matches occupying the higher position in the table; and

C.17.3. if two Clubs cannot be separated by operation of Rule C.17.1 and C.17.2, a play-off on a neutral ground, the format, timing and venue of which shall be determined by the Board

Player contracts - list of players. I think there would be a blanket extension on contracts that ran over the end of season.
Page 214-215 U. 32 Except as provided in Rules U.33 and U.34, after the Winter Transfer Window in each year and on or before the following third Saturday in May each Club shall confirm to the Board: ....(list of players)

U.33. The date by which each Club is required by Rule U.32 to give confirmation to the Board shall be extended in the case of a Club which on the third Saturday in May in any year is still participating in the F.A. Cup, the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League or has yet to play a League Match the outcome of which could affect:
U.33.2. identification of the Clubs to be relegated in accordance with Rule C.14;

Page 220 - V.1 - V.4 - gives the league room to say any transfer window is not yet open or closed and they therefore cant register player.

Postponement - P174 - 175 - this type of scenario not envisaged. They state if games cancelled under 12.3 or 12.4, then home team have to fill in some forms. I think they are thinking of games off basis the weather or local disturbances etc. I suppose this scenario falls under 12.5, but they don't go on to say what the remedy is under that clause.
L.12. A League Match shall not be postponed or abandoned except: L.12.3. by order of the police;
L.12.4. by order of any other authority exercising its statutory powers to that effect; or
L.12.5. on the instructions of or with the prior written consent of the Board.

NON Page 139-140 - just two paragraphs covering sanitary facilities and disabled facilities. Shocking.
 
I've no doubt that the PL will try to justify its' final decision based on some factors 'as laid down in the league's rules and regulations' to avoid litigation.

If they are searching for a solution within the confines of the rulebook then I fear the final decision will have nothing to do with fairness and common sense, rather more it will be a decision which has some legal basis behind it to make protests and litigation less likely.

I think most people on the outside would acknowledge that in these exceptional circumstances the season so far should be written off as pure entertainment and the league result as a whole for this season should be declared null and void since the league competition could not be completed. We go again 'as we were' in the season 2020-2021.

Unfortunately the PL will make the decision which costs them least. Fairplay and the integrity of the sport will probably be well down their list of priorities.
 
The conditions in C.17 don’t apply though do they? So the following clauses 17.1-3 cannot take effect. Or rather, if the PL tried to apply them they would be easily challenged in the courts.
 
Sorry Roger said:
The conditions in C.17 don’t apply though do they? So the following clauses 17.1-3 cannot take effect. Or rather, if the PL tried to apply them they would be easily challenged in the courts.
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Could well be, I just highlighted them as the only nearest entry the rules had regarding deciding points/league positions, outside of a fixture being actually played. Yes could be challenged but in there (sorry but forgotten exactly where) is reference to 'the board' having absolute discretion. With that, I was thinking they could take one rule (i know not an exact fit) and tweak it, and likely still be safe in being legally challenged.
There is nothing in the rules about what happens when a season is stopped due to outside influences such as a national emergency, and from what i read, any rules about games being cancelled assumes they are replayed at the next available possible date as agreed by them.
Maybe there is something there and i didn't see it. I was just thinking they may have to manufacture something to fit this unforeseen scenario.
 
dutchcherry said:
Maybe there is something there and i didn't see it. I was just thinking they may have to manufacture something to fit this unforeseen scenario.
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This is exactly what worries me. In this scenario Liverpool will surely still be champions and whoever ends up in a relegation spot after all these special case rules have been applied will have to swallow it “because it’s in the rules of the league which they had agreed to”.
It would not be fair but I could see them justifying it along such lines, after seeking appropriate legal advice.
 
thegazzyb said:
The more you think about it, the more inevitable it seems that they will have to declare this season null and void. Unfortunately as you say, I'm sure the PL will choose the option with the least financial pain, rather than the most logical one.
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This scenario would appear increasingly likely. I would far prefer destiny in our own hands rather than relying on the PL to do the correct thing and basically not stitch us up.

Surely with the obvious uncertainty of when football is likely to start again why isn't it possible to prioritise the completion of this season before starting a new one? (In the words of Magnus Magnuson) "I've started so I'll finish". If football can start in say August, September or October finish this season then a short break with an adjustment to next season with everyone knowing the rules and where they stand.

I appreciate that there are lots of complexities with any solution offered other than a proper null & void but personally I believe the PL will probably flex their muscles and as 'thegazzyb' says not choose the most logical one.
 
Winsor Cherry said:
This scenario would appear increasingly likely. I would far prefer destiny in our own hands rather than relying on the PL to do the correct thing and basically not stitch us up.

Surely with the obvious uncertainty of when football is likely to start again why isn't it possible to prioritise the completion of this season before starting a new one? (In the words of Magnus Magnuson) "I've started so I'll finish". If football can start in say August, September or October finish this season then a short break with an adjustment to next season with everyone knowing the rules and where they stand.

I appreciate that there are lots of complexities with any solution offered other than a proper null & void but personally I believe the PL will probably flex their muscles and as 'thegazzyb' says not choose the most logical one.
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I like the idea of finishing this 38 game season come what may, it’s what everybody signed up for. If that means that the 2020/2021 season starts in October and has midweek games every week to catch up then so what ? At least that way, as you say, the rules are clear at the start of each season and for two seasons everybody gets the full season they planned for.
Not only that but the TV companies get their full complement of matches per season too, so very little financial hit for the PL.
The only thing to be sorted out would be those player and staff contracts destined to end at the originally planned end of this season.
Your suggestion sounds like it could be the easiest of all to implement to be fair. So probably guaranteed that the PL will choose to do something completely different !
 
AFCBfan said:
This new report from the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team suggests an aggressive new approach adopted to attempt to "suppress" the virus may have to be in place for 18 months.:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/im...-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf

This season has gone, surely. Difficult to see how next season could function under such measures, too.
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Maybe just finish this season whenever it is possible, even if that means some time in 2021 and we just skip the 2020/2021 season altogether ?
Unfortunately financial interests will probably mean that this option is never considered to be viable.

I can’t see the need to finish this season on schedule when it is extremely likely that the new season will be just as badly affected. In all likelihood though the PL will try to force through its’ original plans, come what may, with all the uncertainty that this entails.

I really believe a longer term view should be taken because the 2020/2021 season seems destined to be just as difficult to complete as this one. Things should be put on hold until the situation has stabilised. Finish this season when it’s safe to do so and then decide if we can still fit in some sort of a 2020/2021 season after that. Worst case scenario is that we drop the 2020/2021 season altogether and kick off again next summer with the 2021/2022 PL season.
 
If next season is going to have just as much complications as finishing this season, I don't think finishing this season really makes sense either.

Maybe next season they could block the fixtures so that if it can't be finished you create a US style conferences with playoffs or if you managed to complete half a season, at least all teams have had even fixtures (other than home\away luck). But if there isn't any problems completing the fixtures it's a normal league.

I haven't really thought this through so I bet there's loadsa holes in it.
 
AFCBfan said:
...This season has gone, surely. Difficult to see how next season could function under such measures, too.
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Of course, there won't be any more professional football before the summer and I'd guess there won't be any more during the rest of 2020 either.

By the time people can seriously consider restarting professional football - when the risk to anyone attending or participating in a match is negligible - a lot of water will have passed under the bridge.

The PL will want to protect themselves legally.

By delaying any decision and deferring to wider government advice/instructions the PL increasingly protect themselves - why announce how the 2019/2020 season 'ends' when you've no idea if the next season will even be allowed to start?

The PL's best move is to do nothing for now.

Come May they can say the current season remains suspended and that they still hope to end it properly but, until the government start relaxing rules and advice, they will, for now, wait and see (just like everything else in life is doing).
 
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