Coronavirus effect on football

Imagine the carnage if John Terry was let loose in there.

Or Kyle Walker

Celtic crowned SPL champions. Were 13pts ahead when the league was halted. Hearts relegated

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52646282

Celtic have been confirmed as Scottish Premiership champions for the ninth season in a row - and Hearts relegated - after the SPFL ended the season.

The decision was taken at a board meeting on Monday after the 12 clubs agreed at the end of last week that completing the campaign was unfeasible.

Average points per game played has been used to determine final placings.

The only change to the table from when football was halted on 13 March is that St Johnstone go sixth, above Hibernian.

Celtic were 13 points ahead of nearest challengers Rangers - having played a game more - when the season was put into abeyance. Like most teams in the division, Neil Lennon's side still had eight games to play.

Hearts were four adrift of Hamilton Academical at the bottom with a possible 24 points available.

However, the Tynecastle club do hold slim hopes of a reprieve after chair Ann Budge was given approval to work on a proposal for temporary league reconstruction, which would involve expanding the top flight.

SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan congratulated Celtic commiserated with Hearts and said the league were left with "no realistic option but to call" the season.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster added the "clear and unanimous view" of the club was that the games could not be played and that the league can now pay out around £7m of prize money immediately.

"The focus will now turn to how we get football up and running again safely as soon as possible," he said. "Nobody should be under any illusion as to how complicated and difficult a challenge it will be to return Scottish football to normality."

The decision was taken by the SPFL board after a controversial April vote - backed by 81% of clubs - granted them the power to do so should they deem the 49 outstanding games unplayable.

Football at all levels in Scotland is suspended until at least 10 June and Uefa had asked associations to either declare their season or lay out their resumption plans by 25 May.

Doncaster reiterated that the League Cup is scheduled to begin in mid-July, with the new league season due to begin on 1 August.



How did we reach this point?
By way of several weeks of turmoil.

On 8 April - little over three weeks after football was halted - the SPFL asked clubs to vote on whether the lower-league season should be ended. If more than 75% of the 42 clubs backed the plan, the league would have the right to call the Premiership.

The proposal passed, but only after Dundee voted, withdrew their ballot, then voted the other way several days after the requested deadline. That meant Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers were declared champions of their respective divisions, with Partick Thistle and Stranraer relegated.

The league commissioned auditors Deloitte to conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dundee's belatedly decisive vote, which found no evidence of wrongdoing. But Rangers said the scope was "too narrow".

In the meantime, a taskforce was set up to look at expanding the top flight but that collapsed after a majority of Premiership clubs indicated they would not support league reconstruction this summer.

Then, weeks of claim and counterclaim culminated in last Tuesday's SPFL EGM - forced by Rangers, Hearts and Stranraer. All 42 clubs voted on whether an inquiry was needed into the process, with 13 supporting the proposal, 27 against and two abstentions.

Then, on Friday, the SPFL hosted a meeting of top-flight clubs at which they agreed that it would not be possible to finish the season and that it should be called.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52646282

I think he means a weekend/midweek programme would be better (yes there would be more than 3 games a day on certain days) rather than 3 games every day for 7 days of the week.

ah ok, to be honest I just want to be able to watch as many games as possible

I thought that there would have been more than 5 remaining games available, just presumed that the remaining TV games would have still belonged to their broadcaster & at least all the 3PM KOs would be up for grabs?

47 games had been allocated already leaving 45 left over and that’s the split that’s being reported.

Celtic crowned SPL champions. Were 13pts ahead when the league was halted. Hearts relegated

To be fair they could have crowned Celtic champions last August.

https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1262303158937640960?s=20

https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1262303158937640960?s=20

Already covered a few posts earlier

Already covered a few posts earlier

Oh well, that will teach me to keep abreast of the thread.

Group training to restart tomorrow.

Premier League clubs have agreed to stage one of the return to training protocols which allows teams to start training in small groups from Tuesday.

Clubs voted unanimously on the decision at Monday's "Project Restart" meeting.

Players must observe social distancing rules, and contact training is not permitted.

The first stage "has been agreed in consultation with players, managers, club doctors, independent experts and the government".

The Premier League statement added: "Strict medical protocols of the highest standard will ensure everyone returns to training in the safest environment possible.

"The health and wellbeing of all participants is the Premier League's priority, and the safe return to training is a step-by-step process.

"Full consultation will now continue with players, managers, clubs, the PFA and LMA as protocols for full-contact training are developed."

Oh well, that will teach me to keep abreast of the thread.

     

Save those for the Belarussian thread! Slutsky going down the table.

If play is suspended in a match halfway through the second half perhaps through crowd violence, poor weather or whatever legitimate reasons, does the game normally resume on another day (in better conditions) starting from the match time suspension or restart from scratch with the score at time of suspension voided?

I remember some la liga team playing out some remaining few minutes in an empty stadium. Real or something.

We could be getting a trophy presentation

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/11990643/premier-league-to-support-liverpool-trophy-presentation-if-safe-to-stage-one

We could be getting a trophy presentation

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/11990643/premier-league-to-support-liverpool-trophy-presentation-if-safe-to-stage-one

YES !!!!!! I sincerely hope so.

I don't think for a second football will start again mid June ( all being well ) based on what the government are saying. How can it as a contact sport? First of all the government will have to take the 2 metres social distance off their logo in less than 4 weeks, that simply won't happen based on all the facts so far.

What statement will it be sending to the general public  if football starts again? They basically will be contradicting their own guide lines. The virus is now never going away even when we do get a vaccination cure sometime next year if all goes to plan.

It's just giving everyone false hope that football is on the return. I can see many players disagreeing for fear of passing virus on to family.  The test they have only confirms at that moment in time you don't have the virus/symtoms.

What's to say players won't touch something that's contaminated shortly afterwards as it's possible no matter what measures are taken to prevent it? Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it return just like 99% of fans will/should be.

I believe players get the results tomorrow of the test results but won't be made public.
Money does talk but I just can't see it happening sadly.

I don't think for a second football will start again mid June ( all being well ) based on what the government are saying. How can it as a contact sport? First of all the government will have to take the 2 metres social distance off their logo in less than 4 weeks, that simply won't happen based on all the facts so far.

What statement will it be sending to the general public  if football starts again? They basically will be contradicting their own guide lines. The virus is now never going away even when we do get a vaccination cure sometime next year if all goes to plan.

It's just giving everyone false hope that football is on the return. I can see many players disagreeing for fear of passing virus on to family.  The test they have only confirms at that moment in time you don't have the virus/symtoms.

What's to say players won't touch something that's contaminated shortly afterwards as it's possible no matter what measures are taken to prevent it? Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it return just like 99% of fans will/should be.

I believe players get the results tomorrow of the test results but won't be made public.
Money does talk but I just can't see it happening sadly.

You must look at Germany in utter wonder. Perhaps the fact that these players are zero risk, their immediate families are zero risk and they are tested twice a week has some bearing on this.
Football will restart in June, we will end our long wait and hopefully Manure miss out on the final CL place.

I don't think for a second football will start again mid June ( all being well ) based on what the government are saying. How can it as a contact sport? First of all the government will have to take the 2 metres social distance off their logo in less than 4 weeks, that simply won't happen based on all the facts so far.

What statement will it be sending to the general public  if football starts again? They basically will be contradicting their own guide lines. The virus is now never going away even when we do get a vaccination cure sometime next year if all goes to plan.

It's just giving everyone false hope that football is on the return. I can see many players disagreeing for fear of passing virus on to family.  The test they have only confirms at that moment in time you don't have the virus/symtoms.

What's to say players won't touch something that's contaminated shortly afterwards as it's possible no matter what measures are taken to prevent it? Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it return just like 99% of fans will/should be.

I believe players get the results tomorrow of the test results but won't be made public.
Money does talk but I just can't see it happening sadly.

Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion. II personally don't agree with you...but you are entitled to it.

You said yourself, we are going to have to live with this for the long term (and no there likely isn't going to be a valid vaccine) so why in the world would we hide away?

Let's just get on with our lives and move forward.

We could be getting a trophy presentation

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/11990643/premier-league-to-support-liverpool-trophy-presentation-if-safe-to-stage-one

Queue headline Liverpool celebrate despite 50000 deaths

I don't think for a second football will start again mid June ( all being well ) based on what the government are saying. How can it as a contact sport? First of all the government will have to take the 2 metres social distance off their logo in less than 4 weeks, that simply won't happen based on all the facts so far.

What statement will it be sending to the general public  if football starts again? They basically will be contradicting their own guide lines. The virus is now never going away even when we do get a vaccination cure sometime next year if all goes to plan.

It's just giving everyone false hope that football is on the return. I can see many players disagreeing for fear of passing virus on to family.  The test they have only confirms at that moment in time you don't have the virus/symtoms.

What's to say players won't touch something that's contaminated shortly afterwards as it's possible no matter what measures are taken to prevent it? Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it return just like 99% of fans will/should be.

I believe players get the results tomorrow of the test results but won't be made public.
Money does talk but I just can't see it happening sadly.

Typical from a Manc.

I don't think for a second football will start again mid June ( all being well ) based on what the government are saying. How can it as a contact sport? First of all the government will have to take the 2 metres social distance off their logo in less than 4 weeks, that simply won't happen based on all the facts so far.

What statement will it be sending to the general public  if football starts again? They basically will be contradicting their own guide lines. The virus is now never going away even when we do get a vaccination cure sometime next year if all goes to plan.

It's just giving everyone false hope that football is on the return. I can see many players disagreeing for fear of passing virus on to family.  The test they have only confirms at that moment in time you don't have the virus/symtoms.

What's to say players won't touch something that's contaminated shortly afterwards as it's possible no matter what measures are taken to prevent it? Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it return just like 99% of fans will/should be.

I believe players get the results tomorrow of the test results but won't be made public.
Money does talk but I just can't see it happening sadly.

Theyll be playing the whole of next season in the same circumstances. Might as well at least try and get back now because clubs will have to adapt their infrasstructure and their practices. That in unless you are advocating waiting years for herd immunity or an unlikely vaccine/wonder drug to be found impossibly fast before bringing back football?

Wont be many teams left by that point across the country.

Theyll be playing the whole of next season in the same circumstances. Might as well at least try and get back now because clubs will have to adapt their infrasstructure and their practices. That in unless you are advocating waiting years for herd immunity or an unlikely vaccine/wonder drug to be found impossibly fast before bringing back football?

Wont be many teams left by that point across the country.

Why do people think its so unlikely we get a vaccine, the Oxford one is very promising and apparently there is one in the US which is also producing antibodies to block the virus. I think its extremely likely that a vaccine is developed by autumn but even if it s not I think this Virus will burn itself out via herd immunity or other methods.

I don't think for a second football will start again mid June ( all being well ) based on what the government are saying. How can it as a contact sport? First of all the government will have to take the 2 metres social distance off their logo in less than 4 weeks, that simply won't happen based on all the facts so far.

What statement will it be sending to the general public  if football starts again? They basically will be contradicting their own guide lines. The virus is now never going away even when we do get a vaccination cure sometime next year if all goes to plan.

It's just giving everyone false hope that football is on the return. I can see many players disagreeing for fear of passing virus on to family.  The test they have only confirms at that moment in time you don't have the virus/symtoms.

What's to say players won't touch something that's contaminated shortly afterwards as it's possible no matter what measures are taken to prevent it? Don't get me wrong I'd love to see it return just like 99% of fans will/should be.

I believe players get the results tomorrow of the test results but won't be made public.
Money does talk but I just can't see it happening sadly.

I think the mood will depend on the death rate, German football has gone ahead because they seem to have this under control. They've still got social distancing measures in place for the wider public, obviously Bundesliga footballers can't adhere to those rules but they'll be getting tested several times a week at least to make up for that.

Our weekly death total is still several times higher than Germany but it's a fair whack lower than what it was a month or so ago. I think the litmus test will be in about 2 weeks when we begin to see the fallout from easing the lockdown & the recent bank holiday weekend. If the deaths & cases shoot right up again then the mood could be a lot more hostile to football returning, or if we appear to be continuing to level out, people should start to warm to the idea more than they previously did

Queue headline Liverpool celebrate despite 50000 deaths

Thought that myself!

Can already hear the "Offended by everything, ashamed of nothing!" Shouts