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Michael Lynch
1 Posted 14/03/2020 at 17:00:50
Very interesting and well thought-out piece. Precedent is of course the war years but money wasn't such an issue then. However, the basics remain the same – football will start when it's ready to start and may well be interrupted again when a second peak of illness hits.

This season will be abandoned. Liverpool will call themselves champions and may well even er have that endorsed by the Premier League... but, when we do resume top-flight games, I'd be surprised if we don't go to the pre 2019-20 season status with everyone in the same leagues as now.

Terry Davies
2 Posted 14/03/2020 at 17:35:42
Really good and well thought-out assessment. Very well presented and informative. The problem is, nobody knows what the powers that be will decide and, to be honest, I have not a lot of confidence they will arrive at the best solution, or even one that works!
Peter Neilson
3 Posted 14/03/2020 at 17:51:00
I agree, the season is now over. With forecast virus peaks in May or June, how and when would it be played out?

This is only the beginning and there's no putting the genie of hysteria back in the bottle. Authorities feeling they need to be seen doing something will exacerbate the situation.

Mike Owen
4 Posted 14/03/2020 at 17:56:29
Excellent article, Paul.

The only way I can see this season being completed is if all games are played on Subbuteo pitches. I bet Carlo would be flicking fantastico!

Andrew Dempsey
5 Posted 14/03/2020 at 18:31:52
If this season is declared ‘null and void’ as Karen Brady wants, does that mean Marco Silva returns as our manager at the start of the next one?
John Raftery
6 Posted 14/03/2020 at 18:57:49
Probably not the time to be quoting Chinese proverbs but we are certainly living in interesting times. Setting aside Financial Fair Play seems inevitable. With that must come a question about the current transfer window arrangements. Will they be abandoned? If some clubs become desperate for revenue to ease cash flow issues, immediate player sales are one way of achieving that.

But that assumes there are other clubs with access to funds required to make purchases, ie, clubs with cash reserves (are there any of those?) or wealthy benefactors able to throw money in without the present constraints of FFP. The problem there, of course, is that most of the wealthy benefactors have seen a sharp decline in their wealth in the past week.

While their losses will be recovered in due course, many will adopt a risk-averse approach to their football investments. A few may see the situation as an opportunity to take advantage of low prices in a period of light-touch regulatory policies. Which approach will Messrs Moshiri and Usmanov take?

Jerome Shields
7 Posted 14/03/2020 at 20:44:01
What just occurred to me is that all European Football Associations have an input into the decision-making process, so an infinite cancelling of matches and competitions could be = likely. It is only when the situation is clearer that a decision can be taken.

So it is not entirely up to the Premier League to take a decision in isolation. Governments of individual countries will have a input as well. In my opinion, this could run for a while.

Ray Smith
9 Posted 14/03/2020 at 22:24:04
It's not just UK cancelling matches, it's Europe wide.

Therefore, the Champions League and Europa League are suspended for a year. Preliminary European qualifiers start in early July.

Cancel/freeze everything. Tough on Leeds, West Brom and other divisions. A benefit to those currently struggling and fighting relegation; however, what is more important? Health or football?

Brian Wilkinson
10 Posted 14/03/2020 at 22:31:36
Paul, you mention putting it back and then the new season starting in October.

Well, what if they put the Euros back to 2021, as it seems likely now, the Premier League would finish later and cross with the rearranged Euros next season..

I cannot see players going straight into the Euros without a break.

Brian Wilkinson
11 Posted 14/03/2020 at 22:33:50
Ignore above, Paul. I just re-read your post that mentions this.
Patrick McFarlane
12 Posted 14/03/2020 at 22:42:42
By the time football starts up again, how many fans will have become unemployed through no fault of their own?

Pandemics usually cause social disruption and can change the way we live our lives and what we value; therefore, football as a business may have to work a lot harder in order to attract the money that they currently take for granted.

In the future, they may have to give more consideration to us, the supporters, when they decide to make top-down decisions.

Paul [The Esk]
13 Posted 14/03/2020 at 22:43:14
No problem, Brian!
Mike Gaynes
14 Posted 14/03/2020 at 23:04:35
Patrick #12, you're right, this is disrupting the entire fabric of society, first in China and now in Italy. The changes will be profound and touch lives in ways we can't even comprehend yet.
Dave Brierley
15 Posted 14/03/2020 at 23:49:31
Afraid you're right, Mike #14.
This is going to get very rough by all accounts. As Carlo has said, football is very secondary to what's currently going on.
All of you guys do the best you can to stay safe and protect yourselves and your families.
David Chait
16 Posted 15/03/2020 at 06:00:59
Closing out this season for me is priority in terms of scenarios. This means testing all players, bubble wrapping them when 100% assured to be healthy, reorganizing the remaining games to play like it’s a December festive period... 2 to 3 games a week behind closed doors.

It just needs to be wrapped up.

Bob Parrington
17 Posted 15/03/2020 at 07:07:04
Hey Paul,

Good job, well written. Timely timing. Really difficult to assess when we might be back to safe practises.

However, in these days of gloom and doom, I'd like to mention a front-page article in this week's Weekend Australian newspaper entitled:

"Corona code cracked, now to cure."

I'll just give the drift of it because, although this is generally good news, the whole article is too long to write here. It starts:

Day by day, they're edging closer to a vaccine for COVID-19 but there can be no cutting corners, no half measures when millions of lives are at stake. In a very real sense, these 3 Brisbane scientists have the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Keith Chappell came up with the idea to hijack the virus's own fearsome infectious properties with revolutionary "molecular clamp" technology, and, since January he has worked around the clock with colleagues Paul Young and Trent Munro to put it into a jab to inoculate the population.

After experiments with 250 different formulations, they have settled on a candidate vaccine, this is being tested on laboratory mice at the University of Queensland as a prelude to human trials by mid-year.

"In terms of getting a vaccine that we think will work, we think we are already there," said Dr Chappell, 38.

"But getting a vaccine that's available for 7 billion people on the planet means we have to move to scale and that's a very different proposition.

Without going in to too much detail, the article goes on that discussions with the USA Therapeutic Good Administration and the European equivalent to fast track are taking place. They hope to have the vaccine available by the end of the year. So, as you mentioned, timely timing.

I hope this helps some readers to be at least a little more positive.

Eddie Dunn
18 Posted 15/03/2020 at 08:21:45
I once said on here that the current football hierarchy would only be displaced by a seismic event, a world war, a monetary meltdown or a natural disaster. It seems we have two of those things.

Football, with its top-heavy wages and unsustainable format, is going to change very rapidly. The never-ending stream of TV money is no longer going to fund its excesses. Many clubs will go under.

We will possibly be left with 2 professional divisions and the rest will go semi-pro. The crazy wages will be severely cut as the lifeblood of sponsorships and TV rights is reduced.

As in the rest of society, it will take years for it to get back to where it was, but I suspect that football will never be the same.

Denis Richardson
19 Posted 15/03/2020 at 08:51:16
Eddie 18 - thats quite an extreme scenario.

By all accounts, there is one positive with CV19, which is the speed of infection. This thing is not going to be around for years given it will go through the population very quickly. There will be casualties but the vast majority of people who have it/will get it will have very minor symptoms (apparently 1 in 5 will have no symptoms at all). So I'm not sure the extreme scenario you're painting will come about. (I do however agree the money is insane at the top of the tree.)

I can see the worst being over in 2-3 months and then its a question of reorganising and trying to get back to normal. Many clubs will experience short term cash flow problems so main issue for me is how to support these clubs in the next 2-3 months as I cannot see how you finish this season.

Personally, I think the season should be scrapped and we plan for next year. Or at least make that decision in April when it will be clear no games can happen in the foreseeable future.

Btw - I'm currently holed up at home with this thing - like having mild flu. I feel for the older population who are at greater risk.

Paul [The Esk]
20 Posted 15/03/2020 at 14:26:00
Get well soon Dennis!
Martin Nicholls
21 Posted 15/03/2020 at 14:59:18
Dennis#19 - hope you recover quickly.
Have you actually tested positive or are you assuming you're infected? Do you live locally or in one of the more severely affected countries?
Rick Tarleton
22 Posted 15/03/2020 at 16:15:24
John McFarlane,you are a breath of sanity. You're absolutely right : many, many people will lose their jobs, especially those working in retail, hospitality and simply in companies where the knock-on is beyond their cash flow. Whether Liverpool are awarded a title or Leeds get promoted pales into insignificance.
Let's hope for sanity. We had to cancel a family party for our Golden Wedding yesterday as one of my sons works in an office where there's been a confirmed case.
Mike Gaynes
23 Posted 15/03/2020 at 16:32:45
Denis #19, sorry to hear that -- best wishes for a quick and uneventful recovery.

Where are you? How were you diagnosed?

Eddie Dunn
24 Posted 15/03/2020 at 17:02:22
Denis, sorry to hear that you are unwell, get well soon mate.

Kevin Latham
25 Posted 15/03/2020 at 17:02:44
Dennis, hope all is well soon and you’re fighting fit again. Like many have said more eloquently that I could we really are straying into the unknown with this thing - like Schneiderlin straying into the opponent’s half. Sorry, couldn’t resist there, but I think our humour will play a big part in our ability to cope over the coming weeks/months, and ToffeeWeb has it by the bucketful to keep us going. Best wishes to Dennis, and to all our Blue family
Phil Bellis
26 Posted 15/03/2020 at 17:10:47
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Dennis
One of the symptoms wouldn't be a nose "running like a glassblower's arse" would it ?
(never got that particular Scousism !) 💙
John Pierce
27 Posted 15/03/2020 at 17:38:58
It feels like this is a little too narrowly focused. Football and the resources used to support it shouldn’t be seen in isolation.

The football calendar includes the Women’s euros in 2021, to be held in the UK. There is also a potential Olympic competition in the fall, (has the copa America been cancelled yet) taking players away from our leagues, butt this up against a winter World Cup, the next truly free date is summer 2022.

Throw in the fact other activities used football stadia in the summer, grounds need to be revamped and pitches reseed etc. you are just ploughing through, not understanding that summer activities will be hit if you play the remaining games in this period. Cricket, Rugby league and all manner of things need just as much support, if not more.

Playing games in this period will have a huge knock on effect, could a country cricket game compete with a premier league game? It would do more harm than good.

It’s being pointed out a that we supply entrants to European competition, so it you are to keep that intact then all of Europe should make the same call.

That call should be to void the season. At least starting again has lesser knock on effect than trying to shoe horn everything in without understanding the consequences it has to the wider sporting world and beyond.

Brent Stephens
28 Posted 15/03/2020 at 18:16:24
Best wishes to you, Denis.
Bob Parrington
29 Posted 15/03/2020 at 23:55:21
Hope you recover quickly Dennis!
Denis Richardson
30 Posted 16/03/2020 at 09:49:43
Thanks for all the wishes of support. Live in London and as the UK government doesn't have the capacity to test people with symptoms, they've stopped testing. I called the NHS line and only people with severe symptoms and already in hospital are now being tested. (I.e. ignore the 'official' number of cases for the UK - it's total nonsense given they've stopped testing.)

As such, I can't say 100% we have it (wife and one of the kids also under the weather) but we all have coughs, fevers and the usual breathing symptoms being described and recently came back from northern Italy. So, we either have it or have something with the exact same symptoms. Either way, having come back from Italy we have to self isolate for 14 days as it is. We're down but not out but thanks again for the messages.

Hope everyone on TW is fine healthwise wise.

James Peter
31 Posted 16/03/2020 at 09:53:31
Phil - 26

Used the online urban dictionary [QUOTED].

"glassblower's arse

From the Liverpool argot 'Scouse' - a runny nose, a pun on diarrhoea. Probably a skit at the glassblower's trade which would involve some straining, a hazardous practice for someone suffering any looseness of the bowels. (There is a traditional glass industry at St. Helen's, on the Mersey estuary east and inland of Liverpool.)

My nose is running like a glassblower's arse!"

Phil Bellis
32 Posted 16/03/2020 at 10:42:49
Cheers James

You painted a mental picture for me, there!

One of my favourite Scousisms is/was "don't hit him - it's Christmas"

Tony Everan
33 Posted 16/03/2020 at 11:29:13
SKY and BT must be going into meltdown, phone lines jammed with football and sport fans cancelling their subscriptions. There will be no subscribers left in a few months time. SKY and BT will come under massive financial pressure possibly resulting in defaulted payments to the EPL.
Tony Everan
34 Posted 16/03/2020 at 11:32:06
Best wishes Denis to you and your family on a full recovery for you all.
Lynn Maher
35 Posted 16/03/2020 at 12:24:05
Really good article Paul. I think this time last week I was still wondering about the derby going ahead!
How quickly things change.
I arrived home from a holiday in Portugal last Monday. My daughter flew in from America on Tuesday,
as my son was getting married on Saturday.
On Wednesday we had a flood, completely covering downstairs! Thursday was spent clearing up after flood.
Friday my son's honeymoon was cancelled due to Corana Virus restrictions. They had been going to Jamaica. Sunday was spent trying to get my daughter on an earlier flight back to USA. Which she is now safely on.
Saturday however was a brilliant day. 😀
Lynn Maher
36 Posted 16/03/2020 at 12:27:47
Ps.I really don't think I could have coped with the derby as well!
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

37 Posted 16/03/2020 at 12:38:22
Deary Lord, Lynn!

That's a week to hell and back!

Please don't tell me the dog died as well! That would put it over the top.

You must be looking forward to normal and boring!

Good luck!

Lynn Maher
38 Posted 16/03/2020 at 12:43:42
Thanks Jay. No dog you will be glad to know!
And yes, normal and boring sound good to me.
Michael Lynch
39 Posted 16/03/2020 at 13:09:55
Talk now of a European "mini tournament" to complete CL and Europa competitions. On the one hand, wouldn't it be great if things were normalised enough to do that in the near future? On the other hand, it's very hard to imagine the Spanish, Italian or French clubs being in any position to play games for the forseeable future, let alone our own clubs as we are a couple of weeks behind the other nations in the virus stakes.

James Peter
40 Posted 16/03/2020 at 15:59:57
No problem Phil, I can't take any credit for the literature used although I do appreciate the imagination in the Scouse sense of humour.

Lynn Maher, if we could bottle your attitude and outlook, we'd have Everton at the top of the League in no time. I hope things start to recover as soon as possible for you.

Ray Roche
41 Posted 16/03/2020 at 16:17:28
James,
“Running like a sailors knob “ always makes me laugh.
James Peter
42 Posted 16/03/2020 at 16:43:51
Ray, too funny. My Scottish mate, who always has a quip ready to roll off his tongue will love that one!
Lynn Maher
43 Posted 16/03/2020 at 17:19:12
Thank you James.
There are so many good people on this site.
Paul [The Esk]
44 Posted 16/03/2020 at 21:38:45
Wow, Lynn! Take care!
Dick Fearon
45 Posted 16/03/2020 at 21:48:12
We could bring back the Pools panel but with live action animation. Two teams of pundits on a huge video pitch competing to a recorded roar of the crowd.
Nah' forget it,
All the pundits are Red noses and they'd win every game by 50 or more goals.
Patrick McFarlane
46 Posted 16/03/2020 at 22:31:07
Incredibly it's being reported that UEFA want €275m from the clubs and associations to pay for delaying Euro 2020 - so in touch with the real world aren't they?

I can see the major clubs breaking away sooner rather than later and this current health crisis will provide them with a perfect opportunity.

Mike Doyle
47 Posted 16/03/2020 at 23:09:45
At present the PL is scheduled to restart on the same weekend that the Grand National has just been cancelled.
The London Marathon has also been moved from early April to Early October.
God knows when we might see the next PL game - and even if God had a date VAR would probably over-rule it.

... and The way things are looking I’m not optimistic about the summer series of Love Island happening ( Note for Mike Gaynes - Love Island is like the Grafton, but with younger/more attractive ladies, though Rob Halligan May contradict this assertion).

Patrick McFarlane
48 Posted 16/03/2020 at 23:15:06
Mike#47 so Love Island is nothing like the Grafton then!
This season might be lucky to restart this time next year, depending how this virus reacts in the southern hemisphere in their winter.
Mike Gaynes
49 Posted 16/03/2020 at 23:37:38
Mike #47, thanks for the laugh!
Eddie Dunn
50 Posted 16/03/2020 at 23:52:51
Lynn @35...blimey! we had a flood courtesy of storm dennis, 16 inches of water through the house and studio...so much mess! This summer my Father-in-law was to have a big 90th birthday, people coming from as far as Oz. That's off! Our son is due to marry in August. Hope things are better by then.

I am 60 in sept,- wasn't planning much due to the other events, but it just shows that you can't look too far ahead. Crazy times!

Dick Fearon
51 Posted 17/03/2020 at 01:34:14
In the days of old time Rock and Roll the Locarno was the place to be and the Judies were very pretty.
Tony Everan
52 Posted 17/03/2020 at 11:35:46

Even a Coronavirus would think twice about going into the Grafton unless it had drunk 6 pints. There's things in the Grafton carpet that could cause it serious damage.

Robert Tressell
53 Posted 17/03/2020 at 11:46:18
Bless you Lynn 35 and anyone else in a fix. Sadly the reason we're all here is that football (and the social / banter / vain hope) is a good distraction for everyday troubles. Without the footie (or anything else much) there's not a right lot to take our minds off things. Wishing everyone the best and a healthy dose of Lynn's impressive positivity.
Michael Barrett
55 Posted 17/03/2020 at 14:04:28
Tony... what was the name of the small separate club/dancefloor part upstairs, around the time of our last fa cup final win... It was superb a good gang of us yoused to go upstairs every week, it was different music up there... wish I was still that bloody age now.
John G Davies
56 Posted 17/03/2020 at 14:34:00
Upstairs was Sodom downstairs was Gomorrah, Mike.
Jack Convery
57 Posted 18/03/2020 at 11:45:39
Dennis and family get well soon. As Carlo said Football counts for nothing now. Stay safe all you TWers.
Ray Roche
58 Posted 18/03/2020 at 12:30:39
Anyone going the Grafton who’d got injured playing football that afternoon got the warning,
“Don’t let them (the women) see you limping. They go for the lame ones first”

Happy days.

Brent Stephens
59 Posted 18/03/2020 at 12:37:41
Ray, apologies, I misspelt your surname in the crossword!
Ray Roche
60 Posted 18/03/2020 at 13:11:47
Brent, I’ll see what the answer to the clue is before I decide whether or not to be offended! 😳
Seb Niemand
61 Posted 18/03/2020 at 21:00:41
Unchartered territory". That's a clever pun!,"Unchartered territory". That's a clever pun!,,,0,20:52:30,,193.148.16.203,monitored,7642,03/18/2020 20:52:30,beijomacio,monitoring,,,no 1062960,39350,toffeeweb,18/03/2020,Ian Pilkington ,ianannpilk@btinternet.com,"Phil @44, thank you for the very useful link regarding Coronavirus statistics.

I agree with the majority on here that this season will have to be terminated and (hopefully) started afresh in mid-August.

Unlike 1939, when just 3 matches had been played and the season was immediately declared null and void, results of matches played, appearances and other stats could be included in records and Manchester City's Carabao Cup win would remain the only trophy awarded.


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