Enjoying or hating the no football era?

[The Royal Forester]

When we do get around to a restart here is my suggestion.
Finish this seasons fixtures, followed by playoffs (or just promote the top 3/4 teams).
Relegation as usual.
Four week break before starting 2020/21 season to the following format.
Premier league 38 games as usual (no European matches)*
Each EFL division split north/south.
Top teams in each region of each division promoted.
Play off between north/south 2nd and third placed teams.
FA Cup played in usual format.
As clubs will have fewer games to generate revenue, at the end of the season all teams below play off positions to play the corresponding team, home and away, in the other region to determine their final position of an amalgamated division of each tier.
League Cup, To be decided.
*If clubs complain about lack of European games, then split the league as EFL.

[tmesis]

When we do get around to a restart here is my suggestion.
Finish this seasons fixtures, followed by playoffs (or just promote the top 3/4 teams).
Relegation as usual.
Four week break before starting 2020/21 season to the following format.
Premier league 38 games as usual (no European matches)*
Each EFL division split north/south.
Top teams in each region of each division promoted.
Play off between north/south 2nd and third placed teams.
FA Cup played in usual format.
As clubs will have fewer games to generate revenue, at the end of the season all teams below play off positions to play the corresponding team, home and away, in the other region to determine their final position of an amalgamated division of each tier.
League Cup, To be decided.
*If clubs complain about lack of European games, then split the league as EFL.

I suggested something similar on the general football page

Other than the contract issue, it seems incredibly rash to end the season now without it being clear if football will be able to restart in August. If it doesn't restart until the end of September or October, the fixture congestion for the 20/21 season will be a nightmare.

I just went for the split divisions in half idea though, not the extended play-offs. It would be 18 games for premier league clubs and 22 for EFL clubs, with play-offs to decide the final places, but just between a few clubs, like now.

The 19/20 season would be played in the Autumn, and the shorter 20/21 season could start around Christmas/New Year.

I don't think the FA Cup is doable without restarting in August.

[The Royal Forester]

When we do get around to a restart here is my suggestion.
Finish this seasons fixtures, followed by playoffs (or just promote the top 3/4 teams).
Relegation as usual.
Four week break before starting 2020/21 season to the following format.
Premier league 38 games as usual (no European matches)*
Each EFL division split north/south.
Top teams in each region of each division promoted.
Play off between north/south 2nd and third placed teams.
FA Cup played in usual format.
As clubs will have fewer games to generate revenue, at the end of the season all teams below play off positions to play the corresponding team, home and away, in the other region to determine their final position of an amalgamated division of each tier.
League Cup, To be decided.
*If clubs complain about lack of European games, then split the league as EFL.

I suggested something similar on the general football page

Other than the contract issue, it seems incredibly rash to end the season now without it being clear if football will be able to restart in August. If it doesn't restart until the end of September or October, the fixture congestion for the 20/21 season will be a nightmare.

I just went for the split divisions in half idea though, not the extended play-offs. It would be 18 games for premier league clubs and 22 for EFL clubs, with play-offs to decide the final places, but just between a few clubs, like now.

The 19/20 season would be played in the Autumn, and the shorter 20/21 season could start around Christmas/New Year.

I don't think the FA Cup is doable without restarting in August.

The non league teams could start the FA cup in August as they do already. EFL teams could come in at the start of the 2020/21 season around Christmas/ New Year, only a couple of months later than normal. I am not a fan of FA Cup games in mid-week or them being decided on one game with no replays, but I would make an exception for this one season, to give an extra game or two (with gate receipts split 50/50, none going to the FA) to make up a little bit of revenue that would be lost by fewer League games.

[Sutekh]

When we do get around to a restart here is my suggestion.
Finish this seasons fixtures, followed by playoffs (or just promote the top 3/4 teams).
Relegation as usual.
Four week break before starting 2020/21 season to the following format.
Premier league 38 games as usual (no European matches)*
Each EFL division split north/south.
Top teams in each region of each division promoted.
Play off between north/south 2nd and third placed teams.
FA Cup played in usual format.
As clubs will have fewer games to generate revenue, at the end of the season all teams below play off positions to play the corresponding team, home and away, in the other region to determine their final position of an amalgamated division of each tier.
League Cup, To be decided.
*If clubs complain about lack of European games, then split the league as EFL.

I suggested something similar on the general football page

Other than the contract issue, it seems incredibly rash to end the season now without it being clear if football will be able to restart in August. If it doesn't restart until the end of September or October, the fixture congestion for the 20/21 season will be a nightmare.

I just went for the split divisions in half idea though, not the extended play-offs. It would be 18 games for premier league clubs and 22 for EFL clubs, with play-offs to decide the final places, but just between a few clubs, like now.

The 19/20 season would be played in the Autumn, and the shorter 20/21 season could start around Christmas/New Year.

I don't think the FA Cup is doable without restarting in August.

I don’t think the FA/FL/PL can leave it much longer. If the government don’t relax some of the lockdown when they next review (isn’t an announcement/update expected on Thursday?) then I would imagine it makes it very likely the season will be ended possibly along the lines mooted earlier.

If sport is allowed back out to play on Thursday (albeit behind closed doors) then the LEAGUE season will presumably be finished as quickly as possible starting in June. I wouldn’t be surprised if the FA Cup and all playoffs were scrapped and the additional promotion places given based on the highest league position.

We can only continue to randomly speculate.

PS - wonder what they’ll do with the European competitions given the different stages of lockdown in different countries. I wonder if they’ll scrap them or hold them over to next season and not have competitions for next season. Or would they try and shoehorn both this and next season’s competitions into the same season?

[tmesis]

Possibly, yes. I just think the really awkward problem comes if they can't restart the season until well into Autumn. Players and managers might not feel comfortable playing a contact sport (obviously they'll have no problem picking up their full salary during that period), even if there are no fans there.

I recall Alan Devonshire being particularly scathing of the national league for playing on when other leagues had been cancelled.


Only playing 8-10 games rather than around 20 in the latter half of the year allows more leeway regarding fixture scheduling.

The idea of playing games behind closed doors at a neutral venue could be farcical. How much effort are teams with nothing to play for going to put in?

[Forbury Lion]

This season has to finish, even if it's behind closed doors.

Next season - If it's behind closed doors and they want to reduce games, have both teams play each other just once. That will half the number of games.

Neutral venues may be required. Maybe they pick the Championship ground that is around 50/50 distance between the two clubs playing?

The transfer windows may need changing, then a player out of contract can either choose to sit it out on no salary or accept a short term contract at their existing club until the end of the season.

Going forward, I can see new player contracts being until the end of the xxxx season rather than a specific date.

[One87One]

Still not missing it, but with August a million miles away, I'm sure it'll kick in soon. Worse still if we don't get to watch any live games next season. I don't think it'll come to that though. We'll see at least half of next season. I'm expecting some level of social distancing to continue until the year's out.

[tmesis]

Neutral venues may be required. Maybe they pick the Championship ground that is around 50/50 distance between the two clubs playing?

What am I missing here? Why will neutral venues be required? And why does this seem to only apply to the premier league?

[SCIAG]

Neutral venues may be required. Maybe they pick the Championship ground that is around 50/50 distance between the two clubs playing?

What am I missing here? Why will neutral venues be required? And why does this seem to only apply to the premier league?

I think the logic is that by concentrating games at a small number of neutral venues, they can be played more quickly, and without the concerns that might come with some grounds. If it isn’t safe to play at Turf Moor or somewhere then that could hold up the competition.

You see it taken to extremes by American sports proposing to play all games at a single venue in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. They can keep the players isolated in one or two hotels.

The issue if they decide to play all the games at Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford then the home team would have an advantage. But if they had those two plus Villa Park plus the Olympic Stadium, then they can play all matches at neutral grounds.

I’m not sure I entirely understand it myself as I don’t think the version I have set out makes sense. But the basic logic is that it is easier to open up a few grounds than all of them.

[tmesis]

Neutral venues may be required. Maybe they pick the Championship ground that is around 50/50 distance between the two clubs playing?

What am I missing here? Why will neutral venues be required? And why does this seem to only apply to the premier league?

I think the logic is that by concentrating games at a small number of neutral venues, they can be played more quickly, and without the concerns that might come with some grounds. If it isn’t safe to play at Turf Moor or somewhere then that could hold up the competition.

I just don't see why any one ground would be more safe than another, and other than travelling time, I don't see how games could be played more quickly.

[Nameless]

Some grounds are slap,bang in the centre of cities. If there was a game at st James’s or Liverpool we’re playing the title clincher you would have no chance of stopping crowds gathering.
Some grounds have integral hotels meaning team could travel and stay on site, or match officials could be housed on site and do every game at that location.
You could,easily play multiple games on one day at a neutral venue, much like Rugby league do once a year where an entire league programme is played at one big venue over a single weekend. This might not get fixtures played quicker but it would require a much smaller number of people to be involved than using separate grounds for each game. It would also be cheaper.

[Franchise FC]

What am I missing here? Why will neutral venues be required? And why does this seem to only apply to the premier league?

I think the logic is that by concentrating games at a small number of neutral venues, they can be played more quickly, and without the concerns that might come with some grounds. If it isn’t safe to play at Turf Moor or somewhere then that could hold up the competition.

I just don't see why any one ground would be more safe than another, and other than travelling time, I don't see how games could be played more quickly.

If only one venue is used it can be sanitised. If multiple venues are used all of them will need to be sanitised.
Just a thought.
And to ensure no-one gets an unfair home advantage, play the lot at Wembley, perhaps.

[Forbury Lion]

Neutral venues may be required. Maybe they pick the Championship ground that is around 50/50 distance between the two clubs playing?

What am I missing here? Why will neutral venues be required? And why does this seem to only apply to the premier league?

Other than the replied posted above, my suggestion was as a consequence of teams playing each other once instead of twice in a season. Therefore to avoid one team having a home advantage there is an argument for neutral venues, particularly as there would be no fans present.
If the pitches can cope with it, you can even play more than one game a day at the same venue