Coronavirus and football.

[Geoff Parkstone]

So far as I am aware there is no rule allowing partial voiding of games for a team that is unable to fulfill a fixture

[swaledale]

So far as I am aware there is no rule allowing partial voiding of games for a team that is unable to fulfill a fixture

Which means that the EFL will have to meet to agree a course of action and get clubs to vote on it. Not sure what majority is required but it could be 75% of the clubs need to agree.

[ramAnag]

[QUOTE=swaledale;39467170]Which means that the EFL will have to meet to agree a course of action and get clubs to vote on it.[QUOTE]

Again...exactly.

We can all agree that continuing the season normally is not going to happen and that April 30th is no longer relevant.

We can all agree that playing matches behind closed doors would be the next best thing but that may prove impossible.

We can all agree that Liverpool would have gone on to win the League and Bolton would have been relegated to L2.

Beyond that it becomes more complicated and the ‘losers’ are likely to be upset...but being upset with something and that something being unfair are two very different things.

So if we can’t play matches behind closed doors we have to have a solution to avoid next season being as much of a mess as this one.

Personally I favour a ‘virtual end’ over abandonment because the season is so near completion. I think the only precedents for a season being abandoned were the two World War seasons, but seeing as those two wars were declared in August and September respectively that doesn’t help.

If we have ‘virtual’ ends it isn’t perfect...nothing is in this situation...but it can be fair.

So if we take the current points tally and add on the average points per game total, what’s wrong with that?

It would need to be done taking account of home and away form because some clubs - little old us for instance - have very different home (2nd at 1.94 ppg) records and away (21st at 0.7 ppg) records.

Looking to where it really matters...i.e. the top...Leeds 3rd best home record and 2nd best away record v WBA best away record but only 8th best home record...this would almost certainly - I haven’t checked ‘cos even I am losing the will to live - give Leeds the title.

I’m not happy about that and I’m sure fans of WBA wouldn’t be either but that’s not the point...the point is...is it doable and is it fair? In my opinion...perfectly.
Of course fans of Norwich, West Ham, Barnsley, Bolton and the like will have their own agenda but we have to look beyond vested interest of which, for once, there is none at Derby, and arrive at a fair solution.

[MadAmster]

we have to look beyond vested interest of which, for once, there is none at Derby, and arrive at a fair solution.

Ah but. yeah but, no but.... we wuz jus' 'ittin' form n wudda won the last 9 so da's 27 points to add on. 78 in total, Playoffs innit? yer... right gangsta!

[Geoff Parkstone]

In the city of Liverpool its not just Liverpool that might be unhappy. South Liverpool, who are in about tier 7 (level 11) were storming away with their league and looking odds on for promotion. 8 points clear and then the league shut down, season over.

Why always us?

There is also a slight sting in the tail that softens the blow - their ground didn't meet the requirements of the next tier anyway. So they commissioned work to make it fit for purpose. But this work has been delayed by.... yup, you've guessed it, covid.

So actually cancelling the league didn't really matter after all

Oh how we laughed 😊😊

[ramAnag]

It's hugely ridiculous IMO. Less cases of Corona (the disease, not the pop/beer) than flu worldwide, less deaths (%-wise) worldwide. As of yesterday lunchtime 51 known instances of Corona in the UK, 12 of whom have already been declared to have fully recovered.

I am flying in tomorrow (Thursday) morning for the Cup tie and WILL be travelling. I have a clear conscience on that. No cases in my vicinity, none in the Shifnal area where I am staying. None in Derby. There wouldn't be this amount of fuss if it was a flu epidemic so why cos it's a flu like illness with a different name?

Not quoting this to show MA up...we all underestimated the problem...but these were the words of a sensible and intelligent poster just three and a half weeks ago.

Illustrates quite chillingly how things have changed in that time.

Listening to the latest CV briefing, things sound a little more encouraging tonight. I do really hope they improve as much in the next month as they have worsened since MA was preparing for his last trip to PP.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Not quoting this to show MA up...we all underestimated the problem...but these were the words of a sensible and intelligent poster just three and a half weeks ago.

I thought MA posted it !!

[swaledale]

I see the non league clubs are "spitting feathers" over the decision to declare those leagus null and void, apparently without much consultation with the clubs!

Can you imagine the uproar if that happens higher up the chain?

[Ram59]

I see the non league clubs are "spitting feathers" over the decision to declare those leagus null and void, apparently without much consultation with the clubs!

Can you imagine the uproar if that happens higher up the chain?

Yes, I saw this report also. Apparently 66 clubs have written to the league about it, which seems to be quite a number. But the report also states that 91 leagues are affected, so this averages at less than one club per league, if the complaints are widely spread.

Over 91 leagues I would imagine that there are quite a few teams who are confident of promotion and will feel aggrieved.

Interesting to note that premier league can't cancel their season without the permission of the EFL, obvious really.

[swaledale]

The Belgians have finished their league as it stands. Though the decision has to be ratified.