Blackmail

[WTF11]

Pitch preparation for one, each team can set the size of the pitch within allowed parameters, they keep the grass long to slow down passing teams, cut it short to help them if they are a passing team. Soak the pitch to make it heavy underfoot or the opposite, numerous ways to legally get advantages from your home ground.

The majority of clubs get their points from home matches...

Agreed, but, if its the same for both sides (i.e playing on neutral ground set up by those responsible for that ground), it might not be any teams preference, but it IS equitable

[LeedsFTW]

Agreed, but, if its the same for both sides (i.e playing on neutral ground set up by those responsible for that ground), it might not be any teams preference, but it IS equitable

I understand why people think playing neutral venues is the answer, but it really isn't a fair system. If you have a team that 17th place that has played at home against all the top 6 teams , maybe taken 1 or 2 points off them here or there, then you have a team in 18th that is still to play the to play at home against the top 6 teams but loses home advantage due to neutral venues, its not balanced.

I will repeat that if Leeds were 7th in the championship now, with several winnable home games, there is no way we would be settling for our matches to be played at neutral venues when we had a chance of getting into the playoffs.

[WTF11]

I understand why people think playing neutral venues is the answer, but it really isn't a fair system. If you have a team that 17th place that has played at home against all the top 6 teams , maybe taken 1 or 2 points off them here or there, then you have a team in 18th that is still to play the to play at home against the top 6 teams but loses home advantage due to neutral venues, its not balanced.

I will repeat that if Leeds were 7th in the championship now, with several winnable home games, there is no way we would be settling for our matches to be played at neutral venues when we had a chance of getting into the playoffs.

Maybe, maybe not, but if the choice was between voiding the season (as has been suggested on many occasions and in many quarters), and we were in 7th, and playing remaining games on neutral grounds, which would you go for?

What i'm getting at is that none of the options are "good" ones (if there was one, it would have been decided upon by now). Is a question of which is less bad.

For all divisions, if we are trying to find a way to finish this season before Christmas (or whenever an effective vaccine is available, which is a H£LL of a long piece of string!), the options appear to be;

1. Void season
2. Play ALL remaining games on neutral grounds and behind closed doors with no fans (including the playoffs, whoever ends up those positions)
3. Stop the season except for the playoff games (played at neutral grounds for both legs and final, again behind closed doors)
4. Stop the season as is, (either with positions "as is" or on points per game basis, (I know Leeds would get promoted Alf, you don't need to comment (but you probably will!))), auto promotion for top 3 in all but the PL, relegation of bottom three

None are good for all, some are good for some, that's how the croissant crumbles, no?

[LeedsFTW]

I agree with what you are saying in those circumstances, however the reality is that the clubs that are affected adversely by losing out in relegation will no doubt be really bitter and will make claims against the leagues.

Some of the clubs may have a reasonable expectation to avoid relegation if fixtures are played home & away compared to playing neutral venues, so asking them to gamble their business model on this fix, is not something I think they will ever accept.

So for me, everyone needs to sign up to it or another solution needs to be found. However throughout all the posts, I wouldn't consider any of the clubs to be blackmailing the league ( as per the topic) instead I think they are being diligent in trying to give their clubs the best chance of survival in the league.

Ideal solution, restart the league when safe to do so, push next season back to accommodate and maybe lose the mickey mouse/caraboa cup for a season to make room for a few more fixtures.