Coronavirus and football.

[MadAmster]

That would seem to be a solution though there are worries that fans will turn up outside grounds where games are being played as happened with PSG.

That may well happen Swale but I think most Rams fans would rather watch the game on a TV than stand outside being blissfully unaware of what is happening inside the stadium. However, I am sure that a few will go to PP......

[Geoff Parkstone]

That may well happen Swale but I think most Rams fans would rather watch the game on a TV than stand outside being blissfully unaware of what is happening inside the stadium. However, I am sure that a few will go to PP......

They will need draft lager for the real match experience.

What would be interesting is if they beam back the game to fan parks elsewhere in the area.

(Thats a joke btw)

[macstheman]

I am sure they will, let's face it many are acting like locusts in supermarkets!!

[ramAnag]

I see there’s going to be a ‘CGI Grand National’ next week.

Given how dependent this will be on performance based information gathering it’s surely not beyond the wit and wisdom of the authorities to use the types of information/algorithms that can be gathered from the season so far to resolve this football season.

For clubs like Liverpool and, at the other end of the spectrum, South Shields, the abandonment of this season would be grossly unfair.
There are other near certainties - Bolton and Stevenage being relegated for example. For the rest...Euro qualification...much more closely contested promotion, relegation and top six matters it may be less satisfactory but if cricket and now horse racing can use technology in this way then surely so can football.

Better than writing off all the games played so far imo...although I doubt Ms. Brady will agree.

[Ram59]

I see there’s going to be a ‘CGI Grand National’ next week.

Given how dependent this will be on performance based information gathering it’s surely not beyond the wit and wisdom of the authorities to use the types of information/algorithms that can be gathered from the season so far to resolve this football season.

For clubs like Liverpool and, at the other end of the spectrum, South Shields, the abandonment of this season would be grossly unfair.
There are other near certainties - Bolton and Stevenage being relegated for example. For the rest...Euro qualification...much more closely contested promotion, relegation and top six matters it may be less satisfactory but if cricket and now horse racing can use technology in this way then surely so can football.

Better than writing off all the games played so far imo...although I doubt Ms. Brady will agree.

The trouble is RA, no solution is 'fair'. As in investing money, past performance isn't a guarantee of future returns and other clubs who suffer as a result, will take the league to court.

The only existing rule that I can see that can't be argued against is that, any club who doesn't fulfill their fixtures, have their results nullified. If no teams fulfill their fixtures, then all previous results will be nullified.

[ramAnag]

The trouble is RA, no solution is 'fair'. As in investing money, past performance isn't a guarantee of future returns and other clubs who suffer as a result, will take the league to court.

The only existing rule that I can see that can't be argued against is that, any club who doesn't fulfill their fixtures, have their results nullified. If no teams fulfill their fixtures, then all previous results will be nullified.

Life isn’t fair though Ram.

It didn’t feel ‘fair’ when we lost at Wembley six years ago but sh*t happens and you have to get on with it

Personally I can’t see the point of abandoning a season which is 75% complete any more than I can see the point of abandoning a one day cricket match or - I think - a motor race once they have gone past a certain point.

I still think adding on the average points per game - taking into account remaining home and away fixtures/records - to the current totals would be the fairest way, but doubtless some would seek to complicate things further. As ever there will be winners and losers and the losers will not be happy but then, in the real as opposed to the virtual world, they wouldn’t be happy with disallowed goals, missed open goals, incorrect sendings off or crucial injuries and suspensions either.

[swaledale]

Life isn’t fair though Ram.

It didn’t feel ‘fair’ when we lost at Wembley six years ago but sh*t happens and you have to get on with it

Personally I can’t see the point of abandoning a season which is 75% complete any more than I can see the point of abandoning a one day cricket match or - I think - a motor race once they have gone past a certain point.

I still think adding on the average points per game - taking into account remaining home and away fixtures/records - to the current totals would be the fairest way, but doubtless some would seek to complicate things further. As ever there will be winners and losers and the losers will not be happy but then, in the real as opposed to the virtual world, they wouldn’t be happy with disallowed goals, missed open goals, incorrect sendings off or crucial injuries and suspensions either.

Realistically they wiill have to finish the season in order to be as fair as possible. That might require some rejigging next season but thats not impossible.

Whilst the world is not fair, that does not mean we should not strive to be!

[ramAnag]

Whilst the world is not fair, that does not mean we should not strive to be!

Totally agree...so the question is...what is the fairest way to conclude this season and that can’t really be by writing it off when there’s so little left, can it?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Life isn’t fair though Ram.

It didn’t feel ‘fair’ when we lost at Wembley six years ago but sh*t happens and you have to get on with it

Personally I can’t see the point of abandoning a season which is 75% complete any more than I can see the point of abandoning a one day cricket match or - I think - a motor race once they have gone past a certain point.

I still think adding on the average points per game - taking into account remaining home and away fixtures/records - to the current totals would be the fairest way, but doubtless some would seek to complicate things further. As ever there will be winners and losers and the losers will not be happy but then, in the real as opposed to the virtual world, they wouldn’t be happy with disallowed goals, missed open goals, incorrect sendings off or crucial injuries and suspensions either.

As you know, my view is in favour of abandoning the season. Your solution is simplistic in the extreme and takes no account of relative strength of schedule. I guess its possible to factor this in too, but the more assumptions and "virtual results" that you factor in, the more it is open to criticism and legal challenge.

Abandoning the season creates far less losers. Liverpool, those in the automatic promotion places in the other three leagues + national League and maybe to a lesser extent those currently in the playoff positions. Maybe a dozen teams might have a grouse as opposed to perhaps 100 who are happy or neutral. Creating a hypothetical end to the season would leave nobody really happy.

The person of ill defined skintone in the woodpile is of course qualification for Europe. If indeed there are European competitions next year. It might be easier to, in effect, run the 19-20 European competitions again in 20-21 inviting the clubs that took place in 19-20 to go again. Unfortunate for a team like Leicester, lucky for a team like Spurs. Manchester City would have to be replaced.......

But this way Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester United, Leeds and Forest are losers, not that this is in any way influencing my thoughts.

[ramAnag]

As you know, my view is in favour of abandoning the season. Your solution is simplistic in the extreme and takes no account of relative strength of schedule. I guess its possible to factor this in too, but the more assumptions and "virtual results" that you factor in, the more it is open to criticism and legal challenge.

Abandoning the season creates far less losers. Liverpool, those in the automatic promotion places in the other three leagues + national League and maybe to a lesser extent those currently in the playoff positions. Maybe a dozen teams might have a grouse as opposed to perhaps 100 who are happy or neutral. Creating a hypothetical end to the season would leave nobody really happy.

The person of ill defined skintone in the woodpile is of course qualification for Europe. If indeed there are European competitions next year. It might be easier to, in effect, run the 19-20 European competitions again in 20-21 inviting the clubs that took place in 19-20 to go again. Unfortunate for a team like Leicester, lucky for a team like Spurs. Manchester City would have to be replaced.......

But this way Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester United, Leeds and Forest are losers, not that this is in any way influencing my thoughts.

Hang on, GP...nothing, but nothing is more ‘simplistic’ than just saying ‘abandon the season’.

Relative ‘strength of schedule’ counts for little either. Who could have predicted that just a month ago Watford would, not just beat, but completely outplay a previously unbeaten Liverpool or, in our own league, that lowly Wigan would beat Leeds?

It may be ‘simplistic’ and you may want to factor in such features as injury lists, potential suspensions, fair play bonus etc but imo that becomes too complex.

Ultimate it is about what is fairest and what could be fairer than basing the remaining home and away fixtures on the average home and away form on display through the first three quarters of this season?