Coronavirus could prevent Liverpool from winning the Premier League title

[Ronnie Whelan]

33 minutes ago, Stickman said:

Twitter has gone into a bit of a meltdown over this Belgium FA decision which is a bit baffling as I’d have thought they’d have wanted the PL to do similar as think of the lives it would save and that seemed to be the main concern with ending the league .

I’m sure Rio will push for this to happen over here as well

Rio on Wednesday: The pl need to get on the wheel and end the league now. Lives are at stake. Liverpool should have some decency.

 

Rio today: Not fair. There was no guarantee Liverpool would have won the league with so much left to play for. Spare a thought for Fulham fans. Great club with lovely fans. They need to take legal action.

[dockers_strike]

Sorry, this is behind a paywall again so is incomplete. Looks like the PL might be fucked if it does and fucked if it doesnt. From what you can read, it might seem that a broadcaster, maybe in the US(?) wants to recoup a bit of the money it has lashed out on tv rights?

 

Of course it has to win any legal case before it would get damages.

 

A lawyer from the Howard Kennedy firm has been instructed by the network to seek damages even if the season is completed.

 

One of the Premier League’s broadcast partners is threatening to sue it over its response to the coronavirus crisis, according to a leading media lawyer who says he has been instructed by the network.

 

Mark Stephens, of London law firm Howard Kennedy LLP, told Telegraph Sport that the unnamed “major” overseas rights holder could seek damages from the world’s richest league even if the season is completed.

 

Stephens said his client was upset at what he claimed had been a lack of engagement by the Premier League during the current crisis, one that has virtually wiped out live sport worldwide.

 

Broadcasters are already beginning to withhold fees due to sports bodies during the blackout, among them French network Canal+, which has halted payments for coverage of France’s Professional Football League....

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/04/02/major-premier-league-broadcast-partner-threatens-sue-disdainful/

[dockers_strike]

32 minutes ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

Rio on Wednesday: The pl need to get on the wheel and end the league now. Lives are at stake. Liverpool should have some decency.

 

Rio today: Not fair. There was no guarantee Liverpool would have won the league with so much left to play for. Spare a thought for Fulham fans. Great club with lovely fans. They need to take legal action.

I dont normally wish any ill on people but if that's correct, he really is being a fucking camel lipped bellend flip flopping all over the shop. I shouldnt really be thinking what should happen to him right now but, Im afraid, I am.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Can't they just apply a points per game (ppg) total to the remaining games of the season? 

 

Work out the ppg for both home and away fixtures already played and then apply either of these figures to the clubs remaining fixtures, the Home ppg achieved is applied to the home games yet to be played, then the same with away. 

 

Maybe break the total ppg down into thirds and devise and apply some form of uplift or downshift based on some sort of form formula; e.g. If your ppg is higher in the final third of fixtures played, it shows that you're in form and you get a slight upwards adjustment in your ppg for the unplayed fixtures to account for this and vice versa. 

 

Or just do what Belgium have. They've awarded the rightful champions the title that they have earned. 

[lifetime fan]

On ‎22‎/‎03‎/‎2020 at 18:45, lifetime fan said:

Going on about the PL being pigheaded and stupid for wanting to finish this season. 
 

Everyone should finish their seasons by the 30th June so we don’t mess up next seasons CL and Europa league. 

 

So Gab Marcotti has significantly changed his tune.

 

Originally the PL were "stupid and pigheaded" for wanting to finish the season, they shouldn't have done that as UEFA needed leagues to submit to them which clubs they would be entering in their competitions by July so next seasons CL and Europa league could start on time.

 

Now, indefinitely postponing the UEFA competitions is "UEFA listening to it's 52 member associations and coming up with common sense solutions".

 

He'd also been going on about player contracts ending on 30th June and people far less intelligent than him hadn't thought of this. But now "unilaterally extending contracts is the least worst solution".

 

He's still a prick though.

[Guest Alex_K]

Marcotti is doughy in body and mind

[Ronnie Whelan]

1 hour ago, dockers_strike said:

I dont normally wish any ill on people but if that's correct, he really is being a fucking camel lipped bellend flip flopping all over the shop. I shouldnt really be thinking what should happen to him right now but, Im afraid, I am.

To be fair I was paraphrasing him, but undoubtedly that's what he would say!! Some of the mancs like Neville are coming out of this well but Ferdinand is the ultimate dickhead.

[Harry Squatter]

1 hour ago, dockers_strike said:

I dont normally wish any ill on people but if that's correct, he really is being a fucking camel lipped bellend flip flopping all over the shop. I shouldnt really be thinking what should happen to him right now but, Im afraid, I am.

He just says or does whatever will give him the most attention on Twatter. 

 

Him celebrating Messi's free kick against us only for us to overturn the tie at Anfield was fucking great.

 

Also found it weird the way he was jumping up and down more than Glenn Hoddle in the TV studio when Spurs scored against Ajax to go through despite having absolutely no connection to the club whatsoever.

[aws]

The PL should declare that whatever happens we will be champions. Then everybody could just concentrate on doing what is best for the sport instead of pursuing their prejudices. 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

There's a LOT of rival fans embarrassing themselves online, saying that Brugge only had 1 game left and had already won the league. 

[an tha]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52140204

[dockers_strike]

Valencia announcing their players to report back for training on 13 April, 24 hours after the lockdown in Spain is due to end. Be surprised if they do the way things are there at the moment.

 

Valencia are now aiming to resume first-team training ahead of schedule amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

It has been reported that the training sessions will be staggered in small groups with the club desperate to adhere to official health and social distancing guidelines.

However, there remains potential for the lockdown in Spain to be extended so Valencia's plans might come to a halt before they even get going. 

La Liga has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis, with football authorities desperately trying to come up with ways to salvage the current season. 

After it emerged that Valencia had been infected by the coronavirus, the club had revealed that 'around 35 per cent' of players and staff had contracted the illness.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8181475/Valencia-plan-return-training-April-13-given-clean-bill-health.html

[dandyman]

22 hours ago, Baltar said:

I truly hope we don't follow the example of scum clubs like spuds and Newcastle and furlough the salaries of the non-playing staff. I've truly been sickened by the premier League over this and as a club we need to take the moral stance and defer player salaries in order to pay the club staff. Asking the government to pay for the salaries of staff members while the club pays millionaire footballers their full wage is despicable.

It appears that the despicable scumbag that is Gordon Taylor is siding with the (multi-million pound earning) players on this one.

 

Protecting his own £2m annual salary no doubt too

[dockers_strike]

I hope when this is over and we get back to playing football with crowds in stadiums, we all stand up during the game and clap the good people who work in the NHS not just in England but around the World. It would be good if the players booted the ball into touch and joined in.

 

Well, I can dream, cant I?

[devilsadvocate]

Does this Belgium decision now finally take the ridiculous null and void option off the table? Surely the precedent has now been set with Chilean(last yr) and Belgian leagues both cancelling a season early but crowning a champion. 
 

Still a last resort for me as if it's in any way possible I want it completed even if it has to be behind closed doors but hopefully this removes the chance of us being robbed of what's rightly ours! 

[Harry Squatter]

3 hours ago, Nelly-Torres said:

There's a LOT of rival fans embarrassing themselves online, saying that Brugge only had 1 game left and had already won the league. 

But another 10 after that but Martialmagic1267 from Hemel Hempstead reckons that they had already won the league and the Premier league should still be voided.

[Harry Squatter]

4 minutes ago, devilsadvocate said:

Does this Belgium decision now finally take the ridiculous null and void option off the table? Surely the precedent has now been set with Chilean(last yr) and Belgian leagues both cancelling a season early but crowning a champion. 
 

Still a last resort for me as if it's in any way possible I want it completed even if it has to be behind closed doors but hopefully this removes the chance of us being robbed of what's rightly ours! 

It would take an amazing u turn now. Especially when Partizan also were awarded the Yugoslavian league before the Balkan war broke out.

[dockers_strike]

A European plan is being formed to resume football around July and August, with domestic leagues told on Thursday not to abandon competitions yet due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The aspiration was outlined in a letter, seen by The Associated Press, that was signed by UEFA, the European Club Association and European Leagues body and was being sent to their members.

The letter was issued hours after the Belgian league became the first major European competition to recommend ending its season with the current standings declared final.

We are confident that football can restart in the months to come - with conditions that will be dictated by public authorities,' the letter from UEFA, the ECA and EL stated, 'and believe that any decision of abandoning domestic competitions is, at this stage, premature and not justified.'

Competitions, including UEFA's Champions League and Europa League, were put on hold last month as the COVID-19 outbreak spread across Europe. UEFA working groups have been working on plans to resume competitions.

'Their work is now focusing on scenarios encompassing the months of July and August, including the possibility that the UEFA competitions restart after the completion of domestic leagues,' read the letter sent to leagues, clubs and national associations. 'A joint management of calendars is strictly required as the conclusion of the current season must be coordinated with the start of the new one, which may be partly impacted because of the overstretch.

Closely following the development of the current situation, the calendar working group will indicate as soon as possible, and ideally by mid-May, which of the plans can be enacted for the completion of the season without leaving anyone behind. '

Halting leagues could impact qualification from domestic leagues to the Champions and Europa Leagues.

'Since participation in UEFA club competitions is determined by the sporting result achieved at the end of a full domestic competition, a premature termination would cast doubts about the fulfillment of such condition,' the letter stated.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-8182389/Coronavirus-European-football-chiefs-plan-resume-games-July-August.html#newcomment

[JustTosh]

The decision will be what it'll be. Will depend on the development of the Covid-19 I suppose. The situation is beyond what we'd all expect one month ago. Who knows what the world looks  like one month from now.

In the aftermath of this FA should make rules on what do to if this situation should occur again. You could i.e. say abandon season if less than 50% of matches have been played and conclude the season as it stands if more than 50% have been played, applying ppg for the matches that won’t be played. Or any other solution. The main point is to have a rule to provide predictability.

Back in the 60'smatches were decided by a coin toss. We could decide the reamning matches by some kind of randiom draw.

 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Rock, Paper, Scissors sponsored by Emirates. We will finish second.

[Barrington Womble]

On 02/04/2020 at 00:15, Baltar said:

I truly hope we don't follow the example of scum clubs like spuds and Newcastle and furlough the salaries of the non-playing staff. I've truly been sickened by the premier League over this and as a club we need to take the moral stance and defer player salaries in order to pay the club staff. Asking the government to pay for the salaries of staff members while the club pays millionaire footballers their full wage is despicable.

I've just posted this rant below in the MF. I don't want us to furlough staff, however I fucking hate this moralistic stance that somehow football and footballers should be treated any difference to any other industry. It's fucking Tory shite. You working class boys who've made good, can you look after each other while we leave the old rich alone. 

 

I get annoyed with this shite like from Matt Hancock that premier League players should take a pay cut - it's just a distraction conversation to get away from the shite job these Tory twats are doing.

 

Are footballers the only overpaid people in the country? I'm not saying they shouldn't do it by the way. Football clubs have a relatively small playing staff and I would imagine a relatively small payroll, so a 10% "donation" from players during this period would make the world of difference, but I just don't see why they should be expected to because they're well paid, it should be their choice.

 

Others are not expected to carry the same burden - I don't notice them going after any of their Eton mates. Employees at these clubs pay their taxes. We see spurs have made a pre-tax profit of 80-odd million, so they'll be paying their share of taxes, both in terms of their corporation tax and their responsibility of an employer via payroll. They already "do their bit" by their current tax contribution. As do the players, imagine the millions in tax they must all pay. These Tory twats need to stop taking pot shots at working class fellas who've done well and get on with sorting this health and economic disaster. 

 

 

[lifetime fan]

Have MP’s voluntarily taken a 20% pay cut? 

[JustTosh]

6 minutes ago, Barry Wom said:

I've just posted this rant below in the MF. I don't want us to furlough staff, however I fucking hate this moralistic stance that somehow football and footballers should be treated any difference to any other industry. It's fucking Tory shite. You working class boys who've made good, can you look after each other while we leave the old rich alone. 

 

I get annoyed with this shite like from Matt Hancock that premier League players should take a pay cut - it's just a distraction conversation to get away from the shite job these Tory twats are doing.

 

Are footballers the only overpaid people in the country? I'm not saying they shouldn't do it by the way. Football clubs have a relatively small playing staff and I would imagine a relatively small payroll, so a 10% "donation" from players during this period would make the world of difference, but I just don't see why they should be expected to because they're well paid, it should be their choice.

 

Others are not expected to carry the same burden - I don't notice them going after any of their Eton mates. Employees at these clubs pay their taxes. We see spurs have made a pre-tax profit of 80-odd million, so they'll be paying their share of taxes, both in terms of their corporation tax and their responsibility of an employer via payroll. They already "do their bit" by their current tax contribution. As do the players, imagine the millions in tax they must all pay. These Tory twats need to stop taking pot shots at working class fellas who've done well and get on with sorting this health and economic disaster. 

 

 

Agree.

 

This Scudamore fellow could start with doanting his farewell gift to the clubs further down in league 1 or 2. Many of them are now on the brink of going bankrupt.

[Bjornebye]

5 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

Have MP’s voluntarily taken a 20% pay cut? 

Hahaha fuck off I bet the cunts are still claiming the extra 300 quid a day saying its not their fault they can't turn up at parliament. 

[Barrington Womble]

23 hours ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

Brugge are 15 clear there with one game from officially winning title. A lot of gent fans suddenly in the uk.

 

Think it could be relatively easy to make us champions, along with Celtic and PSG in France given the gap between 1st and 2nd.

 

The tighter leagues like Serie A, the Bundesliga and La Liga could be much harder to solve. Real issues with champions league/europa league spots and then say leeds and wba get promoted to a bigger pl at the expense of say fulham. Legal minefield that makes me think they will play out the bigger leagues.

I'm not sure brugge were one game from winning the title. Yes they were 15 points clear with a game to go, but the Belgium champions are not the team who win the league. When the league finishes the top 4 or 6 go into some type of play off and the winner becomes their champions. So this is a significant decisions in so much the league is saying "they deserve to win it"

17 hours ago, aws said:

The PL should declare that whatever happens we will be champions. Then everybody could just concentrate on doing what is best for the sport instead of pursuing their prejudices. 

Well you can't say that can you? There'd be no incentive for Liverpool to restart the season if they were assured to be champions if they don't. It's why the only stance on any of this is "we want to finish it", unless they agree it can't be and negotiate with everyone what the outcome is. The chances of making everyone happy without the chance of legal challenges, plus the sponsors and TV companies being onboard withhout compensation seem remote. The only point they'll call time on this season is when it's economically the right thing to do, while more money (or better risk mitigation) can be made from finishing this season, it will still be on the table and there will be no agreement on an outcome.