Football League Suspended

[Kamy100]

The Premier and Football Leagues to be suspended until at least 4th April (Situation to be reviewed on 4th April).

Given that the government are estimating the peak of this virus is 12-14 weeks away then there is the real possibility that the entire season could be voided.  Has huge implications for the football league, particularly those clubs that are already in financial strife.

[arbitro]

Whilst it's disappointing and the ramifications could seriously damage clubs already struggling financially it is the right decision. The FA, EFL and PL should make money available to get the club's in peril through this tough period.

Looking even further how can FFP still be applied when clubs will have to rely on benevolent owners of loans even more. It could be the start of the implosion many have been predicting albeit in extenuating circumstances. It will also be interesting to see how many Sky Sports subscribers who only watch football now cancel for a month.

[arbitro]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2020/march/statement-coronavirus-update/

The statement direct off the Rovers website.

The one-day discrepancy between the PL and EFL (April 4th and April 3rd) is to factor in our game against Leeds.

Edited March 13, 2020 by arbitro

[arbitro]

At the moment the games definitely off are Bristol City at home, Wigan away and Barnsley away.

[47er]

16 minutes ago, arbitro said:

At the moment the games definitely off are Bristol City at home, Wigan away and Barnsley away.

9 points saved!!

[1864roverite]

Leeds game also off just came through bbc notifications. Void the season and laugh my arse off at Liverpool Leeds and foolham

[arbitro]

4 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

Leeds game also off just came through bbc notifications. Void the season and laugh my arse off at Liverpool Leeds and foolham

At the moment the Leeds game is on subject to further announcements.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Will they be reinstating the " Pools Panel " ?

[DE.]

It's likely we won't see any matches for months now. No way will matches be starting again on 4th April. For many clubs this will be a financial catastrophe.

[OldEwoodBlue]

So if the season extends...

Walton & Tosin loans finish end of May.

7 x first team squad contracts expire end of June.

[OldEwoodBlue]

https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-supporters-tickets-efl-coronavirus-17919132

[Riverside under the drip]

Gallows humour but it would be 'interesting' to see the reactions if Leeds stayed in the Championship and Liverpool went another year without the title after all this. Almost worth guaranteeing us missing out on the play-offs...

[Amo]

Won't stop @chaddyrovers attending!

[Vinjay]

6 hours ago, arbitro said:

Whilst it's disappointing and the ramifications could seriously damage clubs already struggling financially it is the right decision. The FA, EFL and PL should make money available to get the club's in peril through this tough period.

Looking even further how can FUP still be applied when clubs will have to rely on benevolent owners of loans even more. It could be the start of the implosion many have been predicting albeit in extenuating circumstances. It will also be interesting to see how many Sky Sports subscribers who only watch football now cancel for a month.

Situations like this (albeit extreme) sum up why FUP does not work. I'm assuming it will be suspended and hopefully that decision will become permanent. UEFA could use the fines they leeched off clubs to subsidise those worst hit but won't hold my breath. If they decide to scrap FUP now it would also help them save face blaming the virus and prevent humiliation from Manchester City lawyers in court.

[OldEwoodBlue]

London marathon just been postponed to October

[joey_big_nose]

6 hours ago, DE. said:

It's likely we won't see any matches for months now. No way will matches be starting again on 4th April. For many clubs this will be a financial catastrophe.

My gut instinct is they will play through the summer as the financial consequences of not doing so are so dire. Euros will be move to 2021 to accommodate.

The fly in the ointment as someone else said - if this does turn into a three month epidemic there isn't really enough time to play straight through the summer.

[Vinjay]

Why should owners be expected to cover losses over next few weeks and then be subjected to draconian rules? Some clubs are going to be in real trouble and scrapping FUP will boost their chances of securing outside investment. People who want to subscribe to FUP won't buy a club in the current climate. So you have to look for benefactors, etc.

[islander200]

4 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

My gut instinct is they will play through the summer as the financial consequences of not doing so are so dire. Euros will be move to 2021 to accommodate.

The fly in the ointment as someone else said - if this does turn into a three month epidemic there isn't really enough time to play straight through the summer.

Also players will be out of contract,loan deals will be coming to an end etc

[Vinjay]

Marin Samuel in full agreement.

"We might want to have a look at FUP, too — or at least stop making pariahs of owners who wish to invest. If anything is going to pull football through this crisis it is those owners who are prepared to bankroll their clubs because not everyone has the good fortune to be as well-heeled and protected as Manchester United."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8110863/MARTIN-SAMUEL-no-room-random-setback-football-full.html

[scotchrover]

15 hours ago, Vinjay said:

Why should owners be expected to cover losses over next few weeks and then be subjected to draconian rules? Some clubs are going to be in real trouble and scrapping FUP will boost their chances of securing outside investment. People who want to subscribe to FUP won't buy a club in the current climate. So you have to look for benefactors, etc.

Whilst I agree with FFP being unfair, I couldn’t disagree more about clubs not being bailed out- look at all of League 2 and 1, bar a few cases, there is absolutely no one going to come in and throw money at those clubs because it makes absolutely no financial sense. There could well be some fan owners be willing to chuck money like it’s no object, but you’re not seriously suggesting 71 millionaires/ billionaires, who each support a different club, in The Football League are you? There wasn’t before FFP was introduced and with the current impending economic crisis, if FFP was scrapped, there sure won’t be now.
 

This is serious- clubs outside the top flight are in trouble if this season isn’t finished. 

[TBTF]

9 hours ago, scotchrover said:

Whilst I agree with FFP being unfair, I couldn’t disagree more about clubs not being bailed out- look at all of League 2 and 1, bar a few cases, there is absolutely no one going to come in and throw money at those clubs because it makes absolutely no financial sense. There could well be some fan owners be willing to chuck money like it’s no object, but you’re not seriously suggesting 71 millionaires/ billionaires, who each support a different club, in The Football League are you? There wasn’t before FFP was introduced and with the current impending economic crisis, if FFP was scrapped, there sure won’t be now.
 

This is serious- clubs outside the top flight are in trouble if this season isn’t finished. 

Agree - dire , dire situation.

i can see a scenario where games will start up and be completed in the month of June - 9 games in 4 weeks . That will deal with contracts up etc . Scrap the cups and euro comps and euros themselves and restart the season in Sept also without cups and head to euros in 2021.

Quite how many EFL clubs will be left by then is anybody’s guess . 
terrible for the game itself as people will probably not attend in same numbers for summer football and many will be out of the habit by the start of the new season . ST sales could be calamitous  for many clubs after all this . Maybe we should be thankful we’ve got loons in charge for whom the value of money seems not to matter . Now that’s  a sentence I never thought I’d write!! 

[tomphil]

Alongside the V's shares slide this could well push us to having to offload a few this summer. Let's hope they can get by with cutting deadwood once and for all.

Mulgrew, Smallwood, Samuel, the reserve keeper out, loan Brereton, Chapman and sell Evans for a few quid - save a small fortune.

Not one of them will really be missed in the grand scheme of things going off this seasons evidence.

[USABlue]

What would be a kick in the nuts would be if they call the season now and have the final league table as it stands.  This would mean we could have been playoff bound but for those last few stinkers, cos of soft pens and DGs miss.  What if.

[Mike E]

I think they may go the route of cancelling NEXT season, allowing this one to play out after the pandemic us over, hold the Euros early-spring 2021, then start the 21/22 season as normal.

Edited March 15, 2020 by Mike E

[J*B]

30 minutes ago, Mike E said:

I think they may go the route of cancelling NEXT season, allowing this one to play out after the pandemic us over, hold the Euros early-spring 2021, then start the 21/22 season as normal.

If we drop the League Cup and EFL Cup can we fit a full season in a shorter amount of time? Or can we fit the euros into the winter break 21/22?