Football During Coronavirus Crisis

[Thomas Holte]

If as widely reported the Premier League are willing to spend £4-5 million on Covid 19 testing kits etc just to complete these remaining games then they have the money to help stop professional and lesser well off clubs in the lower leagues going out of business.

Do you think they will eventually redistribute this money to save these clubs because I don't?

 

[Villan57]

yep but if sky & the prem can 'lobby' to get their product back on the telly and still flog their adverts without the inconvenience of the unwashed masses turning up - just think of the possibilities - (always just slap some crowd scenes and a bit of noise on the coverage).
base your soccerball franchise wherever you want & play the most advert-friendly games whenever suits

That is the danger, that is the way it is going, may as well play the games on a PlayStation, we'd still lose if Konsa and SJM were our players

 

[Pangloss]

A proposal for all players getting tested twice a week whilst critical front line staff in hospitals and care homes still can't get it and probably won't ever be tested at the rate the footballers will.

Sends a lovely message.

 

[Silhillvilla]

When children can play football together in the parks, jumpers for goalposts etc. That's the time we should think about restarting professional football, non league , div 2 etc not an elite league on its own.

 

[Villan57]

I can't help thinking there is a great opportunity to change many things because of this virus, every single person has been affected in some way and we all realise now what is really important, We have all cancelled sky sports, we all miss our families far more than football. Millions will lose jobs lets use this as a positive and change the way we live for good?
I'm not sure I'm articulate enough to put it into word but things have change and lets not go back to the old selfish ways

 

[The Fear]

I totally disagree again as food is more important than football which is why I am still at work helping sainsburys make millions.

Which is exactly what I said. Food, health, of course, and it a given, are more important than pretty much anything. And you think me condescending. It isn't even a debate, health, food, shelter = life. Most other things don't.

The fact that some industry is already, correctly, operating, does not mean other industries shouldn't, can't and aren't able to talk to the relevant ministers to see if and when they can resume, if at all. And if not, fine, even more jobs will be lost and from that, lives as always happens in deep recessions and/or during austerity (as we are seeing the results right now)

Plenty are looking at how to get back to business before going bust. Some will, some won't be able to. It doesn't get more simple.

You just don't want to read what I'm saying.

 

[The Fear]

I can't help thinking there is a great opportunity to change many things because of this virus, every single person has been affected in some way and we all realise now what is really important, We have all cancelled sky sports, we all miss our families far more than football. Millions will lose jobs lets use this as a positive and change the way we live for good?
I'm not sure I'm articulate enough to put it into word but things have change and lets not go back to the old selfish ways

Yes, going to start a thread in Witton Lane about what if any re-evaluation is going on with people. It was an interesting debate on newsnight last night and something we've touched on a few times in off topic.

 

[The Fear]

UEFA has asked all European leagues, including the Premier League, to provide them with the date and format of a domestic resumption by May 25, two days before a crucial UEFA Executive Committee meeting.

As already discussed, but it is the only good thing about all the debate about whether it can at some point make a return, between football authorities and gov, that there is a cut off date.

At the moment to me, despite an obvious interest in the product returning to this (apparently unimportant) industry, it looks unworkable and unreasonable to me. We -rightly - slate players when they act like they are special cases in society, so 'we' can't make them special cases and send them out to play if social distancing is still required in all other industries (not that certain players have followed that, and not that everyone in society is)

It was interesting on one of the programmes last night, peston or newsnight I think, or the daily briefing... oh feck knows... where was I? Oh yes, it was interesting a health expert explaining that the virus is harder to pick up outdoors than indoors. Maybe that is part of the thinking re the resumption of some sports.

I don't think it likely, but money talks, always has. But also, maybe they are looking at the industries that are operating to see how many then become ill in contact with each other.

 

[Thomas Holte]

Simon Lines
Villa Home & Away. 68/92. Specialist Practitioner District Nurse in the NHS.
@simonlines

People piping up on my tweet saying I’m against the League’s proposals Cos I’m a Villa fan. Wrong. I’m against it because Nurse colleagues of mine with Covid symptoms have been unable to get tests so unable to get back to work while football players will have 2 a week. Pathetic.

 

[The Fear]

One thing I am not missing, the angerfest of twitter!

Randystand talking sense. There is a first for everything @randy.stand

 

[The Fear]

Promote Leeds and West Brom . Have no relegation and cancel the Premier League. It makes so much sense. Relegate five next season.

I don't see it. How can you reward some at the top, but not 'punish' those at the bottom?

I was the same, thinking about all sorts of scenarios, and just giving Liverpool the title etc. But having looked at what was done back in the day at the start of the war, I think they were right, league cancelled = null and void, done, no one wins, loses or does anything in fact!

And that isn't because where Villa are, frankly I don't care if we are up or down right now!

 

[The Fear]

When children can play football together in the parks, jumpers for goalposts etc. That's the time we should think about restarting professional football, non league , div 2 etc not an elite league on its own.

In which case, clubs go bust, staff lose jobs and back round in circles we go.

I get your theory, if it is safe for them, it works upwards. But they are kids playing for fun, you can't let any industry (including sport) go to wreck and ruin without at least trying to look at options. That option might well be a firm plan for cancelling this season and firm plans how to start and keep the next one going btw. But I don't think you can (well you can!) dismiss things so readily unless you are happy for a number of clubs to go bust and the knock on effect to jobs (and we aren't talking the rich directors/managers/players...) same as all industry, if we let them all 'go' then the country has one hell of a fight to pay dole money and social care etc, where will the tax come from to pay for that? Not this rich industry for one the way some of you are talking!

 

[The Fear]

If as widely reported the Premier League are willing to spend £4-5 million on Covid 19 testing kits etc just to complete these remaining games then they have the money to help stop professional and lesser well off clubs in the lower leagues going out of business.

Do you think they will eventually redistribute this money to save these clubs because I don't?

No, as said before, it goes back to the old Maggie 'trickle down' economics. The rich get richer and more goes down the scale in society. No, it really doesn't, the rich get richer... end of story.

They should help, the whole industry would thank them and respect them. Will they? Instead of keeping tens of millions in the bank? Ha...

 

[Thomas Holte]

I don't see it. How can you reward some at the top, but not 'punish' those at the bottom?

I was the same, thinking about all sorts of scenarios, and just giving Liverpool the title etc. But having looked at what was done back in the day at the start of the war, I think they were right, league cancelled = null and void, done, no one wins, loses or does anything in fact!

And that isn't because where Villa are, frankly I don't care if we are up or down right now!

I agree with you.

You can't award a team the title of champions when they haven't officially won it and likewise, you can't punish teams by being relegated when they officially haven't been.

Null and Void and I would say the same even if Villa were in the bottom 3 or not.

Mind you I'd have to give it some further thought if it was the great unwashed from across town in the bottom 3

 

[The Fear]

A proposal for all players getting tested twice a week whilst critical front line staff in hospitals and care homes still can't get it and probably won't ever be tested at the rate the footballers will.

Sends a lovely message.

I don't believe that to be the case though. No way would it work that way. They are talking about tests being more widely available. One expert the other day said now they are ramping them up to 100 000 it is relatively easy to double, triple etc, it was getting it up to mass production levels that was the problem.

Even the greediest in football/other sports/industries wouldn't be stupid enough to do that, the backlash alone would be too much to take.

 

[The Fear]

Ha, like it TH!

I just hope, whatever the resolution, the majority agree with it at club level, and hopefully fan level.

 

[Silhillvilla]

In which case, clubs go bust, staff lose jobs and back round in circles we go.

I get your theory, if it is safe for them, it works upwards. But they are kids playing for fun, you can't let any industry (including sport) go to wreck and ruin without at least trying to look at options. That option might well be a firm plan for cancelling this season and firm plans how to start and keep the next one going btw. But I don't think you can (well you can!) dismiss things so readily unless you are happy for a number of clubs to go bust and the knock on effect to jobs (and we aren't talking the rich directors/managers/players...) same as all industry, if we let them all 'go' then the country has one hell of a fight to pay dole money and social care etc, where will the tax come from to pay for that? Not this rich industry for one the way some of you are talking!

Clubs should furlough staff that can't work (that includes players) to protect the business

 

[pvb1968]

Which is exactly what I said. Food, health, of course, and it a given, are more important than pretty much anything. And you think me condescending. It isn't even a debate, health, food, shelter = life. Most other things don't.

The fact that some industry is already, correctly, operating, does not mean other industries shouldn't, can't and aren't able to talk to the relevant ministers to see if and when they can resume, if at all. And if not, fine, even more jobs will be lost and from that, lives as always happens in deep recessions and/or during austerity (as we are seeing the results right now)

Plenty are looking at how to get back to business before going bust. Some will, some won't be able to. It doesn't get more simple.

You just don't want to read what I'm saying.

Not every industry can go back to work because of the possibility of spreading the virus hence people staying at home and one walk a day, key service, you have been allowed to go to work and provide that service and you were given a nice letter to keep in your car to say you are providing a key service from your manager in case you are stopped by the police.

 

[The Fear]

And the rest in the industry? The furlough system won't last forever one would suspect Silhillvilla... The country can't afford it to, hence, despite the protestations of a few in this thread, the Gov are talking to different industry leaders to find ways to get them back up and running.

All a bit of a mindfuck isn't it?

 

[The Fear]

Not every industry can go back to work because of the possibility of spreading the virus hence people staying at home and one walk a day, key service, you have been allowed to go to work and provide that service and you were given a nice letter to keep in your car to say you are providing a key service from your manager in case you are stopped by the police.

I'm very aware. That doesn't mean all industry (and people are being allowed to go to work, I linked to that the other day) shouldn't be discussing ways of getting back as and when they can. That is all that is being said.

Can they get back tomorrow? No. Can they get back next month? Some probably yes. Can others get back in June or July? Hopefully, if not many jobs and businesses will be lost, some are already gone.

All I am saying is all industry and as this is a football discussion on a football site and this thread is about the PL getting back to business/cancelling the league you can't expect the subject not to be discussed, HAS to talk to the relevant department and they are.

It isn't greedy, it isn't unreasonable, every single industry in the world will be looking at ways to survive.

And as I have said 1000 times in this thread, and I did think it would be a given, not something you have to say, health, lives, food, shelter are more important. Some of these are entwined with people having jobs though.

And btw, every time I see a key worker, whether dustmen, shop workers, chemists (for my parents) I thank them. I thank you. That doesn't mean anything I've said in here is unreasonable in the debate as to who/if and when this industry gets back OR my bit about the gov wanting things like this back because they know the importance of entertainment/sports for the public.