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Post by Pete Helsby on Apr 22, 2020 13:53:13 GMT 1
I have been thinking about many things, family, economy, furlough and football with many others. after all we have plenty of time on our hands to do so. What I am going to say, to maybe get other peoples opinions, is simply the way I can see things possibly panning out and I would state that this is only my opinion not the clubs.
We are now into another 3 weeks of this so called lockdown. It seems that most people, other than the stupid element, are now seeing for themselves just what we and the rest of the world are up against. You only unfortunately have to look at the figures each day of those poor souls who are passing away and folk must realise surely this isn't going to go away any time soon. As it stands the curve they keep talking about seems to have flattened out but the sure fact is it is still killing people. Im not sure anyone really knows how long it will take to get back to any type of normality. If the real experts have a clue and they are informing Government I don't think Government will let on about the real truth because it could cause civil unrest. This is why they will continue to drip feed the real truth and keep setting lockdown targets. If or when we get to a position where Government and Health experts consider it is reasonably safe to start a phased return to something normal, and that is what it will be, a phased one, I can see it taking a long time for any real normality to be seen by the general public. The only way it will maybe come much sooner is if the trials for an antedote prove successful then they will have a mass phased immunization programme which will take quite a while.
So this being a football website, what about the game? Well, the first thing I will say about this is that where football stands in the wider scheme of things is that it is bottom of the when it comes to the reality of just what is going on everyday. I find it pathetic that professional football is embarrassing itself as it is at the moment. Jack wont like this much but the FA hasn't helped in this. When it was announced that the three senior leagues, Isthmian, Southern and Northern Prem had decided to call the season null and void I went along with that decision as being the only acceptable thing to do. Clubs who were obviously affected with promotion decided to appeal and the FA rightly, in my book, stood firm and backed the 3 leagues decision. But the National, for starters, decided to hang fire. The latest as far as I know is that the National League board, remember, elected to that position by the clubs, have sloped shoulders and told the clubs to make the decision. You may ask what the board is for if they cant make a universal decision for its members. The Premier and EFL are even worse. Of course like always, everything revolves round money and they are still trying to get these crazy ideas of playing the season behind closed doors in order to get some cash out of tv rights. But where is the FA in all this? Leadership comes from the top. They rightly backed the decision made by the other leagues but sit back and watch the senior professional leagues make a mockery and embarrass themselves further. This nonsense, and that what it is, about playing behind closed doors is laughable. Have they asked the players and Match officials if they want to do this. Have they asked them if they would feel safe. They say they will get everyone tested. Then where the hell do they get all these testing kits from? There are not enough for the National Health never mind bloody footballers. This present lockdown will take us into mid May. Myself, I think we should steel our selves for another longer spell. Even then I cant see gatherings allowed, so that itself would knock the football idea of playing behind closed doors . The FA should take this lot by the scruff of the neck and order them to null and void the season. They must be stronger and tell these leagues enough is enough, there are more important things happening.
So on to what and where it leaves football at this present time. Financially the game is taking a hammering and it is in turmoil. I read today that Rhyl FC have folded. I read that the AFC Fylde Chairman, who by himself has been financing the club to the tune of £15000 per week, has now put the brakes on his input. There must be horror stories at clubs of all levels at the game moment with a hell of a lot more to come. Personally, I don't see us at our level kicking a ball much before Xmas, if then. I think when the decision by Government to stage manage a relaxation, football will come at the bottom of the ladder along with other gatherings. This situation is going to have a profound effect on the game especially at our level. I can see many clubs folding if this carries on much longer. When it all eventually opens up again, I can see most if not the majority of clubs starting on much smaller budgets as there will be little or no money to pay players. This is going to rock the game from top to bottom and players shouldn't be surprised at it when it happens. There will be a mad scramble when it comes to the new close season when ever that may be. Clubs will have some really hard bargaining to do and if they stick to a much lower budgets which I see most having to do it will be interesting to see how players and managers respond. There is no doubt that the face of the game will see some real changes because from a financial position it has to and will change.
Ive thrown a few of my feelings into the cauldron. Just my opinions of the way it could possibly unfold. I am basing this on the present and may be completely wrong but that is the way I see it unfolding. Im here to be kicked!
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Post by Felpham Rock on Apr 23, 2020 7:28:33 GMT 1
Good piece that Pete. Due to working longer hours & being on the road a lot,one of the annoying things for me is the likes of Talksport trying to make news stories out of opinions & basically lies. Some of these guests they have on are in their own bubble. Michael Owen a couple of weeks ago saying he thought the PL will restart at the end of April. A constant stream of ex Liverpool players completely disrespecting fifteen thousand deaths to bang the drum that the season must end to see their beloved club crowned champions. Sorry but null & void across the board is the only way. This 'points per game' ratio some are suggesting is totally unfair. What about clubs who had played all the top teams twice & have an easy run in with games in hand? Behind closed doors is unworkable as proved in Paris when over ten thousands gathered & celebrated outside the stadium when they beat Dortmund. If Liverpool win the title can you honestly imagine their fans staying at home self isolating? There would be 100k at Anfield minimum. It's harsh on some but null & void is the only answer. By the way Pete,can you check the Executive Club thread. I've left a message. Cheers.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2020 11:02:51 GMT 1
What an excellent post Pete, we will be in self isolation for many more weeks as long as idiots disregard the Government's advice, I notice today that 50 dimwits were surfing at Polzeath in North Cornwall. I work in a Nursing Home and these selfish people that are still going about their business in a normal way really annoy me, luckily touching lots of wood we are free of Covid 19. I have never seen so many walkers (yes with an l) out, will they still be doing this in some 4 months time, I think not. As for the football side, I said a long time ago that the season had to be called null and void, it seems that the Premier League are bending over backwards to ensure Liverpool win the league, and here is a thought was the Covid 19 virus bought into this country by Athletico Madrid fans at the game at Anfield, first major outbreak was in Liverpool!!!!!!!!! Until the whole country is vaccinated I do not see how we can go back to normality, would you be content at The Lane with 500 other people not knowing if one of them is a carrier?  On the bright side, The Felpham Chippy has reopened!!!!!! Stay safe everyone Lee |
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Post by jennyfromtherox on Apr 23, 2020 19:47:37 GMT 1
I think that the National Leagues voted to end the season and cancel the remaining games yesterday. So it is just the professional clubs hanging on to complete the season. I think it would have been sensible to null and void the season for the Premier League and below but they are hanging on for the TV and promotion money. We will see, but games can't be played even behind closed doors during lockdown.
In my opinion we are already past the peak and the death total will lower by June but by then people will have no money and confidence will be low, so it will take a while before things get back to normal. B&Q are reopening stores and some car makers are planning to resume production in May. So the green shoots of recovery are there.
I think non-league will survive because people have been starved of going out full stop, let alone football. There is a lot of pent up demand and non-league will benefit. It costs £12 to see Rocks, I paid £112 to see Spurs play Olympiakos. So a trip to Nyewood Lane offers good value for money. I can see football resuming next season, once recovery starts and confidence is rebuilt.
However for now we are still in lockdown and in a few minutes I am outside to clap for the NHS. In the words of Churchill "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." COYR !!!!!!!!!
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Post by ruralrock on Apr 23, 2020 20:13:05 GMT 1
Some fantastic points made on this thread, I'm humbled that people have given it so much consideration. Yes, deaths are starting to drop, but as someone said before, it will take a long time before we are happy not to socially isolate at the Lane. If there is some consolation in these bleak times, no matter what your political persuasion is, our country could be run by a twerp that is Donald Trump. COYR
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2020 7:18:49 GMT 1
Hi Jenny,
I also hope that you were clapping for those front line/keyworkers.......Nursing Homes etc, who are seeing a huge amount of their family, the residents, pass away and are living on the working premises so that the elderly are not infected
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Post by Pete Helsby on Apr 24, 2020 8:04:43 GMT 1
Jenny, l love your optimism, but l dont agree with your facts. The numbers may have reduced slightly but if that shows one thing very clearly, it is that it is going to take a long time for it to reduce completely. Its pie in the sky at the moment. I still stick with the lockdown being with us all until the new year with a probable staged reduction and it will be staged with the economy in the forefront. Like l said football will be botton of thst league, no doubt about it.
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Post by kof on Apr 24, 2020 9:52:14 GMT 1
Pete, a good thread - I was thinking of something along the same lines myself. My thoughts as follows.
CV19. There will be no return to normality until a vaccine is produced and that is a long way away. Until then, a balance will have to be struck between relaxing some restrictions and keeping the virus under some sort of control, i.e with an infection rate below R1. Testing is no answer in itself since it is only good for one moment in time and currently results take time. Antibody testing would be useful but it is apparently not certain whether those who have had the virus can be re-infected or can still infect others.
Prem Lge/EFL/Nat Lge. I find much to dislike about these leagues , not least the obscene amount of money sloshing about. Particularly distasteful is Players getting enormous amounts of cash whilst doing absolutely nothing, and at some clubs, the taxpayer paying furloughed workers whilst this happens. Players at some clubs, I know, have taken a pay cut, e.g Southampton 30%, but still pretty small beer compared what most people earn. As you rightly say, it is all down to Money.
Steps 3 and below. Many clubs will suffer but perhaps the one ray of hope is that I believe players will always want to play, even at reduced rates of pay, and fans will want to support. Thus, I see this part of the game reviving albeit perhaps in a more amateur fashion - no bad thing in my view. One thing I am glad about is that it seems Bognor is in as good a situation as can be expected as and when the game restarts.
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Post by mistral on Apr 24, 2020 10:49:25 GMT 1
Agree with your sentiments kof & I would also include Gary Lineker along with the players re obscene wages and all he does is have a chat with his mates not surprising he defended them. However I think some of the problems were caused by the PFA faffing about whereas some of the players were very keen to do something. Jordan Henderson seemed to be trying to take a lead so I guess credit to him for that. The awful greed that is endemic in so much of the upper reaches of the game is one reason why I prefer watching & supporting The Rocks as I think the game generally is more "honest" at our level. However whilst it's refreshing to discuss something other than the pandemic, the virus certainly puts things into perspective as to what is really important in life.
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Post by jackswoolyhat on Apr 24, 2020 18:10:31 GMT 1
It's a great thread with some very sensible views with them all making sense.
My view has always been that the season should be made null and void and I thought that that's what would happen.
I've now changed my view based on what UEFA have announced as their recommendation in the last 24 hours. I still feel strongly that the season should be made null and void, but I now believe that following pressure from UEFA that they will decide on promotion and relegation on points per game. The only bit about this I'm not sure about is how they decide the play-off spots in the Championship, plus Leagues One & Two.
Just like every possible scenario I'm sure this will be legally challenged by those disadvantaged.
I haven't clue how any major sporting event can resume with spectators in attendance until a vaccine is produced.
So I doubt any football will be seen at Nyewood Lane until 2021 unless we go down the route of Sweden and make a calculated call to try herd immunity
None of us know what will happen with the disease or what we will be allowed to do or will even want to do socially. Public confidence will be very wobbly.
Most of the previous comments have discussed our thoughts on the virus containment and the attitude of football to resolve the unfinished season.
However I think the biggest story alongside the number of deaths is the collapse of the economy.
There will be millions of jobs lost, mortgage repossessions, people unable to service loans of cars finance and credit cards.
The hospitality industry will be on it's knees with very few pubs and restaurants surviving and the travel industry will go the same way.
This may all sound very alarmist and bleak but every financial indicator is pointing towards such a future.
In some ways non-league football may well benefit because the unemployed won't be able to afford to watch professional football or subscription TV.
For the next several weeks with furloughing in place it will all seem like bad nightmare. But when the furloughing ceases and many people are in deep financial trouble the real hurt will begin.
I think a visit to Nyewood Lane to see friends and watch some football will be a most lovely event for all of us in the next few years because most won't be able to afford much else.
n.b. Jack's prudence over the years has put us in a better position than many clubs at our level. (Thank you Jack!)
#COYR #Green Army!
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Post by jackswoolyhat on Apr 25, 2020 11:43:36 GMT 1
This is an excellent and very detailed article about all the various options and scenarios that face football associations throughout the world.
Before anyone just spouts out 'null and void' (which is my opinion) it should be read to try and digest the complete mess and 'no win' situation that it is.
After reading it I've decided to have a lay down and let the 'experts' decide what to do.
The article is written by Matt Slater from The Athletic:
Explaining what UEFA’s message means for European places, titles and relegation
In the context of the world’s longest and worst spring break, two press releases from football governing bodies in the space of 24 hours have provided the most exciting sporting action in 40 days.
First, on Thursday, UEFA hit send on the snappily-titled “Executive Committee approves guidelines on eligibility for participation to UEFA competitions” — 500 well-timed words to settle seasons, satisfy accountants and soothe (some) supporters. Cue the popping of corks from Bruges to Glasgow, howling gusts of relief from Liverpool to Watford and the birth of a thousand conspiracy theories against your club.
But then on Friday, just as the clocks were turning to Aperol Spritz o’clock, the Dutch FA announced there would be no champions in the Netherlands this season nor promotions nor relegations. Cue the sound of a needle scratching vinyl, cheers turning to murmurs and glasses smashing.
Not seeing it? Don’t worry, The Athletic has studied the film, coded the clips, run a statistical model and is now ready to explain what on God’s green earth is going on…
What did UEFA decide, exactly?
The short answer is it has decided nothing: nada, rien, nichts, niente etc. The slightly longer answer is it has realised it cannot decide anything at the moment as tackling the COVID-19 crisis is above its pay-grade, so it should perhaps accept the very best it can do is issue guidelines, empty its reserves and hope for the best.
What this means in practice is that it has told its 55 member associations they should try to finish their “top domestic competitions” as best they can but if that is not possible, because their governments will not let them on public health grounds or attempting to do so will bankrupt them, they should choose the teams they want to put forward for European club competition next season, whenever that is, on the basis of “sporting merit”.
Great, we love sport, what do they have in mind?
Ah, they don’t really say. In keeping with the vagueness of these times, they only suggest that whatever method a league chooses, it must be “objective, transparent and non-discriminatory”, with the further wrinkle that it should have regard “to the specific circumstances of each competition”.
They do say, however, what they will not accept.
Do not terminate your competition “prematurely” for any other reason than a public health order from your government or clear and present danger of financial ruin. Do not send us a list of clubs you want to play in the Champions League or Europa League next season that have not been selected according to sporting merit and in an objective, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. And do not do anything that might result in the “public perception of unfairness”.
A list of things we can’t do, then? Typical Europe. Do they give any clues?
Not publicly but that is largely because there are not that many options available. UEFA and every national football federation and domestic league know that. We are in least-bad option territory and European football’s clubs, leagues, governing bodies and players’ representatives have been mulling these over in working groups for six weeks.
Option A is to play all remaining games, with or without fans present, so that every club has played everyone else, home and away, ending any debates about games in hand, big-match experience, surging or waning form, injuries, bad luck and all the other what-ifs and maybes.
Option B is end the season now and either use the current standings to divvy out the qualification places or iron out the issue of games in hand by adjusting the table on a points-per-game basis. Another possibility, albeit a remote one, would be to decide any unplayed games on the basis of the first fixture between the respective teams this season, making that a retrospective double-header. That is the type of thing that causes fights in pub leagues, so it is unlikely.
Option C is to look at the table and/or points-per-game calculation and come up with a play-off or two to decide who goes into the Champions League or Europa League hat for 2021-22.
Option D, and we are getting close to the bottom of the barrel here, is to run some kind of data-based simulation of the remaining fixtures, Football Manager-style, and save everyone the trouble of moving into a sterile environment for two months, getting tested twice a day and running about a lot.
Soccernomics author Dr Stefan Szymanski proposed one such probability-based model on his Twitter feed on Thursday, provoking a lively response from Sheffield United fans unimpressed at seeing their side fall from sixth to 10th behind the underachieving Spurs, Arsenal and Everton, as well as Wolves, who would also leapfrog them on points per game.
As things stand, we can also dismiss option E: using UEFA’s club coefficient, the rolling five-year ranking of performances in Europe, as a means to deciding who should qualify for next year’s tournaments. Anything that would see, let’s say, Arsenal and Spurs elbowing aside Leicester and Wolves, would probably lead to the “public perception of unfairness”. But a week is a long time in a lockdown, so do not be too shocked if this idea resurfaces, particularly in north London.
And then there really is the bottom of the barrel: null and void. A combination of words so toxic the Premier League’s communications department has been banned from using it ever since West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady breezily suggest it in her newspaper column last month. The fact that only goal difference is keeping her side out of the relegation zone is entirely coincidental, of course.
The Dutch, however, are famed for their pragmatism and when prime minister Mark Rutte announced earlier this week that large public gatherings were banned until September 1, the writing was on the wall for the 2019-20 season.
So the country’s football federation, the KNVB, asked the clubs to vote on whether the current tables should stand, with titles, promotions and relegations decided on that basis, or if there should be no promotions and relegations this season. The result, it claims, was inconclusive, so they made the call, immediately sending shockwaves along the M62 from Leeds to Liverpool.
Points per game was always going to be a tough sell in the Eredivisie, as Ajax and AZ Alkmaar were locked on 56 points with nine games to play when the league was suspended. Ajax topped the table, thanks to their better goal difference, but AZ had the momentum, having beaten the Dutch giants in Amsterdam on March 1.
AZ, chasing what would be only their third Dutch title, quickly issued a terse statement, saying they do not agree with the decision. Ajax, on the other hand, have tweeted “First place, that’s it…” with a picture of the team celebrating and a caption saying “the season is done, top of the table but no championship”.
It could have been their 35th national title but they seem happy enough to count this one, too.
Will this pass UEFA’s test of perceived unfairness?
Good question!
As of Friday evening, nobody seemed quite sure. UEFA knew the Dutch season was over when it issued its guidelines on Thursday and several sources told The Athletic they thought this meant null and void was off the table for the big leagues.
According to the KNVB statement, it was impossible to finish the season, public safety must come first and whatever decision they took in regard to the final tables in the Eredivisie, second-tier Eerste Divisie and further down the pyramid, somebody would be unhappy.
They were certainly right about that. As mentioned, AZ have already expressed their views, while Cambuur head coach Henk de John, whose side was 11 points clear at the top of the Eerste Divisie, has described it as the “biggest disgrace in the history of Dutch sport”.
If they are main losers here, RKC Waalwijk surely cannot believe their luck, 11 points from guaranteed safety in last place in the top flight.
Their managing director Frank van Mosselveld told the club’s website that they got the decision they hoped for, which was nice, thanked the KNVB for providing “clarity”, acknowledged it was a “difficult decision” and tried to draw a line under the circumstances of their great escape by reminding everyone of the “bigger game going on in the world”.
But that is one for the Dutch to debate. UEFA does not care about Cambuur or Waalwijk, not like that, anyway.
It will care, though, about the list of clubs KNVB is putting forward for European competition next season: Ajax and AZ Alkmaar in the Champions League and the teams in positions three through five in the table, Feyenoord, PSV and Willem II, in the Europa League.
We already know what AZ think about that but spare a thought for FC Utrecht, three points behind Willem II, with a game in hand and a far better goal difference. If that is not a hard enough kick in the nether regions, bear in mind that they beat Ajax 2-0 in the KNVB Cup semi-final seven weeks ago to set up a final against Feyenoord. So they had two great shots at European qualification. No wonder they have said the decision “is not accepted” and have threatened to sue their federation.
That would appear to put UEFA in a tricky position in terms of public perception.
OK, so how does UEFA want leagues to finish their seasons?
Option A, definitely, play the games, for billions of TV contract, sponsorship and avoided lawsuit reasons. But if we have learnt anything over the last few weeks, it is that what we want and what we will have to get used to are two very different things.
Ideally, UEFA wants the domestic seasons to finish by the first weekend in August so it can complete this season’s Champions League and Europa League in a three-week festival of football and take a couple of weeks off to reset before starting the 2020-21 seasons in mid-September, and wrapping that season up at the end of next May. This would enable the rescheduled Euro 2020 to start in June 2021.
But this schedule is based on a lot of best-case scenarios and assumptions.
It needs the Bundesliga to prove you can seal off a professional sports league in the middle of a pandemic. It needs the public health services of Italy, Spain and the UK to say they are OK with idea of some very non-essential physical exercise starting up again. And it needs Sweden to prove its “herd immunity” strategy has worked.
None of these provisos is under UEFA’s control. It cannot tell a country that professional footballers should be bumped up the list of those who need to be tested or that hospitals need to be on standby to deal with broken legs. And that is even before you consider the possibility of fresh outbreaks and second waves because a player, coach, cameraman or security guard caught the virus at a supermarket and brought it with them to the game.
UEFA is not daft. It knows this. But it also knows if it has to go to court with any of its broadcast or commercial partners, it better be able to prove it tried everything it could to get these games played, as laid out in the contracts. Every league in Europe knows this, too.
And that brings us to real significance of Thursday’s statement. Only a week after telling the Belgians they could not end their season and give Club Bruges the title, the team having a 15-point lead with one game to play, UEFA has now acknowledged that Belgium (and Scotland and all the other countries keeping their powder dry) can officially call time on this season and proceed to the next row.
Which is?
Which of options B to D they least dislike. As stated above, UEFA does not care who gets promoted or relegated but the big leagues can hardly decide who comes first through sixth, without also deciding who comes last.
For example, it is one thing to give Club Bruges their 17th national title and a place in the penultimate round of qualifying for the Champions League group stages. They cannot be caught and have earned it. But it is another to tell Charleroi they have to settle for the Europa League, despite being only a point behind second-placed Gent. Charleroi’s final, unplayed game is at home to Kortrijk, who have nothing to play for, while Gent go to Waasland-Beveren, who could avoid relegation with a victory.
Is points per game fair?
Not really but then neither is acute respiratory failure and there is a lot of that going about.
When we look at the English and Scottish top flights, we have runaway leaders but they are not home and hosed like Club Bruges. Liverpool need six more points from nine games to seal their first league championship for 30 years, while Celtic require 15 points from eight games to make a ninth-straight title mathematically certain.
Liverpool’s imperious form this season and huge lead over Manchester City means there will not be too many grumbles about giving them the title on an average points basis, reverse-fixture method, bookmakers’ odds or any other simulation. But we know Sheffield United will not take kindly to losing their European slot to Wolves, or anyone else for that matter, while the six-into-three relegation conundrum is a whole different headache. Aston Villa, in 19th, are just two points behind West Ham and Watford, 16th and 17th, respectively, but have 10 games to play, not nine, with six of those at home.
Rangers are threatening all manner of legal retribution if Celtic are handed the silverware without kicking another ball but Aberdeen will be rightly miffed if Motherwell keep the second Europa League slot despite being only a point ahead with eight games each to play. Hearts are adrift at the bottom of the table but not so far away that they could not save themselves while Partick Thistle have already been relegated to Scotland’s third tier even though they have a game in hand on the team one place above them, Queen of the South.
Pick a league, any league, and it does not take long to find somebody who bear a grudge if games still to be won and lost on the pitch are settled by calculators.
Are there any other options?
Yes, but only in the sense that there is no such thing as a bad idea now and even something that was shot down three weeks ago could return as the least painful solution.
Leaving aside null and void, which nobody wants to put their name to at the moment, perhaps the best example of this is the no-relegation-and-restructure option. The Scottish Professional Football League has already put together a committee, bizarrely comprised of clubs with the most to benefit from such a choice, to kick this idea about for a bit.
It has also been floated in England, too, with the basic premise being let us roll back the clock to 1995, when there were 22 teams in the Premier League: let Leeds United and West Brom up, reprieve Norwich, Villa and Bournemouth, and hope Fulham, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and the half a dozen other teams in the play-off picture do not start a class action lawsuit.
This, of course, only kicks the fixture-congestion can down the road to next winter, when an already-shortened domestic season will have to accommodate four more rounds of Premier League matches.
But all of these options — from pushing the end of the season back for as long as it takes to pretending the season never even started — all depend, one way or another, on perhaps the biggest assumption of all: there will be a 2020-21 season.
That is not the same as asking if there will be a “next season”. Of course we will play, watch and enjoy football again.
As Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor told The Athletic this week, professional football has survived world wars and truly dreadful decades like the 1980s. “No politician wanted anything to do with football back then, but now they can’t wait to tell you which team they support or express an opinion on the game,” he noted.
But governments across Europe this week have been preparing their people for the idea that this lockdown is probably not the last and we will be alternating between states of social distancing until we have a vaccine for COVID-19, which is still probably a year away, at best.
We have also just started to see the fallout from the decisions to let huge numbers attend sporting occasions just as the coronavirus took its grip over the continent. How soon will you be ready to crowd into Anfield or Old Trafford again? Those clubs can probably live without the ticket, beer and burger revenue but can Macclesfield, Morecambe and Montrose?
It is hoped — and that is all it is at the moment — that an audience unable to attend live sport will be desperate for televised action, and, in that scenario, the value of live media rights goes up, not down.
But this hinges on teams having fixtures to play, players to play in them, broadcasters to buy the rights and use them, punters to have enough money to pay to watch them and sponsors to still be in business. An industry entirely dependent on broadcast income is also not an industry that is cut out for supporting an eco-system as complex and fragile as English football’s pyramid.
UEFA has not got to these existential questions yet — it can only fight one fire at a time — but it will have to eventually or it, and every other governing body, will find itself in charge of an empire in ruins.
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