Let's Call The Whole Thing Off?

Absolutely. The squabbles about how this season ends is coloured too much by everyone's own personal agendas (mine too), and let's stop trying to wrap it up as some sort altruism. But the practicalities of the future of football at all levels is being lost in all this, and though Astro can be a tad bellicose at times, the idea of selling the Prem (and CL?) and streaming/televising all to commercial TV (free-to-air and not), and then divvying up the spoils as best as can between the leagues seems a reasonable way out. After all, the reason 3pm games are not televised is, so we're told, because of the issue of crowds not turning up in the lower leagues. If this situation carries on for the worst case scenarios of a year or more, then they won't have crowds anyway.

As said, there needs to be some imagination of the next steps forward, and I can't see any other way out apart from hawking the Prem to the highest bidder. As to no crowds: well it hasn't done City any harm (boom-boom), but seriously, I love watching the academy games on LFCTV. Not as much as being there (I used to live a stone's throw from Melwood growing up), but I'd still be happy to watch games on TV with no crowds for the interim, and I'd be happier still to know it was helping to keep the lower leagues in business. If York City want to deliver a pie and pint to me by Deliveroo while the game is on, I'm happy to do that too.

 

I don't think anyone's saying that those crowds will be possible, they're just saying that games without fans won't be the same product and people will lose interest.

If there's no crowds for 18 months then two things will happen imo; firstly tv audiences will drop like a stone as without the fans present then the atmosphere and the passion of the game just won't be there and secondly, we'll lose an entire leagues worth of clubs.

It's just not viable in the long term (beyond this season) imo.

 

I hope we don't need to find out. I can't see the harm of it to finish this season off (if sanctioned by health officers) if there is no other way to do so. Then again, I'm more sanguine about curtailing this season if that's what has to happen, because no matter what some people may or may not wish to happen, null and void just isn't one of them.

As said though, it's about the future and worst case scenarios. If you'd have said to me back in February that we'd still have social-distancing in May/June, I'd have thought you crazy. It now looks like though that there will be some sort of restrictions for the foreseeable future. And this is taking into account the second wave of a mutation of Covid-19 in the late Autumn (though it's not expected to swamp the NHS by then, so I've read). Bottom line is, we either start next season under restrictions, or wait till there are none. I think what has to be said though is that there is no rush to make a decision on next season at all until the end of June when contracts have to be renewed and so forth. But televised Prem games until then may be the only way of injecting cash into the whole system, imo - with or without crowds.

I think we have to see how long this lockdown is going on for, tbh, then see how much and when it gets lifted.

 

Yeah I’d watch every QPR game and at a push a Prem game with a lot riding on it but everything in the Prem feels a bit meaningless unless Watford get relegated to me.

 

It’s already subsiding it during the crisis. Not sure it could or would completely carry it for 2 years though.

 

So if it's not a realistic alternative what do you propose? Just disband the clubs now and not bother?

The power of the internet has helped an old man walking in his garden raise over £21m for the NHS. But clubs with existing fanbases can't work out how to use it to help cover their running costs?

 

There really isn’t one. Football without fans just doesn’t work for lower league clubs and won’t provide a product that holds the interest of punters at the top level for anything but an extremely short period of time.

 

I've been a lower league fan all my life, I've seen the very worst of football and the best. I've stood on deserted and packed terraces. Streaming football to finish the season is like doing a deal with the devil for me. I've always hated what i've known as the 1992 Virus, killing football clubs as it wreaks football with the decease of greed. There was once an article many year ago, where no one will attend football matches, they will all be broadcast via your tv, when that day comes, I'd be happy if my club folded because that will be the ultimate end for me. It's only ever been the passion of the experience that's kept me going, do you seriously think I go to a game expecting my team to achieve, it is but a dream, one I'm happy to be kept in the bottle.

 

Is anybody saying it's forever?

 

I didn't ask you to agree, it's a personal opinion.

 

We keep being told we have to finish the league cos of the integrity of football but none of the options keep the integrity.

Playing behind closed doors making home games meaningless (as there is no fan support) which will hinder the teams fighting against relegation and for European places and promotion and play off places.

Playing a round robin world cup camp style tournament to finish the league has the same problem.

Football without fans is horrible to watch and listen to on the radio...the atmosphere makes football what it is.

The only people who do see this are those that have never been to a game where their team was playing imo.

There is then the issue of injuries...we should have been without Kane, Son, Davies, Bergwijn and Sissoko for most of the 9 games but could end up with 4 or 5 of them being fit now. That isn't in keeping with the integrity of the league.
Not allowing them to play will be a non starter (cos they will effectively be banned for doing nothing wrong and breaking no rules) which would be against the integrity of football.

Playing this season to a finish and shortening next season is simply stupid ... how is ditching 2 cup competitions keeping with the integrity of football?

Seems obvious that this is only about money as per usual and the bizarre insistence that Liverpool must be allowed to win the league and ****ing up next season seems to be acceptable regardless of the integrity of football.

The season should be ended and then it needs to be decided if it will be possible to play next season.

 

Complete nonsense.

Yes integrity is not 100% and never will be. But if you don't accept that solutions which respect the results of 29 games that have been played have more integrity than those that pretend they never happened then you're either deluded or biased.

Same fallacy as others; "it's got to be everything exactly the way I want or nothing at all".

As you already accept plenty of people already follow football even if they can't be there, like the radio, otherwise why would they bother broadcasting it?

Maybe you should appreciate you were fortunate to be able to attend in person in the first place, and will again eventually, instead of moaning about the fact you now have to experience it for 12-18 months just like 99% of fans already do on a regular basis.

 

Didn’t you turn down a ticket you were offered on here?

 

I accepted but Tobes couldn't make it

 

its all about the transfer window and next season now

 

Weren't moaning...just pointing out you were were a plsstic

 

Not true. You never confirmed after my generous offer, and I therefore offered the seat to someone else.

The game was then moved to the Monday night, which I couldn’t do, and neither could the person I offered the seat to, so I sold them.

 

...

 

Only you never confirmed or said a further word, until weeks later when you found out I’d offered the seat to someone else. You then cried about me not saving you the seat, but you hadn’t booked flights anyway (which I’d assumed was a pisstake anyway btw)

Anyway, you’ve now confirmed that you’re not a scouser, so what are you - Irish?

 

Didn't consider any further word necessary. Assumed your "it's on" post acknowledged my acceptance, and you also posted the pub to meet. Flights weren't a problem I was just waiting on some other things to confirm exact dates.