The big vote

[TonyM]

As Matthew Syed said on Radio 5 last week - footballers will be working in one of the safest working environments in the UK with all the testing and protocols that have been put in place.  The difficulty will come when some of the players do 'stupid' things outside of that environment which will put themselves and others at risk.

On a different tack it looks like the EFL are serious about the idea of a salary cap in L1 and L2 as reported here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52738597
I think if it gets approved the National League will come under pressure to follow suit (might use the extra promotion place as leverage) which will be a good thing for football in general but I know SC is adamantly opposed to, likewise any FFP rules being brought into the non-league game.  I think post-COVID we need to get to a point where all of NLN and NLS are back to part-time and probably a good chunk of the NL are also part-time.

[Blue_and_Gold]

As Matthew Syed said on Radio 5 last week - footballers will be working in one of the safest working environments in the UK with all the testing and protocols that have been put in place.  The difficulty will come when some of the players do 'stupid' things outside of that environment which will put themselves and others at risk.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/premier-league/tottenham-investigating-after-serge-aurier-appears-to-break-lockdown-rules-to-get-a-haircut/ar-BB14mjl7?li=AAnZ9Ug&ocid=UP97DHP

[Blue_and_Gold]

So what does Danny Rose think the front line staff have been doing for the past 7 weeks? Just to let him know that they have been working, many without having tests on a regular basis, like he will be getting. So if he doesn't want to " risk his health for peoples entertainment " then that's fine, as long as he doesn't expect to get paid.

Of course, that's a valid point.

Rose is far from being alone with his opinion/comments.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/premier-league/the-premier-league-stars-who-ve-raised-concerns-about-project-restart/ss-BB14mddQ?li=AAwmeM7&ocid=UP97DHP#image=12

[Blueboy]

Blue and Gold, I agree, but Deeney has a 5 month old with breathing difficulties, so understand his and others with family issues. But Rose, who has suffered with depression in the past, should understand, and his comment last week about "not giving a fxxx about the nations morale" smacks of being insensitive at the very least. Incidentally somebody who met his cousin was told by that cousin that he has always been an opinionated gob****e.

[Blue_and_Gold]

Blue and Gold, I agree, but Deeney has a 5 month old with breathing difficulties, so understand his and others with family issues. But Rose, who has suffered with depression in the past, should understand, and his comment last week about "not giving a fxxx about the nations morale" smacks of being insensitive at the very least. Incidentally somebody who met his cousin was told by that cousin that he has always been an opinionated gob****e

Rose was only used as an example as he came up first in the news. There's plenty of others voicing their opinions about Project restart.

I'm also sure that there are others such as Deeney who are concerned about their families, and I can't say I blame them.

[Blueboy]

Oops, just read my previous post back, was meant to say gob****e, no offence or racist connotation was meant, sorry if I inadvertently offended anybody, was predictive text.

[westlynnmike]

What are you insulating Loughborough Linnet?

Just go to the (offending?) post and "Modify" or "Remove" BB any problem sorted.

[Blueboy]

Thanks Westlynn Mike.

[wack]

an EFL announcement on bbc website which may have a bearing on Lynn.EDP also carrying it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52758193

[KES80]

https://www.crewealex.net/news/2020/may/efl-statement-coronavirus-update/

The EFL statement from their website

[gs50]

can't get excited probably all change again tomorrow.

[Blue_and_Gold]

BBC Sport


English football's pyramid will be destroyed unless the game starts to plan for the financial impact of Covid-19 beyond the 2019-20 season, says Huddersfield owner Phil Hodgkinson.

Hodgkinson thinks as many as "50 or 60" clubs could go bust.

He says he is looking at a "worst-case scenario" of no fans allowed in stadiums for the 2020-21 season.

"The problem is not whether we finish [this] season or not, it is what happens after that," he told BBC Sport.

Having previously owned National League North side Southport, Hodgkinson has experience of the hand-to-mouth existence of many lower-league clubs.

"If we don't come to an agreement there will be no football pyramid. There are clubs I know of that are only still trading because they are deferring wages and [tax] and other creditors. They will need paying at some point," Hodgkinson said.

"There is an absolutely real, stark probability that if something isn't agreed now within football to ensure all clubs can pay their bills and get through to the point where income is resumed, you will be looking at 50 or 60 clubs ceasing to exist. Genuinely, I am talking about that many."

'What is football going to do to ensure the entire pyramid survives?'

Hodgkinson says Huddersfield, three points above the Championship relegation zone, want the season to restart "when it is safe", with clubs set to return to training on Monday.

But he says the game "is not looking at the bigger picture", with the main focus being on restarting the current season.

"It will cost each club between £150,000 and £200,000 for testing to get to the end of the season," he said. "But what happens after that?

"We have been told by the government that there will be no large gatherings until there is a vaccine and that is likely to be in 2021. That means football clubs will lose a vast proportion of their income outside of any broadcast money, which is likely to be significantly reduced or clawed back anyway.

"In normal revenue, we are looking at losing between £7m and £10m. The claw-back for TV is going to be £10m-£30m. That is just us. So, what is football going to do to ensure the entire pyramid survives this? The discussion is being avoided. For the next three, six or 12 months clubs are going to have no income."

One solution Hodgkinson has suggested is reducing players' wages at every level of the game.

"The players are not to blame," he said. "But the reality is, the players have to be part of the solution because if clubs go bust, their contracts won't get met anyway.

"They may not like me saying this, but [players' union] the PFA need to put in place salary cuts of between 30% and 50% for all players at all levels until such a time as crowds are allowed back into football stadiums and income streams return.

"These are ideas. They may not be the right ones. But something has to be done because everyone knows what is coming and people are just sticking their heads in the sand.

[TonyM]

Interesting article B&G and the guy talks a lot of sense.  Everyone seems to be slowly coming round to the idea that the world will look a different place when we can finally go back to worrying about matters on the pitch but the PFA seem to be the last in the queue to accept this new reality and are certainly not being 'part of the solution', at least for now.  Hopefully Leagues 1 & 2 will be resolved this week although think they have cleverly put the relegation of Stevenage back to the NL in saying they will only relegate IF the National League guarantee they will run next season and who knows when they will be able to confirm that? 

I am still not sure there is the money to justify playoffs the lower down you go, when you hear the costs involved in setting up testing and also bringing players back for one or two games it becomes increasingly unviable the lower down the pyramid you get so there has to be a cut off at some point and I think it may be NL level with step 2 play offs cancelled, the question then would be would the NL relegate any (with just Wealdstone promoted due to the Bury 'gap'), 1 (Wealdstone & KL promoted) or 3 (Wealdstone, KL and the runners up of NLS/NLN all going up)

[wack]

FA gives National league permission to extend season for play off should the league wish to go down that route.

[westlynnmike]

Whatever outcome of "The Bury Problem" and if team/s promoted and relegated - there will be the "Gap" in Step 1 NL or Step 2 North and South?

That "Gap" may be filled by Bury FC and if so it should be at Step 2 North (not National League Step 1).

However, if Bury FC are unable to reform - Who gets to fill "The Gap"