Football is likely to change and not for the better

[Andy S]

You cannot self isolate while playing football. Consequently it will not even be played behind closed doors until a vaccine is developed. Supporters will not be allowed to congregate in stadiums pubs or anywhere else for probably 2 years.Any money in the game will be gone by then. There will be no big transfers and no lucrative promotions. As many as half of the 92 clubs could fold or at least lay off staff including players. That is how I see it what about you?

[filham]

 I think possibly behind closed door games could be played before we have a vaccine but a game at the Cottage with a full house is a long way off, not this year by any stretch of the imagination.

Players are probably going to have to accept lower wages and that at least is good.

[Statto]

This is how I see it:

"You cannot self isolate while playing football." - Agree

"Consequently it will not even be played behind closed doors until a vaccine is developed." - Self-isolation is only required if you have, or suspect you have, the virus. So football can be played, but any players who have the virus will have to sit out for a week or two.

"Supporters will not be allowed to congregate in stadiums pubs or anywhere else for probably 2 years." - We don't know when large sporting events will resume but the general consensus seems to be that it is highly likely to be less than 2 years.

"Any money in the game will be gone by then. There will be no big transfers and no lucrative promotions." - Disagree for the reasons given above. Worst case scenario, football will resume this summer but be played behind closed doors for a while.

[EricB]

I know money usually talks, and they will find a way. But realistically how can you have a squad of players in pre season training keeping 2 metres apart.  Ok, so the government permit them to go closer, what happens when one of the heard of players shows symptoms.  Are the rest allowed to travel the length of the country to play another team and possibly infect them. Or are they all now in 14 day quarantine.  What is to stop teams manipulating their games using Covid19 as a way to delay and manipulate matches until a critical player is free from an injury a ban.  No idea what the answer is, let alone when we will get back to the Cottage.  Stay safe.

[Milo]

Extreme.

I think there will be clubs in the lower leagues that no doubt will go into administration but I think life in the top two leagues at least will remain largely the same.

[Andy S]

I don't believe it can stay the same in the top two leagues as the amount of debt that will accumulate. From the borrowed money the clubs have financed players will have to be repaid. Take Sess spurs paid a lot of money for him but he has not come through yet. It may be that they would have to loan him out to get another club to pay his wage bill. Who will be able to afford that? There are lots of players like that. You will get a lot of good fringe players going on free transfers. Youth teams will be cut to the bone and you will no longer pay good wages to young players. That changes everything

[Milo]

Perhaps one or two surprise clubs will get into trouble?

I admit, what you're suggesting is possible! I mean, who really knows what effects 6 months at least out the game will have..

[RaySmith]

I think, the season will be played out behind closed doors, this summer, and all the players will be tested beforehand, so no need for self isolation in a game. Any who   test  positive for the virus will  self isolate for the required time.

Teams  can travel to away games without coming into close contact with the outside world.

I think there is a pressure to get games back on asap. to stop teams folding, which some in the lower leagues will if  football is postponed until a vaccine is found.

[Statto]

I don't believe it can stay the same in the top two leagues as the amount of debt that will accumulate. From the borrowed money the clubs have financed players will have to be repaid. Take Sess spurs paid a lot of money for him but he has not come through yet. It may be that they would have to loan him out to get another club to pay his wage bill. Who will be able to afford that? There are lots of players like that. You will get a lot of good fringe players going on free transfers. Youth teams will be cut to the bone and you will no longer pay good wages to young players. That changes everything

If they play out the season behind closed doors, presumably the TV and prize money will still be paid out. So the only thing they lose this season will be the gate receipts. If you take Spurs for example, their gate receipts are about £2m per game. They've got 5 home games left to play this season so the financial hit will be £10m. That's probably offset against some savings from putting non-playing staff on furlough etc. And their typical annual revenue is about £400m. So you're talking about them losing about 2% of revenue. They're hardly going to fold over that.

As to next season, again the key is whether the season is actually played and whether the TV and prize money is still paid. The fact that the start of the season is delayed, or the first few home games will be played behind closed doors (unlikely anyway IMO, because a lot will change between now and then) will not really hurt them, as far as I can tell. 

[Woolly Mammoth]

It will never be quite the same again, which may not be a bad thing as it was slowly going down the plug hole anyway with overpaid overindulged players, who cheat, pretend to be injured, dive to get a pen or free kick, trying to get opponents sent off, dropping to the floor as though they have been poleaxed. when somebody sneezes. You have to be a simpleton to think that is entertainment.
Big clubs getting richer poor clubs getting poorer. Players behaving like spoilt brats when the  referees decision goes against them. The standard of referees is the worst I can remember. It is no longer the beautiful game, only the ugly game. Millionaire Managers trying to motivate Millionaire players in a dressing room full of millionaires.
The Bubble was always going to burst as football was eating itself from the inside due to greed and short term  planning, it's just burst sooner than expected. What goes round comes round, and the FA are just as toothless and full of buffoons as they have always been. It will no longer be a priority for a lot of people apart from unscrupulous agents. At least we will be left with our own memories of times gone past.
I just feel sorry for the smaller clubs who rely on gate money, I have no sympathy for the big clubs whom some could collapse like a pack of cards as they are built on sand by the greed of owners, especially if the banks call their loans in.   

[Oakeshott]

I am wondering if the first poster meant self isolate, or social distancing. The former is what one is advised to do if one has, or anyone in the same household has, relevant symptoms. Social distancing is the two metres we are advised to keep apart from others not in one's household.

All the time the government advises social distancing, I don't see how football can be played, even without crowds. The problem is that once the government explicitly or implicitly waives social distancing in any given context it will be seen as a sign that it is not really necessary.

Some relaxations of current restrictions are possible with social distancing  - eg golf, tennis (singles anyway), fishing. But cricket, football, rugby and athletics are much more problematic as people are invariably within two metres of one another at times and not easy to see how any of them could be rejigged, rule-wise, to prevent that without completely changing the character of the sports.

[Andy S]

May be we should go straight to penalties

[Woolly Mammoth]

 064.gif

May be we should go straight to penalties

064.gif 064.gif  064.gif

[bobbo]

Dear oh dear, anyone got a rope.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Dear oh dear, anyone got a rope.

Yes I have a strong length of Sisal Rope I use for towing my Water Cannon when it breaks down, it's currently hanging on a scaffold I built many years ago in the back garden. You may borrow it as long as you promise to bring it back in one piece.

[jarv]

It was hard not to see that the silly money in the game would eventually lead to a downfall. However, many clubs who suffer seriously, I believe, will rise from the ashes. Supporters of the likes of Halifax, Port Vale etc (Fulham in the 4th division) never give up. Young players will always come through. The influx of Europeans might slow a bit. Could see a return to the 60s/70s....not a bad thing. (I am not suggesting no foreign players, we have all enjoyed some great foreign players in the ranks at Fulham). Just with less money involved, it might happen naturally.

[ex-Pat]

I think possibly behind closed door games could be played before we have a vaccine but a game at the Cottage with a full house is a long way off, not this year by any stretch of the imagination.

Players are probably going to have to accept lower wages and that at least is good.

[RaySmith]

One scenario is that people will find they haven't missed football, and  the lack of interest will lead to TV companies not investing to the same degree, and a decline in attendances - leading to the end of the  huge wages of top players,
and huge transfer  fees.

However, I  have a feeling that when football returns there will be greeted with  huge  applause by many, even  televised behind locked doors games, and thus will continue much as before, but with some smaller clubs struggling even more to survive, and some maybe going to the wall.

There does seem some a lot of repugnance at top  footballers' wages, compared to  NHS and care  staff, but this is nothing new - the situation and the repugnance, and is all to do with the Market, which has ruled supreme in British politics since Thatcher's time, and people just voted for a Tory government very much embodying these values, though it has been forced to  put  money into the welfare budget in these times.

[Andy S]

Who said a week is a long time in politics?

[Luka]

Football will be fine.
They can play behind closed doors on a pay to view basis keeping money flooding in.
Lower leagues will be included and will survive and could even thrive if they played each league on different days
Players can be tested before each match day and those found positive will get quarantined until clear.
It's strange times but just like all businessman the owners will adapt.