2019-20 cancelled?

[DangerousSausage]

So football is grinding to a halt. The Premier League and EFL are postponed. After initially insisting on playing behind closed doors, the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are postponed until further notice and Hannover's entire squad is in quarantine. The National League (irresponsibly IMO) is attempting to continue, but will surely bite the bullet sooner rather than later - Harrogate already can't continue.

What happens now? Surely Euro 2020 will have to be cancelled or put back a year, which I suppose would give us the opportunity to complete our fixtures in the summer, if we're over the worst by then. The alternative is very much on the table though - just cancelling the season altogether, which begs the question of what we do with promotion and relegation, or even if we bother with it at all. What happens if the situation drags on until August or later - on the one hand it feels farcical to promote teams when there are ten matches still to play, but on the other, can we really just render the season null and void? Another suggestion I've heard in Germany is promoting the teams in the automatic promotion places, but not doing relegation. That might be more acceptable to clubs, but would result in a 26-team League One.

I feel gutted about the whole thing to be honest, but all things pass, even this. The question is, what happens next?

[menzinho]

I think this weekend will be the last game for Notts for a while… 5 more National League games have already been postponed! As bad is it is money wise for all the clubs, I just can’t see how the league can continue.

I’ve heard the ideas of finishing the season as it is if the leagues are unable to resume. I think in some cases, Liverpool will clearly win the league, Man City and Leicester will finish 2nd and 3rd. Bolton and Southend look all but relegated in League 1. As for all the other spots in all the others leagues it’s still all up for grabs! Every season there’s always something to play for on the last day, a promotion spot or relegation.

If you put it to the clubs to vote for, then surely all those in the relegation zone and chasing a play-off spot will vote for a void season. And those only just outside the relegation zone and teams in the play-off/promotion zones will vote for the season to finish. Ironically the teams with nothing to play for will then be the one’s deciding the fate!

It’s just so bizarre. I guess they can postpone the Euro’s and push next season’s start day back, I know people’s health comes first and it’s not a complaint but I really hope we can get some sort of end to the season.

[NottsTastic]

I don’t think those in high powers are thinking things through, today was fine at Notts. Issues is sets of fans that aren’t hygienic and are the problem. I think Notts could keep playing, but other clubs will get it so this can’t happen.

[JIMBO]

It's madness, if a player had flu or another illness they would be classed as injured. It's their issue that they're unwell, make them play and go beyond close doors if they must but don't make this season null.

[lambleypie]

I am against any cancellation of the season, they just need to put in measures to reduce the risk and people need to look out for themselves more. If anyone shows signs of the virus, they need to follow the government advice. 

[liampie]

it does look like things will be paused but i hope the season is not cancelled. think the panic has reached new heights, if clubs and league systems had just moved games to be played behind closed doors and said that players/staff need to limit contact i think it would not be such an issue.

[Guest gtownjohnno]

If things get any worse..... Here is a suggestion to complete all the fixtures.......... The Pools Panel......... 

[Countyman]

If they suspend the league, leave it as things stand and pick up the playoffs once it blows over.

[BromPie]

Quote

The question is, what happens next?

The National League will play it by whatever is advised, I can see things coming to a temporary stand still but I think there will be a lot of pressure to ensure the season continues.

If they do go down the path of streaming games behind closed doors, then fine.

Lower league clubs risk losing a lot of money, season ticket holders need to keep this in mind. Do you lose the season completely or just your match day ticket? It will give people a better chance to save in my mind with the potential of two trips to London.

[Joshua]

If they can't fulfill the fixtures, end things as they stand now.

[CliftonMagpie]

Those who have the decision to shape what happens needs to think carefully, cancelling the season, making it null and void should only be the worst case scenario. They must do whatever is possible to keep the leagues going, if this means making adjustments to the fixtures and extending the season - fine. This will blow over if everyone does their part, I see no reason why it should ground football to a halt.

It's no worse than the flu or any other illness, it just spreads because people are not doing enough to prevent it.

[Fozzy]

Two options in my eyes.

Make the whole season null and void and then start again next season, which is harsh on some teams but the fairest solution.

Put back the completion of this season to late summer and then start next season in October/November (if we are lucky enough to be playing again by then), but truncate the season by cancelling all domestic and European club cup competitions for the year. You could possibly then be back on track. There would obviously be a transfer window issue so that would have to be cancelled as well and some arrangement over player contracts.

There is talk though that the current global situation could last for 18 months, so who knows what might happen.

[TheSkipper]

It's a bit weird that schools have remained open up to now, yet football has been suspended.

They have to find time to finish this season, it would cause more disruption and unrest if they didn't. At the moment, everybody seems to be working towards this goal. It's now down to people to self quarantine themselves and stop the spreading of the virus.

 

[AmericanPie]

Delay and restart when it’s calmed down, go from there. If the leagues end now though, relegation would have to be stopped.

[eighteensixtytwo]

It came has no shock, but I have no idea how it will fit in.

I can see this running up to May, if not longer. It's important that those self isolating stay at home and don't venture out for no need.

[Wilfordpie]

I get the feeling the leagues could be suspended for a number of months which could take too long to correct over time.

[Nocturnal-Magpie]

As annoying as it would be to see the season cancelled completely, there is life outside of football and the squad assembled by Ardley should grow in confidence more.

[Chris]

It's really sunk in now with me that this isn't likely go away even by the end of April.

People are still not listening to the guidelines and this could further impact football, I'd be really annoyed with these selfish people if the leagues get cancelled completely. It's looking very unlikely that this will die down, it could be around when it's my birthday and that just pushes everything further back.

[allardyces tash]

Looks like the season may be cancelled nul and void.  

[cheeky~k8]

I get the feeling it will cancel this season but i do hope not... Notts got so close.

[super_ram]

This virus outbreak first made news,as far as I'm aware,at the end of December.It's now almost the end of March.3 months and it still looks like the situation will get worse before it gets better.,so we will be well into July at the earliest before we can even think about resuming 'normal' everyday life.The logical resumption ,to me,would be to have  a sort of 'pre-season'  sometime in August /September to get players up to speed and then resume football with the completion of  the 8 or 9 league games plus the outstanding cup games from this season.Of course this would mean the cancellation of the 2020/2021 and would leave what would have been the the climax of that season without any fixtures.It would though,be more fair for the teams curently in promotion places,(Notts included} than having this season declared null and void.

[B&Wstripes]

The National League held back suspending matches, but could be the first to make the whole campaign nul and void. Crazy!

[thommo]

The National League need to make their own decision without the FA pressing for what they want.

It does look like the leagues will be null and voided.

[menzinho]

The FA has today announced all football leagues below the National League (Our league & the North/South divs) have been abandoned. No promotions. No relegations. The results from this season effectively count for nothing and they'll all be in the same leagues when the new season commences.

Some teams like Jersey Bulls & Vauxhall Motors had already won promotion before the league was suspended, how is that fair? I don't know why they needed to make the decision so soon.  

National League hopes to be able to resume at some point. No decision has been made about the FA Trophy (and Vase).

[DangerousSausage]

@menzinho The chance of football being played again in our league is zilch. In China it took months to get it under control, and they acted much sooner. Added to that, in the NL most players' contracts run out at the end of April. I doubt we'll be seeing any football before autumn.

Every option is a bad one. Relegation is a non-starter - I know Stevenage are well adrift, but if we're doing relegation we have to be even-handed, and that means relegating teams like Charlton, who are two points off safety with a quarter of the season to go. How is that fair? And regarding promotion, the teams just outside automatic promotion are denied their chance - in League One there are just three points between 2nd and 8th place.

If that were after 46 games, fair enough. But the fundamental problem with accepting the current table as the final one is that the season is not finished, meaning that some teams have had easier fixtures, some have had more home games, etc. Rotherham might just be ahead of the pack because their harder games are yet to come.

If the EFL and NL decide to recognise promotion but not relegation, we could still benefit. If the teams in the automatic promotion places go up, you'd end up with 24 teams in the Championship, 24 in League One and 22 in League Two. So we could be asked to make up the numbers. But - and this will sound harsh - Barrow haven't (yet) earned promotion with their 70 points, let alone us with 63. On measure I'd prefer the promotion-but-no-relegation solution even if we miss out, but just voiding the season would probably be more even-handed. It'll be crap for someone whatever happens.