Decision on finishing the season

[Wiltshire_Red]

From today’s Non League Paper

“Pressure is mounting on Non-League’s top two tiers today to decide on the future of the 2019-20 season as The Non-League Paper hits newsstands amid the escalating coronavirus crisis.

National League bosses could make their minds up within 24 hours, with an emergency board meeting called for Monday to either fall into line with the rest of Non-League from Step 3 & 4 down and terminate the season or go with the professional game and hope to resurrect it at a later date.

Throw in the growing number of furious clubs lobbying the Football Association within hours of the season being expunged from the BetVictor-sponsored Step 3 & 4 competitions down, a key FA Council meeting by video conference to ratify the controversial decision this week”

[APJ]

If the remaining games cannot be completed as seems quite likely now, I find the decision of Steps 3 downwards to void the whole season unfair and illogical (as well as premature) and should be overturned. I really think that we should have full promotions and relegations based on PPG as things stand. That’s unless someone can explain to me why expunging 80%+ of matches that HAVE BEEN played is a fairer outcome than ignoring 20% of matches that HAVE NOT BEEN played. Playoffs where needed can be done behind closed doors as required. I would be saying this if Wrexham were in the bottom 4 (or 3) as no team can reasonably complain about getting relegated if they are in a relegation position on PPG after 80%+ of games are complete. I accept this is not an ideal solution, but I think it is fairer than voiding a season that’s close to completion.

[Wiltshire_Red]

Originally Posted by APJ

If the remaining games cannot be completed as seems quite likely now, I find the decision of Steps 3 downwards to void the whole season unfair and illogical (as well as premature) and should be overturned. I really think that we should have full promotions and relegations based on PPG as things stand. That’s unless someone can explain to me why expunging 80%+ of matches that HAVE BEEN played is a fairer outcome than ignoring 20% of matches that HAVE NOT BEEN played. Playoffs where needed can be done behind closed doors as required. I would be saying this if Wrexham were in the bottom 4 (or 3) as no team can reasonably complain about getting relegated if they are in a relegation position on PPG after 80%+ of games are complete. I accept this is not an ideal solution, but I think it is fairer than voiding a season that’s close to completion.

I agree, however I would say no playoffs and second placed team on PPG gets promoted along with champions

[APJ]

Originally Posted by Wiltshire_Red

I agree, however I would say no playoffs and second placed team on PPG gets promoted along with champions

Wouldn't argue with that either, especially as there may of course still be restrictions in place through the summer.

[Red Light]

Originally Posted by APJ

Wouldn't argue with that either, especially as there may of course still be restrictions in place through the summer.

My firm belief and information is that no more football will be played this season - we are at the start of a very long road and 'lock down' will extend well into the summer (minimum). Player contracts will end soon - squads will be blown apart - some players will want to move on ASAP with an eye on being secured on another contract elsewhere.

So firstly, no more football of any kind - no playing behind closed doors, no play offs and no promotions / relegations - we might as well forget this season ever existed, clear the decks and start again - whenever that will be.

Arguing about the rights and wrongs, probable's and possible's based on the length of season so far played is irrelevant - it wont matter a jot in the greater scheme of things - some clubs will benefit others will suffer but that would happen in any event if all outstanding fixtures were completed - the fact is they wont be - PPG can also be disregarded - it's no fairer than any other method - some clubs could claim an easier run in than others. Scrap and void the whole season on the basis that the full league programme will never be completed.

[Sandgrounder]

Originally Posted by Red Light

My firm belief and information is that no more football will be played this season - we are at the start of a very long road and 'lock down' will extend well into the summer (minimum). Player contracts will end soon - squads will be blown apart - some players will want to move on ASAP with an eye on being secured on another contract elsewhere.

So firstly, no more football of any kind - no playing behind closed doors, no play offs and no promotions / relegations - we might as well forget this season ever existed, clear the decks and start again - whenever that will be.

Arguing about the rights and wrongs, probable's and possible's based on the length of season so far played is irrelevant - it wont matter a jot in the greater scheme of things - some clubs will benefit others will suffer but that would happen in any event if all outstanding fixtures were completed - the fact is they wont be - PPG can also be disregarded - it's no fairer than any other method - some clubs could claim an easier run in than others. Scrap and void the whole season on the basis that the full league programme will never be completed.

You could be right.

But, on the other hand, maybe not. Say this season is scrapped (which, obviously, it's looking like it will be), then say the 20/21 season has to be brought to a halt because of another cornonavirus outbreak, what happens then? Do we null and void again? That way lies disaster for professional sport as what would be the purpose.

Much better to set the right precedent now of trying to keep the wheels spinning. I'm not talking about playing on or anything daft like that, rather using PPG as the only way to bring a closure which at least maintains the semblance of some normality in terms of rewarding teams doing well and punishing those doing badly.

[APJ]

Originally Posted by Red Light

My firm belief and information is that no more football will be played this season - we are at the start of a very long road and 'lock down' will extend well into the summer (minimum). Player contracts will end soon - squads will be blown apart - some players will want to move on ASAP with an eye on being secured on another contract elsewhere.

So firstly, no more football of any kind - no playing behind closed doors, no play offs and no promotions / relegations - we might as well forget this season ever existed, clear the decks and start again - whenever that will be.

Arguing about the rights and wrongs, probable's and possible's based on the length of season so far played is irrelevant - it wont matter a jot in the greater scheme of things - some clubs will benefit others will suffer but that would happen in any event if all outstanding fixtures were completed - the fact is they wont be - PPG can also be disregarded - it's no fairer than any other method - some clubs could claim an easier run in than others. Scrap and void the whole season on the basis that the full league programme will never be completed.

You make some valid points Red Light and I take them on board especially on players contracts and the need to bring an early resolution to this, but I remain unconvinced on your argument against my central point.

All I’m really saying, in an imperfect and unprecedented situation, is that if you are top after 38 games you deserve to go up and if you’re in the bottom 4 after 38 games you deserve to go down, and so we can close the season based on what happened before Covid-19, not base it on what may or may not have happened after it. Voiding the season means we think that the 8 or so unplayed games that remain are more important than the 38 that have been played.

And there is a bigger point than this, think about it, if we void the whole season, are we not retrospectively assigning the virus an unnecessarily even bigger impact than it is already having?

[bowler]

Chief medical officer says 6 months from now before any semblance of normality returns so September at the earliest before maybe a ball is kicked which I don't think will happen because they will still want to keep big crowds from gathering even then. If they get the virus on a downward slope it could still be present in a small portion of the population and it could flare up again.and back to square one.Hopefully a vaccine can be found soon that kills this nightmare off.

[Red Light]

Originally Posted by bowler

Chief medical officer says 6 months from now before any semblance of normality returns so September at the earliest before maybe a ball is kicked which I don't think will happen because they will still want to keep big crowds from gathering even then. If they get the virus on a downward slope it could still be present in a small portion of the population and it could flare up again.and back to square one.Hopefully a vaccine can be found soon that kills this nightmare off.

You make a massive valid point - this isn't going to go away - it could and probably will flare up next winter and every winter after that.

I have read in some articles that 'the system' is attempting to push us day by day into the warmer summer months - the perception that the virus is less active at this time of year in contrast to the winter months - perhaps that is the case - you don't really hear of people getting flu in the summer do you ? Problem is this is all new and responses to it are still being formulated.
How football will fit into this in the future will have to wait - we could be in exactly the same position this time next year.