Rules for Curtailment of the Season

[Suffolk Blue]

Scotland has this afternoon introduced tighter restrictions - we can't leave our homes - but there was no mention of curtailing professional football.

Professional sport in Scotland will be unaffected by the new lockdown says Nicola Sturgeon. So I would expect any similar announcement by Boris to say the same thing. My guess is that "elite" clubs will be allowed to continue as is even if we are confined to quarters.

Elite football to continue in England. Nicola Sturgeon steals Boris' notes yet again. With the tougher COVID procedures coming into force its going to get quite interesting. National League now likely to complete their season by about the time of the next World Cup!

[McMark]

No answers but a good read!
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/le ... k-lockdown

[Suffolk Blue]

No answers but a good read!
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/le ... k-lockdown

Sets out the issues well but as you say cant really provide an answer. I'm not sure whether anybody is suggesting some kind of firebreak to allow clubs who have played fewer fixtures to catch up though as some of those catch up games will be against sides that have played more games.

The article discusses the problem in relation to Leagues 1 and 2 as if a solution could be determined in isolation which given the EFLs commitment to promotion and relegation is itself not possible. The solution for both ends of the spectrum is inevitably determined by what happens both in the Championship and below the EFL. In an early curtailment, the EFL could probably bespoke a solution that dealt with the National League without worrying too much about the repercussions. Ultimately however the EFL has its eye on the Premiership. The story avoids the issue of promotion out of the EFL but it is that single issue, short of some form of national social breakdown that will determine its position.

Hence why they wont give it up even if things get a little worse over the next few weeks unless forced to do so. My guess would be that they would rather play on now and lose games even if it meant having to consider an extension to the season as the pandemic recedes which for L1/L2 would not be wholly problematic if it meant playing to the end of May.

[Jim]

We started the season behind closed doors in the hope/expectation that, before long, clubs would be able to play again with paying spectators. As it is, we have only had a few games with spectators and now we are behind closed doors again for several more weeks (at best). Also, there is probability of more games being cancelled when players or other staff test positive.

Although I would miss my football, I have to query the sense of playing on, having to pay players but receiving little income. I can see why the Premier league might carry on as there is so much income from TV and the betting industry, but I can't help wondering if it would be more sensible to stop playing in the lower leagues and call off the season. I am sure that, if clubs could get some funding for fixed costs and the players could be put on furlough, they would lose less money than they are currently.

I also think cancelling league 2 would be, in one sense at least, more acceptable at this stage because clubs are tightly bunched at top and bottom, so nobody can realistically claim they were robbed of promotion (or that a particular team should have escaped relegation).

[Fazered]

We started the season behind closed doors in the hope/expectation that, before long, clubs would be able to play again with paying spectators. As it is, we have only had a few games with spectators and now we are behind closed doors again for several more weeks (at best). Also, there is probability of more games being cancelled when players or other staff test positive.

Although I would miss my football, I have to query the sense of playing on, having to pay players but receiving little income. I can see why the Premier league might carry on as there is so much income from TV and the betting industry, but I can't help wondering if it would be more sensible to stop playing in the lower leagues and call off the season. I am sure that, if clubs could get some funding for fixed costs and the players could be put on furlough, they would lose less money than they are currently.

I also think cancelling league 2 would be, in one sense at least, more acceptable at this stage because clubs are tightly bunched at top and bottom, so nobody can realistically claim they were robbed of promotion (or that a particular team should have escaped relegation).

This all sounds way too sensible to me. The authorities won't do it

[Suffolk Blue]

To be honest I'd be happy to vote for a curtailment right now given the haphazard low value footballing experience that the EFL can currently provide. Albeit that this would tinged with bias as it would almost certainly be impossible to do this without voiding the season and starting afresh. But wont happen short of government intervention.

If the Prem decided to shut down it would find itself in a legal battle with the EFL if this meant reneging on promotion from the EFL and a legal battle with its own clubs if it allowed a PPG solution (which unlike the EFL its rules do not require it to do). Conversely if the EFL curtailed now it would forfeit its right to promotion from the Championship so it wont do that. Lastly if it decided to allow promotion from the Championship but not from/between L1 and L2 (and it would need a change in its rules to be approved by a majority of its members to do this) I dont believe Sunderland, Peterborough, Ipswich etc. would allow that without a legal challenge.

In these circumstances a three legged dog is preferable to anarchy in the UK.

[Middleton Nick]

To be honest I'd be happy to vote for a curtailment right now given the haphazard low value footballing experience that the EFL can currently provide. Albeit that this would tinged with bias as it would almost certainly be impossible to do this without voiding the season and starting afresh. But wont happen short of government intervention.

If the Prem decided to shut down it would find itself in a legal battle with the EFL if this meant reneging on promotion from the EFL and a legal battle with its own clubs if it allowed a PPG solution (which unlike the EFL its rules do not require it to do). Conversely if the EFL curtailed now it would forfeit its right to promotion from the Championship so it wont do that. Lastly if it decided to allow promotion from the Championship but not from/between L1 and L2 (and it would need a change in its rules to be approved by a majority of its members to do this) I dont believe Sunderland, Peterborough, Ipswich etc. would allow that without a legal challenge.

In these circumstances a three legged dog is preferable to anarchy in the UK.

Sex Pistols won't be happy.

[McMark]

In these circumstances a three legged dog is preferable to anarchy in the UK.

Sex Pistols won't be happy.

At least we never took time out for “Holidays in the Sun”
Like them hoops over the border!

Season will almost certainly have to be extended if it is to be fulfilled as the EFL seems to desire at this stage!

[Suffolk Blue]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55751438

50% of NLN and several NLS clubs have today called for an immediate suspension of their season - probably for a period of 3 weeks to allow additional options for financing the remainder of the NL season to be agreed. At the moment the only other options available to NL clubs would be to share of some part of £11million in Government loans that if spread equitably would keep clubs technically funded only until the end of March. The clubs concerned have already indicated that they are unwilling to go further into debt by accessing an additional loan (10 year period at 2% interest). Further these clubs also receive no support in paying for any COVID testing.

The situation at NL level is less clear and probably more evenly divided. Those who can afford to play on will want to do so those lower down would probably be happy to call it a day if they cant access funds without strings. Still a lot of chatter about whether they could enforce a PPG outcome though the (12) NLN clubs are calling for a voiding of the season if no additional financial support is granted. Further meeting on Friday. A couple of NLN/NLS sides have now postponed games due to take place on Saturday in anticipation of a suspension.

Now looking probable rather than possible that NLN/NLS season will be curtailed in some way. NL split between the haves and have nots. National League Board hopelessly flailing about. Watch this space.

[HenneysKnee]

Isn’t it nice not to have to worry about PPG, void seasons etc etc this year

[mickycarrol]

Isn’t it nice not to have to worry about PPG, void seasons etc etc this year

We dodged a massive bullet getting promoted last season. Whilst we are not sleeping on a stash of cash I know but if we were still NL I dread to think what our predicament would be...... sad times once again when will all this [SwearFilter] end!!!!!

[whitty1969]

Isn’t it nice not to have to worry about PPG, void seasons etc etc this year

Dont be too sure on that.

[Suffolk Blue]

Isn’t it nice not to have to worry about PPG, void seasons etc etc this year

Dont be too sure on that.

I agree. Unfortunately PPG remains as important this season as it did last. At this time certainly as important as the points total.

The one thing that the NL clubs are not factoring in, probably not surprisingly as yet when it comes to PPG is that unlike the EFL with the Premiership, the agreements that the EFL has with the NL governing promotion/relegation are (probably not) legally binding commercially. That would mean that the NL could not unilaterally determine its own minimum PPG level. This was an issue we had of course last year. What constitutes an acceptable curtailment point in the season appeared nowhere in the rules. In actual fact I do not believe it does so even now as whilst the EFL have given themselves the right to curtail, this is subject to a "viable" number of games played and it is unclear what this number is.

So the NL could not finish its season at any point and simply declare a PPG result and expect to have its top teams teams accepted by the EFL unless that process was agreed by the EFL. In effect, if the EFL decided on a 75% match completion minimum for its own leagues for PPG to come into effect, in all probability it would require the NL to meet the same criteria. As the NLs current completion rate is far worse than L2 its probable that the completion status of the League below rather than our own would determine whether relegation or promotion could take place to and from the EFL. One further complication - there is currently a 5 game gap between those who've played most and least in the NL. That in itself could influence the acceptability of a PPG outcome if it were to exist at the time of curtailment.

The NL is a truly horrible place to be. Even more so than when we managed to crawl clear of it.

[Suffolk Blue]

NLN/NLS season to be suspended for the next 14 days to evaluate how additional funding can be obtained from whoever, by whatever means. Good luck with that. NL to continue on.

[blue nige]

https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss/statu ... 13829?s=19