Mystic Neg

I'm grateful that we've got the means to look at all this nostalgia. One big takeaway from all this is thinking how happy the population will be when things get back to normal, whether that's footy, seeing your mum, round of golf, trip down the pub to catch up with the lads or lasses. I for one hadn't realised how many little things I took for granted. This whole thing feels like one big social experiment and I for one will enjoy going to Hillsborough again, despite what utter poo is served up

True but they'd probably rip us to pieces nowadays.

That was a truly great night, one that I thought we had arrived. What stood out from watching the replay is what a fortress Hillsborough used to be, its pretty much dead these days with no atmosphere to speak of. I crave a team like that again, the fitness, the passion, the desire, all of them were absolute granite

Looks like we are aligned. The time to be creative with any future league formats is when you know it can start again. Using 2 months of when you can start again to finish this current set of games may be beneficial and may not be but it's fair. All the people saying void the season would be spitting feathers at the suggestion if we were in any of the top 8 places, they be foaming at the mouth if we were in either of the top 2 places 6 or 7 points clear after a 20 year wait.

You seem to be finding a lot of problems without offering a solution. The scenario you are quoting would be a sensible way to make the best of being able to play some games if we can't play til Jan 2021. Otherwise you are effectively saying that should football be allowed again midway through when next season is supposed to take place then we would scrap it til August. A lot less games and even less money for clubs to pay the players would then be the case. The situation remains so fluid that there is no point abandoning something to start the next thing afresh and on time when no one even knows if that will be possible. I accept that voiding this season would suit us great, possibly from relegation but it still isn't the right thing to do.

As you rightly point out indirectly there is no perfect solution. All the leagues and players are in it together. Contract extensions can be sorted out. Most of the criticisms you raise don't go away if we void the season. Clubs will still go bust, whatever is decided will be deemed farcical by some. Look at the reaction to the voiding of teams below the national league, imagine the reaction in the Prem. You can sue the decision makers, the Premier league, the EFL and the FA if you think what they decide is unfair. The least amount of complaints would from Option 1 if clubs were kept afloat like other businesses and you can sort the small problem of extensions to player contracts. Where are these players going to go if they don't open a transfer window... And why are we even sorting next season out when we haven't got the faintest clue when that will start? There is no rush to make a decision. The Premier League and EFL has already changed the rule you quote to finishing the season when it can be indefinitely, as their preference. I'm also told there is a law that can determine final league positions based on 75% of games completed. If there are no relegations then all those threatened by relegation would vote for it, all the teams who are in automatics would vote for it and all those safe or miles off the play offs would vote for it. The only ones who wouldn't might be those in the play offs or genuinely battling for future European places but even then they might look at it and think Meh. They might try a legal case but they can't prove that they were almost certainly denied, unlike Liverpool, Leicester, Chelsea, Leeds, West Brom, Coventry, Swindon etc.

Option 1 - Finish this season whenever we can play football again. The only seasons struck from the records are the ones not played yet which is fair. No lawsuits. Option 2 - Void this season and start the next season when that can start. The seasons struck from the records include one that was almost finished. Massive lawsuits. Option 3 - Call the league tables finalised as they stand. Promote teams in automatic places. No relegations. PL - 22, Championship 24, League One 24, League Two 22 whenever we can start the following season. Adjust number of teams in league through tweaked promotion and relegation rules in future seasons. Limited law suits. There really is no rush to make a decision. That would be different if this were the only country dealing with the virus but that fact that all major European Leagues and other global leagues have stopped means there's no rush to play the games to keep up with dependencies like European Football and international competitions. The only people demanding the season to be voided are those like us who are in turmoil. I could understand if we were only halfway through the season but voiding in my opinion is the worst option in almost any future eventuality.

Correct

No, good try though!

I think there's a chance you've got rose tinted glasses on. The only way it's logical is if the next season HAS to start on schedule. Had it been the UK being the only country affected I might agree with you because we need to align with all other European schedules but the fact we are in the same boat it's best to finish the seasons and then see where we are. Far more logical and fair on all clubs to impact a season that hasn't started than scrap one that is 80% complete.

Completely undertsand your point but I think you have me mistaken. I wasn't having a go at the Premier league players here, just highlighting the philanthropic opportunity they had to doff their cap to their roots. Its not a case of they ought to, its more of a case of opportunity to be hero at little real cost to them. Great PR exercise and would make the entire league structure in UK feel more like a big family that loves football. Put it this way, if I had £100k a week which might not be far off average in that league these days, 95% of that would be fairly irrelevant to me, let alone 5%.

Read the first page and couldn't be bothered after that to find something sensible. There are 2 choices, you either keep the integrity of the league in this and all future seasons or you risk having a farce in consecutive seasons. 1) Abandon this season dashing the hopes of several prosperous clubs and save a few hopeless ones. Potentially start the next season delayed and not have enough room for a proper set of fixtures. Or 2) Reward the teams and fans of prosperous clubs for their efforts this season and only risk a disrupted following season. It's a no brainer, unless the governing bodies want all hell to break loose there is absolutely no risk in saying it will be finished when it can be. What is so precious about a season that hasn't even started yet? All European leagues are in the same boat, there is no perfect solution. The least harmful is to say we will finish this season when we can across the board and then see what opportunity is presented for the footballing calendar thereafter.

For me, the Premier League has a big part to play here if the clubs involved have any kind of respect to grass roots and the history of football in this country. OK, EFL have raided their coffers and granted £50m to support clubs through this period of uncertainty but at a time when acts of kindness will help bring the country together why don't all the Premier league players sponsor a non league club. 5% of their combined weekly wages would eclipse the EFL capabilites. I just don't think the argument of short career stands up anymore, many of these guys make more in a week than the average Joe might end up with in their pension pot. It's about time the supported the very foundations that led to the Premier League becoming such a cash camel and made them all obscenely wealthy.

Lost cash betting on the National League North and South. I'm angry but I've no idea who to take it out on.