Footballers and CoronaVirus

[cantagalo]

There's a distinct possibility that Griffin Park has seen its last game of football then. There must a be strong likelihood of the suspension rolling on past 3 April and presumably contracts have been signed for the diggers to move in swiftly after the season was originally due to end.

I am seriously distressed by this. I left there last Saturday, exhilarated by a 5-0 win, not even contemplating the possibility that I wouldn't be able to watch the five (or six) remaining games. This crisis has come a long way in a week.

I don't know when the diggers are due to move in but I hope we'll be able to hold the test events for the new stadium in time to get a safety certificate.

[Jah Womble]

Klopp’s statement is impressive

[URL]https://twitter.com/lfc/status/1238461101156769793?s=21[/URL]

Yep, when he's talking about matters broader than his club he's quite the philanthropist.

[G-Man]

Pressure is building on the German authorities to suspend all league activity immediately, not as of Tuesday, as had been announced.

[Diable Rouge]

https://twitter.com/TheVanaramaNL/status/1238483719851294732

Looking at the fixtures, Notts County and Yeovil would draw bigger attendances than many League Two clubs.

[Nefertiti2]

Yep, when he's talking about matters broader than his club he's quite the philanthropist.

Yes and unlike say Tottenham his club will be barely affected if this year’s premier league was rendered void.

[treibeis]

Yep, when he's talking about matters broader than his club he's quite the philanthropist.

Yes, great bloke. Always puts mankind before his own interest.

[seand]

Errm - it's already happened, brother.

What I meant was that hopefully when the top level football goes, the rest will follow suit. It appears that has not happened, even as high at the conference. It really beggars belief

[Satchmo Distel]

Lack of leadership by government and the FA, who ought to step in. Unfortunately, Johnson is on record as saying he thinks cancelling games would have little effect on the spread of the virus.

My guess is that the various non-leagues are waiting until players start getting it.

[Third rate Leszno]

The NPL statement includes this bit:

"Our primary concern, as always, is to protect the financial stability of our 62 clubs. This means playing as many games as we can, so long as clubs wish to do so. This is not contrary to the League’s and clubs’ duty of care considerations to players, officials or supporters but, in a season where clubs have been severely impacted by weather-related postponements, the NPL board believes that pausing the season right now would prove disastrous for many clubs.

The situation is changing daily, so our approach to Covid-19 must be flexible, recognising the very genuine concerns around the health of players, officials and supporters.

The NPL has consistently urged clubs to follow government advice, which is that football matches should go ahead as planned for now. Having carefully weighed up all options, and mindful that we are between a rock and a hard place on this issue, all NPL matches will therefore go ahead as planned this weekend unless a club is directly affected by players, referees or volunteers who are self-isolating or have serious concerns."

[Diable Rouge]

No synchronicity there - Southern and Isthmian Leagues cancelled, but the NPL is carrying on.

[Jah Womble]

Yes and unlike say Tottenham his club will be barely affected if this year’s premier league was rendered void.

Not sure I’m reading this correctly - are you being ironic?

[Diable Rouge]

The horror, the horror:

https://twitter.com/JackRosser_/status/1238526714571042816

[G-Man]

A few hours after announcing a suspension of games only as of Tuesday, the German league has suspended all matches with immediate effect.

Looking at LiveScore, everywhere in Europe matches are postponed, except in Russia.

[Third rate Leszno]

North West Counties are to play this weekends fixtures.

"The North West Counties Football League strongly advises that those in high risk groups, as defined by Public Health England, no longer attend matches for the foreseeable future.

The North West Counties Football League strongly advises that matches with projected attendances of over 500 spectators should not take place.

Clubs are being asked to increase hygiene provisions at all grounds for staff, players, match officials and spectators and to display Public Health England posters at all games.

We are aware of the fragile financial state of some Member Clubs and their reliance on income from home matches. We encourage Clubs to consider their Clubs ongoing viability when cancelling matches and advise, where possible, that arrangements are made to re-arrange such games. The League Management Committee will support any club requesting a postponement, although we would expect both clubs to act in a responsible manner and mutually agree.

There will no doubt be difficult times ahead and the League Management Committee will consider all options but will be led by guidance from The Football Association. The Board will meet again on Monday 16th March to review this position.

We also advise a notice be placed outside the turnstiles/paybox, that spectators should not enter the ground if they have returned from an infective country, have a dry cough, high temperature, headache and/or aching limbs, if they need any further information they should phone 111, as per Public Health England guidelines."

[Furtho]

Fixtures in the United Counties League (Step 5 and 6, around Northants, Leicestershire and the Wash) currently are going ahead this weekend too.

[Nocturnal Submission]

The horror, the horror:

https://twitter.com/JackRosser_/status/1238526714571042816

I can take the dislocation to our lives, the economic collapse and the wave of premature fatalities but this is just too much to bear!!!

[Satchmo Distel]

Maybe these leagues should play several games a week to get the season finished early, in preference to being forced to shut down eventually when the death toll reaches Italy levels?

[Patrick Thistle]

The horror, the horror:

https://twitter.com/JackRosser_/status/1238526714571042816

I now fully support the move to boycott paying the licence fee.

[Patrick Thistle]

The local EFL fixtures have been erased off Futbology but none of the Welsh ones have.

[Ray de Galles]

I wonder at what point the knock on effects of disruption to this season will spill in to the already stupid alterations to the world football calendar to allow for the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

[Lang Spoon]

Sure by 2022 MBS will prob have moved his wars with Qatar from the proxy Libya conflict to the island itself.

[Lang Spoon]

Hope they both lose.

[Satchmo Distel]

A friend of mine pointed out FA rule 12 D:

(D) In the event of a team withdrawing from the Competition before completing 75% of its fixtures for the season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting team shall be expunged from the Competition table. For the purposes of this Rule 12(D) a completed fixture shall include any Competition Match(es) which has been awarded by the Management Committee.

Could this be extrapolated to mean that promotion and relegation can apply after everyone has played 75% of games?

[hobbes]

Not sure I’m reading this correctly - are you being ironic?

Not saying it was, but your original reply could read as pretty sarcastic, so I guess Nef was biting back about that.

[Nefertiti2]

Not saying it was, but your original reply could read as pretty sarcastic, so I guess Nef was biting back about that.

Is correct.