OK. So if and when the league restarts to a finish, and then the new season begins, I think you need the following timetable as a minimum.
The Premier League & Championship both have 9 Game weeks to go although some teams have a game in hand. So effectively 10 game weeks needed.
I think to have 2 games a week, from the off is probably too much, especiallty for a run of 9/10 games. Bound to lead to a lot of injuries, especially after a long lay off and also bad going in to a shorter summer break and the 20/21 season.
Probably a need to have some instances of games being played on unusual intervals - so rather than say Sat - Wed - Sun - Wed - Sun (5 games in 16 days), perhaps Sat - Thurs - Mon - Sat (4 games in 15 days):
Day 1 - Match Day 1. (Sat)
Day 6 - Match Day 2. (Thur)
Day 11 - Match Day 3 (Tue)
Day 16 - Match Day 4 (Sun)
Day 19 - Games in Hand (Wed)
Day 22 - Match Day 5 (Sat)
Day 26 - Match Day 6 (Wed)
Day 30 - Match Day 7 (Sun)
Day 36 - Match Day 8 (Sat)
Day 43 - Match Day 9 (Sat) PREMIER LEAGUE COMPLETED WITHIN 6 WEEKS.
Day 47 - Championship Play-off SF leg1 (Weds)*
Day 51 - Championship Play-off SF leg2 (Sun)*
Day 57 - Championship Playoff Final (Sat)*
* There could be a UCL/Europa League Mini-tournament running over this 2 weeks, to complete the QFs & SFs & Final. Maybe all single leg ties at a neutral ground
Day 58 - 77 Close Season (3 weeks minimum - probably need more to allow for a pre-season - perhaps up to 5 weeks total)
Day 78 - New Premier League Season Starts
The above allows for the 9-10 games to be played over 43 days. It's probably the absolute minimum you could allow without breaking players. Potentially it might be better to spread it over another week - say 7 weeks.
Also the off season & pre-season for most would be 5 weeks, but for those in the play offs and possible European games, this would be 3 weeks. This may be too short.
The whole process to the start of next season would be 11 weeks BUT this could realistically be up to 14 if players/clubs etc feel their players need more breaks between games & longer off season
So to start the 20/21 season on time (8 August) this process would have to begin Saturday 30 May at the latest (11 weeks). On the slightly longer timetable (14 weeks) 9 May would have to be the restart.
The head of UEFA has talked about things restarting no later than the end of June. If this were to happen, even on the shorter 11 week timetable, the season would start a month late. If you take this season as an example, we had 4 matches over the first 4 weekends of the season before the international break. So it would be a case of squeeing in those games through a slightly shorter season - losing a couple international breaks and a couple more mid-week games would do this.
Finally, one complexity in this is the 20/21 UCL/Europa. The UCL has over 50 qualifying games that need to happen before the groups are formed and played, usually through July & Aug. This would not be possible where other leagues are also cramming in the rest of last season. The UCL would therefore be delayed - so more cramming of games into a shortened period.
Overall I would say that re-starting by the end of June is probably going to be too late - in the shorter timeframe it delays next season by a month as well as all the UCL qualifiers etc. In the longer timeframe 12-14 weeks the season restarts 1.5 - 2 months late. This will not be feasible.
What I have done above is a very basic exercise. I expect UEFA & the respective leagues are all working on a far more complex version of this to try and understand what the options, outcomes and deadlines will be going forward. IMO they need to get their heads around this asap, hold all the necessary discussions and get agreements in place so that everyone knows the score from an early point rather than last-minute decision making which will inevitably result in legal challenge - It will be worse than trying to get a Bexit deal through Parliament.
Get the Season Done
posted on 2/4/20
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 42 seconds ago
comment by Prankster - Dr Pu$$y (U22336)
posted 4 hours, 27 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 41 minutes ago
UEFA should suspend / be forced to suspend all European competition next season anyway.
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I think the key objective MUST be to disrupt next season as little as possible.
I'd say scrap this seasons cup comps in favour of scrapping next seasons. Same goes for the league if it comes to it.
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You have just illustrated how quickly this years league can be completed in the OP
Given the financial ramifications of non completion they will get it done at some point as it can be done in 40 odd days
Not sure what will happen with the cups though
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Its cannot be completed in 40 days. The whole process is minimum 11 weeks.
This isn't just about the EPL, its the whole football league, all promotion and relegation. Everything has to fit into this time frame as all the leagues are linked.
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I'm talking about the PL, yes I know other league will take longer
posted on 2/4/20
comment by jlou1978 (U15376)
posted 4 hours, 34 minutes ago
The key objective is to finish a season you are 75% of the way through, before worrying about one that hasn't even started.
The lunacy of some people is just astounding. 😂
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The fallout from finishing this season and not allowing enough time for next season will be far greater than not finishing this season.
If next season cannot be fully completed then it may have to be reduced to 19 league games - half a season, half the home matches, half the revenue . It would be an utterly flawed season. If that happens the financial implications on ALL LEAGUES would be catastrophic - EPL teams would see a £50m to £75m drop in TV revenue plunging them all into massive debt, a halving of Matchday rev. Sponsorshiop payouts etc etc. DO you think the staff would take a 50% pay cut to offset this
All our leagues are linked by promotion and relegation and all will follow the same format. SO if the EPL decides to complete 19/20 at whatever cost, say it re-starts in August, then the other leagues will follow, as they will have to. WHile the bigger clubs/top divisions may be able to soak up some big losses, this will put many many clubs out of business.
You call it lunacy because you are a LFC fan and don't want to see this amazing season lost, but you need to look at the bigger picture of completing this season at any cost. It will destroy many of the lower league teams, al of whom are on the margins of surviving even now.
posted on 2/4/20
comment by Prankster - Dr Pu$$y (U22336)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 42 seconds ago
comment by Prankster - Dr Pu$$y (U22336)
posted 4 hours, 27 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 41 minutes ago
UEFA should suspend / be forced to suspend all European competition next season anyway.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the key objective MUST be to disrupt next season as little as possible.
I'd say scrap this seasons cup comps in favour of scrapping next seasons. Same goes for the league if it comes to it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You have just illustrated how quickly this years league can be completed in the OP
Given the financial ramifications of non completion they will get it done at some point as it can be done in 40 odd days
Not sure what will happen with the cups though
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its cannot be completed in 40 days. The whole process is minimum 11 weeks.
This isn't just about the EPL, its the whole football league, all promotion and relegation. Everything has to fit into this time frame as all the leagues are linked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm talking about the PL, yes I know other league will take longer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They wont "get it done at some point" if it undermines the ability to complete next season.
posted on 2/4/20
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
comment by Prankster - Dr Pu$$y (U22336)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 42 seconds ago
comment by Prankster - Dr Pu$$y (U22336)
posted 4 hours, 27 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 41 minutes ago
UEFA should suspend / be forced to suspend all European competition next season anyway.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the key objective MUST be to disrupt next season as little as possible.
I'd say scrap this seasons cup comps in favour of scrapping next seasons. Same goes for the league if it comes to it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You have just illustrated how quickly this years league can be completed in the OP
Given the financial ramifications of non completion they will get it done at some point as it can be done in 40 odd days
Not sure what will happen with the cups though
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its cannot be completed in 40 days. The whole process is minimum 11 weeks.
This isn't just about the EPL, its the whole football league, all promotion and relegation. Everything has to fit into this time frame as all the leagues are linked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm talking about the PL, yes I know other league will take longer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They wont "get it done at some point" if it undermines the ability to complete next season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We have no way of even knowing when next season will start at this point
Even Uefa have pushed the CL final back until August so what does that tell you
Anyways let's hope the Belgian league hasn't set a precedent and we just jack it in now and keep with the current standings
posted on 2/4/20
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 3 hours, 30 minutes ago
comment by Shaun M - All sick aren't we! (U9955)
posted 3 hours, 38 minutes ago
Id rather finish the leagues properly, but if this pandemic carries on for longer than expected and jeopardises next season and beyond, id go for a playoff system in all leagues to speed up the conclusions. Gives most promoted and relegation affected teams a chance of achieving a fairer result than having the season void.
Premier league:
* Liverpool win title
* Norwich relegated
* Brighton safe
* 4 team relegation playoff
Match 1A - 19th v 16th
Match 1B - 18th v 17th
Match 2A - 16th v 19th
Match 2B - 17th v 18th
The 2 losers of both ties on aggregate go down with Norwich. Premier league relegation battle concluded in just 2 weeks.
Championship
* Leeds and WBA promoted
* Fulham in playoff final
* 7th v 8th one off game to face 6th for play off spot
Match 1 - 7th v 8th
Match 2A - Winner of Match 1 v 6th
Match 2B - 5th v 4th
Match 3A - 6th v Winner of Match 1
Match 3B - 4th v 5th
Match 4 - Semi Final 1st leg
Match 5 - Semi Final 2nd leg
Match 6 - Fulham v Winner of Semi Final
Championship promotion concluded in 6 weeks or less. Both teams just outside of playoff places given a chance of reaching the playoffs and getting promoted albeit they'll have to win several games, but you don't deserve any better being 8th in the table.
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You cannot relegate a team that mathematically can stay up.
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Not promote any that haven't mathematically secured it.
posted on 3/4/20
They wont "get it done at some point" if it undermines the ability to complete next season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We have no way of even knowing when next season will start at this point
Even Uefa have pushed the CL final back until August so what does that tell you
Anyways let's hope the Belgian league hasn't set a precedent and we just jack it in now and keep with the current standings
---------------------
Surely they have to work backwards.
- Plan a Season 20/21 to start on the latest date possible to allow for a full season.
- Then allow for a pre-season break.
- Then figure out how long it will take to complete 19/20 season
- Then figure out a deadline date for which the season has to restart to achieve all of this
- Get agreement on this date and if it passes, there should be an agreed outcome - either declaring null & void or finishing seasons in current positions.
The difficultly is all UK leagues will have to be in agreement as they are all interconnected by promotion & relegation. The EPL cannot act unilaterally.
posted on 3/4/20
The fallout from finishing this season and not allowing enough time for next season will be far greater than not finishing this season.
------
No true.
How many times do you want told? Many links have been posted and its been discussed in articles I've seen you on. We don't even know if next season will happen. Furthermore, how many clubs will survive until next season if this season isn't finished. So many facts and details missing from your reasoning.
I'm sorry Devon but you don't know your ass from your elbow.
posted on 3/4/20
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
They wont "get it done at some point" if it undermines the ability to complete next season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We have no way of even knowing when next season will start at this point
Even Uefa have pushed the CL final back until August so what does that tell you
Anyways let's hope the Belgian league hasn't set a precedent and we just jack it in now and keep with the current standings
---------------------
Surely they have to work backwards.
- Plan a Season 20/21 to start on the latest date possible to allow for a full season.
- Then allow for a pre-season break.
- Then figure out how long it will take to complete 19/20 season
- Then figure out a deadline date for which the season has to restart to achieve all of this
- Get agreement on this date and if it passes, there should be an agreed outcome - either declaring null & void or finishing seasons in current positions.
The difficultly is all UK leagues will have to be in agreement as they are all interconnected by promotion & relegation. The EPL cannot act unilaterally.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They'll do the exact opposite of what you said here.
They'll wait until football can resume before deciding which season will proceed and that's the smart move. What if the lockdown lasts all the way to January? All these "plans for next season" will have been for nothing.
You can't start a full season after October has passed as there won't be enough time to play a full season.
They have to wait and see. In the meantime they are looking at a behind closed doors world cup style finish to the season which if possible would solve a lot of problems.
posted on 3/4/20
'In the meantime they are looking at a behind closed doors world cup style finish to the season which if possible would solve a lot of problems.'
Just think for a minute about what this scenario would entail... neither practical, nor possible.
posted on 3/4/20
comment by Lexington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 1 hour, 54 minutes ago
'In the meantime they are looking at a behind closed doors world cup style finish to the season which if possible would solve a lot of problems.'
Just think for a minute about what this scenario would entail... neither practical, nor possible.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's one proposal. You could be right but there is also a good chance that you're wrong.
Time will tell IMO. We can't dismiss anything at this time. Even scrapping the league is still on the table.