2019/20 Season - How will it end?

[tmesis]

It's going to be pretty awkward if some countries' leagues decide to declare the season over, and some try to finish the season, however long it takes. The international calendar will be a bit screwed.

While ending the season without completing it looks a sensible option, there has to be a real possibility that starting next season in August could be in doubt too. It might be better to play it safe and look to finish the season in Autumn/early winter.

After that you could maybe have a shortened 20/21 season, maybe splitting all divisions north/south for an 18 game premier league and 22 game football league season, with play-offs to settle issues where required.

[Whore Jackie]

Talk that in the Championship, if all else fails, that Leeds and West Brom would be promoted, with Fulham v Preston and Brentford v Forest as one-off play-off semi-finals. Final promotion spot from those 4, with relegation to League 1 undecided yet.

[Sutekh]

Latest rumour is that the season in the four professional divisions in England will completed but in a typical manner so as not to upset any team at the top of their division or in a relegation battle. Therefore promotion will still happen based on ppg ratio but relegation won’t.

The League Cup next season would therefore be cancelled to give extra fixture dates and no doubt a fair few extra relegation places around in 20/21.

[Winston Biscuit]

I wonder if we would put ourselves forward as a neutral ground to host PL games.

I heard on the radio yesterday that part of the reason for wanting neutral grounds was ease of access and somewhere with little chance of fans congregating outside, which I think we tick both boxes on.

[Nameless]

I wonder if we would put ourselves forward as a neutral ground to host PL games.

I heard on the radio yesterday that part of the reason for wanting neutral grounds was ease of access and somewhere with little chance of fans congregating outside, which I think we tick both boxes on.

Hotel integral to the ground would also be a factor. Would make it easier to base match officials/ staff at the ground and support more than one game in a day.
Would think using training grounds rather than actual stadia would be better in many ways,

[Silver Fox]

Heard a rumour yesterday that a travel agent who deals with football clubs has been tasked with arranging a bunch of hotel stock near St Georges Park in anticipation of all the games being played there.

[Ascotexgunner]

Heard a rumour yesterday that a travel agent who deals with football clubs has been tasked with arranging a bunch of hotel stock near St Georges Park in anticipation of all the games being played there.

Which messes up the integrity of football basically. No home advantage, no gate receipts.
There are 8/9 clubs fighting relegation in the PL, they wont want that. Same with those going for top 4.
It would be a farce.
The PL are a pathetic bunch, they seem to be stopping at nothing to finish their stupid season whilst the death rate still rises.
Its as if its all about Liverpool and Leeds getting what they want. Which brings me to that.....
Leeds 7 pts clear, WBA 6pts clear, both were miles clear earlier in the season but the gap narrowed. We all know this is the Championship and 1 week can be a long time in football when you get cold feet. Neither team are home and dry and BOTH must earn the right to be in the PL.....NOT GIVEN IT!!!!!!

[Silver Fox]

My comment had nothing to do with the championship but appreciate the overreaction. Playing all games at a neutral venue doesn't mess with the integrity of the competition at all, but it was no surprise to see Brighton complaining about exactly that, presumably not linked to the fact they have a particularly tough run in so would no doubt be delighted if the season ended as it stands and the the stay up, bunch of chancers

[Franchise FC]

My comment had nothing to do with the championship but appreciate the overreaction. Playing all games at a neutral venue doesn't mess with the integrity of the competition at all, but it was no surprise to see Brighton complaining about exactly that, presumably not linked to the fact they have a particularly tough run in so would no doubt be delighted if the season ended as it stands and the the stay up, bunch of chancers

Interesting view. I always thought teams gained more points at home than away. Apparently, that’s not a thing

[Silver Fox]

That's not always true and they won't be playing at home or away, they'll be playing at neutral venues

[Sanguine]

Enjoying reading traditional 'football arguments' about home/away advantage during what is a totally unprecedented situation. Guess what? That means that any solution is going to have to be unprecedented too.

Also enjoying ascot openly grinding his axe whilst trying to take the high ground on this.

A lot depends on Bundesliga - my view is that that is an accident waiting to happen, as we've seen already with Kalou (and in England, with 'covid-parties', players can't be relied upon to act responsibly), and at Cologne, where three players have tested positive yet training continues. There is in my view an unjustified clamour to end the season 'properly' - but that isn't 'to appease Liverpool and Leeds fans. Sorry to tell you ascot, but the eventual solution reached to end the season will be the path of least resistance, and that will be similar to the French model of awarding champions and promotion, albeit I expect the PL and EFL to agree to no relegations. The only 'legal challenges' then arise from teams who feel they might have pushed for a play-off place or Europe.

[Franchise FC]

That's not always true and they won't be playing at home or away, they'll be playing at neutral venues

Thus losing any home advantage.

And whilst you're right that it's not ALWAYS true, the vast , vast majority of teams gain more points at home than away

[Silver Fox]

That's not always true and they won't be playing at home or away, they'll be playing at neutral venues

Thus losing any home advantage.

As will the teams they are playing against in fixtures that should have been away

[Franchise FC]

That's not always true and they won't be playing at home or away, they'll be playing at neutral venues

Thus losing any home advantage.

As will the teams they are playing against in fixtures that should have been away

You what ?
Are you saying that teams that are playing away (and therefore have no home advantage) are going to lose their home advantage because they're playing away (albeit in a neutral venue) ?
So swapping no advantage for no advantage. And you see this as a downside for the away team because .... ?

[Sutekh]

That's not always true and they won't be playing at home or away, they'll be playing at neutral venues

Thus losing any home advantage.

As will the teams they are playing against in fixtures that should have been away

Both teams will be away effectively so the home team loses more while the designated away team is still “away”. The interesting thing will be how clubs set up tactically. Will they both play as if they were away or as if they were at home?

[Franchise FC]

Thus losing any home advantage.

As will the teams they are playing against in fixtures that should have been away

Both teams will be away effectively so the home team loses more while the designated away team is still “away”. The interesting thing will be how clubs set up tactically. Will they both play as if they were away or as if they were at home?

That's so much more eloquent than the way I put it

[Silver Fox]

Can you two not read?

When teams play their "home" games they will lose HFA (however much that is worth)
When teams play their "away" games they won't suffer from playing in front of a partisan crowd (LOL)

So the neutral grounds plan may take with one hand but it gives with the other.

[One87One]

Latest rumour is that the season in the four professional divisions in England will completed but in a typical manner so as not to upset any team at the top of their division or in a relegation battle. Therefore promotion will still happen based on ppg ratio but relegation won’t.

The League Cup next season would therefore be cancelled to give extra fixture dates and no doubt a fair few extra relegation places around in 20/21.

Surely no FA Cup next season either. Doesn't it start in July for non-league clubs?

[Snowflake Royal]

Can you two not read?

When teams play their "home" games they will lose HFA (however much that is worth)
When teams play their "away" games they won't suffer from playing in front of a partisan crowd (LOL)

So the neutral grounds plan may take with one hand but it gives with the other.

And everyone has a broadly similar number of each home and away left to play so it evens out.

[tmesis]

That's not always true and they won't be playing at home or away, they'll be playing at neutral venues

Why?
Unless the plan is for teams to play once a day for a week, where travelling would be a nightmare, what advantage does it offer?