Alfie May

Jon Palmer · 31 Mar 2020, 18:32

A particularly tricky situation for him: https://bit.ly/MayDilemma" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 31 Mar 2020, 19:48

Hopefully we don’t resume the season for a long time then!

Ihearye · 31 Mar 2020, 20:11

Think he should be OK for 22/04. Can't see the season starting before May earliest,

Malabus · 31 Mar 2020, 22:48

We won't see any soccer being played untill after September at the earliest.

Horteng · 01 Apr 2020, 07:55

Malabus wrote:We won't see any soccer being played untill after September at the earliest.

Agreed.... And by then I believe this season will be written off (Just my opinion)

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 01 Apr 2020, 09:21

I don’t think clubs will allow it to be written off. Having to compensate clubs for lost prize money revenue will be more costly to the authorities than doing what it takes to extend player contracts until the season is completed and support clubs in trouble.

Two examples which aren’t even linked to promotion or relegation are Chelsea and Cardiff. Chelsea will have budgeted for income from a top six finish. Like all the other PL clubs, if the season is written off they will pursue through the courts until compensated. And Cardiff will have spent the first year of their parachute payments after relegation. If the season is written off, they will want a further year of parachute payments for the next three seasons and rightly so.

Multiply these type of issues across all 92 clubs and the obvious conclusion is for the authorities to just wait to restart the season when safe to do so and do what is needed to support clubs, players and staff in the meantime.

Shade · 01 Apr 2020, 11:20

Yes, I agree. You cannot change a season that has already begun with rules and payment systems in place - you can only change what is yet to start, and that will have to be an edited season, whether it's next season or the season after.

If the season is ended now, promotion and relegation must happen. We should be given at least 1 point for our game in hand on Exeter meaning we're 4th. As the play-offs can't happen, we should be given the 4th promotion spot

paperboy · 01 Apr 2020, 11:57

...well hopefully where there is a will there is a way.

One problem might be that if the Premier League decide to declare their league season null and void then it would surely follow that there would be no promotion from the Championship....and therefore they in turn wouldn't allow any relegation/ promotion to their league etc.etc.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 01 Apr 2020, 15:33

paperboy wrote:...well hopefully where there is a will there is a way.

One problem might be that if the Premier League decide to declare their league season null and void then it would surely follow that there would be no promotion from the Championship....and therefore they in turn wouldn't allow any relegation/ promotion to their league etc.etc.

Personally I believe that because the financial stakes are so much higher in the Prem then it is less likely to be called null and void. Leicester would need to be compensated the Champions League income. And if Man City don’t like it then good luck to anyone going up against the Abu Dhabi government in a courtroom.

It could actually end up in a situation where next season’s Prem and Champs League are delayed due to appeals in the courts. Sheff United wouldn’t want to start the next season until being awarded prize money compensation for this season for example, which they will have budgeted for use in the transfer window.

Nulling and voiding this season is the worst off all the options available.