Club Statement: Coronavirus

[tmgc]

Might be before the end of May
Austria just announced they will let shops open next week followed by bars and restaurants. Denmark announcing what they will do this week. Sweden had shops bars etc already open same as Australia. So things could change in a month

Sweden never closed them.

 

[T LEAFE]

Liverpool have reversed their decision to place some non-playing staff on temporary leave and apologised to fans.

Bloody weasels

 

[willo30]

Sweden never closed them.

Their figures are comparable to the UK when you take into account the population so time will tell whether all this was worth it.

 

[Stan Lee Park]

As someone who is in lockdown for at least the next 10 weeks, there is no way I'll be going to any football ground until at least August. I would seriously advise everyone to do the same. This season finished four weeks ago.

 

[matty1878]

As someone who is in lockdown for at least the next 10 weeks, there is no way I'll be going to any football ground until at least August. I would seriously advise everyone to do the same. This season finished four weeks ago.

don’t talk Sense a few posters won’t like it.

 

[catcherintherye]

Journalists - you are right- there is a lot of hyperbole at the moment, but then again when you are trying to keep you're publication alive with no sport, it's understandable why many are resorting to it.

Supposition - it's all we have at the moment sadly.

Focus on next Season - i agree, it is probably the best way forward, but I don't think it is realistic at the moment. In the last few mins the R&A have cancelled the Open, rather than rescheduling in September which was the initial plan. There is a sense on limbo within football at the moment; no one can blink with regards to this season. TV companies want to get it played as they have paid for it; leagues at least need to show the optics of intent to play it as they don't want the risk of the TV bill & UEFA want to maintain the CL and any significant reshuffle exposes them to more risk of a superleague evolving. Until is becomes impossible to play they will resist the need to void. We are simply not there yet.

Contracts - using the chelsea example, I would hope the option is same pay til completed. Players and agents will use any opportunity, including a pandemic to strengthen their position as would the clubs; but if Willian has signed a pre contract for next season at Everton (hypothetically), presumably Chelsea could not force him to play & he would remain unavailable to Everton for the remaining games this season in the unlikely event they get played.

I think the decision by the R & A re-enforces my point though. They are not looking to re-schedule, or replay it. They are accepting it is gone and trying to do their best via a contingency plan. The uncertainty at present will cause more problems than it solves. Clubs can't plan.

As for the 2nd part, you're an intelligent guy and I've enjoyed discussing things with you. However I think you are a long way off on the contractual stuff. Who is paying for those players to stay? What if a club can't afford to pay for someone to stay and ends up losing a key player?

As for your 2nd part how are you going to prevent someone who has a registered contract from playing? If Everton pay £25m for Gabriel, why can't we use him? What happens if offers are withdrawn on that basis and players lose lucrative contracts? How are you going to justify an after the event rule change which contravenes a contract and restrains his right to employment (against the principles of the EU)? I'm not going to go into enormous specifics, but all of these questions need to be properly resolved, and not with throwaway remarks that "oh just let them leave". It needs proper thinking.

 

[orly]

As someone who is in lockdown for at least the next 10 weeks, there is no way I'll be going to any football ground until at least August. I would seriously advise everyone to do the same. This season finished four weeks ago.

Sorry to hear that mate. It looks like our lockdown will end in May and the football season will restart in mid-June / July

 

[catcherintherye]

Was a lawyer on the radio the other day talking about this and he said the reason these talks are so complicated are because you can't just "extend player contracts" it really does'nt work like that. He said whilst UEFA and FIFA have lots of power and control and can obviously change any rules and setup within the game they don't have power over contracts as contracts are law. He was using a fair bit of legal speak and terms of which i can't say i really understand tbh, i have been trying to look myself the last few days and learn a bit. Another thing i think some of the kopites seem to forget is that both FIFA and UEFA hate the PL so i doubt they are going to be in any kind of hurry to do it any favours.

I think you are absolutely correct mate. Contract law is the central basis of our legal system and our economic system. It underpinned the Bosman ruling (even if on the face of it it doesn't make sense or act in a fair way for football). The guiding principles of society will always win out.

I'm no expert on law, but I'd summarise by saying;
1) Contracts are king. And you can't change them without the consent of both parties.
2) Employees as a default position have a right to practice their trade. You can't withdraw people's right to partake in employment after the event (it's hard to do full stop).
3) If you change the agreed rules of an event part way through, and a team suffers as a result, they have a strong case for loss of earnings against the person(s) who changed the rules.
4) You can't force people into collective bargaining agreements. It's their individual choice.

Any solution that relies on the above, is structurally flawed.

 

[number4.]

I think the decision by the R & A re-enforces my point though. They are not looking to re-schedule, or replay it. They are accepting it is gone and trying to do their best via a contingency plan. The uncertainty at present will cause more problems than it solves. Clubs can't plan.

As for the 2nd part, you're an intelligent guy and I've enjoyed discussing things with you. However I think you are a long way off on the contractual stuff. Who is paying for those players to stay? What if a club can't afford to pay for someone to stay and ends up losing a key player?

As for your 2nd part how are you going to prevent someone who has a registered contract from playing? If Everton pay £25m for Gabriel, why can't we use him? What happens if offers are withdrawn on that basis and players lose lucrative contracts? How are you going to justify an after the event rule change which contravenes a contract and restrains his right to employment (against the principles of the EU)? I'm not going to go into enormous specifics, but all of these questions need to be properly resolved, and not with throwaway remarks that "oh just let them leave". It needs proper thinking.

re R&A - I think it re-enforces both points; A) the right thing to do is probably focus on next season but B) next season is up in the air and football is going to be liquid for the next few years.

Contracts - I would guess (and I mean guess) FIFA / UEFA could create a rule that only players signed before X 31st Jan are eligible to compete in remaining games of the 2019/20 season should the complete it; secondly, if clubs are given the freedom to extend contracts obviously this wouldn't be mandatory for player or club to implement, both the club and the player in question would have to agree to this at a player by player level.

 

[Moomin]

Sorry to hear that mate. It looks like our lockdown will end in May and the football season will restart in mid-June / July

I hope thats the case and all our loved ones survive.

At this point I'm not bothered if they win the league at all. Let's hope this passes quickly, businesses can reopen and we can try to get back to normal again.

Watching football , even behind closed doors will be a godsend.

 

[orly]

I hope thats the case and all our loved ones survive.

At this point I'm not bothered if they win the league at all. Let's hope this passes quickly, businesses can reopen and we can try to get back to normal again.

Watching football , even behind closed doors will be a godsend.

Me neither. To be honest we should give them it, and play the remaining games almost as exhibitions when the virus has passed, whenever that may happen. Think it is demeaning for us to keep having to debate it.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

Sorry to hear that mate. It looks like our lockdown will end in May and the football season will restart in mid-June / July

I would imagine it would only be behind closed doors at that point .

 

[orly]

I would imagine it would only be behind closed doors at that point .

Yes very possibly. Essentially for the tv revenue/ betting.

Germany are already beginning to prep for resumption in May.

 

[Toast]

Yes very possibly. Essentially for the tv revenue/ betting.

Germany are already beginning to prep for resumption in May.

I was due in court this week ( witness ) it's been delayed for Covid and the trial scheduled for 15th May.
Probs totally irrelevant time scale wise, but they could be aiming to get things moving again by around that time ?

 

[orly]

I was due in court this week ( witness ) it's been delayed for Covid and the trial scheduled for 15th May.
Probs totally irrelevant time scale wise, but they could be aiming to get things moving again by around that time ?

6 weeks? I think that's a fairly reasonable assumption. It's a complete truism that another 6 weeks of lockdown will annihilate the economy