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ECHO Comment: "Fears of Witch-hunt Against Liverpool FC" part 3


That’s only down to the false weekend figure.

Last week it continued rising all week culminating in the 4th biggest total we’ve had ever on Friday yet some people were saying it’s decreasing. I have no idea why.

I think whats happening outside of the PL is really being missed by most. At present most LFC fans seem to hold the view that what is happening re the EFL strengthens their hand, but I do wonder in the end if it weakens it. This is another way. 70% of lower league revenue is really from the gate. You take that away and football just implodes. As you say, they still have to pay for stewarding costs, and also now probably enormous additional costs around Covid 19 to keep people safe and it really starts to become prohibitive. I suspect there are law suits waiting all over the shop as well, as players will get it, and then be denied contracts. If a footballer actually died from it, the families have a fairly open goal case to sue as well (which is pretty much what the level headed Gary Neville was saying).

It's also true of players out of contract. I had some illiterate Kopite to me saying it's not a big issue (I mean it's quite big issue in the PL) but in lower leagues, where it's shorter contracts, more players who are let out of contract etc it's a massive disaster area. 1500 players out of contract apparently. Lee Bowyer said he reckons his squad would be 14 players once those out of contracts leave, and with no payment of next seasons money, lots won't be able to be kept on. It will make a mockery of the competition.

We are the worst affected country in Europe by far. The government manipulation of numbers makes us seem vaguely comparable with Italy and Spain, but we are much worse. Any sort of humane government, or humane organisation like the PL pulls the plug. Logically that should happen, but the self interest of a small but powerful number of entitled people may well force us to go back to play and put the lives of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people in danger as a result. I mean logically I would say it's impossible, but when you know our government, LIverpool FC and the PL you can't rule out doing the humane thing. None will give a monkeys about loss of life.

As a final aside, the Accrington Chairman basically said recently having to finish this season, and potentially losing (or having delayed) payments for next season will bankrupt them. That's the stakes we are talking about here.
 
Chuck enough money at it and they'll do it. Not easy but I'd imagine they would:

Split off the team's into hotels near stadium
Test at the hotel IF everyone passes
Bus to the stadium
Play the game.

Split additional staff/media/officials from teams
Report to drive-in testing Station IF ok go to stadium (you would still requires a lot of stand by staff)

You are looking at 200/300 staff per event which is complete stupid and dangerous but you'll have plenty of volunteers to fill non essential roles.

I am not a fan but they will be using what German do but even they are not entirely sure if they will go ahead.

It's my understanding Merkel has put the Kabosh on that little suggestion? I mean Germany have around a quarter of the daily deaths we've had (official figures, real figures much much lower) and have tested hundreds of thousands more people per days than us, and their government are still concerned about it.

On the specifics above though, I'll bite and start pointing out very obvious difficulties (it will be just some, not all).
1) Who is paying for these hotels? Will this be something in operation for all 92 teams, as if the PL is to finish with relegation, we need the EFL to finish for promotion. Who is funding hotels for 92 teams? You are talking over at least a 3 month period, probably 25 rooms, estimated with facilities in the current context you're not getting much change out of £150 a night. Anywhere from £300,000 to £500,000. Who's paying for them?

2) Where are we finding 92 hotels, that can also co-exist as training complexes from? I mean do we have any hotels that cater for professional athletes in this country? Never mind 92? Or even 20. Where are these magical hotels come pr football training centres.

3) Who's paying for every inch of them to be deep cleaned every day? Any idea of costs. Again, point 1, who is paying?

4) Are all of the associated professions to be quarantined as well?The journalists? The broadcasters? The lighting engineers? The camera men? The police officers? The ambulance drivers? The doctors? The physios? The hundreds of people we need at each game. Where are they all going? Who's paying for all of these people to be put into hotels? What authority does football have, to start dictating to doctors, police officers etc that they actually need to be quarantined, not doing their jobs helping the NHS, and actually just be on standby for football? What if they tell football to sling their hook and go home to their normal lives between games?

5) Same happening but with the bus. Who's driving the bus etc.

6) Why are footballers, who would need to be tested presumably daily, jumping the cue ahead of nurses, doctors, essential workers? Why are a group of essentially very healthy young men, who are at the least risked group, pushing in front of everyone else? It's morally reprehensible.

That's just off the top of my head. It's an appalling plan. It would be a shameful episode, perhaps the most shameful episode in footballs history if we did that. It would be indicative of a game that is wholly out of touch with it's base, it's supporters, the communities it operates in. Yes there are financial difficulties, all of them could be solved if footballers agreed a salary of 1 million per year maximum and spread the money out. We could avoid all of the problems if they did that.
 
Chuck enough money at it and they'll do it. Not easy but I'd imagine they would:

Split off the team's into hotels near stadium
Test at the hotel IF everyone passes
Bus to the stadium
Play the game.

Split additional staff/media/officials from teams
Report to drive-in testing Station IF ok go to stadium (you would still requires a lot of stand by staff)

You are looking at 200/300 staff per event which is complete stupid and dangerous but you'll have plenty of volunteers to fill non essential roles.

I am not a fan but they will be using what German do but even they are not entirely sure if they will go ahead.
I just don’t see it... firstly we have nhs front line staff who can’t get tested... you then gave care home staff who can’t get tested.... community workers who can’t get tested.... front line supermarket staff who can’t get tested..... imagine the uproar if they test football players instead. And that’s just a start.
 

Do you give money to charity? If you do, do you tell anybody or do you keep it to yourself? Do you give money to family or friends to help them out of a bad situation? If you do, do you tell anybody or do you keep it to yourself? The only reason this is in the news is because that is what the media do, they think of a story and they big it up whether it has any truth attached to it or not.
The PFA are right to fight against pay cuts to players because that is what the players pay them to do (they are the players' union after all) but they can't tell the players what to do with their own money.
But giving to charity isn't the same as supporting the club?

You are missing the point. Why should millionaires pay more tax then someone minimum wage , that's not fair on them right for simply earning more money?

It's the principle that the people pulling 100,000 grand a week and are currently sat on their arse get asked to donate , like what ? 10%. But that 10 grand pays for 10 staff that month. The ones who serve them food for example.

We aren't talking about the poor paying the rich here. We are talking people who make million in 10 weeks compared to people who won't make that in a life time. Asking for them to contribute a little amount to them so they can pay rent , feed families etc.

And that is asking too much? Is it really?
 

But giving to charity isn't the same as supporting the club?

You are missing the point. Why should millionaires pay more tax then someone minimum wage , that's not fair on them right for simply earning more money?

It's the principle that the people pulling 100,000 grand a week and are currently sat on their arse get asked to donate , like what ? 10%. But that 10 grand pays for 10 staff that month. The ones who serve them food for example.

We aren't talking about the poor paying the rich here. We are talking people who make million in 10 weeks compared to people who won't make that in a life time. Asking for them to contribute a little amount to them so they can pay rent , feed families etc.

And that is asking too much? Is it really?
I think you're missing my point actually. Have they been asked by their clubs to donate anything? My point being that, unless an individual player gives out private information about what he does with his money, it's no-ones business what he does with it.
 
I think whats happening outside of the PL is really being missed by most. At present most LFC fans seem to hold the view that what is happening re the EFL strengthens their hand, but I do wonder in the end if it weakens it. This is another way. 70% of lower league revenue is really from the gate. You take that away and football just implodes. As you say, they still have to pay for stewarding costs, and also now probably enormous additional costs around Covid 19 to keep people safe and it really starts to become prohibitive. I suspect there are law suits waiting all over the shop as well, as players will get it, and then be denied contracts. If a footballer actually died from it, the families have a fairly open goal case to sue as well (which is pretty much what the level headed Gary Neville was saying).

It's also true of players out of contract. I had some illiterate Kopite to me saying it's not a big issue (I mean it's quite big issue in the PL) but in lower leagues, where it's shorter contracts, more players who are let out of contract etc it's a massive disaster area. 1500 players out of contract apparently. Lee Bowyer said he reckons his squad would be 14 players once those out of contracts leave, and with no payment of next seasons money, lots won't be able to be kept on. It will make a mockery of the competition.

We are the worst affected country in Europe by far. The government manipulation of numbers makes us seem vaguely comparable with Italy and Spain, but we are much worse. Any sort of humane government, or humane organisation like the PL pulls the plug. Logically that should happen, but the self interest of a small but powerful number of entitled people may well force us to go back to play and put the lives of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people in danger as a result. I mean logically I would say it's impossible, but when you know our government, LIverpool FC and the PL you can't rule out doing the humane thing. None will give a monkeys about loss of life.

As a final aside, the Accrington Chairman basically said recently having to finish this season, and potentially losing (or having delayed) payments for next season will bankrupt them. That's the stakes we are talking about here.

I was talking to my Tranmere fan mate the other day and he was saying nearly every one of their players are on one year contracts so they won't have a team come the 1st July. Not only that but they need to know what league they are going to be in to negotiate new contracts with these players. That can't happen if the season's still going on. Absolutely no way this happens.
 
Players social distancing ? The whole idea is absurd. It’s just the distractionary word that is being peddled around to keep people switching on to sky sports in the hope they get some news either way
perhaps unwittingly, Moise Kean could have put the kibosh of the RS plan for behind closed doors games. We are supposed to be on a harsher lockdown but he (and no doubt lots of other, but more discrete, players) are having massive brass and beak parties. Not a chance the whole squads, TV crews, Hotel staff et al can keep isolated and hopefully MK's exploits will still be in th remind of those making the decisions (the grown ups I mean, not the FA or EPL)
 
perhaps unwittingly, Moise Kean could have put the kibosh of the RS plan for behind closed doors games. We are supposed to be on a harsher lockdown but he (and no doubt lots of other, but more discrete, players) are having massive brass and beak parties. Not a chance the whole squads, TV crews, Hotel staff et al can keep isolated and hopefully MK's exploits will still be in th remind of those making the decisions (the grown ups I mean, not the FA or EPL)

Haha its not only the brasses who got buggered
 

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