I want football to start as early as possible. For this to happen, the Covid-19 situation has to be at a stage were football games won't impact it and the ability of the NHS and the coountry's infrastructure to cope with it.
At this moment, if a team has a player the that contracts the virus, then that team effectively is in lockdown for 2 weeks. There are older employees such as Hodgson at Palace and even Ancelotti at Everton who are 60+ - are they more vulnerable? What about backroom staff who may be vulnerable? If one of those gets ill and suffers and even dies, then a shrug of the shoulders and looking at the floor sheepishly at the floor by the footballing decision makers will not cut it. I am not even going into the rights and wrongs of playing behind closed doors and contract situations arising in June opening the possibility of legal issues or even teams in mid-table not risking their health causing results at both ends of the table to be compromised. I can't see how this can all be remedied for this season to be played out successfully in a timely manner that won't have too onerous an effect on the future season, the Euros and the already compromised dates on the season afterwards due to the Qatar World Cup. That's why I can't see how the league can start up before the next season was due to start if everything goes well with the handling of the pandemic situation.
Add into this, the unfair and heavy financial burden on teams to compete without fans/ gate receipts. That may be ok in the Premier League and for some teams in the Championship, but there'll be some teams that will be put into dire financial situations if that happens.
This can all be avoided or at least ameliorated by voiding. Liverpool are far and ahead the title-elect winners. The European places seem established enough. Brains better than mine could sort that out those top positions and the claim to title. There's nothing settled down in the relegation positions that would satisfy the teams there if relegation was enforced. As for promotion/ relegation in the lower divisions, then promotion and no relegations for this season accommodated by a 22 team premier league with 4 or 5 teams relegated the season after could be possible. For the sake of the nation's health, void it.
Yes curtailment (rather than voiding although you seemed to indicate that anyway) looks to be the only correct option morally, but as Arminisgod has been posting it's not necessarily the option they'll take.
The tv rights (tbf Sky and BT would probably be accommodative and come to an arrangement - but overseas broadcasters won't) is really driving this and the huge financial sums involved, none bigger than the difference between being in the prem and not, would be a similar driving force for teams who may not have a chance of achieving something unless restarted. In this world unfortunately money and tbf real financial survival for some clubs, can become their only priority.
Lower down the leagues curtailment and deciding on points per game or any formula is a problem, so while no relegation for the prem is possible and maybe elsewhere, how would you even start to adjudicate on promotion from league one with such fine fractions separating teams?
Finding any fair solution (at least in the lower leagues) is impossible imo and court action from some chairman probable.
Any chairmen who in the midst of this worldwide pandemic and unprecedented national crisis, with leagues doing their utmost best but inevitably coming to imperfect solutions, who thinks adding a law suit to the mix for any perceived aggrievance, perhaps even stretching on for many months or even years, is the right thing to do only deserves contempt.
The chaiman of Utrecht in Holland has set such a disgraceful example, by challenging their league's decision to give the champions league places to their two joint leaders. Utrecht not even in the Europa places have brought a law suit which if successful would pay them far more than they could ever hope to gain from any potential Europa league campaign.
Unfortunately there would no doubt be similar altruistic and helpful souls here, always anxious to put their own aggrievances aside to help football through this crisis - sad but being sarcastic is the only way to put it kindly.
