League 1 and 2

[dushanbe]

Matt Slater from The Athletic is reporting today that Leagues 1 & 2 will be abandoned for this season. Not especially surprising news, they just need to determine the best method of organising final standings etc.

[Spijed]

Will be interesting to see if the Championship follow

[claretdj]

So how can they do that? but premier league & championship continue @ some point? Money before life more important @ the top it looks like.

[dsr]

So how can they do that? but premier league & championship continue @ some point? Money before life more important @ the top it looks like.

The rich end of the league with large amounts of TV money can afford to play and is playing. The poor end of the league with little TV money can't afford to play and isn't playing. That's how they can do that.

[Quickenthetempo]

So how can they do that? but premier league & championship continue @ some point? Money before life more important @ the top it looks like.

It will cost league one and two far too much money to complete the season.

They have made the decision on what's best financially for them, just like the premier league.

[claretdj]

The rich end of the league with large amounts of TV money can afford to play and is playing. The poor end of the league with little TV money can't afford to play and isn't playing. That's how they can do that.

Yeah I know that, but it doesn't make it right does it.

[Spijed]

Yeah I know that, but it doesn't make it right does it.

On the flip side, how are we going to help people in lockdown who see sport as a way out of depression.

What alternatives are you able to offer people to help them through the dark times if we ditch sport until it's safe to resume?

[Dyched]

On the flip side, how are we going to help people in lockdown who see sport as a way out of depression.

What alternatives are you able to offer people to help them through the dark times if we ditch sport until it's safe to resume?

What’s that got to do with it?

[Spijed]

What’s that got to do with it?

The point is, we keep hearing from some that it's morally wrong to carry on at the moment but without any plan down the road.

[claretdj]

On the flip side, how are we going to help people in lockdown who see sport as a way out of depression.

What alternatives are you able to offer people to help them through the dark times if we ditch sport until it's safe to resume?

Go for a run or walk maybe?

[bodge]

If this came to pass it would be an absolute disaster for Sunderland.

[Dyched]

The point is, we keep hearing from some that it's morally wrong to carry on at the moment but without any plan down the road.

I read your post wrong tbh.

The way I see it is football fans think football is important. Or more important than anything else. Not everybody is a football fan. So I don't think football is that important to come back. Or it’s no more important than families getting together or friends whatever.

If families aren’t allowed to see each other then football should not go ahead.

[Stalbansclaret]

Why not ? I'm quite happy for special and exceptional conditions to be set up for 20 football clubs to play out the season even if I can't get together with my family and friends. Why do the two things have to be compared ? It's obviously much more risky for millions of people to start getting together in all sorts of freeform ways than it is to create "bubble" conditions applicable to a relatively small number of (tested)people specifically to play a sport at a fixed time of the week.
There is a lot of talk about "morality" and "it's all about the money" but most of the former seem to me to be holier-than-thou claptrap whilst the latter is ridiculous..of course it's about money, that's why any business wants to get going again, but it's also about entertaining football fans and keeping our national game on the road with appropriate end of season outcomes for something millions are interested in.

[Rileybobs]

The fact that the national media are speculating so much about the return of football shows how ingrained it is in our society. Of course it’s not the most important thing, but it means a great deal to an awful lot of people. If there’s a relatively safe way for it to resume then why shouldn’t it?

[nil_desperandum]

I think as equally a serious issue is that if no football or similar sport can restart until we are completely free of the virus, - and I heard one eminent virologist talking of a time scale of 2 to 4 years, then what happens to all amateur sport and in particular junior teams / clubs?
Just imagine if you were now aged about 12, just really getting into all your sport and then couldn't participate again until were 14 or 15, and of course the incredible damage that this would have on all children.
It's an issue that must be addressed - though I'm not entirely clear what the solution is. One thing that's clear to me though is that so far as children are concerned the consequences of the "lockdown / social distancing" measures are potentially far more serious than the actual virus itself.
Compromises are going to have to be made.

[TheFamilyCat]

Surely of they abandon the season it has to be "as you were" with no promotion or relegation. They can't just make a rule up now on how final standings will be decided.

Unless there is something written into the league rules about unfinished seasons but I'm sure if there was it would be common knowledge by now.

[dsr]

Yeah I know that, but it doesn't make it right does it.

What level would you take it to? It's very likely that football will restart from the top and trickle down. If the Premier League shouldn't start because League 1 can't afford to, then could Leagues 1 and 2 start if the Conference can't? Could the Conference start if the North West Counties can't? Could the North West Counties start if the Pendle & District Sunday League can't? somewhere there has to be a line drawn where someone can start even if the less well off can't. I don't see any principle that says it can't be here.