Next season?

[RammyClaret61]

Sorry if this is elsewhere. But with this week normally Being when the fixtures are released. As it yet been suggested Anywhere if, or when next season might start? Thanks.

[MACCA]

I would start it after the ( usual) first international break in September. You would only need to catch up around 4 games then, and it would still allow for a 6 weeks mini pre season.

To catch up and make sure the players dudnt burn out, I'd also do away with the league cup, and play the catch up matches on the usual league cup dates.

Just my opinion, I'm sure there' are many options out there.

[alboclaret]

I wouldnt bother after watching city match other day.
I'd finish this as required then start again 2021

[tiger76]

I don't think anything's official yet, but the rumours seem to suggest the PL will start the 20/21 season in mid-September, so if this season finishes in late July, then the fixtures will probably be released in Mid-August at a guess, now if fans aren't allowed to attend by then, it won't be as much of an issue as normal, and i'd be surprised if fans were allowed into grounds that soon TBH.

[NottsClaret]

Heard similar, from a non-league club that they'd been advised to expect a mid-September start.

[tiger76]

Heard similar, from a non-league club that they'd been advised to expect a mid-September start.

Was that with crowds allowed?, because otherwise it wouldn't be practical for clubs at that level to host fixtures, if no paying spectators can be permitted, where's their revenue coming from?

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Until every league has reached a finishing point they won't have a start date for the seasons because they need the fixtures to be organised.

There may also be some legal challenges yet, there could be in Scotland for example.

The leagues also have to be finished by a certain date, as per Uefa rules, does anyone know if they have to be started by a certain date?

[Bosscat]

I would start it after the ( usual) first international break in September. You would only need to catch up around 4 games then, and it would still allow for a 6 weeks mini pre season.

To catch up and make sure the players dudnt burn out, I'd also do away with the league cup, and play the catch up matches on the usual league cup dates.

Just my opinion, I'm sure there' are many options out there.

Are we not having a 9 game pre season starting Monday evening

[NottsClaret]

Was that with crowds allowed?, because otherwise it wouldn't be practical for clubs at that level to host fixtures, if no paying spectators can be permitted, where's their revenue coming from?

Not sure about that, it was about the playing side. But you'd imagine that by September crowds outdoors of a hundred or so will be fine. In fact, for non-league it could provide an opportunity for a while, if they get through the next month or so.

[jrgbfc]

Looking at the 12th September apparently. With UEFA scheduling international games the weekend before I wouldn't be surprised if they moved it back to the following weekend.

[tiger76]

Not sure about that, it was about the playing side. But you'd imagine that by September crowds outdoors of a hundred or so will be fine. In fact, for non-league it could provide an opportunity for a while, if they get through the next month or so.

I know some of the county cricket teams are hoping to have limited crowds allowed later in the summer, so it's possible that gatherings of say a couple of thousand could be OKed at some football stadiums, the problem is that a lot of these non-league grounds are tiny, so social distancing will be nigh impossible, unless they had some form of maximum capacity say 500, and a pre-booked ticketing system, for a lot on non-league clubs that should be enough to get them through the worst anyway.

Yes the one advantage a lot of sporting events have is that in the main they're outdoor based, unlike bingo halls, cinemas and theatres, and it's perceived that the virus is much less prevalent in the open air, so you'd hope there could be some effort to at least trial small crowds in the late summer/early autumn.

[UnderSeige]

Sorry if this is elsewhere. But with this week normally Being when the fixtures are released. As it yet been suggested Anywhere if, or when next season might start? Thanks.

It will depend on how the pandemic plays out. By the end of July we should have a lot more of an idea about how safe it's going to be.

• We should know whether the Oxford vaccine will be widely available by October and perhaps even have news about other vaccines.

• If the virus hasn't taken off again by the end of July after the street protest and other virus spreading activities, the thinking could be that the virus has 'run it's course'.

If it's going to be safe enough to have a full release from lockdown then perhaps the whole season could be played with full attendance at matches. In these circumstances it would be worth waiting a bit longer to start the season. Perhaps November/December.

On the other hand, if things don't look safe then the season might have to start 'behind closed doors' (as long as it's safe enough to do that at the time). There would then be no point in delaying. Just have a short break and then start the new season.

Another factor will be whether 'behind closed doors football' takes off. If TV audiences start dwindling this season then perhaps the 'football powers that be' will want to wait until 'full attendance' is allowed.

Another factor could be possible virus outbreaks within football clubs. This would put a 'stick in the spokes' of both this season and next.

[tiger76]

Fans at French stadiums could happen sooner than you thought.

Stadiums will re-open to fans in France from 11 July as the country continues to lift coronavirus restrictions.

Up to 5,000 fans will be allowed in arenas to watch live sport - a figure that may increase later in the summer.

It means football's French Cup and League Cup finals could be played in front of supporters after both were postponed to a date yet to be decided because of the pandemic.

The Ligue 1 and 2 seasons were cancelled in April.

The French government said: "A further review of the national epidemiological situation will be carried out in mid-July to decide whether a loosening is possible for the second half of August."

In April, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe put a blanket ban on all sport until September but collective sports can now resume from Monday.

Makes you wonder if some of the FA Cup games will see limited numbers of fans allowed, semi-finals and final assuming they're played at Wembley should be able to admit a crowd of 10-15k reasonably safely, whilst still observing social distancing.

And talks ongoing about Scottish stadiums allowing small groups of fans in August https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/foo ... -22209697

[JohnMac]

Strangely enough, after watching the restart games so far, I'm not overly bothered. Watching games on TV is pretty mind numbing unless you are one of those shirt wearing types that never goes to a game.

Sort out Covid, allow the fans back and start again only when that is possible.

That of course won't happen because money is the driver and it will start again as soon as is possible on completion of this season.

All competitions should continue maybe without extra time or replays. The League Cup Semi Final provided the best atmosphere at Turf Moor in decades.

[Pimlico_Claret]

I'm somewhat worried about how lacking in enthusiasm I feel for Mondays game. 47 years following my team through thick and thin, first hand experience of the Wimbledon FA cup defeat, Orient game to York and Scunthorpe away, Sherpa Van at Wembley, and obviously the promotion play offs, to name just a tiny few , I'm struggling to get excited about what strikes me as being 'virtual football'.

[tiger76]

I'm somewhat worried about how lacking in enthusiasm I feel for Mondays game. 47 years following my team through thick and thin, first hand experience of the Wimbledon FA cup defeat, Orient game to York and Scunthorpe away, Sherpa Van at Wembley, and obviously the promotion play offs, to name just a tiny few , I'm struggling to get excited about what strikes me as being 'virtual football'.

I understand where your coming from, but we have the luxury of sitting mid-table, and whatever occurs over the next 6 weeks we can be virtually certain that we'll still be a PL team next season, now maybe if we were hovering around the relegation zone the fans would feel very differently about these upcoming 9 fixtures, as i'm sure the teams in the relegation picture will be, even in a 'normal' season once we're safe we often lose an edge in the final few games anyway, so it's not that unusual, i guess the fact it's mid-summer, and it doesn't seem right to be playing domestic games during the summer, especially when we should be smack bang in the midst of the Euro's, adds to the surrealism. And I've only watched the Norwich-Saints game, but it did have the feel of a pre-season friendly air about it, despite both being in the relegation mix, this episode shows how important the fans are to the PL brand, without their input, it does feel somewhat soulless, i must admit.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Personally think later in the year the better. As that means we will be closer to normality. We will have had further distancing and therefore ‘flattened the curve’ even more. And we can start to let things fall in like for the 2022 season which will be disrupted anyway because of Qatar.

Crowds were back today in Serbia. Some friends out there sent some love videos and pictures as red star won the league

[kaptin1]

I'm somewhat worried about how lacking in enthusiasm I feel for Mondays game. 47 years following my team through thick and thin, first hand experience of the Wimbledon FA cup defeat, Orient game to York and Scunthorpe away, Sherpa Van at Wembley, and obviously the promotion play offs, to name just a tiny few , I'm struggling to get excited about what strikes me as being 'virtual football'.

I agree, struggling to get up for this one. Don’t think it helps that we are pretty much safe, unlikely to get into the top six, are playing against a side who are all but guaranteed to beat us and the wheels appear to be coming off behind the scenes given the manager’s recent comments. Having said all that, we’ll probably play a blinder and come away with a shock 1-0 victory!

[cricketfieldclarets]

I agree, struggling to get up for this one. Don’t think it helps that we are pretty much safe, unlikely to get into the top six, are playing against a side who are all but guaranteed to beat us and the wheels appear to be coming off behind the scenes given the manager’s recent comments. Having said all that, we’ll probably play a blinder and come away with a shock 1-0 victory!

We are also unbeaten in months and could win the title on Monday. Albeit not for us.

[RammyClaret61]

Thank you for your input. Being so far removed from all the goings on there, I must admit I’ve lost a bit of enthusiasm for the restart. But it would be good to win on Tuesday morning (for us), and have a say in who becomes champions.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Personally think later in the year the better. As that means we will be closer to normality. We will have had further distancing and therefore ‘flattened the curve’ even more. And we can start to let things fall in like for the 2022 season which will be disrupted anyway because of Qatar.

Crowds were back today in Serbia. Some friends out there sent some love videos and pictures as red star won the league

And today five players test positive. After players at the tennis event hosted by Djokovic also test positive.

This in a country that had completely kept the virus at bay. But opening up sporting events, cancelling social distancing and with Exit Festival to come I imagine it could soon be hard hit if they dont keep this at bay.

18,000 were at the game at the weekend.

[cricketfieldclarets]

And today five players test positive. After players at the tennis event hosted by Djokovic also test positive.

This in a country that had completely kept the virus at bay. But opening up sporting events, cancelling social distancing and with Exit Festival to come I imagine it could soon be hard hit if they dont keep this at bay.

18,000 were at the game at the weekend.

And now Djokovic himself tests positive.

Very bad news for Serbia and The Balkans.

[IanMcL]

If we are 1m+ now, then all ok in September, bar new wave.

Fingers crossed.

[cricketfieldclarets]

If we are 1m+ now, then all ok in September, bar new wave.

Fingers crossed.

??

[IanMcL]

One metre plus is the new mantra, as of now.

If progress continues without a new wave of outbreaks, everywhere, then by mid September, we should be rubbing shoulders!