The Football Thread 2019/20: Barcelona will have 2-8 till next season to avenge this embarrassment

[Moggy]

twitter.com/abhinav757/status/1239524850106056704

[Tomous]

Presumably they must have thought anything serious enough to cancel the whole season ie a pandemic outbreak or World War would mean there were far more important issues to worry about than this.

But football is going to start up again. It seems shortsighted to not have a "if we have to cancel the season for any reason, this will happen" clause to cover themselves.


I wonder why the TV money clauses say. If Sky and BT have break clauses for games not going ahead, could be a ripple effect.

[Jenuall]

Presumably they must have thought anything serious enough to cancel the whole season ie a pandemic outbreak or World War would mean there were far more important issues to worry about than this.

But football is going to start up again. It seems shortsighted to not have a "if we have to cancel the season for any reason, this will happen" clause to cover themselves.


I wonder why the TV money clauses say. If Sky and BT have break clauses for games not going ahead, could be a ripple effect.

They don't necessarily need to have a specific catch all clause to cover themselves, although it wouldn't be hard to get some guidelines down in writing. The ridiculous thing is that they seem to have little to no disaster or interruption planning or preparations in place at all. The PL and EFL are huge organisations and should have had plans and risk assessments in place to allow them to deal with situations like this is a far more controlled and clear manner.

[Denster]

This is completely unprecedented. There's no contingency plan for it.
What were people expecting?
'In the unlikely event of a catastrophic event that curtails the season - the standings at the time of the cancellation will be the final ones.'
Would all the clubs have agreed to the suspension if that was the case?


Like I said - it means there's actually some perspective. Serious enough to bring the world to a standstill?
Who gives a strawberry float about football?

[Jenuall]

A specific event is completely unprecedented perhaps yes, but the idea of something happening that causes major disruption to the operation of the league is planning bread and butter.

Any business or organisation should have some planning for interruptions, unexpected events etc. For major organisations like the PL and EFL to be seemingly making this gooseberry fool up as they go is just ridiculous.

[Saint of Killers]

Premier League clubs expected to push for season to be completed

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... son-finish

As things stand this makes too much sense to not be the case. Who knows what the lay of the land will be when things return to normal, but right now this is what they should be aiming for. I mean can you imagine the cross Liverpool fans would bear and everyone else would have to put up with them going on about if anything else happened?! Not worth it.

[Tomous]

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville is to open his hotels free of charge to health workers to help with the coronavirus crisis.

Neville's two Manchester hotels will be closed to the public, freeing 176 beds for NHS and other medical staff.

The former United captain said none of his staff will be made redundant or asked to take unpaid leave.

"It is something we are delighted to have been able to come to an agreement with," Neville said.

"It is at this moment in time that the whole of our industry needs to show solidarity, not just for our staff in these uncertain times, but for the people who need the accommodation most in the coming months," Neville said.

Neville co-owns two hotels with former team-mate Ryan Giggs, the Stock Exchange Hotel in the city centre and Hotel Football at Old Trafford.

Both with be closed to the public on Sunday and available to health workers from Friday after consultation with the health service in Greater Manchester.

"Our staff will operate the hotel as normal when health workers are allowed to stay there without any cost whatsoever when they need isolation away from family members who might be affected," explained Neville.

Earlier on Monday, Chelsea announced a similar move to open the hotel owned by the club to NHS staff.

Great stuff from Neville.

Hopefully more and more rich people who can afford to take the hit will do things like that.

[Finiarél]

twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1240625692892696577

There's that at least.

Fair play to Gnev and Abromonivic for the hotel things.

[Dowbocop]

I think it may be time for a new QOTIBFTP

Have you ever met a footballer?

I met Francis Jeffers in a Yates Lodge in Liverpool in 2004. He had been loaned back to Everton because, well, he was a bit gooseberry fool! My Evertonian housemate came out of the pub as we were going past (different drinking groups) and told us that he was in there. He was on the upper floor balcony facing away from the window, so you could just see a silhouette of a human man with EARS! We went in and had a chat with him and he was an alright bloke, can't really remember what I said but I was conscious I didn't want to rub in the fact that we were flying high in the league and he'd been binned off back to his old club. My friend tried to get him to sign for Brighton

I also met Paul Merson in the toilets at Lord's during an ODI. Was a bit odd because he's obviously an ex-Arsenal player from my childhood so i was starstruck, but it's fair to say he's definitely pulled a lot of cards from the bellend deck as well...

[PatSharpsMullet]

Former Cardiff, Aston Villa and Blackburn midfielder Peter Whittingham has died, aged 35.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news ... es-aged-35

[Tomous]

Been rumours circulating for awhile, but Peter Whittingham, ex Cardiff and Villa player, has died after a fall in a pub in Barry. Very sad situation.


Edit: beaten to it. Been rumours for over a week he was in intensive care.

[Corazon de Leon]

Jesus, he played for us last year. Horrible scenes.

[Jenuall]

gooseberry fool that's terrible news. 35 is so young as well.

[Winckle]

I think it may be time for a new QOTIBFTP

Have you ever met a footballer?

I met Francis Jeffers in a Yates Lodge in Liverpool in 2004. He had been loaned back to Everton because, well, he was a bit gooseberry fool! My Evertonian housemate came out of the pub as we were going past (different drinking groups) and told us that he was in there. He was on the upper floor balcony facing away from the window, so you could just see a silhouette of a human man with EARS! We went in and had a chat with him and he was an alright bloke, can't really remember what I said but I was conscious I didn't want to rub in the fact that we were flying high in the league and he'd been binned off back to his old club. My friend tried to get him to sign for Brighton

I also met Paul Merson in the toilets at Lord's during an ODI. Was a bit odd because he's obviously an ex-Arsenal player from my childhood so i was starstruck, but it's fair to say he's definitely pulled a lot of cards from the bellend deck as well...

I met Mamadou Sakho in the passport control queue at John Lennon airport on a flight home from Paris.

I say "met", I was in the place behind him and his family in the queue and I didn't want to bother him.

[Curls]

I saw Luis Suarez and Daniel Agger in a Tesco in Liverpool, not on the same day, but in the same Tesco.

[Rocsteady]

I think it may be time for a new QOTIBFTP

Have you ever met a footballer?

I met Francis Jeffers in a Yates Lodge in Liverpool in 2004. He had been loaned back to Everton because, well, he was a bit gooseberry fool! My Evertonian housemate came out of the pub as we were going past (different drinking groups) and told us that he was in there. He was on the upper floor balcony facing away from the window, so you could just see a silhouette of a human man with EARS! We went in and had a chat with him and he was an alright bloke, can't really remember what I said but I was conscious I didn't want to rub in the fact that we were flying high in the league and he'd been binned off back to his old club. My friend tried to get him to sign for Brighton

I also met Paul Merson in the toilets at Lord's during an ODI. Was a bit odd because he's obviously an ex-Arsenal player from my childhood so i was starstruck, but it's fair to say he's definitely pulled a lot of cards from the bellend deck as well...

I met Mamadou Sakho in the passport control queue at John Lennon airport on a flight home from Paris.

I say "met", I was in the place behind him and his family in the queue and I didn't want to bother him.

Good man.

I held a door open for Pat Nevin once. Going on my tombstone.

[Jenuall]

I saw Luis Suarez and Daniel Agger in a Tesco in Liverpool, not on the same day, but in the same Tesco.

Probably just nipped in for a quick bite.

[Drumstick]

I think it may be time for a new QOTIBFTP

Have you ever met a footballer?

Michael Dawson stayed at the same resort as we did when we were on our Honeymoon. One evening, when we were on the way to one of the restaurants and he was on his way back, we passed one another. I gave him a head-nod in acknowledgement and he reciprocated.

strawberry float knows who he thought I was.

[Tomous]

Haven't really met any but I once saw Gareth Bale and Adam Matthews buying the new FIFA in their Welsh training kits in an Asda in Cardiff Bay.

Actually, have seen Bale a few times in Cardiff. Was held up by him trying to park his huge white SUV into a tiny spot while I was trying to return a white van in time after hiring it to move house.

[Cuttooth]

Will copy paste my one and only example:

Eddie McGoldrick came into my school to have a kick about with us when he was in the reserves for Arsenal, so I was a fan from them on I guess. I think just before he joined Manchester City actually. Probably ought to feel betrayed.

Should add he only came to the school because his daughter was in my class.