I am VERY excited to be podding with Nigel Phillips of the AST today. We’re talking the economics of football in a Covid-19 world. You will want to tune in.
This blog is the warm-up piece, we’re going to do some light stretches to get your mind focused on what’s to come.
The Premier League is still pushing hard to finish the 92 games.
The really want that TV money.
There are some mad suggestions, but none crazier than TV EVENT OF THE CENTURY coming this June or July.
The plan?
Send all the teams to the midlands. Isolate them. Force them to play all the games over the course of a month behind closed doors.
Apparently the Government like the idea, they know everyone will be climbing the walls by then, a huge comp with World Cup vibes might take the edge off.
Sounds like a bit of a fantasy to me.
Huge gatherings of families in hotels doesn’t sound particularly smart.
The bigger concern would be hospitals. Are we really going to play high-level sport whilst hospitals are still drowning in covid hell? What would happen if a player snapped his leg like Aaron Ramsey did? Where does the league find the necessary medics needed to support the game? Even semi-pro football often has a St. John’s Ambulance on stand by. Would they dare divert resource?
It’s a desperately tough situation. We can’t stay in hibernation forever, but we also can’t risk further spread by nationally communicating that social distancing is finished.
… but hey, maybe this will all go in the summer? Maybe we’ll have enough testing in place to reduce the risk. Maybe the league has a plan that can work for everyone.
I still think a national spectacle in June is a little bit like going for a quick marathon run the day after groin surgery.
Think about it. What does the matchday crew for a football game look like this?
- 25 players
- 15 backroom
- 10 support staff
x20 teams
That’s 1000 people mingling in close proximity before you even get into the TV staff, security, stadium workers, and the medics.
o-100mph in a pretty short space of time.
Cesare Prandelli; Italian coaching legend, put it more bluntly than I just did.
“We need to let the grief and pain pour out,”
“There needs to be respect for those who have suffered. You can’t go from the cemetery to the stadium in a day; from a convoy carrying 150 coffins to an ole.”
At the very top in America, the virus was not being taken very seriously this time last week, tonality across the board sharpened when the bodies started piling up. I do wonder whether the panic of the Premier League to feed billions back into millionaires will start to look trivial if the upward curve of infections and deaths continue.
We’ll see.
It’s easy to get caught up in a panic over clubs in the top divisions, but remember, players and top management earn fortunes and that money can be deferred. The clubs are also mostly owned by billionaires. The real losers out of this are usually those lower down the food chain, the casual staff and the folk that make clubs tick. That’s why I think the Barca players have made an absolute statement by deferring 70% of their pay with the insistence that Barca pay non-sporting staff as part of the deal. This some kid called Lio Messie speaking on behalf of the Barca players.
“Beyond the reduction of 70% of our salaries during the state of alarm, we are also going to make further contribution to ensure that the employees can continue to be paid 100% of their salaries for as long as this situation lasts,”
I love this.
I hope that if it comes to it, Arsenal players take the same approach. I think the people are looking at businesses and players during this moment looking to see the depth of their character. Do you want to be a Richard Branson or a Mike Ashley? Or do you want to be seen as a Rishi Sunak or Jeff Bezos?
Right, that’s me done for now… more coming later.
UPDATE:
1st
2nd
3rd
Tr4phy
Damn you DM
Given the current situation, I hope you don’t mean that literally, Groovey :p
Not all all mate. I’m just miffed that you happened to be lurking….thought I had a clear run to the Tr4phy.
Oh well.
Well played, as usual.
Was only kidding. Sorry bro! Maybe next time? 🙂
Makes me wonder why Song, was so confused …. small teams are going to need these pay cuts more than big teams. Dumb fool
Just wondering why footballers should be paid while they are not playing, they should be on welfare
the only competitive games that makes sense are between teams made up of players who have had coronavirus and are now immune…any other scenario is completely irresponsible
agree with Sid
Ray
You can catch this twice…
My apologies Dissenter -I had read sky sports and it sounded like it was a cut for 4 months – now confirmed
Guns: thanks for the feedback…in that case there is no case to play the games in this short a time frame
The prem so desperate to have the scousers win it.There is not a chance in hell as things stand that now or in the near future that the prem will resume to complete the remaining fixtures.Its optimism in the extreme.It simply isn’t practicle.so VOID the season & move on.What will it take before people get it into their thick f*** ng skulls!Its over.move on.
Anyway are Arsenal going to buy anyone more expensive than pint of beer & a packet of crisps? The skates!
it seems the ‘reinfections’ are really close in time to the original infections and it is thought that they are more likely to be the result of partial recovery and relapse to the original infection rather than a more classical reinfection
but your point is well taken, either way
Sid Easy to say things like this but laws still must be followed and their contracts would be key. Technically, they’re not getting paid to play football, they work for the club and do what the club say, hence training, media, etc. (except for the very few who have pay-as-you-play contracts). Unless by mutual agreement, which is more than possible, I very much doubt the club can just stop paying the players without it breaching the contract, and thus voiding it. So yeh, they could stop paying them, but they’d no longer be players for the club, and when football… Read more »
Resumption of football:
My suggestion would be to resume the current season when it is deemed medically and scientifically safe to do so. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, this is September or October. Play three games a week (Sat, Wed, Sat) until completion. We have 10 games, which suggests wrapping up our programme in 3 – 4 weeks – i.e. end of September or October.
Then reduce the following season by scrapping Mickey Mouse Cup and no replays in FA Cup. Europe qualifying played over a single leg. Play 3 Prem games a week until Christmas.
The only way is to cancel this season. Too much complications and health risks to still try and play games. Until the vaccine is out, I do not think chancing it will be a good idea.
All it takes is one person to re-spread this, and the cycle starts over.
Cancel this season.
Sorry Liverpool
If the EPL was in China, by July they would have already build a complete new town with accomodation for 5,000 people, two stadium and one fully equipped hospital. Those 5,000 would then be locked up inside a la “Escape to New-York” or the “Maze Runner” style with a gigantesc locking in party. “Build and it and they will come”. I can see a movie in which some mad billionaire media mogul build such a town and then use the infrastructure for yearly sport event. This month football, next month rugby, next month racing car and then the winners in… Read more »
Keep away from the midlands. We’re doing just fine without a bunch of wankers showing up and playing football for a month. Dumbest idea ever. Barcelona. Bollocks. They were shamed into this ‘decision’ and it was 100% not through choice. If all premier league players donated just one weeks worth of salary to the NHS, a fuck lot of problems could be solved or helped along. Instead, we’ll get a load of lip service from Black Country cunts like Grealish who then go out and smash up their Range Rover after a night out partying. In times of trouble, football… Read more »
Cancelling this season is not an option. No way. Totally unfair on Liverpool, plus all the other teams who have done well and are in promising positions (in leagues, cups, etc.). Why should we start a new season when this one hasn’t finished? It makes no sense. As Micheal says, whenever it is safe to do so, we resume the season, and finish it. Next season starts only when this one is done. If next season has to be cancelled because of it, so be it. Much easier to cancel a season that hasn’t begun than one that is nearly… Read more »
On the other hand, if they were to lock Grealish for a month without alcohol he would most likely sue the EPL for emotional distress. 😉
I agree they have to cancel the season, otherwise the next season cannot start until about October.
The authorities cannot bend over for Liverpool.
Do they want it given to them?
If they do it would be forever a thorn in their side .
But do the scousers care? Probably not they would see it as compensation for Hillsborough.
The FA want them to win whatever the costs
PedRo
“””””What does the matchday crew for a football game look like this?
25 players
15 backroom
10 support staff””””””
Lets hope most of these rasping, useless hangers -on will soon be out of work and can rejoin the real world.
Support Staff?
Backroom Staff?
Biggest bullshit industry of them all- modern soccer!
Clubs are just prolonging the inevitable, cancelling of contracts, it has started with the smaller clubs, this lockdown will go on for 6 months minimum maybe more, how many will hold on that long without asking for bail out later?
After paying obscene salaries to ozil, xhakalson, mustafinovs?. The players should start learning skills like plumbing, gardening, fishing
Im telling them this for free!
Pedro The idea of a football competition in Midlands is not as far fetched as some might suggest. In fact I suggested it earlier today since I assume that Sky and BT will want to get maximum value from their contract with EPL. Both these Broadcasters will be looking for a substantial discount next year in what they pay EPL and clubs unless the season is concluded with requisite number of games. All the major clubs in Europe need the revenue from TV and Sponsors and the failure to complete season will also force them to reduce ticket prices next… Read more »
What happens to FFP now?
Will billionaire bailouts be allowed?
“What happens to FFP now?
Will billionaire bailouts be allowed?”
I’ve been wondering the same thing. Maybe the Saudis are banking on a temporary loosening of the rules in order to catapult Newcastle up the table next season with a massive cash injection.
Will make enforcing the Man City sanctions even more awkward..
Really can’t see the Kroenke family standing to much of this.
The longer this goes on the more likely they are likely to bail.
The biggest reason why the season can’t be cancelled all together is not because of the title/Liverpool or other such non-sense (although, I do agree it would be utterly hilarious). It’s relegations and promotions. Sure, if you’re Norwich, you’re happy. But if you’re Leeds or West Brom? 100’s of millions of pounds lawsuits will be filed. It is simply cannot be done, and the show must go on.
UEFA had already announced that they were going to temporary relax the rules of FFP.
They have not yet announced if it is going to be no rule, less stringent rule, postponed rules for a full season.
They also can’t make a decision before they know which league will be able to complete and restart for next season European competition.
Upstate Gooner, I don’t think that the premiership is really worried about the promotion and relegation clubs. There are always special case in the rules that authorise special dispensation in case of force majeur. No relegation, or immediate promotion for clubs in place 1 and 2. Look at how the FA have now told the club just the non-league football clubs that the season is void. No promotion and no relegation from the football League. The issue looks like whoever signed the EPL contract with the broadcasters forget to insure against case of force majeur where the season cannot be… Read more »
Even if the Kroenke suddenly wanted to sell, they would find it very difficult to find a buyer at the price they want. Chinese government has already stipulated that they don’t want Chinese investors spending money on vanity project outside of China. They are also going to clamp down ever harder on anybody showing any sign of money illegally gained. Nobody will want to put head above the parapet against the Chinese Government. Same thing with Saudi Arabia. The national wealth fund can do whatever it wants, but right now nobody wants MBS to check on them. And with the… Read more »
The longer this goes on the more clubs will be wrecked.
Over inflated wages and overinflated staffs are there all to be seen.
This will expose the greed of football.
Sky started it and now it’s hit the buffers.
Cancel the season and let’s get back to reality.
https://youtu.be/WEx_ByPS9xQ
Valetin
The Nigerian is heavy into oil.
He’s not coming to the party.
It’s all a load of bollox
““What happens to FFP now?
Will billionaire bailouts be allowed?”
I can’t see UEFA stopping an owner making sure wages are paid especially if non player salaries are included but if City decided to use this as an excuse to go and sign new players etc then I can see the other clubs pressuring UEFA.
dave
The Nigerian pops up every couple of years and gives a great sound bite about how he can’t buy the club now because of a project he’s involved in but as soon as that ones finished he’ll make it happen – of course it’s a different project every time.
Valentin
” Sky, BT and all the foreign broadcasters are entitled to get all the money for this season back. Most Clubs would not survive such an Armageddon situation.”
Yeah but as much as Sky has helped to create the PL the PL has helped create Sky – their subscriptions would dramatically drop off with no football. They need each other – the only way I can see Sky getting aggressive is if it looks like the PL is going to drop them come the next round of negotiations.
Yes Marc
It’s a publicity stunt really.
Football club values will drop in the short term. Some predictors will circle no doubt.
Stan will hang on he’s got no option, he probably will like to use a tax loss for a couple of years.
Transfer fees will plummet.
Marc
Amazon will circle in the mix.
“””Over inflated wages and overinflated staffs are there all to be seen.””””
Well said Spanish D.
And to think we added Mary and Cedric to our payrolls in Jan.
Cedric who we signed off Saints, could not believe that we took their crook off their hands &
Mary- who became Arsenals 8th center back?
Even Gorgeous George who had a penchant for central defenders- never thought 8 was needed.
Total abject incompetence at the club, these last few seasons.
We deserve what’s coming.
dave
I’m sure Amazon will be looking to take advantage, the question is can the majority of clubs survive 1 season with out TV money – Sky might just be clever and look to use some leverage.
Did’nt the FA talk about televising all Premiership
games under their own umbrella.?
As things stand the only way a players contract can’t be honoured by the club is if the changes are agreed between both parties . Take it one step further and if you try to terminate a players contract without just cause ( such as gross misconduct) then the player will always win any appeal. Whilst most clubs are making losses a significant portion of that is a amortisation and whilst that can’t be ignored in accounting terms at the moment it’s all about cash in and cash out. What’s going to screw Arsenal going forward is the huge sums… Read more »
Valentin
The premier league is going to have to cough up losses the same ways most business are readjusting to the once in a lifetime pandemic shutdown.
The idea that the league has stay open forever to finish the season so as not to forfeit sponsorship money is absurd. There are bigger things occurring that are far more important than football.
An example is Emirates airlines, I read that 95% of the gigantic fleet of aircraft are stowed away. Do you think they will still pay-out all the sponsorship millions they previously agreed to?
Terraloon
“Take it one step further and if you try to terminate a players contract without just cause ( such as gross misconduct) then the player will always win any appeal.”
You don’t think this pandemic is enough just cause to force a wage reduction? You cant change the previously done transfers but you can reduce the wage burden.
You can start with slashing bonuses for the players, leaving basic salaries untouched
“Did’nt the FA talk about televising all Premiership
games under their own umbrella.?”
I’m sure they’d love to get a taste of the PL money but as it is the FA and the PL stand as separate bodies – no way the PL let the FA get their claws into their money.
The players have to be sensible – this isn’t one club or even one league that’s going to feel the pain where players can fuck off and play somewhere else. They all can’t play for City or PSG and even the richest clubs in the world need someone to play against.
Said it before but cancel the season and start next season with accrued points from 19/20 added to next season’s total. That way ‘Pool have a 22 point advantage and will still probably win the league (albeit 12 months late) and all other promotion and relegation issues can also be resolved at least partially based on performances this season. Basically we’d have results based on about 1.75 seasons rather than just one.
Truth is it’s all about TV money, not sporting merit.
It’s better to just cancel the season, eve if to just send Liverpool’s global follower ship into deep melancholy.
Liverpool would have to.lose 8 out of the remaining 10 fixtures with Man City needing more or less to.win all their fixtures.
It ain’t happening, give the title to Liverpool.
andy
That doesn’t work because one team will have played Liverpool 4 times and another 3 whilst someone else would have played Norwich 3 times and another 4 – it’s not fair and is just asking for legal challenges.
Here in Canada, most of the subscriptions are yearly. I signed up for DAZN until end of 2020. I phoned them last week and wanted to cancel it. But they didn’t offer any refund.
Liverpool could lose all remaining 9.fixtures and still end up as Champions., give the title to Liverpool.
If we dont finish the season liverpool have to be given the league title.
You can’t just scrub the history books and pretend the season didn’t happen. That would be the hight of injustice.
Imagine that happened to us we would never except. North london would riot.
Dangote knows he won’t make money from football . He will only consider it once the more profitable projects are complete
Marc, luck of the draw, Norwich beat City , if clubs want a perfect solution they aren’t going to find one. The merit is that every single club has more scope to win promotion, avoid relegation, secure a CL place. Playing games over a short period is just as likely to cause problems, players will still be ill come the summer, some will be fit, some not, playing multiple games quickly with players not match fit will result in injuries which impact results and potentially seriously impact careers. Just about any solution is likely to leave cause for litigation from… Read more »
If you going to wipe this season.out then you can strip Man City and Chelses of their titles for obvious reasons.
It would not be injustice to deny Liverpool the title because they have not won it yet.
If you give Liverpool the title then you have to relegate the last three teams as at the time the league was suspended.
Liverpool won the title as early as mid-October of last year..
The current bottom three teams should have a play off with the current top 3 Championship teams to decide who gets relegated and promoted to the Premier league.
Red
Nonsense
Nothing stops Norwich from mounting the types of great escapes that Leicester and Palace have done in the past.
Why can’t Liverpool take part in a play off with the first 8 teams on the table?
Dissenter. Just like historical transfers players terms and conditions are commitments that the players and indeed the club entered into on a voluntary basis. Now I have no doubt whatsoever that the players should agree to a reduction in their basic wages ( most of their bonuses will be out the window) but the first question is will they ? The second is what happens if they say no? Of course these are unique and worrying times but footballers live and work in a bubble but they are none the less employees with employment contracts the trouble is that just… Read more »
Marc 18.57
Yes indeed Marc it’s the PL considering a Netflix type
streaming service between.22-25 season.
Including all PL games and 3.o’clock Saturday kick offs.
Would that need FA sanction?
James
Well the PL was a break away from the FA to start with so I’m guessing the view is the FA are irrelevant.
The only thing I’d question is the 3pm Saturday kick offs being televised – there’s always been a rule (that I’m aware of) that say’s you’re not allowed to show 3pm Saturday kick offs on TV.
I don’t know if that’s a government intervention, an FA rule, a PL accommodation or something else. It would however be a massive change of policy.
Terraloon
” The second is what happens if they say no?”
You might see the clubs band together and “black list” any players who don’t play ball (excuse the pun!). Bosman ended up being shunned by every club in Europe – maybe further afield so it’s not as if there isn’t a precedent.
Terraloon
The second is what happens if they say no?
That’s why you need leadership at every enterprise in life.
Premier league clubs are living a fantasy life devoid of reality. There’s a reason Juventus, Barca and all German clubs have already taken pay cuts.
In Germany they took pay cuts to keep clubs in the lower leagues in business. The premier league is wrongly assuming that it’s charmed life will continue forever.
Marc have you got 5he ball over ther3 with you on 5he right wing…
Spm3 news crap
We are linked with a danish 19 year old cm…
They are just like flags in a wind ain’t they.
RSPC
I have no idea what the comment you were asking me is supposed to say!
No worries Maggie…
Culled from a bbc interview;
Gundogan added that he would be prepared to take a pay cut if English clubs went down the route of Juventus and Borussia Dortmund in asking players to accept reduced wages so that other staff can be paid.
“Of course I think it’s OK, that goes without saying – [but] there’s been no discussion in England yet,” he said.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/52086371
Where’s the leadership in the premier league.
Un I just don’t know but if what’s going on had appeared as the plot to an episode of the X Files about a shadow government plan to “control the human race” you would have sat back and enjoyed it whilst thinking the whole madness was far fetched. There is a serious chance that the “NHS” is actually using this as a way of politically attacking austerity and the pressure on healthcare budgets – whether as a means as an ends or just pure convenience just can’t be fathomed at the moment. Sky News was borderline hysterical this morning after… Read more »
Leicester fellas story very touching…
Same names coming up all the time Chelsea an millwall.
RIP Rocky
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8169087/Martin-Keown-pays-tribute-David-Rocastle-gift-bamboozling-defenders.html
Why would kroenke bail? He literally has a sports franchise in every major sport save baseball. All his teams being stopped and him losing money on all of them doesn’t begin to even dent the amount of money he has. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon unless he’s really blown out of the water with an enormous offer and that’s not going to happen now.
“Where’s the leadership in the premier league”
I think they are practising self-quarantine.
RT
Your suggestion of play-offs is brilliant!
I have no idea how Bojangles or Aussie Gooner etc feel, but I’ve always been proud to, when asked of my nationality, to say I’m British. However, the more I read about the treatment of nurses & NHS staff after their shifts being mugged and in one case murdered I can honestly say any pride I had has evaporated exponentially. It seems British values of old and the sense of common decency to others has been devalued to something completely unrecognisable today. It’s obviously not just immigration that has caused this behaviour, but avarice, jealousy and pure selfishness starting with… Read more »
Tony, I have never taken pride in what is essentially an accident of birth. I am British because I was born in England. I have a passport that shows that. I am more Australian than British and now regret not accepting Australian naturalisation and gaining an Australian passport.
I can understand how you feel Bojangles. Do you feel the same way about Vietnam now?
The football bubble has burst
You heard it here 1st!
The atrocities of Imperialism will not be forgotten, will be forgiven with apology.
Im telling you this for free!
Italy – Historical Death Rate
Data, Year , Death Rate, Growth Rate,
2020 10.658 0.870%
2019 10.566 0.880%
2018 10.474 0.680%
2017 10.403 0.680%
2016 10.333 0.690%
Italy’s mortality rates havent increased drastically,
Sid,
More deaths in Barely a quarter of 2020
Urm, death rate isnt the same as number of deaths
Players who were trying to go on a Bosman are suddenly realising that they have nowhere to go.
The footballer union is now asking that ALL footballer contract is extended until the end of the season.
It is now dawning on the players that this is not a short term issue. That will take at least six month to sort everything. And financially clubs will be affected for at least 2~3 years.
I’ve no idea how to end the league season responsibly, but if the situation calms down to a safe level it would at least be an interesting way to close out the season with 3 games a week for a month or w/e
It’s flawed. It probably won’t happen. But from an entirely footballing perspective it would be fun
The arsenal brand is poor at the moment , and the efforts from the owner are pitiful , we all no we have no midfield what so ever , we all know we have had a shite defence for years now .why on earth would you invest £1000-£1500 in arsenal now when the owner can’t be bothered to fix problems that have been in existence for years .A board with no football experience higher a management team with no prem league experience who then Higher a manager from Spain again with no prem league experience .When the Spanish manger turns… Read more »
Marc
So right.
The States media is mainly left wing like ours.
When I am over there if you switch from Fox to CNN you would think it’s two countries.
This media frenzy is a virus on society, they say anything to get ratings to improve their income.
Whose interest is it to keep this going?
Sid
I think you are right the football bubble is burst.
Most European clubs are in debt up to their eyeballs and others are fiddling the accounts to avoid FFP.
Match day money is the profit area for most clubs, and with a weakened spending power which will become evident clubs will think more seriously about high transfer fees.
Sky started this by flooding the Premiership with craz.y amounts of money which sent transfer and players wages soaring.
Crazy when you think a club gets 100 million for being relegated!
Tony/Bo I have always considered myself to be a citizen of the world rather than of a specific nationality. I have been in Australia now for 22 years and took out Australian citizenship as soon as I could (ie after 2 years). Unlike some countries I did not have to lose my British citizenship, so technically I have dual nationality and able to hold both UK and Australian passports. I have let my British/European passport lapse and have no intention of renewing it anytime soon! Australia has signed up to the Schengen agreement so travel to most parts of Europe… Read more »
Aussie Gooner,
What that will mean is that you as an Australian will not need a VISA to visit most of Europe including non EU countries such as Switzerland, Iceland and Norway , but as an British citizen you would.
Valentin
Isn’t that bizarre! Back in the day I used to travel out on my Australian passport and arrive in the UK on my European/Btitish passport as I thought I could get through customs quicker- no one ever picked me up on it! I doubt I could do that today!
I travel with 2 passports all the time, just use the same passport to enter and leave the country.