Leeds Banter Archive May 04 2020

04 May 2020 16:07:41
Question for ED001 and any other

Do you know why Project Restart seems to only involve the Premier League, with no sign of a Project Restart for the Championship?

Is this a ( cunning) plan by tbe EPL, FA and EFL to weaken the potential ( legal ) case of Championship clubs claiming promotion as the EFL Championship promotion places would not have been 100% defined by not having completed the full 46 league games ( with all the recent talk of no relegation for EPL clubs) ?

{Ed001's Note - the Premier League are a separate body from the EFL, it is really that simple.}

04 May 2020 16:35:14
Yes Ed001 obviously the EPL is a separate body from the EFL,

but you haven't offered a reason why the EFL is making no real action to play the remaining games in the EFL Championship.

The only quest right now from English football authorities ( EPL, FA and yes the EFL) it seems is to secure the EPL TV money by completing the EPL ( with no relegation for EPL clubs from the EPL this season )

{Ed001's Note - why would I need to offer a reason? No games can take place yet and the talk is pointless until such a time as it is possible to resume.}

04 May 2020 16:42:15
Ok Ed001 👍.

04 May 2020 21:20:09
I don't think there is no way tge EFL will be completed . It is not that important ghat it is completed in the current circumstances. The Premiere has a billion reasons to complete . The teams are eager to complete the season as to not lose ghe tv monet . However I find it hard to understand the point if no relegation! Why go through the trouble if no relegation! You would just have 92 friendlies? In the current climate why bother! If you are going to have no relegation, just vote on if there will be promotion and end it. The teams n trouble want relegation taken off the agenda, surprise, surprise, so can tbey explain the point in completing the season?

04 May 2020 22:06:46
Winner, runner up and European places and not to mention finishing place prize money.

04 May 2020 22:28:01
Yes agree Raggity re your point about the EFL matches not being played, thus seems a deliberate collusive apathy from the EFL to conclude the championship games which is what I was alluding to ED001 in my earlier posts above.

Your question is answered in tbe first part of your post Raggity that by completing the season the EPL. clubs will not have to repay a significantly large proportion of the Sky / BT deal for an incomplete season, plus Champions and Euro places are resolved. plus now the proposed shop no relegation EPL will suit the bottom EPL clubs and reward them again for abject failure. this is how sick and unjust English football has become.

To cynically have no promotion to a closed shop EPL destroys the integrity of the English game and sucks the joie de vivre out of the SPORT ( sadly now just business) I was once proud of.

{Ed001's Note - I don't know of any likelihood that anyone would have to repay TV monies as nothing has been paid for games that have not played. There is no issue with Sky/BT/Amazon if games do not take place because of the virus.}

04 May 2020 22:53:09
ED001 maybe so re Sky BT etc it's all money motivated whichever way

. my point is the lack of integrity 'closed shop' EPL blocking promotion.

{Ed001's Note - the EPL should never have been born in the first place.}

04 May 2020 23:16:50
Totally agree ED001.

{Ed001's Note - sports which allow the participants to set the rules are always going to end up having problems down the line. I never understood the sense in it as the participants are always just going to want what is best for them over what is best for the sport as a whole.}

04 May 2020 23:29:38
If football this season is to be null and voided, forget about these EPL clubs that don't think its fair that there home advantage will be lost . What about us fans who would have been robbed of sporting integrity . I was of the impression it was us through Sky and Bt subscription kept football financed . As well as merchandise, season tickets, matchday tickets been bought . Has the EPL given us a 2nd thought? Did we spend all this money just to be told ok, thanks for your money, but we don't want to continue, so we will go again next season? They want us to forget we are the reason football is so profitable . Will we be compensated for a non event?

04 May 2020 23:36:52
Ed1 wasn't the deal a 5 year contract for a set amount of money? Meaning as long as the games are played the EPL would be paid, so in fairness as has been mentioned something like 800 million would be paid to clubs for the season to be completed . Meaning approx 40 million per club to play another 10 games each?

{Ed001's Note - there is an extra payment when your match is chosen to be shown on TV. The rest is paid in a series of payments as the season takes place.}

05 May 2020 09:32:16
I also see the bottom 6 teams in the EPl will vote against relegation for their own selfish needs, to the annoyance of the top 6. I suggest the EPL have a vote on concluding the season now then, with relegation based on PPG . that's a guaranteed 17 votes for.

06 May 2020 13:29:45
that's a ridiculous thing to say Ed - if EPL wasn't born then how else could it be engineered so Man U could dominate for so many years?

{Ed001's Note - good point.}

04 May 2020 11:43:36
I am reading of opposition to an expanded Premier League by some of the top six clubs, on the basis of too many fixtures. Surely this is easily solvable with the cancellation of either (or both) of the FA and/ or Carabao Cup. I cannot see where all the bloody mindedness comes from on this resumption? topic. After all this time there surely are no new Plans on the table, for goodness sake, choose one and let's get on with it. Certainly after this weeks back to work anouncement from Boris there will be even less room for fudging. I feel that whatever decision is made there will be compromises and with that room for legal challenges. Please, the powers that be, grow some, and let's get on with it.

04 May 2020 12:35:36
I also read today that the bottom 6 are against the idea of neutral venues unless ridiculously there is no relegation.

integrity of football just sunk to a new low .

04 May 2020 12:45:20
There is what I think is a simple solution to the Neutral ground arguement from the bottom 6, simple use the bottopm 10 teams grounds as the neutral venues and let them play their remaining home fixtures there, this eliminates the argument about "home advantage" for them and allows for relegation etc The title is all but decided so that argument is moot.
The 1 caveat I would impose on these teams is they are responsible for security and policing costs should fans chose to "turn up" to games.

{Ed001's Note - the issue seems to be more about the FA's desire to make money from this by charging the teams to play at Wembley or St George's Park. I believe that is the thing that is irritating a lot of people.}

04 May 2020 22:38:40
I honestly don’t believe that much can be taken from “home advantage”. These are Pros earning ridiculous money now, so the old time add age of shrinking under pressure should be void.
As for the stance of the bottom six, well, it’s disgusting. “If it was us”, there would be uproar! But at this stage of a season, to demand no relegation, is just pathetic.

{Ed001's Note - actually there is a proven advantage in playing at home, when a team is used to the environment there. It is not about the crowd really as such, it is little things like aiming passes. A player gets used to the dimensions and knowing (subconciously) how hard to hit a ball to reach a certain point from where he is. Stadiums have features that act as a guide to players so they can get their bearings quickly when playing a pass or judging the flight of a ball.

There is genuinely something in the moans of the bottom 6, but, and it is a big but, the world has changed and football has to adapt to the circumstances it faces right now. If that means the games will have to be played at a neutral venue with no crowds, then people will just have to get on with it until circumstances change. No one wants to play in empty stadiums but most people don't want to work dead end jobs for minimum wage and yet many people have to.

This has shown that there is a clear need to take these kind of decisions out of the hands of clubs and put them in the hands of an independent body who sets the rules. Then the clubs will just have to like it or lump it. There is no solution that works for everyone so someone has to make an unpopular decision. I have no idea what that decision should be, but someone has to step up and sort this all out and stop all the pointless bickering between clubs.}