| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart 08:12 - Jul 20 with 4964 views | itfcjoe |
https://theathletic.co.uk/1935897/2020/07/20/ornstein-havertz-chelsea-pochettino
The EFL already has plenty of delicate and time-sensitive issues on its plate with investigations into FFP breaches and potential relegation appeals. Well, now you can add the threat of clubs potentially striking over the restart of Leagues One and Two if coronavirus testing measures are still in place.
English football’s third tier was the last to decide how to resolve its 2019-20 season, caught in the middle of the Premier League and Championship’s Project Restart, and League Two curtailing their campaign.
Although there is no definitive date, clubs in Leagues One and Two are expecting to be told to return to competitive action come mid to late September, keeping their 2020-21 season as close as possible to the top two tiers.
That would be six months since most of those clubs hosted a game and the government’s announcement this week, bringing the potential return of crowds to matches from October, is welcome news.
However, the bigger issue is the testing and biosecurity protocol that has made football’s return possible.
Aside from those clubs involved in the end of season play-offs, Leagues One and Two are yet to function under the current strict and regular COVID-19 testing regime. The Athletic understands at least a dozen clubs, including Bolton and Ipswich, have told the EFL they will not restart as they cannot afford the costs involved.
It means the EFL faces the threat of clubs refusing to play unless the testing rules are relaxed by updated government advice, which seems most likely, or the EFL can find a more cost-effective way for the biosecurity rules surrounding post-COVID football to be met.
Either way, how to make football in England’s third and fourth tiers viable remains a live discussion. |  |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:15 - Jul 20 with 3313 views | sparks |
If people are supposed to be going back to offices, and kids are allowed to play competitive football, I am struggling to see why the professional game requires all these strict protocols to continue... |  |
| The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett) | | Poll: | Is Fred drunk this morning? |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:21 - Jul 20 with 3282 views | itfcjoe |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:15 - Jul 20 by sparks |
If people are supposed to be going back to offices, and kids are allowed to play competitive football, I am struggling to see why the professional game requires all these strict protocols to continue... |
Yep, I think that's the case - not wanting to have to hump through so many hoops and spend so much money doing so.
I guess the difference is that if one of the team gets it then the whole squad could easily need to isolate, which causes big issues which aren't really there in kids football | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:27 - Jul 20 with 3239 views | Herbivore |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:15 - Jul 20 by sparks |
If people are supposed to be going back to offices, and kids are allowed to play competitive football, I am struggling to see why the professional game requires all these strict protocols to continue... |
Because professional footballers travel around the country and risk spreading it from area to area. That's a big part of what the government have been keen to avoid, Dominic Cummings excepted. |  |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:27 - Jul 20 with 3246 views | sparks |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:21 - Jul 20 by itfcjoe |
Yep, I think that's the case - not wanting to have to hump through so many hoops and spend so much money doing so.
I guess the difference is that if one of the team gets it then the whole squad could easily need to isolate, which causes big issues which aren't really there in kids football |
Its no different to any other workplace really. | |
| The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett) | | Poll: | Is Fred drunk this morning? |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:30 - Jul 20 with 3228 views | Herbivore |
It's a bit odd that we were pushing so hard to restart this season but now we're reportedly against starting next season. If we could afford it now why can't we afford it whe the game restarts? | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:32 - Jul 20 with 3230 views | Chrisd |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:21 - Jul 20 by itfcjoe |
Yep, I think that's the case - not wanting to have to hump through so many hoops and spend so much money doing so.
I guess the difference is that if one of the team gets it then the whole squad could easily need to isolate, which causes big issues which aren't really there in kids football |
You can understand why clubs are reluctant to return with so many constraints as they just haven’t got the available funds to make sure everything is in place. L1 and 2 clubs must feel like they are stuck between a rock and hard place currently. I feel sure they’d all want football to return with supporters due to the income and sponsorship, but if safety can’t be maintained for the players, club’s other staff and the supporters it makes things really challenging to get the ball rolling again (excuse the pun). |  |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:33 - Jul 20 with 3228 views | ITFC_Forever |
This was always going to happen, as soon as the vote went through to end last season as clubs couldn't afford to play.... as LO'N said, if they couldn't afford to play then, how can they afford to re-start with no crowds?
Bit surprised to see our name there as a team not wanting to play though. |  |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:36 - Jul 20 with 3202 views | Mullet |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:33 - Jul 20 by ITFC_Forever |
This was always going to happen, as soon as the vote went through to end last season as clubs couldn't afford to play.... as LO'N said, if they couldn't afford to play then, how can they afford to re-start with no crowds?
Bit surprised to see our name there as a team not wanting to play though. |
I wonder if it's some sort of leverage when it comes to stuff like salary caps? Maybe we are acting the b0llocks now as a "big" Div 3 club because we feel so aggrieved our "let us in the playoffs please" didn't work? |  |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:43 - Jul 20 with 3159 views | giant_stow |
Weird stance imo - football clubs exist to play football, so why say no if you have a chance to play? I assume they'll be paying players either way and they risk people getting used to doing other stuff with their time and money. |  |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:47 - Jul 20 with 3121 views | sundaze |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:27 - Jul 20 by Herbivore |
Because professional footballers travel around the country and risk spreading it from area to area. That's a big part of what the government have been keen to avoid, Dominic Cummings excepted. |
Well down here on the Suffolk coast this weekend I have never seen it so rammed full in July. People coming in from everywhere, cars parking all over the place and queues for the fish and chip shops with no social distancing.
I don't see how a group of footballers travelling together to a football stadium can be anymore of a risk to society. |  | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:50 - Jul 20 with 3102 views | Mullet |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:47 - Jul 20 by sundaze |
Well down here on the Suffolk coast this weekend I have never seen it so rammed full in July. People coming in from everywhere, cars parking all over the place and queues for the fish and chip shops with no social distancing.
I don't see how a group of footballers travelling together to a football stadium can be anymore of a risk to society. |
Not to shift this thread to more politics, but it's pretty clear that the government can't be seen to endorse anything risky (unless it's their own) but are more than happy to leave it to "common sense" and turn around and blame us.
I assume with the horse racing scandal around Hancock bubbling still they might want to avoid putting the focus on sport? | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:06 - Jul 20 with 3025 views | Herbivore |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:47 - Jul 20 by sundaze |
Well down here on the Suffolk coast this weekend I have never seen it so rammed full in July. People coming in from everywhere, cars parking all over the place and queues for the fish and chip shops with no social distancing.
I don't see how a group of footballers travelling together to a football stadium can be anymore of a risk to society. |
Their policy on individuals now is basically do more or less what you want but we'll blame you when it goes wrong. With football if they endorse no testing of players and cases then appear and have been spread by footballers it's much harder for them to shift the blame. | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:06 - Jul 20 with 3026 views | ITFC_Forever |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:36 - Jul 20 by Mullet |
I wonder if it's some sort of leverage when it comes to stuff like salary caps? Maybe we are acting the b0llocks now as a "big" Div 3 club because we feel so aggrieved our "let us in the playoffs please" didn't work? |
Not sure that stacks up - if we're saying we can't afford something (eg; testing etc), that gives more credence to the argument we need a salary cap to help us afford such expenses. | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:10 - Jul 20 with 2992 views | Herbivore |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:06 - Jul 20 by ITFC_Forever |
Not sure that stacks up - if we're saying we can't afford something (eg; testing etc), that gives more credence to the argument we need a salary cap to help us afford such expenses. |
Or it's just us throwing our weight around a bit with no real consistency | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:12 - Jul 20 with 2987 views | Mullet |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:06 - Jul 20 by ITFC_Forever |
Not sure that stacks up - if we're saying we can't afford something (eg; testing etc), that gives more credence to the argument we need a salary cap to help us afford such expenses. |
Yeah that's true, but I guess you're crediting our lot with thinking this through more than I have. I just can't see why we'd refuse unless we are really screwed financially, more than they've been letting on. | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:14 - Jul 20 with 2972 views | itfcjoe |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:12 - Jul 20 by Mullet |
Yeah that's true, but I guess you're crediting our lot with thinking this through more than I have. I just can't see why we'd refuse unless we are really screwed financially, more than they've been letting on. |
I think we just see it as unnecessary, the rest of the league wouldn't stand by us to finish the season, why should we now make it easy for them to start on their terms - there should always have been help from the PL, EFL or PFA to get the bottom leagues completed
That we didn't get it then has screwed us further, so now we need it more | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:19 - Jul 20 with 2939 views | Basuco |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 08:50 - Jul 20 by Mullet |
Not to shift this thread to more politics, but it's pretty clear that the government can't be seen to endorse anything risky (unless it's their own) but are more than happy to leave it to "common sense" and turn around and blame us.
I assume with the horse racing scandal around Hancock bubbling still they might want to avoid putting the focus on sport? |
I can see horse racing being in a very similar position to football, as there are large numbers of spectators spending a lot of money on very expensive drinks at race meetings. At te moment I suspect race courses are being kept up and running by the betting industry, but I suspect they will not want to continue this way for too long. |  | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:19 - Jul 20 with 2938 views | RegencyBlue |
What would the costs of testing be for an average club? I would have thought the EFL could negotiate some sort of deal for ‘bulk’ testing which would reduce the cost overall but would the costs be that great anyway? |  | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:22 - Jul 20 with 2918 views | sparks |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:19 - Jul 20 by RegencyBlue |
What would the costs of testing be for an average club? I would have thought the EFL could negotiate some sort of deal for ‘bulk’ testing which would reduce the cost overall but would the costs be that great anyway? |
Why do footballers need testing, when people working in shops and offices do not? | |
| The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they've found it.
(Sir Terry Pratchett) | | Poll: | Is Fred drunk this morning? |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:22 - Jul 20 with 2913 views | RegencyBlue |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:06 - Jul 20 by ITFC_Forever |
Not sure that stacks up - if we're saying we can't afford something (eg; testing etc), that gives more credence to the argument we need a salary cap to help us afford such expenses. |
But we don’t want a salary cap from what the club has been saying. | | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:22 - Jul 20 with 2914 views | PrideOfTheEast |
Poor choice of words from the reporter re affordability.
I expect our stance is one of we don't see many of the costs as necessary and equitable in a stadium 30% full. | | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:22 - Jul 20 with 2912 views | PhilTWTD |
I'm told the Town bit isn't correct. |  | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:22 - Jul 20 with 2915 views | management |
Interesting Bolton are implied in the article along with us, have Bolton not just signed Eoin Doyle on a 3 year contract blowing other teams out of the water with a financial package others could not compete with. | | | |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:23 - Jul 20 with 2898 views | Herbivore |
I do wonder whether in the not too distant future we will see just three professional leagues in this country with what is currently League 2 becoming a second Conference, possibly having two Conferences organised on roughly regional grounds. I'm not sure how sustainable the current structure is. | |
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| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:28 - Jul 20 with 2880 views | RegencyBlue |
| League One and Two clubs threatening not to restart on 09:22 - Jul 20 by sparks |
Why do footballers need testing, when people working in shops and offices do not? |
I’m not saying they do but, if it is a requirement, I can’t believe the costs are so great as to outweigh the chance of getting started again and at least having some income flowing again. | | | |
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