To think football shouldn't start again until the crisis is over?

[PhilSwagielka]

First off: no, this is not about who I support. I could be a Watford fan and feel the same way. I'd be happy to give Liverpool the title by default. In the Netherlands, they've voided the season, though I don't think Ajax got the title by default, and apparently Eredivisie clubs are threatening to get the decision overturned.

There have been reports about the Premier League coming back in 5-6 weeks and players training again, and players being tested. How true it is, I don't know, but I don't understand why fit, healthy young men get priority for testing while people working in the NHS, care homes and elsewhere don't get tested. Also, bringing matches back means having to make matchday staff work. Medics, caterers, stewards, security, groundsmen etc. Not to mention that even if matches are played behind closed doors, people will congregate outside the grounds. FFS, Goodison Park is right next to a residential area, what are the chances of Everton fans hanging around outside? The whole thing is a bad idea.

I like football but honestly, I'm happy to go without it for a few months if it means saving lives.

On the subject of football, I loved Matt Le Tissier as a player but his coronavirus posts are so embarrassing. He was one of the 'lol it's just like flu' types as well.

If they played the matches on closed pitches and broadcasted to tv only surely that would encourage people to stay home? Sounds like a good idea to me (even though I’m never going to watch football). It’s best to keep people occupied if possible.

If they played the matches on closed pitches and broadcasted to tv only surely that would encourage people to stay home? Sounds like a good idea to me (even though I’m never going to watch football). It’s best to keep people occupied if possible.

Its also the most likely outcome, in the medium term.

It's all about the money, the likes of Sky are running football, fans don't count anymore. They might show a few matches free to air as a token of 'good will' but what is football without fans?

Just give Liverpool their title, who cares, the season is over anyway.

Great user name btw, love Jags.

Lockdown has to be over for this to even be considered. People are not going to abide by rules if they see footballers given the green light not to.

I really can't stand football but I think, along with other sports it would be reasonable to start phasing it back in behind closed gates. Like it or not, it's part of our economy.

It's not about fans going with/without.

The Premiership alone contributes £8bn to GDP and £3.6bn pa in tax plus 100,000 jobs. It's an important industry and just like any other industry, if they can find a safe way to work, they should work.

If restarting football is a good idea then they need to start other sports too - rugby, wrestling, cricket, hockey, swimming. Does it include womens and amateur football too?

Then if football is restarting why not other TV - Soaps, reality programs, master chef, GBBO, etc. Then...........

Football isn't a priority just now and clubs even talking about it when hundreds of people are still dying daily is obscene.

"If restarting football is a good idea then they need to start other sports too - rugby, wrestling, cricket, hockey, swimming. Does it include womens and amateur football too?"

That would depend entirely on whether they can put similar measures in place to make it safe. The reality is that the less financially well supported sports won't be.

I don't know, but I don't understand why fit, healthy young men get priority for testing while people working in the NHS, care homes and elsewhere don't get tested

You can still pay for private testing, and one thing most premiership players don't lack is money.

Yabu. They clearly have the resources to do it relatively safely. Nothing is absolutely safe. It is about thinking about what is proportionate.

If lives, pleasure, economic activity can return to nearer normal that is good.

(Watford Fc are accomodating NHS worker from the hospital next door to the ground during lockdown) I'm not a football fan, wasn't to start off with but with 3 sons and 3 grandsons I've had to attend far too many matches to support them. I saw a piece on Sky News I think about what Watford FC are doing and I thought it was really impressive and very positive to see football doing its bit.

They should definitely restart it. It is so important to so many people.

South Korea start their league in early May, and they know what they're doing. Just test the players and do temperature checks.

While I'm no fan of football and it's not top of my list of things to restart, there's no denying that it's ridiculously important to a lot of people and it's an important part of the economy. Even more so for poorer countries.

The other problem I have with all the 'not until it's over' cries is just how we decide it's 'over'. What does 'over' look like? Who decides? On whose authority? People are looking to experts but, mostly because we have no experience of this virus, 1000 experts tend to come up with 1000 different views.

I think it should wait. If it restarts then that is effectively giving the message that lockdown is over - as pp said people will meet up where they can to watch it on tv or outside the grounds as in Paris before lockdown.
Plus lots of people travelling even if fans aren't is not going to endear them to people who have been told not to travel
I think the uk should follow The Netherlands and be safe.

If it is decided to play the games on free to view TV then surly clubs will also lose the money they get from sky sports and similar? So with no match day revenue and no tv money it could make matters worse for clubs

I’m a massive rugby league fan and have seen some interesting plans as to how the sport may restart as safely as possible.

Not a football fan at all. Can’t even remember what division “my” (ie the one 3 miles from where I grew up) is in.

But I’m not sure about this. We are at the point now where R0 is below 1 so we need to start doing things that will open up the economy whilst limiting the impact on infection rate. I think British football is an export (ie people watch it all around the world) so starting the matches will bring money into the British economy.

What I don’t know is how much money it brings into the country compared to (say) opening a hula hoop factory. And how many people are put at risk compared to the hula hoop factory.

But these numbers do exist. So we should be able to make a rational logical decision about it.

They won’t be holding the matches at club grounds apparently, to avoid fans trying to congregate outside. They would hold them at different training grounds like the England training cwntrnv

training centre!

Just give Liverpool their title, who cares, the season is over anyway.

The season will have to either be voided or finished later. You can’t change the rules half way through.

Liverpool haven’t won it. Relegation and promotion haven’t been decided.

I guess there's no way to play football while social distancing so it would have to wait until the rules were significantly relaxed. When they are though and people return to offices (possibly with a track and trace system in place) I don't see why football can't continue without spectators. I hate football but presumably other people enjoy watching it and talking about it so it will provide entertainment and a little bit of normality for people who love it.

I don't think there will be a definite end point to the crisis more a gradual return to a new normality and football will be part of this.

I would guess single Tennis would be the best sport for social distancing actually!

Or golf!