EFL & Coronavirus

[Lucas]

16 hours ago, The Palace Fan said:

Funnily enough most people are saying the same about the bottom six in The Premier League 

Are Derby and Sheffield Wednesday still likely to get points deductions?

This is it, we don't know. It's all gone quiet on that front. 

And obviously clubs are going to point that out should they lose their place at the expense of either of them not getting their deductions.

It's a real cluster fuck. Either way you turn you upset someone.

[Pyfish+]

Like others have said prior, it's going to upset people either way. Grimsby are 13th currently so it's not going to have too much of an effect either way. 

[tlr]

Now confirmed that League Two will end, weighted PPG and playoffs the most likely outcome.

League One didn't reach a decision so are trying again next week.

[Guest]

From what I have heard it was unanimous so can't really be any complaints. Although the forest green owner complained so not sure who did the voting 

[Smiley Culture]

Think it’s a crap way to sort it out. PPG is a terrible way of sorting it out. 

All leagues should follow suit now. 

[Pyfish+]

On 16/05/2020 at 01:13, Gunnersauraus said:

From what I have heard it was unanimous so can't really be any complaints. Although the forest green owner complained so not sure who did the voting 

Dale Vince moans about everything. 

[Dave]

 

[Pyfish+]

Grimsby are one of the teams who are against this. If we are promoting teams into League One, it's only fair that teams get relegated too.

[Stan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52758193

Promotion and relegation will remain if seasons are finished early.

Play-offs will remain 4 teams only.

Quote

 

Clubs will still be promoted and relegated from the three divisions of the English Football League if seasons are ended amid the coronavirus crisis.

Play-offs will also be played, but with no more than four teams.

The EFL has confirmed that 51% of clubs in either the Championship, League One or League Two need to agree for a campaign to be curtailed.

If a season is ended, the final table will be decided by an unweighted points-per-game system.

Clubs voted to end the League Two campaign immediately on 15 May, also proposing that no team should be relegated to the National League.

However, with the EFL including relegation in its framework for curtailing a season early, Stevenage would go down from League Two as it stands.

Swindon, Crewe and Plymouth would be automatically promoted to League One.

How the League One season will end has yet to be decided, although the EFL's confirmation that only 12 of the 23 clubs need to be in favour of finishing it early could be significant.

Six third-tier teams - Peterborough United, Oxford United, Sunderland, Fleetwood, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town - all said they were determined to complete their remaining fixtures.

But they will need another six clubs to support them if the season is to continue.

The new regulations still have to be voted on by all 71 EFL clubs before they can be implemented.

"In the event a divisional decision is made to curtail the 2019-20 season, the EFL board is recommending that the League adopts the original framework with the amendments as identified, as there is a strong desire to remain as faithful as possible to the regulations and ensure there is consistency in the approach adopted across the EFL in all divisions," EFL chairman Rick Parry said.

"The board has always acknowledged that a single solution to satisfy all clubs would always be hard to find, but we are at the point now where strong, definitive action is need for the good of the League and its members."

 

 

[Smiley Culture]

Batshit crazy. Sides being promoted having not actually earned it is just going to end in a myriad of court cases. 

[Pyfish+]

Grimsby have already announced their retained list for next season. A few players on there that we would keep given any other circumstance but we've had to let 2/3 of our best players go due to having no funding to offer them new deals and no idea when we will be getting income again.

[Stan]

2 people from same club in Championship test positive:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52789239

Quote

 

Two individuals from the same Championship club have tested positive for coronavirus after more than 1,000 tests were carried out.

The English Football League confirmed that of the 1,014 tests undertaken on players and staff at all 24 second-tier sides, all but two came back negative.

The pair, who have not been named, will now self-isolate for up to 14 days in line with EFL guidelines.

Teams in the Championship are due to resume training on Monday.

The EFL, who would not confirm if the positive tests were from players or staff, said those who had returned negative tests over the past 72 hours would be allowed to enter training grounds.

But prior to going in, everyone must complete a screening protocol to detect any symptoms in a manner devised by the club doctor.

The tests, which are being funded by the clubs and will not impact on NHS testing, are not 100% accurate but meet government and NHS standards.

The Championship, which has been suspended since 13 March, is hoping to restart the season at some point in June.

Meanwhile, no testing programme is in place for League One and League Two clubs.

On 15 May, teams in the fourth tier "unanimously indicated" they wanted to bring their season to an early conclusion, although talks between sides in League One stalled after they failed to agree on a resolution.

 

 

[Smiley Culture]

I’d hope that 30,000+ deaths in the UK alone wouldn’t lead to football clubs making up cases to use as a tool to fend off relegation but all of the announced cases seem to be at clubs fighting relegation. 

I don’t want to be cynical and I hope I’m wrong but it seems suspicious. 

[Dave]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

2 people from same club in Championship test positive:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52789239

 

Ok Hull City you can tell your players to stop licking everything.

[Dave]

It turns they're both from Hull City. The same club who have made the loudest noise about cancelling the season. 

I think theres grounds for assuming that certain clubs are not adhering to precautions put in place as seriously as others.

 

[Lucas]

So predictable. I'm not buying that as just a coincidence.

Football clubs are more devious than we give them credit for, especially when it comes to finance and protecting yourself at all costs. 

If those infected self isolate, Hull should have to carry on if everyone else is. And if they have to self isolate or whatever by the time fixtures are planned, I'd advise them they forfeit games till they can field a team. Be hard.

Not fair on your Charlton's, Luton's, Barnsley's etc

[Pyfish+]

6 hours ago, Lucas said:

So predictable. I'm not buying that as just a coincidence.

Football clubs are more devious than we give them credit for, especially when it comes to finance and protecting yourself at all costs. 

If those infected self isolate, Hull should have to carry on if everyone else is. And if they have to self isolate or whatever by the time fixtures are planned, I'd advise them they forfeit games till they can field a team. Be hard.

Not fair on your Charlton's, Luton's, Barnsley's etc

Couldn't agree more. Treat it like you would an injury. The rest of the team fills in and if not, you can't field a team so you forfeit the game.

[Stan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52775851

Quote

 

Blackburn captain Elliott Bennett and two unnamed Fulham players have tested positive for coronavirus in the latest round of testing in the Championship.

Rovers said midfielder Bennett, 31, was "asymptomatic and feeling no ill effects".

Across Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 1,030 players and staff were tested, with three positive results returned.

It comes as two people at Hull were confirmed to have the virus on Sunday after the previous round of testing.

Championship clubs were allowed to return to non-contact training on Monday - the first step towards the potential resumption of the season.

Both Fulham players will remain unnamed because of medical confidentiality, and are self-isolating in line with English Football League and government guidance.

Blackburn said, providing he develops no symptoms, Bennett will return to training on Friday, 5 June.

"I feel fit and healthy," Bennett told the club's website. "Hopefully this sends out a positive message to the community that perhaps many people have or have had the virus without showing any effects.

"I obviously would never have known if we hadn't returned to training and taken the tests, because I don't feel unwell and have got no symptoms whatsoever.

"There seems to have been a lot of hysteria about footballers returning to training, but it's not a big deal at all. It's the people who are seriously ill in hospital that we need to worry about, not footballers who are fit and healthy, and who aren't showing any signs of being unwell."

No Championship matches have been played since 8 March, with the season suspended five days later.

There has been no specific date set for a resumption, although the EFL said in a statement earlier this month that Championship clubs have "indicated that it is their wish to play on and conclude the season".

 

 

[Stan]

Championship season to resume on 20th June

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52834579

Quote

 

The Championship season is set to resume on 20 June, more than three months after it was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The EFL said the date was "provisional" and "subject to the strict proviso that all safety requirements and government guidance is met".

There are 108 matches remaining, plus the play-off semi-finals and final.

No Championship fixtures have been played since 8 March, with the campaign suspended five days later.

The EFL said it is aiming to complete the Championship season with the play-off final "on or around 30 July", adding that there would be ongoing discussions on proposals to permit the use of five substitutes in the remaining fixtures and increasing matchday squads from 18 to 20 players.

The announcement comes a day after the UK government gave the green light for domestic competitive sport to return, behind closed doors, from Monday.

"Following Saturday's announcement by the government to allow elite sporting events to return behind closed doors, the EFL has this weekend agreed to a provisional restart date of the weekend of 20 June 2020 for matches in the Sky Bet Championship," an EFL statement read.

"After discussing various approaches and the importance of completing the season in a similar timeline to that of the Premier League to avoid any potential issues with promoted and relegated clubs, the Sky Bet Championship season is set to conclude with the Championship play-off final on or around 30 July 2020."

Players have been back in training since 25 May, initially while following social distancing guidelines, and full contact training will begin next week.

EFL chair Rick Parry said: "We must stress that at this stage the date is only provisional and will only be confirmed once we have met all the requirements, as the health, safety and wellbeing of all participants, staff and supporters remains our top priority.

"Clearly completing the season in a safe manner is going to require a significant effort by all concerned and, whilst not unprecedented, it will need clubs to play a significant number of matches over a relatively short period of time."

Parry added that the EFL was in talks about broadcasting the remaining 108 games and play-offs either live on Sky Sports or via streaming services.

Three rounds of coronavirus testing have been conducted to date across the 24 clubs in the second tier, with more than 1,000 tests carried out each time.

Two people at Hull City tested positive in the first round, while two unnamed Fulham players and Blackburn captain Elliott Bennett tested positive in the second round of results.

Preston North End striker Jayden Stockley was one of 10 positive Covid-19 tests across eight Championship clubs in the latest round of testing, revealed on Saturday.

When the season was paused, Leeds United were top of the table, one point clear of second-placed West Bromwich Albion.

Fulham, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End occupy the four play-off spots, while Barnsley, Luton Town and Charlton Athletic are in the relegation zone.

 

 

[Lucas]

Glad we can play to a finish. If we were always destined to go up this season, I want us to earn it without any kind of discrepancy tainting it for us.

Of course, this does now mean I've gone from feeling quite laid back about things to being mega nervous by the time we kick off the first game, especially with our historic collapses and bad luck.

Got to bag the first victory straight away whoever its against.

 

[Rick]

On 21/05/2020 at 15:14, Smiley Culture said:

Batshit crazy. Sides being promoted having not actually earned it is just going to end in a myriad of court cases. 

You were calling for Villa to be relegated with a game in hand. 

[Rick]

1 hour ago, Lucas said:

Glad we can play to a finish. If we were always destined to go up this season, I want us to earn it without any kind of discrepancy tainting it for us.

Of course, this does now mean I've gone from feeling quite laid back about things to being mega nervous by the time we kick off the first game, especially with our historic collapses and bad luck.

Got to bag the first victory straight away whoever its against.

 

Will this break not have potentially had a positive effect on your squad?  A long break from the notoriously hard training under Bielsa. Could be just what they needed to avoid the burnout again. Hope you, want you fuckers up. 

[Smiley Culture]

6 minutes ago, Rick said:

You were calling for Villa to be relegated with a game in hand. 

Yep. 

[Stan]

19 minutes ago, Rick said:

Will this break not have potentially had a positive effect on your squad?  A long break from the notoriously hard training under Bielsa. Could be just what they needed to avoid the burnout again. Hope you, want you fuckers up. 

I thought too. Time to re-group and almost hit the ground running like they did at the start of the season. A break from the rigours of the normal season could be a blessing in disguise for Leeds.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

2 hours ago, Lucas said:

Glad we can play to a finish. If we were always destined to go up this season, I want us to earn it without any kind of discrepancy tainting it for us.

Of course, this does now mean I've gone from feeling quite laid back about things to being mega nervous by the time we kick off the first game, especially with our historic collapses and bad luck.

Got to bag the first victory straight away whoever its against.

If it reverts back to what the fixture list was, it's against us and as recent history shows, you might as well not bother and give us the three points.