[ex coseley kid]

I'd say no play-offs - top 3 to go up.

Would you say that if we were in a playoff spot though?

[BalisPen]

I would be happy if the efl stay we keep our final positions and the season is over and the premier league can do what it wants in relation to their tv commitments.

That will mean a lot of games in the 3 efl divisions won't have to be played in the circumstances and that is a lot more than the premier league games.

I think we are assuming that if the Premier league finishes so do we.

[BoingFlyer]

https://www.efl.com/news/2020/april/efl-statement-coronavirus-update/

suspended indefinatly, that includes next season.

[Baggies]

The new season will struggle to start in September this year.

The pragmatic solution, and the one I think UEFA will go with, is to lose a season in the long term and have two summer seasons leading up to Qatar  Worps Cup 2022.

That means next season starts in January or February,  and we finish this season at some point in the autumn.

We might not get promotion due to our players losing form but it's the right thing to do.

[Standaman]

The new season will struggle to start in September this year.

The pragmatic solution, and the one I think UEFA will go with, is to lose a season in the long term and have two summer seasons leading up to Qatar  Worps Cup 2022.

That means next season starts in January or February,  and we finish this season at some point in the autumn.

We might not get promotion due to our players losing form but it's the right thing to do.

This is logical. Globally despite the growth in the game outside Europe it is still the major European Leagues that have the TV audience and pay the bulk of the players wages and getting that show back on the road is the key to football recovering. It is plain that something has to go from the calendar and this summers Euros seems to be easiest target. Personally I'd axe the Qatar World cup but that is largely because I hate everything to do with the wretched tournament.

In terms of time scales from now on the players will need a month of pre-season type work prior to getting back to competitive football. The authorities will be very wary about large scale public gatherings until pretty much everything else has normalised and that is a long way off.

The thorny issue of players contracts does need to be addressed as most European contracts expire 30th June but UEFA should be able to negotiate a collective agreement which extends the contract arrangements across the board to the end of the season. In principle this is easy but as ever the devil is in the detail and it is very difficult to do without concrete start and finish dates but hopefully by May the European virus clusters might have peaked and some clarity on timescales will emerge.   

[caravanc58]

Uefa has lifted the ban on showing games starting at 15:00 on a Saturday live on TV in England and Scotland.

The move comes after requests from the Football Association and the Scottish Football Association amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

It is seen as the first move towards restarting some domestic competitions in the UK behind closed doors.

The blackout has long been in place during the English and Scottish season to protect attendances.

In a statement, Uefa said: "Uefa has lifted the 'blocked hours' protection granted to England and Scotland for the remainder of the 2019-20 season following requests from the relevant national associations as a result of measures taken in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic."

[baggiemart]

I cannot see any spectator sports starting again until 2021.

The government is already hinting that this lockdown will be extended. I think it will be extended until end of May then even further. The gov't brought in measures to help the self employed by 1st June. They are not going to put all the effort to bring that in and then the country gets back to normal.

Then you will eventually get small adjustments of normality happening like other shops and stores reopening. But one thing that will stick with us because the gov't have made people paranoid about it is the social distancing.

The worst case of non social distancing is sporting events, concerts and pubs.  So things like these will be the last thing to come back to us.  In my opinion I think this will be 2021.

So the most likely thing is that the season will finish behind closed doors for all competitions.  Well at least we get a partial refund on our season tickets !!

[ex coseley kid]

The worst case of non social distancing is sporting events, concerts and pubs.  So things like these will be the last thing to come back to us.  In my opinion I think this will be 2021.

I think you're right - and while I don't want to sound selfish, that's hit me really hard as I make the bulk of my income as a musician. It's bleak all round.

[Political Cake]

Payment discussion:

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2020/april/a-statement-from-chief-executive-mark-jenkins/

Albion Chief Executive Mark Jenkins has issued an update for supporters about the Club’s position amid the continuing Coronavirus pandemic.

Mark’s comments follow the latest statements from the Premier League, EFL and PFA in the wake of the global spread of Covid-19.

The virus has brought football to a standstill with no immediate sign of a return but Mark confirms that Albion are so far withstanding the impact this has brought to the Club.

But he also acknowledges that serious challenges will have to be tackled if the freeze on the Club’s daily activities remains over an indefinite period.

Mark writes: “I thought it appropriate that I take this opportunity to bring our supporters up to date with how the Club is faring at this extremely difficult time for everyone.

“Obviously, the priority for us all is the health and welfare of our loved ones and beyond that, giving all the support we can to the front-line staff who are leading the fight against Covid 19.

“But it is my core task now to do all I can to steer the Club safely through challenges we have never faced before and that responsibility will be at the heart of every decision taken in the difficult days which remain ahead.

“On Friday both the EPL and EFL agreed to postpone its fixtures indefinitely, which will test all football clubs throughout the country. At the moment, the Club is financially stable and remains so for the foreseeable future.

“But everybody is fully aware these are very uncertain times in which we simply cannot forecast what the future holds. Until we regain a level of certainty, we cannot be sure if planned income will actually be received or if we will be forced to utilise cash the Club already holds to refund existing commitments.

“What we do know for fact is that our operations are almost completely closed down and we are receiving virtually no income. Almost all of the Club’s usual costs still need to be paid, the majority of which are wages whether this be admin staff, maintenance teams, management or, of course, the first-team players.

“With that in mind, I think it is only correct that for the duration of this lockdown I take a 100 per cent cut in my salary and other members of the senior management team have also offered to take significant reductions in their remuneration.

“Like many other clubs, we have considered using a Furlough approach with non-playing staff who are now unable to work owing to the lock-down and we have made plans for this eventuality.

“At present we have not been required to sanction this action, but if the lockdown continues and football remains ‘on-hold’ then this decision may have to be changed. What we will pledge is to ensure none of the staff effected suffer a reduction in pay; the Club will make up the 20 per cent shortfall not covered by the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

“I should perhaps add at this point that nothing underlines the spirit of our staff, or the commitment they have for Albion, than to tell you that several have volunteered to take pay cuts in order they help the Club navigate a way through these difficulties. It says everything about the core values which run through our staff for which I and all the senior management team are both mindful and appreciative.

“Clearly there has been a lot of media attention on player wages and the comments of the PFA. It is difficult to forecast our future position because of the various ways the Club receives its income. But if we continue to be unable to play football in any format, we will discuss this further with the players who I am confident will want to play their part.

“Making any long-term plans is now almost impossible with the entire focus of the management team in guiding the Club through this difficult time.

“What we are determined to do is to support our wonderful friends in the emergency services and in particular the NHS who continue to help us all through this crisis. The Club’s Foundation is leading our efforts within the Community, assisting those most in need and exploring ways in which West Bromwich Albion can provide support.

“We are in a crisis which peace-time football has never had to face before and there is no way of knowing precisely what we will have to tackle further along the road. All I can promise is that everything we do in the weeks to come will be designed to ensure our club is in as strong a position as it has been possible to secure when football resumes.”

[gazberg]

Fair play to the board for not taking a salary whilst this is going on.

[ex coseley kid]

I'm impressed to be fair.

[zippyandbungle]

I'm impressed to be fair.

The fact that the senior management team are taking reductions is good....if we as a club furlough anybody...it’s the last time I go to the hawthorns.

[leeiswba]

The fact that the senior management team are taking reductions is good....if we as a club furlough anybody...it’s the last time I go to the hawthorns.

It looks like that we will hopefully be doing everything possible not to do it

[skyclad99]

A great statement - shows how professional we are.

[silver surfer]

The fact that the senior management team are taking reductions is good....if we as a club furlough anybody...it’s the last time I go to the hawthorns.

It’s a commendable gesture to stop drawing a salary.
If they do furlough then the club make up the 20% shortfall for staff.

[ex coseley kid]

I love our club again. So much.

On a possibly shallow point - but a point nonetheless - I put a fiver down at 10-1 for us to win the league. If the 2019-20 season ends in 21, will that void the bet?

[sayer3]

I love our club again. So much.

On a possibly shallow point - but a point nonetheless - I put a fiver down at 10-1 for us to win the league. If the 2019-20 season ends in 21, will that void the bet?

No it won’t be void as it will still be the 19/20 season

[Standaman]

The fact that the senior management team are taking reductions is good....if we as a club furlough anybody...it’s the last time I go to the hawthorns.

Why? I can't see why football clubs shouldn't use a scheme that is open to every company from the smallest to the largest.

[zippyandbungle]

Why? I can't see why football clubs shouldn't use a scheme that is open to every company from the smallest to the largest.

The guys in the ticket office and club shop etc....could and should be covered 100% by a club that can pay a footballer 40k PER WEEK.
Who do you think is paying for the furloughed people of the UK ?...it’ll be tax increases and an extension of pensionable age....
Used correctly it is a great scheme but football clubs and multi million pound profit making companies should do the decent thing and self finance .

[Albionic]

The guys in the ticket office and club shop etc....could and should be covered 100% by a club that can pay a footballer 40k PER WEEK.
Who do you think is paying for the furloughed people of the UK ?...it’ll be tax increases and an extension of pensionable age....
Used correctly it is a great scheme but football clubs and multi million pound profit making companies should do the decent thing and self finance .

Totally agree with the last paragraph

[Hunnington Baggie]

Totally agree with the last paragraph

but we know that most clubs in this country operate at a loss at the best of times... so why are they exempt?

[alex1]

I'm behind the line Jenkins and senior management are taking. If he can get by not taking a salary, well done him. We need people who have the club's best interests at heart. This is not an easy situation with easy answers. Given the size of our club, and we are not (yet) in the Prem league, we are still potentially very vulnerable if the shutdown carries on for a long time.
(BTW I'm fully behind the measures the Government is taking). 
Its clubs like ours where it could go pear-shaped. I'm not so bothered about the Man Uniteds, Man City's, Arsenals. They chuck money about in normal times, so its easy for them to cut back.

[Blowee]

Why? I can't see why football clubs shouldn't use a scheme that is open to every company from the smallest to the largest.

Would it be OK for the likes of Liverpool and Spurs to furlough their playing staff?

[Hunnington Baggie]

Would it be OK for the likes of Liverpool and Spurs to furlough their playing staff?

sure, currently they serve no purpose to the club and should be taken off the books to minimise costs while having an insurance that it's not a redundancy and will return to work after that time period. But we don't know what their contractual arrangement is and whether they even could?

[Blowee]

sure, currently they serve no purpose to the club and should be taken off the books to minimise costs while having an insurance that it's not a redundancy and will return to work after that time period. But we don't know what their contractual arrangement is and whether they even could?

If clubs really wanted to bring in some cash they could do this. The players would receive £2,500 a month from the government and clubs could choose whether they make up the rest. I guess they wouldn't be allowed to train then though as they are temporarily redundant?