2019-20 how to conclude.

[Cosmic Joe]

2 hours ago, Brummo said:

I'm for ending the league as is and still having the playoffs.

Obviously it's a pity Montrose won't then be able to go up as Champions by right but relegating the Jags and keeping the Bairns/Diamonds down in the lowly seaside league will be some compensation.

If they end the season after week 27, which would be logical, with all clubs having played each other three times, Montrose would finish fifth.

[Brummo]

9 hours ago, Angusfifer said:

If they end the season after week 27, which would be logical, with all clubs having played each other three times, Montrose would finish fifth.

Yes, but in the words of a prominent American golf course owner: "That idea would not be good, it would be bad.That would be a bad idea, a very bad idea."

[TxRover]

4 hours ago, Brummo said:

Yes, but in the words of a prominent American golf course owner: "That idea would not be good, it would be bad.That would be a bad idea, a very bad idea."

Between the 28 and the 27, the 27 argument has that Stranraer and Peterhead have only played 27 argument...not saying it’s right, but...

[Gordon EF]

3 hours ago, TxRover said:

Between the 28 and the 27, the 27 argument has that Stranraer and Peterhead have only played 27 argument...not saying it’s right, but...

Also, our 28th game (away to Airdrie) it could be argued, was slightly tougher than Montrose's (home to Stranraer).

It's a nonsense anyway, no play-offs will be played if the season can't be finished so 4th / 5th won't matter but it is another reason why calling the league part way through isn't great.

[Brian Carrigan]

This season should be played and concluded, however long it takes.

Next season (20/21) should therefor not happen normally. 20/21 should consist of cups only, or perhaps interim regional leagues, but with no promotions and relegations. There are financial implications to this obviously.

21/22 should then begin with the leagues set as they conclude this season.

This is the only way to ensure every team this season gets to their deserved end point. Celtic, United and Cove win the leagues as they are bound to. League 1's title and the play offs are concluded fairly.

This season being asterisked is quite ridiculous considering the breadth of situations playing out between the leagues. Anyone from 2nd to 9th in the Championship can mathematically make the playoffs with a similar story in League 2. There are propositions sewn up, such as the aforementioned 3/4 of the league titles but potential capitulation can be argued, and therefor providing more fuel for the most logical conclusion - the season must be finished. Also with that said, to discount the effort of the teams that have dominated to a point where they are so far out in front and to just give a bye to any team that may be (possibly) too far behind to catch up (sorry Brechin and Stranraer) is just absolutely ludicrous.

(One potential set-up I've seen suggested which would be a good model for Scotland is that the 'season' begins with the 42 SPFL members divided into 8 regional leagues of 5/6 teams, the winners of each by a defined end point get promoted into a 'super league' and the rest play out the season between each other, the winner becoming regional champions).

[TxRover]

56 minutes ago, Brian Carrigan said:

This season should be played and concluded, however long it takes.

Next season (20/21) should therefor not happen normally. 20/21 should consist of cups only, or perhaps interim regional leagues, but with no promotions and relegations. There are financial implications to this obviously.

21/22 should then begin with the leagues set as they conclude this season.

This is the only way to ensure every team this season gets to their deserved end point. Celtic, United and Cove win the leagues as they are bound to. League 1's title and the play offs are concluded fairly.

This season being asterisked is quite ridiculous considering the breadth of situations playing out between the leagues. Anyone from 2nd to 9th in the Championship can mathematically make the playoffs with a similar story in League 2. There are propositions sewn up, such as the aforementioned 3/4 of the league titles but potential capitulation can be argued, and therefor providing more fuel for the most logical conclusion - the season must be finished. Also with that said, to discount the effort of the teams that have dominated to a point where they are so far out in front and to just give a bye to any team that may be (possibly) too far behind to catch up (sorry Brechin and Stranraer) is just absolutely ludicrous.

(One potential set-up I've seen suggested which would be a good model for Scotland is that the 'season' begins with the 42 SPFL members divided into 8 regional leagues of 5/6 teams, the winners of each by a defined end point get promoted into a 'super league' and the rest play out the season between each other, the winner becoming regional champions).

No. Indentured servitude was outlawed some time ago, and this scheme would reinstate it, as the only way to make this work is a unilateral extension of contracts for players. The players would, rightly, down tools.

Any solution to this issue has to consider several elements, including the simple fact that player contracts are expiring. It is no more fair to continue this season with different teams of players than it is to end the season now, and is almost certainly less fair.

To my eye, there are two choices, declaration and/or realignment. Both will have winners and losers, but one of those two will happen, perhaps in concert,

[foreverarover]

One option is to end the league as it is. No relegation and the top 4 are promoted . Top of Highland and lowland league are promoted. The following season 3 down and a playoff as usual for the last relegation/ promotion spot. It's that simple.

Edited March 27, 2020 by foreverarover

[craigkillie]

No. Indentured servitude was outlawed some time ago, and this scheme would reinstate it, as the only way to make this work is a unilateral extension of contracts for players. The players would, rightly, down tools.
Any solution to this issue has to consider several elements, including the simple fact that player contracts are expiring. It is no more fair to continue this season with different teams of players than it is to end the season now, and is almost certainly less fair.
To my eye, there are two choices, declaration and/or realignment. Both will have winners and losers, but one of those two will happen, perhaps in concert,

Players change clubs in January and nobody seems to think that is unfair. The players themselves won't exactly be in a position of strength when it comes to negotiating contracts, since clubs will all be much worse off financially when things start back up, so I would expect many of them to be happy to continue at their current clubs under the same or similar terms to what they're on now.

[San Starko Rover]

Players change clubs in January and nobody seems to think that is unfair. The players themselves won't exactly be in a position of strength when it comes to negotiating contracts, since clubs will all be much worse off financially when things start back up, so I would expect many of them to be happy to continue at their current clubs under the same or similar terms to what they're on now.

This season isn’t getting finished, it’s time everyone accepted that. This pandemic isn’t going to just disappear in a couple of weeks and no player should be risking their health and their family’s health playing BCD for a game of football. UEFA and the FAs need to call it or null and void it, give it a couple more months and you’ll be lucky if all 42 teams are even in business as most clubs live month to month. How you going to finish the leagues then as every club that goes under will have their record expunged and massively alter the standings. Dozens of clubs across Europe could go to the wall during this even the big clubs are looking at wage cuts to keep their heads above water. We’ve got 8 games to play and the absolute earliest anyone is optimistically predicting games is August which is the start of next season. Call it or null and void it and let teams plan for next season in the hope we can get that one started.

[craigkillie]

Again, as usual for people with this point of view, you are making the assumption that I'm somehow asking for football to start up next week. Nobody has said that. We are talking about what to do with the leagues once it is safe to start playing again. Right now, nobody knows when that will be. It could be May, it could be July, it could be October or it could be this time next year.

That means that it doesn't make any sense to plan for next season either. We don't know how long next season will last. You can hardly draw up a full fixture list if it turns out that we're only going to get started in January, for example. It's actually easier from that point of view to just play out the already scheduled games and use that time while those games are being played to make proper plans for the next season.

I also don't get the rush to make decisions right now. It's only the end of March and the (new) provisional end date for the season is over three months away.

Edited March 28, 2020 by craigkillie

[mealsonwheels]

I cannot see anyway for the season to be played out. Even if we were safe to restart in June or July there would be many players out of contract throughout the divisions on top of that there may be teams that will fold ( I sincerely hope not ) 

The fairest way to finish the season would be a restructuring of the leagues either for 1 season or going forward. 2 teams each division go up with no relegation and two teams from the highland league moving into the sfl if possible.

 

[San Starko Rover]

Because keeping clubs In Permanent limbo is bad for them financially ending the season one way or another allows clubs to be paid prize money or an equal share of it and to sell season tickets for the league they’ll be playing in next season. This we’ll finish it when we can allows clubs nothing to plan with. I’ll guarantee we’re not kicking a ball anytime before August at the absolute earliest.

 

At the very least the SPFL need to put a hard finish date, it can’t just keep dragging on for months in the hope we can finish this seasons games. Next season has to finish on time due to Euro 2020 in 2021.

 

[craigkillie]

Prize money can be paid out whether or not the season is finished. They could allocate it based on current positions or any other way they wanted, without having to necessarily stop the season.

 

Clubs have already started selling season tickets for next season anyway, and I don't see how making a decision on this current season affects that. You're already not going to know how many games there will be next season anyway.

 

They don't need a hard finish date for this season (right now), they need a hard finish date for next season. If this season finishes in November then you can have a shorter 2020/21 (which you might have to do anyway) to get done in time for the Euros.

 

[San Starko Rover]

Clubs are blindly selling season tickets because they’ve received virtually nothing from the SPFL as the season isn’t finished, they “could” pay prize money but they’re not. Some clubs have no idea what division they’ll be in next year. Any clubs struggling financially are reluctant to offload players as they don’t know if the season is finished yet. This will hammer PT clubs most when they could release players as the players have other jobs to support themselves. Finish the season by an announced date and clubs can actually plan and cut back.

 

It’s the uncertainty that will kill clubs.

[Langtounlaud]

English football has decided to conclude their season behind closed doors in July. How long before the SPFL follows suit?https://www.facebook.com/296106891810/posts/10156932022136811/

[haufdaft]

Saw this on Twitter:

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says that if leagues cannot restart by the end of June, it is likely they cannot be finished. 

"There is a plan A, B and C. We can start in May, in June or the end of June. If we can't do it on any of those then the season probably won't finish."

[Ro Sham Bo]

2 hours ago, haufdaft said:

Saw this on Twitter:

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says that if leagues cannot restart by the end of June, it is likely they cannot be finished. 

"There is a plan A, B and C. We can start in May, in June or the end of June. If we can't do it on any of those then the season probably won't finish."

Yeah looks like it will be as you were next season. 

[tazz1903]

Just cancel the whole season , no competition due to global pandemic .  

[CALDERON]

58 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Yeah looks like it will be as you were next season. 

To be fair, that just suggests that the full season won't be played out, which I think most people expect. 

 

[fifer67]

Think realistically uefa have to lead the way on this. If they want the season to mean anything the top two teams should move up and no relegation. This would definently be the least controversial outcome. Definently won’t be no football before players contracts run out in May. Add in all the loan players and teams squads will look a whole lot different if it was concluded after late May. Just hope that all teams manage to survive as no team deserves to go under due to circumstances way out their control. However having said al that don’t hold your breath on some crazy decision by the blazers at the wheel of Scottish football.