How much will Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact Aston Villa's season?

[VinnieChase84]

The game changer is the FA chiming in I think. If they are serious about exercising a veto against any removal of promotion/relegation that’s that.

I’ve always felt the game’s will be played anyway, if they are I still think we’ll stay up and I think whoever gets relegated will take legal action.

I also think one of Leeds are Albion won’t get promoted if they play out their games. No doubt they’ll be pushing for PPG after lecturing everyone about ‘integrity’.

Issue with this though (as posted few pages back by someone ) is the FA have already made a PPG v null and void decision and backed it up with the rational. Key part is the financial implication that relegation would have on someone

[Brend'Watkins]

Arsenal owe the footballing world a relegation so they by right should take up one spot.

[aev]

They've had a million meetings now and come out with nothing substantial whatsoever.

Exactly, so much scrabbling around and nothing concrete has come out of this.

I am not a lawyer but it would make no sense for the FA to demand or insist on relegation (and the financial consequences for the relegated teams) from a league on some arbitrary calculation with so many games of the season left.

[Billy Walker]

I genuinely can't see how they can relegate clubs under any circumstances.  On the sporting side, the integrity of the league as an enclosed competition has gone.  Things might kick off again using neutral venues or home grounds with no fans but clubs can argue that either scenario is a material change to the way the season has been played thus far.  Likewise all the momentum (or otherwise) of the various teams, as it was in March, has now been lost. Form, injuries, etc., etc., - all crucial aspects of a league football season - have gone out the window.

Politically and economically, relegating clubs under these circumstances simply doesn't make sense either, as far as I can see.  The case I am sure will be made (and Purslow hinted at it with the language he was using) that any club losing a Premier League place in the middle of a pandemic would suffer a catastrophic financial loss.  A relegation from the Premier League is bad enough at any time, but at a time like this, the impact on livelihoods and local economies would be huge.  Using a hastily cobbled together formula/definition of "sporting merit" to inflict economic damage on communities in the middle of a pandemic would not be a just solution to finalising a season that isn't even three-quarters run.

[curiousorange]

I've lost count of the amount of 'football's finances will be changed irrevocably' opinion pieces, so not only would a relegation be a financial catastrophe, but people are pretty confident there won't be the kind of money around to make up the shortfall if it does happen.

[Meanwood Villa]

Arsenal owe the footballing world a relegation so they by right should take up one spot.

Haha 100% this!

[David_Nab]

The game changer is the FA chiming in I think. If they are serious about exercising a veto against any removal of promotion/relegation that’s that.

I’ve always felt the game’s will be played anyway, if they are I still think we’ll stay up and I think whoever gets relegated will take legal action.

I also think one of Leeds are Albion won’t get promoted if they play out their games. No doubt they’ll be pushing for PPG after lecturing everyone about ‘integrity’.

So then the FA can explain how they allowed lower leagues to end
This could include no relegation in EFL 2
How do they justify different rules when it suits them ?

[LeeB]

Arsenal owe the footballing world a relegation so they by right should take up one spot.

Lol, it was 'friends in the foreign office' that got them promoted despite finishing 5th.

If they were relying on the same friends in government now, the useless bastards would probably end up relegating them to the conference.

[Big Ming]

Lots of talk about financial damage to the Football economy.

That's going to be dwarfed by the 1930's style depression that some are predicting.

[mallo]

More players saying it's really not time to be talking about football : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52630497

I would hope that the players union supports them even more strongly than the TWU and teachers unions as their risk is much greater.

[Nastylee]

What happened to the 75% of games having to be played? I remember seeing this as a relevant number and noting Villa, by playing 28 had not reached the 75%.

Don't know how relevant it actually is.

[nick harper]

Things developing in France following the decision to relegate Amiens and Toulouse with 9 games to. One to keep an eye on.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/coronavirus-amiens-president-plans-legal-action-against-ligue-1-relegation

[Billy Walker]

Sadiq Khan is reportedly against football/sport in general restarting in London according to the Standard.

[Brend'Watkins]

They've had a million meetings now and come out with nothing substantial whatsoever.

Exactly, so much scrabbling around and nothing concrete has come out of this.

I am not a lawyer but it would make no sense for the FA to demand or insist on relegation (and the financial consequences for the relegated teams) from a league on some arbitrary calculation with so many games of the season left.

I think they know that what ever they do outside the norm litigation will follow. With that in mind it's a case of make it look like you're doing something until it's dragged on long enough to do what should have been done from the outset.

[aev]

They've had a million meetings now and come out with nothing substantial whatsoever.

Exactly, so much scrabbling around and nothing concrete has come out of this.

I am not a lawyer but it would make no sense for the FA to demand or insist on relegation (and the financial consequences for the relegated teams) from a league on some arbitrary calculation with so many games of the season left.

I think they know that what ever they do outside the norm litigation will follow. With that in mind it's a case of make it look like you're doing something until it's dragged on long enough to do what should have been done from the outset.

You'd think that would mean a 23 team league next season.