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

[Mister E]

Here's a link to a BBC Q&Aon the topic - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51876162

[Baldy]

If this season has to be abandoned I would recommend no teams in any league get relegated or promoted. That would avoid mass litigation and make the following option available.

If the 2020/2021 season starts in August 2020, the corresponding fixtures that could not be played this season would effectively be six pointers. Effectively having two league tables running parallel at the same time. As an example, If Villa beat Chelsea at Villa Park next season, we get three points for this season and three points for next season.

To simplify matters, all remaining fixtures not played this season could be the first ones scheduled for next season. We will then have a better picture of what the 2019/2020 season would have ended like. Liverpool (probably) can then be awarded the title and the clubs in the relegation positions can take a sigh of relief.

Monetary wise, all promotion and relegation payments should be abandoned for this season and this money spread evenly between all the clubs in each league plus the payment for each clubs league position as per the 13th March 2020. Next season the payments can revert back to normal.

Two parallel tables would double the entertainment for next season, make up for lost entertainment this season, give us a clearer picture of what this season would have ended up like and avoid court room battles for evermore!!!

Unusual times warrant unusual measures and avoids writing off this season altogether.

Just a thought.

 

[PaulWinch again]

If it goes on too long the solution is simple and we won’t like it.

Play the remainder of this season out and defer next season 12 months.

I doubt it. That won’t work for broadcasters, player contracts etc.

[Ads]

If we are relegated then we get what we deserve for being so shit for most of the season - Liverpool deserve to be crowned champions

To be honest I could not careless. I am hoping that in 4 months that I still have a job, there will be lots of business going bust, and that everyone I know is still healthy.

I really cannot accept that conclusion. How do you get what you deserve before you've achieved or failed?

Did we not deserve to be promoted last season because if a snap shot was taken in March 2019, we wouldn't be in the top 6?

[Richard E]

Why is everyone talking about the prospect of lots of really expensive litigation as if it’s a bad thing?

[Ads]

Why is everyone talking about the prospect of lots of really expensive litigation as if it’s a bad thing?

This man gets it.

[Jon Crofts]

I’m no fan of a Liverpool but nobody can say hand on heart they don’t deserve to win the league surely?

Happy to oblige.

[TheMalandro]

I’m no fan of a Liverpool but nobody can say hand on heart they don’t deserve to win the league surely?

Happy to oblige.

Hand on heart here.

[Richard E]

I wouldn’t even concede that Liverpool deserve to exist.

[The Edge]

We invented this fucking league. Our rules.

I wish there was a like button for this comment.

[The Edge]

I don't see how you can relegate from some divisions but not others. Relegated clubs will just point to divisions with no relegation and you are into the minefield.

And you can't say we'd definitely lose to Chelsea, Watford have won 1 in 7, a 3-0 battering of the best side in the country.

It's such a legal minefield i'm really glad I don't have to try to work out what to do if this carries on for months.

Yes I agree.

So to tweak it, I would just allow 2 up from each EFL division.

Relegation numbers changed accordingly the following season in order to bring each division back to the numbers it had this season

EFL rules prescribe that all disputes are dealt with pursuant to S5 of the Arbitration Act 1996:

https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/efl-rules--regulations/section-9--arbitration/

So in my scenario, the only issue would be if the play off contenders in the Championship decided that they wanted to challenge a/the decision to do away with the play offs for this season only.

Works for me. And to compensate those in the play off positions maybe they could all start the season with +6 points?

[TheMalandro]

If the fixtures can't be completed, the various leagues will take the simplest path - voiding the season.

Anything else is too complicated.

[phantom limb]

Various sources do suggest the season will be cancelled and we’re staying up. They’ll have to figure out what to do next season, as there isn’t time to do anything else. Can’t believe they’ve never had any kind of action plan in case of an emergency like this.

[algy]

If the fixtures can't be completed, the various leagues will take the simplest path - voiding the season.

Anything else is too complicated.

Yeah, I think it'll be a binary thing - complete the season or void it.

One possibility might be to play the remaining fixtures in Autumn, then run the next couple of seasons from February to October to fit in with the World Cup in Qatar.

[Dave P]

Someone mentioned it earlier, but it’s not just the league but the cups as well. Think of Man City who would write off the league in a heartbeat to concentrate on Europe while they can. Think of Newcastle who aren’t going down, aren’t fighting for Europe but are going hell for leather in the FA Cup. Were talking potentially 16 ish games to fit in. If they don’t cancel this season, they’ll have to cancel next.