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

[eamonn]

The flip-side is those numbers represent +/-25% of the season, so the clubs should have already received the other 75%, no ? Obviously the projected losses are not trivial, but the income received should not be forgotten.

Straight out the door into the players' pockets.

[algy]

Article on cricinfo talks about the joint approach sports are taking.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/29094232/uk-government-hands-ecb-lead-viability-bio-secure-sport

Just thinking about the amount of money being lost, I can see this being the most viable option. Identify "football island" - any old uninhabited island in the English channel (or with so few people that they could all be realistically tested, eg Alderney). Spend £25m or so setting up 4 main pitches + training facilities, medical facilities, etc. Play games like the world cup - players isolated from the rest of the world, every game televised, guarantee of every team having 1 free-to-air game at least.

The money that's involved, I can't see the season being voided - much as I think it should be.

[Rory]

The flip-side is those numbers represent +/-25% of the season, so the clubs should have already received the other 75%, no ? Obviously the projected losses are not trivial, but the income received should not be forgotten.

Straight out the door into the players' pockets.

I think that's an important point. The % of a club's turnover that goes to players is crazy. I get that every professional is within their rights to get the best deal they can for their family and their future in what is a very uncertain career.

But if anything reflects the disconnect between 'the business' and the real world, it's the sobering realisation that my brother, who works on the turnstiles, earns in a decade what top players earn in a day.

[Rory]

Incidentally, my brother still doesn't know if he's going to be paid. While the players accepting a 25% deferral scores PR points it isn't that much of a big deal. Not really.

[Dick Edwards]

Didn’t realise Paul Wilson was a Villa fan.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/apr/25/finishing-premier-league-season-pointless-football?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The football authorities reckon watching televised games played in empty stadiums is what the masses want. I for one would have no desire to watch such an empty, soulless spectacle on tv.

[Lastfootstamper]

Didn’t realise Paul Wilson was a Villa fan.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/apr/25/finishing-premier-league-season-pointless-football?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The football authorities reckon watching televised games played in empty stadiums is what the masses want. I for one would have no desire to watch such an empty, soulless spectacle on tv.

I won't be watching. And there's no way I'd pay. If it's pay per view, then it'll drop off after one game. The only way they could protect that revenue stream will be to make tv sports subscribers cough up ten weeks of money up front.

[aj2k77]

Didn’t realise Paul Wilson was a Villa fan.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/apr/25/finishing-premier-league-season-pointless-football?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The football authorities reckon watching televised games played in empty stadiums is what the masses want. I for one would have no desire to watch such an empty, soulless spectacle on tv.

I would have no interest watching ''friendlies'' weeks after tens of thousands of people had died, then supposed to suddenly be interested in watching millionaires, who still continue to be paid millions, squabling over what portion of their wedge they collect in a few months instead of today. Meanwhile people are being laid of left right and center. They can fuck off and fuck off with their precious Premier League as well.

[Meanwood Villa]

If Villa start playing again, even if it's behind closed doors, I'll want to watch it. It will be very far from ideal but I'll still be interested, I'll still care about what happens to my club. I think it was Klopp who said it (not sure if it was his quote originally) but football is the most important of the unimportant things. The emphasis was on unimportant incidentally, it was in one of his very good press conferences before lockdown started.

I've said before that I think behind closed doors will happen because I envisage a lifting of lockdown in terms of businesses reopening, me going back to work in my office etc. but mass gatherings still being banned. In this context I think matches will probably restart but given the circumstances crowds won't be allowed to watch. When this will be and what season will be played remains open to question but increasingly I think this is more likely to be August/September and 2020/21 season. I get why people are unhappy with this prospect, it's not what football should be, but nothing is what it should be at the moment. I, for one, will almost certainly be tuning in.

[Brassneck]

If and when next season starts, it will almost certainly be behind closed doors.  I would imagine it will be screened live with a red button type of set up.  Surely though, this facility would have to spread throughout all 4 divisions?  The lower leagues depend on gate money.  Many could not survive a sustained period playing behind closed doors.  I would imagine teams like Sunderland would be able to screen games on their club TV but many of the smaller clubs couldn't do that.

This season is about 50/50 at best likely to be able to be played out. 

[DrGonzo]

Well done to the staff and players on agreeing a wage deferment of 25%, showing the Chelsea (arguing for less than 10%) and Arsenal (10%) a thing or two.  Obviously they are still not going to be short of a bob or two but it is good PR if nothing else.

[andyh]

Behind closed doors football has always been used as a punishment,for misdemeanours.
Now it’s seen (by some) as a way of ‘boosting morale’ amongst the masses or ‘upholding the integrity the game’

What a load of old shat!

There isn’t even a consistent approach by the leagues in this country, let alone in Europe.
Some have cancelled, some have voided, some plan to restart and some are waiting..and waiting..and waiting.

As I have said before, if the biggest, most iconic sporting events in the world can cancel months in advance of taking place, then football should realise it’s not the only sport that is immune and pull the plug now.

And yes, I do want it voided to guarantee keeping us up.

[Somniloquism]

I'm not fussed on the ultimate decision relegates us or stops us from potentially being relegated. But this season is a bust and just needs to be canned now rather then keep on kicking it down the track. They would be more useful working out how to safely play next season games rather then rushing through scenarios for completing this one.

[old man villa fan]

The silence is deafening from the Premier League.  They are the body in the middle of this, taking the TV money, sponsorship etc and feeding it out to the clubs.  They know on paper what the contractual implications and liabilities are upstream and downstream if the season was cancelled.  Are they saying anything official, nothing.  They are merely using people to drop snippits to the media.  They are a disgrace.

[montague]

I'm not fussed on the ultimate decision relegates us or stops us from potentially being relegated. But this season is a bust and just needs to be canned now rather then keep on kicking it down the track. They would be more useful working out how to safely play next season games rather then rushing through scenarios for completing this one.

Agree with this, we wont be playing football in the short term so lets have some clarity. If they decide to relegate us on points per game to date then so be it-  I would hope as a club we would show a bit of class and just accept that. The main thing is there is a game and 92 teams at the end of this. On the season to date we deserve to be relegated and were on a downward slide where others were getting results.

Saying that my personal preference would be a bigger PL for next year with 2 coming up and no relegation and the PL financially compensating others who had a realistic chance of coming up.

[NeilH]

The Dutch have cancelled their league.  No title winners, no relegation, no promotion from the division underneath.

And the clubs in the top two of the second division, namely De Graafschap and Cambuur have already approached lawyers to demand promotion or pay damages. A portent of things to come I fear if the English season is voided.