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

[Steve67]

I’m still not clear what they are going to do if fans insist on congregating outside grounds...

As I've said previously, if after two or three games Liverpool's championship is confirmed, do they really think that half of the city aren't going to take to the streets? 

Agreed, pulling resources from the police that they can ill afford at the moment.  It will risk peak after peak.  It might also be a great way to force the EFL to rethink and void if the fans turn up all the time and their club looks like they might be going down.

The other thing, why have we deferred wages for four months?  Why not month on month if they think we might be playing again in June?  After all, fans only contribute to around 13% of the overall finances apparently.

[AlexAlexCropley]

Just what will be the guidelines at corners for instance? No close marking, no impeding of the goalkeeper. Might as well play British Bulldog, or our variant:Cockerusty

[Somniloquism]

Just what will be the guidelines at corners for instance? No close marking, no impeding of the goalkeeper. Might as well play British Bulldog, or our variant:Cockerusty

And the subs would have to be dotted around the empty stadium. Ball boys would have to carry domestos spray as well to disinfect the ball after every other header, especially when the players start getting sweaty.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Just what will be the guidelines at corners for instance? No close marking, no impeding of the goalkeeper. Might as well play British Bulldog, or our variant:Cockerusty

And the subs would have to be dotted around the empty stadium. Ball boys would have to carry domestos spray as well to disinfect the ball after every other header, especially when the players start getting sweaty.

Hypothetical question, but what if we score? Are the players still allowed to kiss each other?

[chrisw1]

Here’s a question in relation to the behind closed doors argument.
Why cant Wimbledon be played behind closed doors? It would be easier then football to organise. Why cant cricket? Social distancing in cricket is easy.
Why not restart the rugby 6 nations behind closed doors? After all, we were a only part way through the championship before all this happened.

Maybe it’s because the governing bodies in charge of those of those sports are intelligent enough to recognise that they are spectator sports and are meaningless without the crowds.

Behind closed doors? Feck off !

Because neither are 3/4 of the way through a season with hundreds of millions resting on the results for some clubs?  It's not that hard to understand why theey want to play it out if they can surely?

[David_Nab]

Here’s a question in relation to the behind closed doors argument.
Why cant Wimbledon be played behind closed doors? It would be easier then football to organise. Why cant cricket? Social distancing in cricket is easy.
Why not restart the rugby 6 nations behind closed doors? After all, we were a only part way through the championship before all this happened.

Maybe it’s because the governing bodies in charge of those of those sports are intelligent enough to recognise that they are spectator sports and are meaningless without the crowds.

Behind closed doors? Feck off !

Because neither are 3/4 of the way through a season with hundreds of millions resting on the results for some clubs?  It's not that hard to understand why theey want to play it out if they can surely?

Other than Wimbledon who took our pandemic insurance and are getting a massive payout the rest all have money and lively hoods to consider just like football.

The wanting to play it out involves at least no fans and possible neutral grounds , it's not the same conditions the rest of the season was played at that's what people have issue with.

[Legion]

It is getting less and less tenable by the day. As many factors that can be put in place before any match will be destroyed once a game takes place. How can you social distance and take precautions whilst playing football? It is impossible.

[Des Little]

The fact that money is the sole reason for all of this conjecture tells you everything you need to know about the state that the game is in. It’s so desperate it’s untrue.

[David_Nab]

Latest is player hold up in a hotel for 6 weeks to play games , its insane

[The Edge]

Just what will be the guidelines at corners for instance? No close marking, no impeding of the goalkeeper. Might as well play British Bulldog, or our variant:Cockerusty

And the subs would have to be dotted around the empty stadium. Ball boys would have to carry domestos spray as well to disinfect the ball after every other header, especially when the players start getting sweaty.

Hypothetical question, but what if we score? Are the players still allowed to kiss each other?

Yes but no tongues.

[Steve67]

Players spitting, players getting sweaty, players breathing heavily.  Referees are generally older, does this make them more prone to catching the virus, same as Lino's?  Do they all get changed in cubicles before the game, can you get the virus from the ball?  How are injuries dealt with, do we ask the NHS or vital services to be at the side of the pitch just in case they are needed?  Does this really make sense with so few resources and so many games to play?  They all have to have their own individual water bottle for drinking from? I'm sure there are other issues that also need consideration too.

[aev]

Surprised the PFA will agree to it but who knows?

Finish at all costs it seems like.

[nick harper]

Surprised the PFA will agree to it but who knows?

Finish at all costs it seems like.

Until the court of public opinion sees frontline resources being diverted while people are still dying, and crowds gather where the games are played, putting everyone at risk. Football will do itself no favours.

I don’t think close contact sport is going to work until there is a treatment or vaccine.

[paul_e]

It's spilled into the Grealish thread but I'd like Brassneck to respond given he's claiming to be an expert:

With about a quarter of the season left to play Villa have a game in hand and are 1 win from safety with absolutely no certainty that we won't catch a couple of teams above us with the game in hand being key. For that reason any decision that sees us relegated without kicking a ball has a clear legal challenge, anyone who can't see this is either deliberately causing an argument or has a bias against us staying up. I see absolutely no chance of us not going to court in these circumstances, we have clear evidence that the table is too close for there to be any certainty that we'd be relegated because there's too many games to play.

On the flip side Leeds and West Brom will claim that they're practically already promoted but the exact same reason why we can't be relegated works against them, there is no clear certainty that both of them would definitely finish top 2. Don't forget Fulham in 3rd have had games against both postponed and would argue that they are firmly in the race still. They have no clear evidence that voiding the season is taking a guaranteed promotion away from them because there's too many games to play.

Are you seriously of the opinion that these cases would have equal merit in court? The reason we would have a strong case is the exact same reason why their arguments are significantly weaker. voiding the season now creates weak legal challenges, working things out on paper creates the sort of legal cases which could last months and risk the start of next season.

This is all assuming the games aren't played. If they are played in conditions we agree to then the results stand but once again there has to be a time limit on how long we wait before trying to play those games, leaving it open indefinitely would push clubs into administration and, as mentioned many times, creates a contract nightmare with players and sponsors.

[Somniloquism]

Just what will be the guidelines at corners for instance? No close marking, no impeding of the goalkeeper. Might as well play British Bulldog, or our variant:Cockerusty

And the subs would have to be dotted around the empty stadium. Ball boys would have to carry domestos spray as well to disinfect the ball after every other header, especially when the players start getting sweaty.

Hypothetical question, but what if we score? Are the players still allowed to kiss each other?

I expect it will be similar to 1m 56 in this video.