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

[mr underhill]

Yes it is - many tens of thousands of businesses around the world will go bust as a direct result of this pandemic yet you persist in believing that football is a special case. Most clubs are living a financial lie and sadly this crisis might finally cause some of them to fold.

[chrisw1]

UEFA has set a limit of 25th May to state whether each country will or won't finish their respective leagues. It's a good while away, but if the Premier League state after Fridays meeting that they will finish the season, then they're in all sorts of grey areas - they just can't know whats going to happen.

Do you think this has to be a definitive position?  How can UEFA hold them to it if a country states an intention to finish the season but ultimately circumstances make it impossible?

[Small Rodent]

So over 500 people have died from Coronavirus in England over the last 24 hours. On what level of reality can it be considered reasonable to think of re-starting football? It beggars belief.

Fair play to the French for taking the sensible decision to end the season.

The death toll is tragic.  But they are not talking about it restarting now, they are talking about possibly June or maybe even Juiy or August.  Is it really that wrong to keep their options open when the very survival of some clubs may be at stake?

It's difficult. The very survival of many jobs and companies is at stake.

[Lastfootstamper]

UEFA has set a limit of 25th May to state whether each country will or won't finish their respective leagues. It's a good while away, but if the Premier League state after Fridays meeting that they will finish the season, then they're in all sorts of grey areas - they just can't know whats going to happen.

Do you think this has to be a definitive position?  How can UEFA hold them to it if a country states an intention to finish the season but ultimately circumstances make it impossible?

I assume they're trying to plan next season.

[chrisw1]

Yes it is - many tens of thousands of businesses around the world will go bust as a direct result of this pandemic yet you persist in believing that football is a special case. Most clubs are living a financial lie and sadly this crisis might finally cause some of them to fold.

Most businesses will probably be allowed to be up and running again in May, let alone June, July or August.  Yet you persist in believing that football is a special case and should not be even allowed to discuss a potential future.

To put it bluntly deaths have approximately halved in the last 7 to 10 days.  Say, hypothetically, we are down to no deaths by mid June and the lockdown has largely ended.  Would it still be wrong to look at behind closed doors games take place in August?  If not this season ending then next season starting.  Or do you believe next season should be written off too, probably with the result of dozens of long established clubs going to the wall?

[aev]

"The chairman of Fifa's medical committee Michel D'Hooge has warned that rushing back to playing football could see a second spike of coronavirus cases, as France announces both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 will be cancelled this season.

Speaking to the Telegraph, D'Hooge advised that no football should be taking place before at least the end of August and said it was a "matter of life and death".

“We are all subject to decisions at national level from the public authorities," he said.

"It is very simple. Football suddenly becomes not the most important thing in life. I will be very happy if we can start, in a convenient way, the next championship and have nothing before the start of next season."

[garyellis]

Yes it is - many tens of thousands of businesses around the world will go bust as a direct result of this pandemic yet you persist in believing that football is a special case. Most clubs are living a financial lie and sadly this crisis might finally cause some of them to fold.

Most businesses will probably be allowed to be up and running again in May, let alone June, July or August.  Yet you persist in believing that football is a special case and should not be even allowed to discuss a potential future.

To put it bluntly deaths have approximately halved in the last 7 to 10 days.  Say, hypothetically, we are down to no deaths by mid June and the lockdown has largely ended.  Would it still be wrong to look at behind closed doors games take place in August?  If not this season ending then next season starting.  Or do you believe next season should be written off too, probably with the result of dozens of long established clubs going to the wall?

While the trend is definitely down (mainly due to social distancing measures)  death rates in care homes have tripled in the last three weeks. The curve has flattened there are still a lot of people in hospital seriously ill with Covid-19.

[chrisw1]

Yes it is - many tens of thousands of businesses around the world will go bust as a direct result of this pandemic yet you persist in believing that football is a special case. Most clubs are living a financial lie and sadly this crisis might finally cause some of them to fold.

Most businesses will probably be allowed to be up and running again in May, let alone June, July or August.  Yet you persist in believing that football is a special case and should not be even allowed to discuss a potential future.

To put it bluntly deaths have approximately halved in the last 7 to 10 days.  Say, hypothetically, we are down to no deaths by mid June and the lockdown has largely ended.  Would it still be wrong to look at behind closed doors games take place in August?  If not this season ending then next season starting.  Or do you believe next season should be written off too, probably with the result of dozens of long established clubs going to the wall?

While the trend is definitely down (mainly due to social distancing measures)  death rates in care homes have tripled in the last three weeks. The curve has flattened there are still a lot of people in hospital seriously ill with Covid-19.

I know Gary and it's absolutely horrific. But that doesn't change the hypothetical question I asked, which given how far we have travelled in 6 weeks not be that implausible.

[David_Nab]

France have stopped all sport until September, including behind closed doors.

Which is where it starts getting more political , if the UK gov allows it and deaths go up / a footballer gets sick then there are going to get hammered I can't see them taking the risk.There is still criticism of Cheltenham and the Madrid /Liverpool game going ahead.

[Gareth]

The PL are purely looking at this as a financial issue. It'll be interesting what the PFA stance will be.

With Gordon Blatter in charge the PFA stance will be the same as the PL

[nick harper]

Yes it is - many tens of thousands of businesses around the world will go bust as a direct result of this pandemic yet you persist in believing that football is a special case. Most clubs are living a financial lie and sadly this crisis might finally cause some of them to fold.

Most businesses will probably be allowed to be up and running again in May, let alone June, July or August.  Yet you persist in believing that football is a special case and should not be even allowed to discuss a potential future.

To put it bluntly deaths have approximately halved in the last 7 to 10 days.  Say, hypothetically, we are down to no deaths by mid June and the lockdown has largely ended.  Would it still be wrong to look at behind closed doors games take place in August?  If not this season ending then next season starting.  Or do you believe next season should be written off too, probably with the result of dozens of long established clubs going to the wall?

Most businesses can adapt to some form of social distancing measures, football can’t.

[Lastfootstamper]

Yes it is - many tens of thousands of businesses around the world will go bust as a direct result of this pandemic yet you persist in believing that football is a special case. Most clubs are living a financial lie and sadly this crisis might finally cause some of them to fold.

Most businesses will probably be allowed to be up and running again in May, let alone June, July or August.  Yet you persist in believing that football is a special case and should not be even allowed to discuss a potential future.

To put it bluntly deaths have approximately halved in the last 7 to 10 days.  Say, hypothetically, we are down to no deaths by mid June and the lockdown has largely ended. Would it still be wrong to look at behind closed doors games take place in August?  If not this season ending then next season starting.  Or do you believe next season should be written off too, probably with the result of dozens of long established clubs going to the wall?

Even hypothetically I'd say those two clauses are incompatible, unless you change that 'and' to an 'or', especially with that 'largely' in there.

Also, how will starting a new season behind closed doors prevent dozens of long established clubs going to the wall? I assume we're on about lower division sides, those that rely on gate money to survive? Bridging loans wouldn't help, they'd have no chance of repaying them.

And no, I've no idea what an actual solution looks like. I still think we're looking at next year before football can get back to normal. Some clubs won't survive. Maybe some bigger than others.
Grim times ahead, I fear.

[aev]

Are we even sure deaths have halved? I think a lot of this depends upon how you determine the numbers.

There is a chart that showing European excess deaths so far above their “normal" levels for the time of yr. In other countries excess mortality is falling. In England it's still rising.

[Pete3206]

Belgium, Holland and now France.

If the Premier League had a shred of integrity, it would bin the season off now.

[chrisw1]

Are we even sure deaths have halved? I think a lot of this depends upon how you determine the numbers.

There is a chart that showing European excess deaths so far above their “normal" levels for the time of yr. In other countries excess mortality is falling. In England it's still rising.

I don't want to misquote figures, I was just basing it on the reported hospital deaths although we all know wider deaths will be much higher.

All I was trying to say is that for me, I'm really hoping this virus will be under control come late summer.  In those circumstances I can see sports seasons starting behind closed doors in August or September.  Following that rationale, I was just querying if that does become the case, is it that much of a stretch for the PL to just discuss the possibility that the first games will be the conclusion of the current season?  I appreciate for some it is distateful for the PL to even discuss it, but given the potential financial impact on some clubs, I think it would be negligent for them not to at least explore it.

But hopefully the French announcement will put pressure on them and this will all be put to bed shortly.