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

[Clive W]

Not sure whether this helps - from the EPL Handbook rules

A.1.169.
  “Season” means the period commencing on the date of the first League Match on the fixture list of the League’s first team competition and ending on the date of the last;

C.1.
Each Club shall play two League Matches against each other Club each Season, being the Home Club in respect of one such League Match and the Visiting Club in respect of the other.

C.14.
Subject to Rule C.15, the bottom three Clubs in the table at the end of the Season shall be relegated to The Football League.

So my understanding is that there at least 3 rules that would need to be altered requiring at least 14  in favour. Then the FA with its Special Share would need to give its consent. Only then could an amended rule C14 (presumably now amended to include some PPG calculation) be put to a vote, again requiring 14 to approve.


Also from the 2006 Companies Act :-

172Duty to promote the success of the company

(1)A director of a company must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in doing so have regard (amongst other matters) to—
(a)the likely consequences of any decision in the long term,
(b)the interests of the company's employees,
(c)the need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others,
(d)the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment,
(e)the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and
(f)the need to act fairly as between members of the company.

So all those people bleating about the bottom 6 only acting out of self interest...they’re absolutely correct. The Directors have a LEGAL duty to do so.

[Clive W]

Daily Telegraph reporting that up to 8 clubs now opposing neutral venues

[curiousorange]

I don't think it's so much a case of certain supporters having no fight, more that we can't do anything but wait for our future to be decided behind closed doors. I mean, what are we supposed to do, stand outside Purslow's house and clap?

[VinnieChase84]

This is what I don’t get about the 14 vote for them to use PPG. Each vote (team) will know the outcome before voting so obviously 16 votes would pass 🤷🏻‍♂️
It’s dog eat dog and I’d imagine every club would happily send us down

[PaulWinch again]

If safe I’m not opposed to neutral venues per se, but only if they take relegation off the table.

[old man villa fan]

This is what I don’t get about the 14 vote for them to use PPG. Each vote (team) will know the outcome before voting so obviously 16 votes would pass 🤷🏻‍♂️
It’s dog eat dog and I’d imagine every club would happily send us down

It depends whether clubs think "it's not us this time but could be next time".  A precedent that some may not wish to set.

[Richard]

How are the EFL involved in this by the way as not heard anything about them restarting so maybe they will not promote or relegate?

[Mister E]

Surely the best scenario is that the league re-commences, in whatever venues and with whatever rules are determined by the 2-thirds vote system. Then, a team is beset with CV-19 and the league is forced to stop after 1 or 2 games. Not that I'm wishing the virus on anyone, you understand.
That would force them to scrap the season; they couldn't  - after having re-started - then impose a PPG or some other theoretical determinant.

Another factor: which Villa squad will turn up if the league does re-start? - the team of the first dozen games that played flowing football and scored a decent number of goals? Or, the insipid team of the last 6-8 games that had clearly lost its mojo?
I wonder what sort of fitness regime they've been on? - they may come back with an aggressive and effective pressing game and the stamina to actually last a game?

[Legion]

Would Heaton, McGinn and Wesley be available for selection?

[saunders_heroes]

Would Heaton, McGinn and Wesley be available for selection?

McGinn, definitely. Not sure the other 2 were named in the squad in January.

[PaulWinch again]

Wesley and Heaton wouldn’t, unless there’s another rule change on registration. It’d be moot anyway, because they’re still some way from being recovered aren’t they?

[frank black]

Wesley and Heaton wouldn’t, unless there’s another rule change on registration. It’d be moot anyway, because they’re still some way from being recovered aren’t they?

I believe they can be reregistered as squad members now. But as you say probably some way off match fit.

[old man villa fan]

Wesley and Heaton wouldn’t, unless there’s another rule change on registration. It’d be moot anyway, because they’re still some way from being recovered aren’t they?

I believe they can be reregistered as squad members now. But as you say probably some way off match fit.

You would think that this would be part of the deal regarding players' contracts ending in June.  Not all clubs would want to retain players whose contracts expire and they would want to replace them in the squad.  There is also the question of loan players and whether clubs will be forced to extend loan periods e.g.  the Sheff Utd. keeper on loan from Man Utd.

[Damo70]

This is what I don’t get about the 14 vote for them to use PPG. Each vote (team) will know the outcome before voting so obviously 16 votes would pass 🤷🏻‍♂️
It’s dog eat dog and I’d imagine every club would happily send us down

It depends whether clubs think "it's not us this time but could be next time".  A precedent that some may not wish to set.

Personally I think every club will just think about what is best for them in the here and now. Any potential future precedent will go out of the window in their short term thinking.

The only possible alternative to voiding the season in my opinion would be top six play offs for European places and bottom six play offs  for relegation/survival places. Which means club A could have done the double over club B and also gained more points than them over the season but still be relegated instead of the other club.


But for me the season just needs to be voided and let's start again next season whenever they decide how and when it will restart.

[frank black]

They’re definitely not voiding this season. I reckon that they may offer the bottom teams a no relegation guarantee if project restart doesn’t complete the season. (In my view it will fall down at some point)