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

[PaulWinch again]

I think litigation would be successful, it’s just how much of a deterrent it is.

Based on what exactly?

it would be hard to argue that a team who had played less games, less home games than all their rivals hadn’t been materially and disproportionately impacted by a unilateral decision to use PPG.

First of all are you advocating that the Club attempt to stop the PL starting next season or proceeding with the vote with an injunction?
If we were successful in the injunctive application which would only last until such time as a full court process or until the PL gets the injunction lifted,  are you aware of the Financial implications of succeeding with an injunction and then failing subsequently?

We signed up to the PL Governance Rules which allow them to form a committee and change the rules.
They are likely to argue that their contractual obligations to the EFL teams are greater than those to the teams they relegate.
The other and most likely option is the Club sue the PL for damages which IL be heard at a later date and possibly some time after next season has started.

I’m not suggesting legal action would involve stopping the league progressing. I would imagine we’d pursue damages for loss of earnings.

[amfy]

Our game in hand could prove to be a pivotal factor.

I don’t think it will, the court will decide if the process the PL used under the circumstances is reasonable, I know we think it’s completely unreasonable but that is not a Legal Reasonable.

It's not a level playing field, though. We have a game in hand where if we win it, it would take us out of the bottom three. Plus Watford 3 Liverpool 0.

It's also not a level playing field playing behind closed doors without your home fans.  So if it does all start up in June without fans present we are immediately disadvantaged.

Everyone will be playing at home without their fans, and everyone will be playing away without there being home fans - so I think it’s an easier argument that would be a level playing field. You can even argue that it would be more level because it removes the advantage of larger (or louder) fan bases.

Judging us on one less home game WITH fans than everyone else isn’t level.

[ChicagoLion]

Of course we can argue about fairness just like other parties will if it goes against them.
The PL will have to make a decision and the least egregious decision legally may well be PPG.

[frank black]

Of course we can argue about fairness just like other parties will if it goes against them.
The PL will have to make a decision and the least egregious decision legally may well be PPG.

Yes I believe so we are either relegated or taking part in the ultimate man against Virus battle that is project restart. When sport can show the world and the virus that we will never be defeated. We will fight it in the care homes, on the tube, the train and the buses. We will never surrender... god I hate Sky sports!

[Brend'Watkins]

Our game in hand could prove to be a pivotal factor.

I don’t think it will, the court will decide if the process the PL used under the circumstances is reasonable, I know we think it’s completely unreasonable but that is not a Legal Reasonable.

It's not a level playing field, though. We have a game in hand where if we win it, it would take us out of the bottom three. Plus Watford 3 Liverpool 0.

It's also not a level playing field playing behind closed doors without your home fans.  So if it does all start up in June without fans present we are immediately disadvantaged.

Everyone will be playing at home without their fans, and everyone will be playing away without there being home fans - so I think it’s an easier argument that would be a level playing field. You can even argue that it would be more level because it removes the advantage of larger (or louder) fan bases.

Judging us on one less home game WITH fans than everyone else isn’t level.

No, we're still disadvantaged.  In the fixtures, off the top of my head....Chelsea, Palace and Sheff U we lost each game.  The home team had their fans present we won't be able to have ours when we're at home to play these teams.  So for those corresponding fixtures we are disadvantaged. It's the same as if we were told to play the games behind closed doors as a punishment. I know you'll say it's the same for everybody but it really isn't.

[David_Nab]

Our game in hand could prove to be a pivotal factor.

I don’t think it will, the court will decide if the process the PL used under the circumstances is reasonable, I know we think it’s completely unreasonable but that is not a Legal Reasonable.

It's not a level playing field, though. We have a game in hand where if we win it, it would take us out of the bottom three. Plus Watford 3 Liverpool 0.

It's also not a level playing field playing behind closed doors without your home fans.  So if it does all start up in June without fans present we are immediately disadvantaged.

Everyone will be playing at home without their fans, and everyone will be playing away without there being home fans - so I think it’s an easier argument that would be a level playing field. You can even argue that it would be more level because it removes the advantage of larger (or louder) fan bases.

Judging us on one less home game WITH fans than everyone else isn’t level.

No, we're still disadvantaged.  In the fixtures, off the top of my head....Chelsea, Palace and Sheff U we lost each game.  The home team had their fans present we won't be able to have ours when we're at home to play these teams.  So for those corresponding fixtures we are disadvantaged. It's the same as if we were told to play the games behind closed doors as a punishment. I know you'll say it's the same for everybody but it really isn't.

That's the problem , people go along with well there is no home/away for these games so no one has an advantage except as you explain thats not how it works.We played teams away who had fans now we play them with none.

Anyway it looks like its going ahead now unless we have a spike in cases so need to focus on getting the points needed to escape the drop

[Sexual Ealing]

Yeah, take that you Jambo c**ts!

Why the dislike of Hearts? I had a soft spot for them when they not only wore similar colours to us but were also sponsored by Mita Copiers. I was disappointed when they blew the title on the last day that year. 1986?

I spent my teenage years in Edinburgh. Hearts draw their support from the west of the city and the surrounding former mining towns and villages. There's a (admittedly homeopathic) whiff of the Orange Order/Masons about them. Hibs fans are from Leith, which is, essentially, rock n' roll.

[Villan82]

I still don't fully understand the determination to go ahead with relegation, the most serious punishment in football, and the one where the finest of fine margins/decisions do count.

[Rory]

Yeah, take that you Jambo c**ts!

Why the dislike of Hearts? I had a soft spot for them when they not only wore similar colours to us but were also sponsored by Mita Copiers. I was disappointed when they blew the title on the last day that year. 1986?

I spent my teenage years in Edinburgh. Hearts draw their support from the west of the city and the surrounding former mining towns and villages. There's a (admittedly homeopathic) whiff of the Orange Order/Masons about them. Hibs fans are from Leith, which is, essentially, rock n' roll.

Nicely put, but I'm ashamed to say that I prefer Hibs/Celtic to Hearts/Rangers purely because ofmy Irish heritage and family allegiances. I dont pretend to understand the nuances.

As for Villa, I think a huge amount of the frustration lies in the fact we should've done better, not only in our performances but also all of those last minute mistakes and freaks of fortune. I have always said that, all things being equal, these things balance out over a season and nobody is unlucky over 19 home games and 19 away games. The difficulty for me is, that's not what we're getting.

When your aim is survival and every little fluke, mistake or bounce of the ball can make the difference, you can't just change the conditions with over a quarter of the season left. Particularly not for a pair of shithouse nothing clubs who think they have done enough to be promoted by the end of August every single year.

Having said that, I believe we're staying up. We have the pedigree, we have the motivation, and this is where we belong.

Looking back, it actually took a huge amount of effort to get relegated in the end. Short of buying Titus Bramble and Lee Bowyer and hiring Mick McCarthy as manager, there's not much more we could've done over the previous five years to earn that relegation.

Five years of utter shit, chaos and circling the drain is what it took to see us off last time, plus the stench of death, clueless purchases and a potless owner with shit shoes that saw us take three years to get back.

We belong in the top division. Lots of clubs say this, but only three or four in the country have a claim to their place above us 

I'm confident we'll be okay, no matter how injuries, circumstances and VAR conspire against us.

However the season ends, we will be okay.

UTV

[Brazilian Villain]

Think you're being a bit harsh on Mick McCarthy. Far worse managers out there and could have easily have reached a World Cup quarter final to face South Korea.

[Pete3206]

If we played our game in hand and won, before any of the other fixtures started, we'd go up from 19th to 16th. We surely couldn't be penalised with PPG?

[Rory]

Think you're being a bit harsh on Mick McCarthy. Far worse managers out there and could have easily have reached a World Cup quarter final to face South Korea.

Oh don't, I was gutted. It was bad enough supporting England in a school full of glory-hunting Brazil supporters. That Duff shot wide, after that run. I was convinced that was going to be a goal Argh.

Okay, swap McCarthy for...Iain Dowie.

[Sexual Ealing]

Yeah, take that you Jambo c**ts!

Why the dislike of Hearts? I had a soft spot for them when they not only wore similar colours to us but were also sponsored by Mita Copiers. I was disappointed when they blew the title on the last day that year. 1986?

I spent my teenage years in Edinburgh. Hearts draw their support from the west of the city and the surrounding former mining towns and villages. There's a (admittedly homeopathic) whiff of the Orange Order/Masons about them. Hibs fans are from Leith, which is, essentially, rock n' roll.

Nicely put, but I'm ashamed to say that I prefer Hibs/Celtic to Hearts/Rangers purely because ofmy Irish heritage and family allegiances. I dont pretend to understand the nuances.

Oh, mate, I have exactly the same prejudices, it's just that I didn't want to admit it!

[Rory]

Yeah, take that you Jambo c**ts!

Why the dislike of Hearts? I had a soft spot for them when they not only wore similar colours to us but were also sponsored by Mita Copiers. I was disappointed when they blew the title on the last day that year. 1986?

I spent my teenage years in Edinburgh. Hearts draw their support from the west of the city and the surrounding former mining towns and villages. There's a (admittedly homeopathic) whiff of the Orange Order/Masons about them. Hibs fans are from Leith, which is, essentially, rock n' roll.

Nicely put, but I'm ashamed to say that I prefer Hibs/Celtic to Hearts/Rangers purely because ofmy Irish heritage and family allegiances. I dont pretend to understand the nuances.

Oh, mate, I have exactly the same prejudices, it's just that I didn't want to admit it!

When it comes to Glasgow and Edinburgh, I think 90% of people who support those clubs do so for exactly the same reason. For my family, it's not a protestant/catholic thing (my family is from Munster and is a mixture) it's just an Irish immigrant solidarity thing.

[Sexual Ealing]

Similarly, my parents were/are atheists but I went to Catholic schools. Like Judaism, it's a cultural thing that goes way beyond religion.