The cut-off date to finish the season has been extended indefinitely by the FA in a bid to complete 2019-20.
The Football Association has agreed to extend the 2019-2020 season indefinitely, while prolonging the suspension of all its leagues until at least April 30.
Last week, the FA halted the Premier League, the English Football League, domestic cup competitions and the women's professional game in response to the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on the sporting world.
The body's rules and regulations state that its leagues "shall terminate not later than June 1" but the FA's board has confirmed the season can now go beyond that date in order to try to complete the calendar.
It was originally decided the professional game in England would be suspended until April 3, with that date now extended until at least the end of next month.
The FA said UEFA's decision to postpone Euro 2020 until next year allowed for flexibility in their efforts to finish the domestic season.
A statement read: "The FA, Premier League, EFL and women's professional game, together with the PFA [Professional Footballers' Assocation] and LMA [League Managers Association], understand we are in unprecedented times and our thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19.
"We're united in our commitment to finding ways of resuming the 2019-20 football season and ensuring all domestic and European club league and cup matches are played as soon as it is safe and possible to do so.
"We've collectively supported UEFA in postponing Euro 2020 to create space in the calendar to ensure domestic and European club league and cup matches have an increased opportunity to be played and, in doing so, maintain the integrity of each competition.
"The FA's Rules and Regulations state that 'the season shall terminate not later than June 1' and 'each competition shall, within the limit laid down by the FA, determine the length of its own playing season'.
"However, our board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019-20 season in relation to professional football. Additionally, we've collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than Thursday April 30."
There have been 2,626 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom, with 108 people having died.
Liverpool are 25 points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League having won 27 of 29 matches in their bid to secure a first top-flight title since 1990.
Debate has been rife as to what should happen if leagues are not able to be completed, with many pundits saying the season should be declared null and void despite Liverpool's sizeable advantage, while others have argued they should be awarded the title.
The former option would cause a headache in determining promotion and relegation and the potential make-up of leagues in England for 2020-21.
FA extends 2019-20 season indefinitely
posted on 20/3/20
comment by LeedsFanFor45Years (U6871)
posted 2 hours, 46 minutes ago
This decision by the FA still raises a lot of questions, mainly regarding expiring contracts for players (not to mention Bielsa).
On that note, I wonder how being separated from his family back in his home country is affecting MB at this time? It must be really tough for him.
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Ive raised this point a few times, its not just him, but also all the other Aregntinian coaches long way from home, Argentina now going into lockdown and airlines will start failing within weeks.
posted on 20/3/20
Giv now advising social distancing stats for at least most part of a year.
I don’t see football season completed before then.
And if all the idiots keep going on that’s it’s just flu, testing not important, I’ll keep going to the pub etc, then expect new give legislation to enable troops to enforce this.
posted on 20/3/20
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 7 minutes ago
Giv now advising social distancing stats for at least most part of a year.
I don’t see football season completed before then.
And if all the idiots keep going on that’s it’s just flu, testing not important, I’ll keep going to the pub etc, then expect new give legislation to enable troops to enforce this.
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This is an absolutely horrifying thought. If that's the case, I hope it just turns out to be one day over half of a year.
posted on 20/3/20
Just read into it further and they say it would be alternating between more and less strict social distancing measures.
posted on 20/3/20
comment by Firmino's Brightest Tooth (U1217)
posted 19 minutes ago
Just read into it further and they say it would be alternating between more and less strict social distancing measures.
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I think what they’re saying is they will need more severe measures than we have now. It’s all about trying to stay with health care capacity. Calling docs and nurses out of retirement is short term.
Plus we now lose flow of foreign health care workers and our new graduates wk t graduate and will be less we’ll prepared.
People need to wake the eff up and stay home for a few weeks.
posted on 20/3/20
Just shut the pubs,etc like they have in many countries.
If people are too stupid to take advice then just make it a rule.
posted on 20/3/20
Pubs closed from tomorrow!
Not a prayer of any football being played again this year... maybe we could finish this season at the beginning of next year and just write next season off completely.... that would be the fairest way to do things
posted on 20/3/20
Sports are just going tj keep delaying, cricket now pushed back to end of May.
Olympic still effing about saying they’re on it’s pathetic.
posted on 21/3/20
IOC have been very disappointing, think it's pressure from Japan government who have invested £32 Billion in Olympic facilities.
posted on 22/3/20
Southampton's chief executive has suggested Premier League matches could be on television every day while people are still confined to their homes because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Martin Semmens says the return of the top flight - currently suspended until at least 30 April - would be "a sign that the country is coming back to normal" but it should not happen before it is safe.
"We have to do what is right and safe for the general public," he told BBC Radio Solent.
"When everybody is safe and we're not using up NHS and police resources, the government would like us to get back to playing because we are entertainment and a sign that the country is coming back to normal.
"If people are home for another month and Premier League football is on the TV every day that can only be a good thing. Not because we are more essential than the NHS but because we can give people entertainment and show that we're fighting back."
Semmens said teams are hopeful of completing the league by the end of June but did not yet know when play would resume.
Some players will be out of contract on 30 June, but Semmens believes players could be convinced to stay for longer should play continue beyond that point
"We hope to get the league done by the end of June," Semmens added. "As soon as you go past that date, there are legal challenges.
"If we ended up playing until 15 July and you had to extend a player's contract by two weeks, convincing a player to play two more weeks of football and get paid nicely to do it - I don't believe that will be a substantial challenge.
"The challenge is making sure we don't have a knock-on effect to other seasons and make football compromised for years to come."