The season seems to be drifting away.
For Rovers there would be a chance of the playoffs if the programme were completed, but if you were the Board as opposed to the ever-optimistic fan, you would be contemplating a loss, possibly augmented by numerous longer-term worries surrounding next year’s season finances.
There could well be legal action by season ticket holders to recover the value lost in matches cancelled, although Rovers have been very fortunate there with only 3 to go. There are also big problems over player contracts which expire in June if the season went past 30 June and it would be foolish to imagine that supporters will be clamouring to buy 2020/21 season tickets.
The PL could well move relatively smoothly on with its income from TV more or less secure, though with BT & Sky subscribers financially hurting, there could be some downward adjustment even there. Turning to the EFL, with hard-up fans and little TV money, those Championship clubs who have been trading in ever-growing transfer fees and player salaries, which is most of them, will be very worried.
In League 1 and 2, the two big spenders, Sunderland and Portsmouth, whose attendances would normally provide a very solid income stream, will certainly feel the draught and they very pointedly illustrate the dilemma. They desperately need promotion, but closed doors games mean lots of cash lost.
Whatever happens the whole economy of football will be fundamentally changed. Some league clubs may well have to fold and many will have to borrow afresh, if they can find a lender, to carry on. What money that remains in the game will be attracted to the top level and pay cuts in all the lower leagues must follow.
We do not know whether most clubs want to see the current season ended, perhaps they do, but those at either end of the tables will have very pronounced probably opposing views. Peterborough will challenge a points-per-game decision on promotion for the current top three - taking Oxford up with Coventry and Rotherham and a compromise might be to hold play-offs for 3rd to 6th based on current positions, but nothing can be utterly fair unless all teams have met home and away.
What are we all thinking?
Drifting away...
posted on 21/5/20
It is very very, difficult, to find a system to please everyone, but I'm with Donaldo about the expanded play-off formula, and I think the top two should be included.
What about relegation? Tranmere were on a role, and I think we were concerned about them for our up-coming game; it would be an injustice to relegate them on their current position.
How does one solve this?
posted on 22/5/20
It seems that the EFL has decided that its Regulations must be followed as regards promotion and relegation irrespective of the current exceptional circumstances. Those rules are surely predicated on the assumption that the fixture programme would be completed, carrying with it the fact that all clubs will have played each other twice.
It would not be unreasonable to argue that this principle is the primary objective of the Regulations and cannot be arbitrary overriden with little or no supporting rationale.
When an utterly unexpected event like we have now happens, surely the aim should be to achieve that objective fairly. Terminating now on a ppg basis meets none of the fundamental principled objectives. Points-per-game is not likely to be within their Regulations in anyway.
I think a good case could be mounted against the EFL on this basis.
posted on 23/5/20
https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/cost-playing-financial-implications-doncaster-rovers-complete-201920-season-including-pricing-covid-19-testing-2861983
The above article sets out the estimated cost of Rovers playing out the whole of the season's fixtures. When placed against the odds of making the play-offs and then achieving promotion it would surely not be sensible to vote for that option. Participating in an expanded play-off competition though would still seem a viable option and rather more exciting too.
posted on 24/5/20
Donaldo, I agree - the extended play-offs would have been fun! However, to the EFL, rules are rules. However, when the rules were written, nobody could have imagined a situation such as today. They just sound like certain politicians.
I liked the analysis in the DFP on whether each club would prefer to curtail now on an un-weighted PPG basis with play-offs to happen, or resume. I basically agreed with the conclusions, and agree that Tranmere would be very upset as they have a very good chance of escaping relegation.
As many have said, no solution will please everyone.
I was amazed at the cost of testing, and agree for the Rovers it would be a waste of money without some very good fortune.
What ever happens, we now have the difficulty of players out of contract - will the "fun" never end?
posted on 24/5/20
On the cost of testing, this just reflects what has been happening in the public sector under "austerity", why the death rate in the UK is so high. Testing in general has not been one of the success stories and much reliance in the health sector is now placed on the private sector (who are obviously going to "sell" and profit from testing) whereas in times gone by this would have been free under the NHS.
The UK's poor Corona virus stats compared with the rest of Europe reflect the run-down state of the NHS where facilities have been cut to the bone and infrastructure to implement the various measures to deal with it is non-existent. Their only option is appeal for volunteers and call in the Army!
Needless to say the Government is having a hard time of it at the moment. They dropped making comparisons with the rest of the world once the UK stats became the worst in Europe, telling us that such comparisons were misleading.
posted on 2/6/20
I wonder how many Rovers fans agree with Liam Holden's DFP article https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/its-not-fair-its-not-ideal-it-what-it-and-its-time-league-ones-mardy-bums-accept-liam-hoden-column-2869911
I do not think it is fair to label those who would like to see a more widely competitive end to the season as effectively selfish.
When any group of individuals or teams come together to compete, the very essence of the contest is that they will all play each other in order to decide which is the best, second best etc., for the reward of promotion; and equally for the least successful to be excluded to a lower level by relegation.
It is not "selfish" to strive for a fair outcome. The ultimate goal of every team and every fan is to see his or her team promoted and if the process envisaged at the outset is not fulfilled there is a clear injustice and immense frustration. How many times do football commentators including journalists talk about it "not being just about one match, but the entire season"? How many of us would really enjoy professional football if there were not the ultimate goal of promotion or in the case of the PL, the Title?
It makes you question whether those who favour the current direction of travel have either the hearts, or the minds of the true supporter.
posted on 10/6/20
It's all fizzled out then. Economics and the institutionalists won the day. Perhaps those with a genuine interest in proper competition should have marched to the EFL headquarters and demonstrated.
But then, perhaps decisions relating to sport should exclude all reference to the principle of true competition. Rules which were devised without the slightest notion of the current circumstances are immutable and must be followed... a ragged end with every sporting principle sacrificed to suit vested interests.
The miserable alliance of the current top two, desperate to hold on to what the fixtures have fortuitously delivered for them thus far and those fearing the competition which lies ahead which might inflict their relegation solidified. Perhaps those in the nothing-to-play-for middle whose complacency provided the majority have no sporting principles; otherwise they would have gone along with a credible play-off competition. It would have cost them absolutely nothing. In this context I do not admire DRFC's apparent ambivalence.
On a happier note here are the results of the 2019-20 DPL. Perhaps forecasting the results of the play-off competition might be a suitable finale, but for all the reasons given above I do not really want to be associated with anything so arbitrary. Possibly I should also make some reference to PPG or points-per-forecast and do some marking up or down.
In fact Nookie whose wit is matched by his predictive abilities is well in front and in any case the DPL is not quite the same as the EFL League 1 itself. So congratulations to him for his convincing win. I feel that I should also credit those who scored bonuses which originally were agreed to be scored at 5. These are Nookie, Yorkshire Lad and Crazy. I erroneously awarded Crazy 10 points instead of the 5 agreed at the beginning of the season, so have adjusted that. PDXMickyB scored well too. I scored the second most points, but the achievement is rather like the Sunday School Attendance Prizes I used to win. I am obliged to participate, but the pressure is a probably more genuinely devotional than that which propelled me out of the door on a Sunday afternoon to St Mary's Wentworth Road Church Hall.
I look forward to next season and not missing Ipswich (A), possibly Colchester (A) et al, but sadly not Southend who need to re-group seriously, and perhaps even Charlton who I see have sunk rather low recently. Oh where might we have been had things turned out differently?
Here are the numbers:
MK Dons 0 : Rovers 1 (Ramsey)
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 81 >>>> 81
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 80 >>>> 80
Yorks Lad>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>> 3 >>>>> 72 >>>> 75
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 37 >>>> 37
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 69 >>>> 69
Uthred>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 57 >>>> 57
Mooligan>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 4 >>>>> 63 >>>> 67
King Chmprr 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 3 >>>>> 3
Small Azza> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>> 0 >>>>> 3 >>>>> 52 >>>> 55
Azza>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 11 >>>> 11
Cheltenham 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0
Nookie>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 94 >>>>> 94
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0
Lanza>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 62 >>>> 62
>>>>>>>>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>> 6 >>>>> 0 >>>> 10 >>>> 686 >>> 691
posted on 10/6/20
Donaldo, while I would have liked the season to be played out as in the Premier League and Championship, especially as deciding teams' fates is ridiculous with nine games to go, honestly I'm glad a decision has been made.
It is obvious that financial aspects won the day, and as we want a financially stable group of teams next season, it is somewhat understandable.
While several teams have good reasons to be angry and unhappy, I can't help feeling sorry for Tranmere and Peterborough who had very good chances to avoid relegation and achieve the play-offs respectively. My cousin, an Oxford supporter, must be happy! Have they ever been higher than the third tier?
Looking at the Championship table today, if they had gone the L1/L2 route, the three teams relegated would have been the three promoted last season. Has that happened before? Grant McCann at Hull now must remain very nervous!
Thanks for doing the DPL - I nearly caught you up!
I agree with you about liking Nookie's humour - and yours, or may be some of yours is sarcasm!
posted on 10/6/20
Micky: I always look forward to reading your observations.
Oxford got into the top tier in the mid eighties, but sunk back to the Conference before their more recent revival under the talented Mr Robinson.
It would have been nice to have something to distract us just a little from all the bad news here and in the USA. I think both countries are in the relegation zone with the managers’ jobs on the line!
posted on 10/6/20
Rovers have said this officially:
"Doncaster fully understand the decision made by League One clubs to curtail the remaining fixtures of the season," a club statement read.
"The health of all individuals associated with the club - fans, players and staff alike - is of paramount importance. We respect the decision made collectively by clubs and welcome the clarity that has now been provided following the vote.
"Our objectives are to ensure all supporters feel valued and have suitable compensation options available to them and that we all have a club to support beyond the Covid-19 pandemic." have suitable compensation options available to them and that we all have a club to support beyond the Covid-19 pandemic."
I wonder if they went to any trouble to discover what supporters really wanted. I wasn’t aware of any proper attempt to find out.