Today the crystal balls say is the day English football passes the point of no return financially and in many other ways its not going to make any sense to cram the rest of this season in anywhere.
Time for the game to look to the future how it can protect the game and clubs of all leagues. Plans need to be in place for football resuming with a new season.

The above makes sense as some smaller countries are only quietly mentioning a possibility of being able to lift complete lock downs and tighter movement restrictions than the UK gradually from the end of June at the earliest I've already been told I'm going nowhere until Easter 2021. I hope the UK doesn't do anything too early I want to see visit my old friends and relatives while they are still alive.

I'm stoppin In

Just wondering how many on here can remember
Peter Bonetti Chelsea goalkeeper , dies age 78yr.
I bet there’s not many , before Bennys time I bet.

Golden, I know the name but I can't put a face to it.

Pasty, if that was to happen, I think that we could actually escape relegation. Here's hoping.

I remember seeing Peter Bonetti play in colour as we got a colour telly in 1970 for the World Cup not had a slot in the back of a telly for 10p's since that old Radio Rentals set went out the front door

We had a 12" Bush black and white TV initially. I remember watching the first episode of Coronation Street and then nipping down to the local shop after it had finished. I went for a penny arrow bar that had been advertised on the telly. The power of advertising.

Remember Peter Bonetti very well, just been reading a report of the 1970 FA Cup final and replay. It is said there would have been 6 red cards and 20 yellow if the game had been refereed to modern standards. Chelsea equalised in the final because Osgood was unmarked while Jack Charlton, who should have been marking, had gone to chase Ian Hutchinson in order to get revenge for an earlier foul. Even if you don't remember Bonetti, you will know Blue is the Colour which was Chelsea's cup final pop single. Cup was such a big deal in those days.

So, the EFL is gearing up for a re-start of the season on 6th, June. Prior to that three weeks of training will be allowed for players to get up to speed. It has also been stated that it's quite likely that some games could be played behind closed doors. Apparently to protect the fans. My question on that is what about the safety of the players? Of course, the plan may come to naught as in the end, it will be down to the government to make the decision.

My thoughts are that this is wishful thinking as this virus isn't going away anytime soon. According to the EFL's timetable, training would need to start around the middle of May. Footballers are not key workers and never will be. So unless the government thinks that it's essential that sport is allowed to continue, it isn't going to happen.

What are your thoughts?

I read the headline on that June speculation and moved on to doing something more interesting like watching astro turf grow.

Some might say (and I offer no opinion on this, I am simply trying to understand the thinking) that it is acceptable for 20-odd fit young men to come into close contact for a couple of hours but less acceptable for thousands I cluding many not so young and fit, in terms of reigniting the pandemic. Those 20 odd young men are probably going to monitored very closely in the days before and after a match, somethingthatjust wouldn't be practical for the whole crowd. So I can see how there is a public health case for allowing games to be played without spectators. Insert your own punchline about our defenders socially distancing. Not necessarily my own views, just putting it out there as Trimp says

It has to be one rule for all society during these times no exceptions except for those key listed jobs. Exceptions like football behind closed doors would cause resentment and unrest.
How could football justify an ambulance and medics for behind closed doors games where we all know it'll played like a training match and no gate money for L1 and L2 where the gate money is key to financial survival. Football needs forget about trying to play anything for now think outside of the box and come up with something to get everybody interested and through the turnstiles when it's allowed.

Exiled, The problem is that initially it was thought that the old were more at risk and younger people were at less risk. That mith has been squashed with what happened in Italy. The people more at risk seem to be the people with underlying health problems.

It only takes one person to go shopping and contact the virus and it's so virulent it is spread very easily. The other factor is that when the virus is first contacted, there are no initial signs that you have it but you can spread it. I would say that it is better to be safe than sorry. The players would be playing games within very short timelines and coming into close contact with many players. So two teams with one player passing on the virus could infect two whole teams who would then go on to infect two more teams, and so on. Before we know it several teams would go down with it including the management team and other essential staff.

Would it help most teams financially? Not if the games are played behind closed doors. So what would it achieve except being able to settle the promotion and relegation battles? Is that worth the risk of the possible loss of lives? I don't think so.

How about the first thing that should happen when things are allowed.
I'd like to see H.M The Queen jump into a roller and go and pin another medal on Captain Tom Moore

Yes Pasty, There is a lot of support for that to happen. I support it. Now over £12,000,000. He has certainly captured the imagination and goodwill of the British public.

Well done Captain Tom Moore.

On matters related to football BWFC are in talks with the PFA and players regarding wages and possibly reducing the amount that the players will receive during the crisis. I have a feeling that discussions will be very tense. I doubt that most of our players are highly paid. I would like to be a fly on the wall whilst the talks are going on.

Here is an interesting comment from Mark Iles of the Bolton News.
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/18381946.bolton-wanderers---football---must-allow-heal/

Whatever happens, changes in the management of how football clubs can survive must be addressed from top to bottom and the sooner that this happens the better. Are the EFL and other footballing bodies capable and do they have the will to see changes through that will make a distinct and positive difference that will serve the game through the passage of time? With their past records, which let's face it aren't very encouraging, I very much doubt it.

What are your feelings on the matter?

If they want to cut their football cloth it has to be North South for L1 and L2 along with part time players.
The play offs could be bigger and more interesting between the North South splits say the top 5 and bottom 5 from each in end of season knock outs to reach the up grand final with the downs in a mini play off league.

Is anyone else getting the "you've reached your free article limit" on the beano website and being asked to register or subscribe to get unlimited advert light digital access?

Oh yes I've had that twice now.
Delete the BEN cookie when your browser is closed and away you go until the next time.

Social distancing through season 2020/21 how's that going to work it isn't is it.
Pubs could be consigned to history books soon as folk are now used to the supping at home at supermarket prices.

Hope all is well with you all.

Another 3 weeks of social isolation it is then.

Not sure the season can finish now, but we never know with the current rule makers of the EFL.
If it was to restart, behind closed doors, what players will we have left on contract?
If the season is voided, do we start the following season on -12 points again?
Do we have to restart the 2 season embargo again?
Can we miss the Doncaster game and not be penalised again?
Too many questions and no answers yet.

Pasty interesting reply to re-organising football. I'm not sure how I would tackle the task. I suppose that I would ask for ideas from all the clubs and arrange a meeting to thrash out what is practical and what would work to protect clubs from rogue owners. Clubs finances and re-structuring the leagues are going to be a hard problems to get right.

Isaac, It would seem that after yesterday's announcement by Dominic Raab, that we could well be in for a further extension to the lockdown, is what I personally think will happen.

If that does happen I think the season will have to be abandoned. There will not be enough time to fit in the games that would be needed to be played after the three weeks of training have been completed.

If that is the case, I fully expect that all the restrictions imposed on our club will be re-instated at the beginning of the new season whenever that starts. The EFL will definitely want its pound of flesh and some of the clubs will also demand that we are not let off the hook.

The only good thing that could come out of this is that we would start the new season with a proper first-team squad and not be relying on youth players. Hopefully, that would make a distinct difference to our chances of staying in league one.

So the Shove H'Penny league will be on telly to fill the void of real football.
I hope the EFL have enough old money coins and Formica tables available to make it as real as possible.

finished 'with or without fans' but Blackpool's remaining games WILL be televised or streamed
The EFL has reiterated its plans to finish the 2019/20 campaign “with or without fans” - yet the governing body are unable to state when football will resume.

Haven't we passed the point now where its best to cut your losses strike off this season and just go for starting next season with a new starting date.

I foretell the first match under the EFL's re started season plans will be the day after the day all our players contracts end.

The way matters are going with the virus, the lack of PPE in hospitals and care homes, the continual lack of testing kits, people ignoring the lockdown rules, and deaths not yet receding, I doubt that it will be safe to resume football anytime soon.

The government is not going to be covered in glory when all this ends. It has been obvious for some weeks since the lack of masks was reported that local manufacturing companies all over the UK could be utilised to make the necessary equipment that the NHS needed. No one in government had the nous to do anything about it.

This is what is happening in Italy and the UK is reported to exceed the number of deaths in Italy. So what chance has the EFL got of continuing the season? Football has to come a long way down the list of priorities.

ROME (Reuters) - Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 575 on Friday, up from 525 the day before, while the number of new cases declined slightly and scientists warned that infections were now mainly happening among family members.

This article was released 18 hours ago.

The daily tally of new cases stood at 3,493, down from a previous 3,786, with both deaths and infections extending the broadly stable situation in place over the last 12 days.

This plateau is considerably lower than the peaks reached around the end of March, but the downtrend has not proceeded as was widely hoped in a country that has been in lockdown for almost six weeks.

"Probably most of the infections that have occurred since the lockdown have occurred within families," Giovanni Rezza, a director of Italy's top health body, the Superior Health Institute (ISS), told a news conference.

A flashback to happier times. Back to the premier league and an exciting game between Gary megsons bolton side and harry Redknapp's spurs at the reebok. I didn't like that bolton kit either https://youtu.be/zHEvOA1n5f4