Southampton: What Next for Football in the Wake of the Coronavirus?

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic football finds itself in the midst of a logistical, financial, and ethical nightmare.

The English game much like most of worldwide sport is shut down. With the Premier League and Football League’s suspension on March 13, it leaves around two months worth of games to be played.

While matches are technically set to recommence from April 30 this is far from likely. The Mail Online reports having seen a memo to English Football League clubs. The website explains:

“EFL clubs were yesterday (March 25) informed by memo that the crisis caused by coronavirus has made any likelihood of football being played next month impossible.”

The report adds:

“A new date is expected to be announced next week following a meeting between the Premier League and EFL.”.

From top-flight table toppers Liverpool to League Two basement dweller’s Stevenage, almost every club in the land is surely asking what next for football, what’s next for us?

The prevailing desire from the authorities of the professional game appears to be to complete the season with or without fans, come what may. As a rule the football season must be concluded by a certain date, however the FA has now removed this stipulation.

In a joint statement by The Premier League the Football Association and the EFL (Via Premier League website), the bodies stress that commitment to bringing the season to a full conclusion.

The message reads:

“The FA’s Board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019/20 season in relation to Professional Football.”.

Southampton’s chief executive Martin Semmens is open to the idea of completing the season even if it’s behind closed doors.

Speaking to the BBC the Saints official said:

“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.”

If the season can pick up where it left off this would be the least controversial option. Teams would simply play out the remaining league calendar and let the results on the pitch take their course. This would also suit organisers from a financial point of view, given that there is significant prize money to be awarded not to mention lucrative broadcast contracts to be honoured. Though even this option is not without some complications.

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As BBC Sport Points out:

“Playing on beyond 30 June is a headache for Liverpool, Newcastle and Watford in particular, given they are changing shirt manufacturers – but clubs who are changing sponsors also have a problem. Deals almost always start in July…”.

As much as fans won’t want to hear it, they should be in no doubt finances are certainly a key motivating factor in deciding what to do next. For the current 2019 to 2022 TV cycle numbers cited by USA Today have the Prem raking in a whopping “9.2 billion pounds…”

The Sun indicates that there would have to be a whip round totalling “£762million”. The newspaper’s website further explains:

“That is the sum Premier League teams would have to refund Sky and BT Sports if the season does not play to a finish.”

If the season was to go uncompleted disappointed broadcasters may choose to see the decision as a breach of contract and ask for some money back. That could make some club’s wallets uncomfortably light, especially if the cash has already been spent.

This may yet be possible given that the European governing body UEFA has postponed its Euro 2020 tournament until 2021. This is with the intention of allowing leagues across the continent to complete their commitments.

The second option would be to simply declare this season null and void and start afresh next term.

Non-League football below the National League has already been expunged. This means that no results count, there will be no promotion or relegation.

In a statement (quoted by talkSport) the FA said of the decision:

“Today’s steps take into account the financial impact during this uncertain period, whilst considering the fairest method on how the sporting outcomes for the season will be decided, with the integrity of the leagues in mind.”

With the season being deemed quite literally pointless it has not gone down well in all quarters. The Chairman of South Shields is one such man with a complaint to make

Geoff Thompson’s club was 12 points clear at the top of the Northern Premier Division. The head of the board angrily stated to INews:

“It undermines the integrity and structure of the whole football pyramid. You have many clubs who have invested to try to aspire to better things and climb the pyramid, and to have the rug pulled from under us like this is unbelievable.”

Thompson then goes on to add:

“I have heard from 30 plus clubs who have approached me to offer their support. We will be making representations to the FA and contest this decision,”

This is far from an ideal scenario and one in which almost everyone loses as a few unjustly profit. If the Premier League take this option 25 points clear Liverpool would be denied the title, surprise package Sheffield United would have their champions league dreams ripped away, while six points adrift Norwich would remain safe. This would likely irritate top-tier incumbents leads who are currently seven points clear at the top of the championship.

Despite the heartbreaking implications the option does have its tentative supporters.

Rio Ferdinand via ESPN.com opined:

“I just think the Premier League should be void. Void it..”

The former Manchester United man explains:

“There are players who are going to go down with the illness who might not have recovered, or catch it from someone then it spreads to other players. It won’t be fair, it’s not a level playing field. I just don’t feel it’s right.”

This option may be harsh, but it does prevent the questions about how the all-important remaining fixtures would have altered the course of history.

As it stands Liverpool are romping to victory in the EPL, but with nine games for the club to play and a game in hand for title rivals Manchester city first Place is not mathematically secure

if the Reds were to be awarded the trophy despite not picking up the points, then this would open up one major can of worms that could take years to close.

The fact is there are still plenty of games to be played before the winners and losers are rightly declared and if authorities pick a winner from previous results they effectively leave an uncomfortable disparity throughout the footballing structure.

In the top division there are 38 games, 19 at  home and 19 away. This is a fact from the start of the season in August to its climax in May. Three points may be up for grabs in every single game, but each opponent is not created equally. For example, Southampton would be far more confident in picking up three points at  Carrow Road than the Etihad.

Cancelling the season would send a strong message that the first game is as important as the last, and to ensure that the table doesn’t lie everyone must have an equal opportunity to secure points.

Admittedly, locking in places as they stand would be an understandable method, but many teams would argue a favourable run of fixtures could dramatically alter the outcome of the competition. Sheffield United would be one team with such a case.

The Blades currently sit Just outside the Champions League in seventh place and have a game in hand over their rivals. Their fixture list includes the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leicester, and Southampton. Third to sixth in the second tier would also be aggrieved as their expected playoff place could be rendered meaningless, if the post league season doesn’t take place.

Proponents of ending the season on the already secured points would reasonably point out that while the season has a little way to go, having completed over two thirds we already have a pretty full picture. Teams have already won and lost key games and the form book would be a pretty accurate predictor of a side’s potential.

For instance, as much as we might like it Southampton are not going to qualify for the Champions League,  even though strictly speaking the numbers can still add up.

Capping the season off rather than expunging it would perhaps bring a degree of closure. Teams have already worked hard to gain their place to this point having already played for most of the points available in their respective leagues. Like a game show one said points win prizes.

This approach also comes with it’s fair share of setbacks. Not least for broadcasters, foreign and domestic, who were promised a set amount of football goodness. As we’ve already seen, the likes of Sky and BT pay big bucks for the right to screen games.

League and club sponsors would likely look to retrieve their slice of the pie too. Fans would also have a case for a partial if not full refund on their season tickets.

The top-flight could survive the fallout, but some clubs lower down the pyramid will suffer if crucial revenue is taken away.

It’s safe to say that bigwigs will have one heck of a headache, by the time the situation is resolved. Whatever, the authorities choose to do one thing’s for sure, it’s going to be groundbreaking and certain to get the tongues wagging for years to come.