As the coronavirus situation rages on there are plenty of issues currently being discussed. Such as when schools should reopen, people going back to work and such like. Also, of course, the return of football. Currently without being able to debate matches themselves, the handsomely rewarded pundits (and others) are talking about the return of football. Or, in some quarters, the non return. Looking through some of the scenarios now it looks like what some clubs want is a no lose situation.
Let’s have a bit of a closer look at some of the most recent events. For instance the suggestion that the remaining games be played at neutral venues behind closed doors.
No Lose Situation And Neutral Venues
The suggestion of playing out the remaining fixtures hasn’t been well received by some. It has been mentioned that there are six clubs against this. Not sure if that is correct. And the suggestion is, is that it is six clubs with the fear of relegation hanging over them who are opposed.
No real surprise there. Although the clubs would say otherwise no doubt. In fact one (maybe more) have done so already. Rather than come clean and say the obvious – “we’re going to do everything we can to derail this season -because we want the money!!” – they are flying under the flag of “sporting integrity.”
But what does “sporting integrity” mean? Have a look at this:
“Sport integrity concerns the moral or ethical aspect of sport. It refers to those involved in sport acting in a way that is consistent with their sporting values and principles.”
So, it is felt that neutral venues somehow undermines the moral or ethical aspect of sport. I won’t dwell on that for now, but more on “sporting integrity” further on below.
Neutral Venues With No Relegation
Apparently, the dissenting clubs are now saying they will go with the idea of neutral venues if there was no relegation at stake. In essence, a no lose situation in that they get to keep all the TV money for this season and stay put for the spoils again next season. They don’t want much do they.
An argument put forward by the clubs against neutral venues is that playing at home in front of their home fans gives them an edge. I get that. But, on the other hand, wouldn’t playing away in a neutral venue work in your favour? I don’t know if they are, but let’s assume if Aston Villa are one of the dissenting clubs.
What they are saying in effect is that they would rather play Liverpool at Anfield with 50,000 Liverpool fans screaming the place down, rather than the calm and serenity of a soulless neutral venue. NB: I had many messages from Liverpool fans over the weekend with the ideal suggestion of a soulless, empty stadium venue. I won’t divulge that stadium here. Suffice it to say, it was in a northern city not that far from Liverpool.
There are some of course that are saying to void the season. Again, a no lose situation for some.
No Lose Situation – Null And Void
I’ve already written a piece on this topic HERE. Quite why some are first and foremost banging the null and void drum is a bit baffling. Baffling in the sense that they are probably the same ones also banging on about sporting integrity.
Where’s the sporting integrity in not even trying to complete the current season? You know the one, the season that has 9 or 10 league games left. And not a brand new, 38 games league season.
One thing I’ve not seen explained is why starting a new 38 league game season should leapfrog the need, or integrity, of completing the current one. Apart from the self serving money reasons that is.
Have a read of the article on this – link again is HERE. There are so many complications in a null and void. Why can’t it be that whenever football is OK to restart, the first games played are the remaining games from this season? I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case, whenever the season restarted.
Neutral Venues And The Health Factors
Some players are saying they are fearful of the health issues if and when football restarts. Sergio Aguero is one allegedly. Another one was Glenn Murray apparently from relegation threatened Brighton, on TV this morning. No doubt there are others. The main issue apparently is the concern of others. Not themselves. Very noble if that is the case.
Of course everyone is concerned about the health issues about returning to work. That is what a footballer will be doing by the way – returning to work. But doesn’t the same apply to everyone who works. Don’t forget, all those frontliners who have continued to work throughout.
The photo of Aguero I saw over the weekend showed a healthy looking young man. He didn’t, for instance, look under-nourished at all. Which begs the question, where is he getting his food from? Maybe, just maybe, a member of his family goes out to the supermarket for food. You know the place. Nowadays, a place where you queue 2 metres or more behind and in front of the next people in line before you get in. Once inside however, the two metres rule seems to go out the window in a lot of instances.
Or, he may have his food delivered. From the same supermarket by a delivery driver who has just left the same supermarket with questionable social distancing. Isn’t there more risk of being infected in a supermarket?
Footballers, by all accounts, will be tested, checked, re-tested, re-checked and so on. As will backroom staff, match officials, match balls disinfected. And so on.
But still this is not acceptable to some. Yes, it may well still be a concern, but if it is with all the checks and tests footballers will have, then it begs the question why should anyone return to work? In any walk of life. I’m guessing for example, supermarket staff will not be afforded the same checks as these other workers, aka Premier League footballers.
No Lose Situation Health Reasons For Everyone?
To be as 100% sure as we can for everyone (and not just Premier League footballers) to return to work, then we need to wait for a vaccine don’t we? As the clock ticks down on the relatively short career of a footballer, would that mean that the likes of Mr Aguero, would forego his £000,000 – six figures per week salary? And run his career down to the point where his age may well dictate a less favourable last hoorah contract.
And what would the agents think of that? No income from the ever changing players contracts and transfers.
After all, in the no lose situation health reasons scenario, and in the situation where we are all waiting for a vaccine, the TV income has long since disappeared as has the game of football as we know it. In other words, football will effectively be a gonna.
No doubt some of the footballing ‘experts’ will say waiting for a vaccine is unacceptable. In other words, it doesn’t fit in with the no lose situation they peddle. Keep all this season’s money, get all next season’s money, don’t get relegated, players get paid 100% of their money etc. That sort of no lose situation. Everyone’s a winner aren’t they? Well, clearly not, but why would the ‘sporting integrity’ brigade worry about that?
The point is for everyone in a working situation, is where do we draw the line? If I was a supermarket worker, or a train driver, I would be saying to my bosses that if it’s not safe for Mr Aguero to return to work with all the testing, cleansing procedures and safety measures in place in his cocooned world then it’s not safe for me either in my less fortunate work safety procedures.
Neutral Venues And The Total Number Of People Involved
I read somewhere that to put on a Premier League football match behind closed doors at a neutral venue would involve something like 256 people in total. Is that right? I’m not sure. If so, and with all the safety procedures in place etc, then is that the same risk level as say, a London transport worker? After all, don’t some tube trains, even now, carry more than 256 passengers? If so, I’m playing the Aguero card to my bosses if I’m a tube worker. But then of course multiply that 256 by several number of trips per day as well. Oh, and by the way, I want full pay as well.
Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to have their own no lose situation. So, why should footballers and football clubs? By all means have the 100% safety precautions put in place if that’s what required. But for everybody in every walk of life. Not just footballers. Let’s see how that unfolds.
In The Spirit Of Sporting Integrity
Yes, quite a surprise to some is the mention of sporting integrity. But how ambiguous or argumentative is that? Sporting integrity is a surprise in many ways in the sense of it being a bit rich as a season defining formula. For instance, where is the sporting integrity during each and every game itself?
As an example, where a goal has been awarded against a team that they don’t agree with, the conceding team all trot back to the centre circle without any fuss don’t they. For the good of the game and to uphold sporting integrity, let’s take it on the chin hey. No arguing with the referee. That’s not in the spirit is it.
Luckily we don’t have many, if any, players that dive in the Premier League do we. He said with tongue firmly in cheek. Those few that do……naughty, naughty….weren’t trying to gain an unfair advantage though were they? It was an error of judgement for instance. Not a breach in the spirit of sporting integrity.
And if it is shown that a player did (accidentally?) dive, his club came out and publically apologised for their player’s unfortunate abberation. Not only that, they offered to surrender any ill gotten points gained as well didn’t they. All in the spirit of sporting integrity of course. Yea, right!!
So let’s give this a mention. What is this mask now of ‘sporting integrity?’ – and when did this angelic hypothesis arise?
Sporting Integrity Beyond The Premier League
This noble, new stance by some of the clubs in the spirit of sporting integrity filters all the way down the leagues does it? Maybe not. One suggestion by our noble sporting integrity knights is that there will be no relegation from the Premier League. But teams from The Championship will be promoted to make a 22 or 23 Premier League. But who is promoted? Leeds and West Brom are the obvious choices. Is that OK and is it consistent throughout all leagues?
Where exactly does the sporting integrity ripple stop?
At least agreeing to play the games out at neutral venues will see the season out in the Premier League albeit with no relegation, it does throw up the question of why should certain clubs be placed in a no lose situation?
Alternative scenarios of course is again the self interest of some clubs and individuals (the ex Crystal Palace owner for example – can’t remember his name – who has done a complete U-turn) in suggesting that we void the season. To benefit who exactly?
As mentioned in my earlier post (link HERE), this would open so many cans of worms. Let’s say it happened and the TV companies wanted their huge financial outlay back. And not only that, beyond the voided season they pulled the plug going forward? Or maybe not even pull the plug completely. A renegotiation of the existing TV deals. How would that affect clubs? Let’s think beyond the self righteous sporting integrity relegation battlers.
How much money, if any, would ripple down the leagues? What would happen to these clubs in the lower leagues? No doubt this has been thought through in the spirit of fairness etc. Yea, right!!!
One Sentence To Persuade The Sporting Integrity Mob To Complete The Season
There is one sentence that will make the sporting integrity mob probably have a rethink. If there was any suggestion of the season not being completed, the significant sentence to be delivered would probably come, not from the Premier League. Or UEFA, or FIFA. No, probably the most telling mention would be from the TV companies.
A short, sharp message of, “no money for 2020/21 until 2019/20 was completed.”
I wonder what the thought process would be then? And what if they threw in another curveball comment, “oh, and we want our 2019/20 money back as well”
Cue sponsors and other investors following suit. Yes, of course there would be a rethink. As there is now. But instead of fake reasons like sporting integrity being the purported reason, at least there will be a bit more transparency.
So, realistically let’s concentrate on the real sporting integrity scenario that fits one and all more fairly. Let’s complete this season first and foremost before considering starting any other. Whenever it is considered safe to play football again. If it is to be at neutral venues then swings and roundabouts in terms of any benefits or not accordingly.
Complete The Season Using PPG?
If safety was still preventing footballers being the only workers not to return to work despite them having probably the best and safest working environment, then in the spirit of completing the season as a first priority, then what about PPG? Points Per Game basically.
I’ve just done a recalculation of the current league table and extrapolated the remaining games to the end of the season on a PPG basis. Not just a straightforward adding on of average number of points for all games to current points. No, it has been refined to split home and away points. An average for each then calculated and multiplied by the remaining home and away games accordingly. This then provides a more reasonable PPG end of season picture if playing on neutral grounds behind closed doors is still resisted.
On this basis the table would change at the bottom only. The top four would remain the same. In fact the top five would remain the same. It’s in the relegation zone where there would be a change. Currently, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Norwich occupy the bottom three places. In my reworked PPG example, Bournemouth would be replaced by……wait for it, West Ham.
So, if it came down to a straightforward choice between (1) losing income, (2) playing at neutral grounds or a (3) PPG recalculation, then I reckon that fine lady, Baroness Brady, would herself would be donning the marigolds, grabbing the scrubbing brush and bottle of Dettol and be sanitising away like a good ‘un.
Unfortunately, in this scenario, there is not a no lose situation available. So, take your pick.
To the really true, sporting integrity minded fan, or anyone connected with football, a completion of this season for all the right reasons should be a priority.
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