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The Official 2019/20 Premier League Thread

^^^

Full statement from the PL :

At a meeting of Premier League Shareholders today, clubs discussed in detail how to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

First and foremost, it was reaffirmed that the overriding priority is to aid the health and wellbeing of the nation and our communities, including players, coaches, managers, club staff and supporters.

Season restart
It was acknowledged that the Premier League will not resume at the beginning of May – and that the 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

The restart date is under constant review with all stakeholders, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic develops and we work together through this very challenging time.

The Premier League is working closely with the whole of professional football in this country, as well as with the Government, public agencies and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the game achieves a collaborative solution.

With this, there is a combined objective for all remaining domestic league and cup matches to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition.

However, any return to play will only be with the full support of the Government and when medical guidance allows.

The sporting and financial implications for Premier League clubs as well as for The FA, EFL and National League were considered at today’s meeting.

Consulting players
In the face of substantial and continuing losses for the 2019/20 season since the suspension of matches began, and to protect employment throughout the professional game, Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 per cent of total annual remuneration.

This guidance will be kept under constant review as circumstances change.

The League will be in regular contact with the PFA, and the union and the LMA will join a meeting which will be held tomorrow between the League, players and club representatives.

Solidarity with clubs below PL
Discussions also took place regarding financial relief for clubs in the short term and while there is no single solution, measures are to be put in place to immediately deal with the impact of falling cash flow.

Critically, the League unanimously voted to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League as it is aware of the severe difficulties clubs throughout the football pyramid are suffering at this time.

Supporting NHS
Further to that assistance, the League remains committed to supporting the National Health Service, its staff and helping people in communities, not least those who are most vulnerable.

The League, clubs, players and managers express huge appreciation for the heroic efforts of NHS staff and all other key workers who are carrying out critical jobs in such difficult circumstances.

In consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Premier League is immediately committing £20 million to support the NHS, communities, families and vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This includes a direct financial contribution to the NHS and funds to enable clubs to refocus their efforts and develop significant outreach programmes to help communities, including those most in need.

This funding will enable both immediate and longer-term support during the crisis.

Clubs supporting communities
In response to COVID-19, Premier League clubs have been supporting tens of thousands of people in their communities each and every day through targeted activity including donations to foodbanks, telephone calls to the elderly, food parcels delivered to the vulnerable and a wide range of free resources to support wellbeing and education.

Many Premier League clubs are also working closely with their local NHS Trusts to provide valuable support through the provision of resources, volunteers and facilities.

Now, more than ever, clubs are playing a vital role to support the wellbeing of those in their communities and alleviate pressure on critical health services.

Promoting public health messages
Working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and the NHS, the wide reach and appeal of the Premier League and our clubs will continue to be used to promote important public health messaging throughout this crisis.

The Premier League would like to reiterate that the thoughts of all our clubs are with all those directly affected by COVID-19.
 
I really don't see how and why contracts is an issue. Players come and go during the season in the transfer windows, so player contracts running out is basically the same.
Also it should be negotiable with the players concerned; extend contract until season ends, if they eventually decide the season goes on.

Can’t bring anyone in to replace
Players can hold clubs to ransom more so
Clubs would have planned to have players in till end of seasons
What about loan deals, they would run out as well
 
Can’t bring anyone in to replace
Players can hold clubs to ransom more so
Clubs would have planned to have players in till end of seasons
What about loan deals, they would run out as well
Sponsorship contracts probably run to the same dates too - kit manufacturers, etc.
 
Can’t bring anyone in to replace
Players can hold clubs to ransom more so
Clubs would have planned to have players in till end of seasons
What about loan deals, they would run out as well
If they decide to keep going past that date in not a too distant future, there should be time to sort that out. I don't see any of those as insurmountable issues. And it'll be the same for everyone.
That said, I'm not in favour of completing the season, and think it should be void and cancelled, the sooner the better.
 
The Professional Footballers' Association says proposals for a 30% pay cut for Premier League players would be "detrimental to our NHS".

The PFA also called on the league to increase its own £20m charity pledge.

The government has said it is "concerned" by what it called "infighting".

The league wants players to take a 30% salary cut in order to protect jobs, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But the union says that equates to more than £500m in wage reductions, and a loss in tax contributions of more than £200m to the UK government.

The union also questioned Health Secretary Matt Hanrooster's public criticism of footballers' salaries during a news conference on Thursday.

"What effect does this loss of earning to the government mean for the NHS?" the statement read. "Was this considered in the Premier League proposal and did the Health Secretary factor this in when asking players to take a salary cut?"

Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport tweeted: "Concerned about the turn football talks have taken...People do not want to see infighting in our national sport at a time of crisis.

"Football must play its part to show that the sport understands the pressures its lower paid staff, communities and fans face."

The PFA said all Premier League players "will play their part in making significant financial contributions in these unprecedented times".

England manager Gareth Southgate is reported to have made such a gesture by agreeing a 30% pay cut, although the Football Association declined to confirm when asked by BBC Sport.

Top-flight professionals have been coming under increasing pressure to take a drop in pay, especially with five Premier League clubs - Liverpool, Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich - now placing some non-playing staff on furlough leave under the Government's coronavirus job retention scheme.

However, clubs themselves are understood to have financial concerns, with Burnley saying on Saturday they they faced a shortfall of £50m if the Premier League season was not completed.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, meanwhile, said the Premier League was not ignoring the plight of the general population during the coronavirus pandemic.

The PFA statement came hours after a conference call with the Premier League and the League Managers' Association (LMA), the managers' union, to discuss the wage cut plans.

Saturday's call, which featured a Premier League presentation of the wage cut plans, was concluded in less than an hour with no agreement reached.

The Premier League is not mandated to make a decision on wage cuts, as it has to be agreed by the players and coaches. Clubs and players are now set to discuss the plan, with talks set to go into next week.

As part of the proposals, the Premier League would advance £125m to the English Football League (EFL) and National League, and give £20m towards the NHS.

The PFA says it is happy to continue talks with the Premier League, although it added: "£20m is welcome, but we believe it could be far bigger.

"The EFL money is an advance. Importantly, it will aid cashflow in the immediate, but football needs to find a way to increase funding to the EFL and non-league clubs in the long-term.

"Many clubs require an increase in funding just to survive. We believe in our football pyramid and again stress the need for solidarity between all clubs.

"Going forward, we are working together to find a solution which will be continually reviewed in order to assess the circumstance of the Covid-19 crisis.

"The players are mindful that as PAYE employees, the combined tax on their salaries is a significant contribution to funding essential public services - which are especially critical at this time."

During Saturday's conference call, the Premier League warned that it faces a £762m financial penalty if the season does not resume, and broadcasters demanded refunds on games they could not show.

It added that hundreds of millions of pounds could be lost in sponsorship and matchday revenue because the season has been suspended, and that the campaign will almost certainly be played behind closed doors if it resumes.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, England defender Danny Rose - on loan at Saudi Sportswashing Machine from Tottenham - said that Premier League players were keen to give up a portion of their wages to help good causes, but felt their "backs are against the wall" regarding the pressure they had faced to accept cuts.

Captains of Premier League clubs, led by Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, have been in talks over a plan to make charitable donations.

"We sort of feel that our backs are against the wall. Conversations were being had before people outside of football were commenting," Rose told the Friday Football Social.

"I've been on the phone to Jordan Henderson and he's working so hard to come up with something.

"It was just not needed for people who are not involved in football to tell footballers what they should do with their money. I found that so bizarre."

The Premier League declined to comment on the PFA statement.
 
Why just footballers though getting hammered, why not actors and actresses say for example who are contracted to long running TV shows
 
I really don't see how and why contracts is an issue. Players come and go during the season in the transfer windows, so player contracts running out is basically the same.
Also it should be negotiable with the players concerned; extend contract until season ends, if they eventually decide the season goes on.

A simple solution for the FA is to freeze player registrations so they can't officially sign and play for another club. Then it would be up to the players to agree a temporary extension. If the clubs and players fail to agree it will be bad PR for both.
 
Can you imagine if the season gets scrapped and results expunged (is that the word?), There would forever be banter about things that officially never happened.
Liverpool aside there would be endless references such as players that scored goals that were never recorded, .
Supporters can say their rivals haven't beaten them in x amount of games and rivals will say 'ah except for the coronovirus season' 'nah doesnt count though does it!'
Or player x has never scored more than 10 in a single season, Apart from that coronovirus season though.
Whatever solution they go with will have strange consequences though huh?
 
A simple solution for the FA is to freeze player registrations so they can't officially sign and play for another club. Then it would be up to the players to agree a temporary extension. If the clubs and players fail to agree it will be bad PR for both.

Players won’t give a toss - why would players like Willian risk a free transfer payday playing beyond his contract.
 
Can you imagine if the season gets scrapped and results expunged (is that the word?), There would forever be banter about things that officially never happened.
Liverpool aside there would be endless references such as players that scored goals that were never recorded, .
Supporters can say their rivals haven't beaten them in x amount of games and rivals will say 'ah except for the coronovirus season' 'nah doesnt count though does it!'
Or player x has never scored more than 10 in a single season, Apart from that coronovirus season though.
Whatever solution they go with will have strange consequences though huh?

Everyone will just have to suck it up, like all the poor sods who died in the wars or careers were ended. This is a terrible time for many and millions will have their lives changed forever, sports just something to do in your spare time, although too many people let it rule what they call a life.
 
Can you imagine if the season gets scrapped and results expunged (is that the word?), There would forever be banter about things that officially never happened.
Liverpool aside there would be endless references such as players that scored goals that were never recorded, .
Supporters can say their rivals haven't beaten them in x amount of games and rivals will say 'ah except for the coronovirus season' 'nah doesnt count though does it!'
Or player x has never scored more than 10 in a single season, Apart from that coronovirus season though.
Whatever solution they go with will have strange consequences though huh?
At least I can get my avatar back...
 
I’ve thought for a couple of weeks that this season isn’t ever going to finish. There will come a point when the complications inherent in finishing it outweigh the complications in writing it off - and that point will be 30th June. The chances of the NHS, police and other key services being at capacity to suck up many many football games each week by that stage is zilch. (And if football can go ahead, why shouldn’t every sport - each event needing its own cover by key services).

So, on the downside, it’s highly likely to be a summer without sport.

On the plus side, the Liverpool side of 2019/20 will be forever remembered as The Probables.
 
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