What happens in football over the next few months is shrouded in uncertainty, but we know enough to be able to narrow the field of possibilities down. Uefa meet on Tuesday to discuss the crisis when they will almost certainly cancel the Euros, ending all online betting on Euro 2020, and confirm that no Champions League or Europa League games will take place between now and the summer.
Sorry to mention the dirty little subject, but the worldwide game is facing financial turmoil like never before (more on this later), having lost club and national Uefa games between now and the summer, all parties need to ensure that income-generating European competitions take place next season. A new timetable will emerge, but basic necessity requires Uefa to come out of Tuesday’s meeting with a plan for next season’s Champions League and Europa League, at the very least.
In order to hold these competitions next season, individual countries need champions and qualifiers from other positions. Whatever else remains unknown, we can be sure that next season’s Champions and Europa Leagues will be scheduled; champions will be determined by June or July at the latest.
Another fact we can be very sure of, it that epidemiology projections indicate no football will take place until July at the earliest. This temporary postponement will become permanent before it expires. National leagues are finished across Europe.
In Scotland and England, clear champions are in place. If you are a Lazio fan, this looked like being your season, but the league is finished, Juventus’ tiny advantage will make them champions.
Hearts have blown their season but I do not think there is a single Hearts fan who would honestly object to relegation at this point. When you set aside all the transient bluster, football fans know they need to take their medicine when they are not good enough. We saw the same attitude in many Rangers fans eight years ago, who wanted Newco to start at the bottom of the pile, despite the financial advantages of getting a hand up.
Dundee United will be promoted. A play-off between Hamilton Accies, Inverness, Dundee and Ayr United can be held immediately prior to the new season, to determine who plays in the top flight. The Scottish Cup has three games left, this too can take place prior to kick-off next season.
Less than a week ago, I advocated playing the remainder of the season behind closed doors, but the health tsunami facing society makes that impossible. Football will need all of the income it can get when normality resumes. The critical path from that financial necessity determines that all countries need to know their champions and qualifiers for European competitions – and that means we have no choice but to draw the line now.
For years I have played over celebrating nine-in-a-row. There will be no celebrations this year, in this respect, we have been robbed, but we all have far more important concerns right now.
We will cover the hugely significant financial implications of the crisis in the coming days.
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Celtic
Nice article Paul67
sounds logical.
Wangers are fugged money wise- nothin going into nothin = nothin
If only it was that easy Paul – but as you say we have more serious concerns.
Favorite Uncle,
LOL.I demand a recount.
Just submit the evidence from the various Sevco blogs up to their last league game – they’d chucked it
First of all the Huns have won nothing and we have lost nothing.
Any talk of League being dubbed null & void is pure speculation We could just as easily be declared Champions or it could be played out at a later dat
They are obviously stupid or they wouldn’t be in the state they are inhey will have hee haw coming in, nobody is going to invest in the middle of a global melt down, their future is under serious threat, ours is secure.
Pedro gets a bad Press here but aren’t we lucky now to have plenty of resources put by & also managed to land massive Adidas deal just before the shut down.
In a worse case scenario it will only delay the inevitable if the League is declared null & void we just get to the ten a year later than scheduled.
No big deal.
A pity the Club and Adidas didn’t get the due publicity the sponsorship deal deserved.
The £ 1.2 million the Huns took in,shockingly,on Thursday night,will pay the wages for a wee dod.No a big dod,a wee dod.
so so beautiful……..viva italia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDu_kLJ-5Mk
Good article Paul, thanks.
But as I am not the cleverest of readers, are you saying that we should be crowned Champions??
Or
As your last line has me thinking
“We have been robbed” is this of celebration???
But still crowned champions?? I hope that is what you meant.
D. :)
but I do not think there is a single Hearts fan who would honestly object to relegation at this point
Dont agree. If it was my team i would.
HH
Radio Scotland just reported, the powers that be are sure this will be a long term break probably till the summer. Leagues won’t be null and void,and don’t want existing games,to drag into the start of next season.
If the leagues ie Scotland/Engerlund are made null and void liverpool will be burnt to the ground…
waiting for 30yrs ffs
With the amount of flight cancellations,I am still shocked that Airports have not been closed down.So many countries on Lockdown,what’s the point of keeping them open.Of all the places you would think would be the most dangerous,it would have to be,Airports.
My daughter’s in laws are supposed to come back from Lanzarote with Jet2 tomorrow 😱
Paul 67,
Hearts will launch a legal challenge to relegation, and rightly so imo.
I am unsure of your thought process. Will we be robbed?
Will Motherwell be denied the prize money that is mathematically possible ?
Imo we must delay next season until this season has been settled on the park.
HH to all.
David
I think what Paul means is the leagues will be called as they are now with no more matches so we won’t technically get to celebrate
Hearts fans won’t be happy btw
*but we will still be announced Champions
So no behind closed doors matches to see the season out……….Kris Boyd had guaranteed me tickets,what chance a refund?
duped csc
IMO
UEFA”s decision will dictate our next move (obviously as much as possible taking into account when Covid 19 will die away).
Only then will the bun fight start !.
HH
A wee Elvis choon helps lift the lockdown mood
https://youtu.be/IiLFRCb3Q4U
Guys,
Why would Celtic not take advantage of the new historical interest rate.
With reserves in the bank surely now is the time to borrow and invest, especially in infrastructure.
SATURDAY 14TH MAY 1981
Again, another uneventful somewhat boring day. My weight is 58.25 kgs, and no medical complaints. I read the papers, which are full of trash.
Tonight’s tea was pie and beans, and although hunger may fuel my imagination (it looked a powerful-sized meal), I don’t exaggerate: the beans were nearly falling off the plate. If I said this all the time to the lads, they would worry about me, but I’m all right.
It was inviting (I’m human too) and I was glad to see it leave the cell. Never would I have touched it, but it was a starving nuisance. Ha! My God, if it had have attacked, I’d have fled.
I was going to write about a few things I had in my head but they’ll wait. I am looking forward to the brief company of all the lads at Mass tomorrow. You never know when it could be the last time that you may ever see them again.
I smoked some cigarettes today. We still defeat them in this sphere. If the Screws only knew the half of it; the ingenuity of the POW is something amazing. The worse the situation the greater the ingenuity. Someday it may all be revealed.
On a personal note, Liam Og (the pseudonym for Bobby Sands’ Republican Movement contact on the outside), I just thought I’d take this opportunity tonight of saying to your good hard-working self that I admire you all out there and the unselfish work that you all do and have done in the past, not just for the H-Blocks and Armagh, but for the struggle in general.
I have always taken a lesson from something that was told me by a sound man, that is, that everyone, Republican or otherwise, has his own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small, no one is too old or too young to do something.
There is that much to be done that no select or small portion of people can do, only the greater mass of the Irish nation will ensure the achievement of the Socialist Republic, and that can only be done by hard work and sacrifice.
So, mo chara, for what it’s worth, I would like to thank you all for what you have done and I hope many others follow your example, and I’m deeply proud to have known you all and prouder still to call you comrades and friends.
On a closing note, I’ve noticed the Screws have been really slamming the cell doors today, in particular my own. Perhaps a good indication of the mentality of these people, always vindictive, always full of hate. I’m glad to say that I am not like that.
Well, I must go to rest up as I found it tiring trying to comb my hair today after a bath.
So venceremos, beidh bua againn eigin la eigin. Sealadaigh abu.
(Translated, this reads as follows:)
So venceremos, we will be victorious someday. Up the Provos.
Paul67 et al
What scientific evidence is a ban on outdoor events based on? And I am not talking about projected numbers here, but rather about the relative degree of threat, one to the individual, and two to the wider community. Golf, fair enough, you could die of boredom, out there for four hours. But football and rugby? Three big events in Scotland in the last seven days, one at Celtic Park, one at Murrayfield and one at Ibrox. Will anyone collate the relative infection of those who attended? Be surprised if they did.
Celtic Mac
Someone traveling to the match would come into contact with several people directly and indirectly – how many surfaces do you touch, transport , pubs, shops etc. It’s about reducing the risk and slowing the spread. In addition there’s the provision of emergency services at the matches etc.
But on the other hand ……
Speak to the unwashed and you will be told 10 points were deducted when our first title was secured so does not count, the rest dont count until they reach the premier league and now they try to say if season finishes early no title should be awarded despite celtic being miles ahead.
This is despite the fact we won the first title by a massive amount against rangers, sevco were in the scottish league structure throughout our other 6 and they actually needed 2 attempts to get out of the championship, yip 2 attempts to get out the championship but our titles dont count cause they were not in our league (you ain’t kidding).
We are miles ahead this season and since their arrival (not return) in the premier league we have won every national tournament (3×3). This is while the mighty rangers are in the league and challenging (no laughing at the back) Thanks so much for joining us, Magic.
At the same time, they refuse to accept several of ranger’s league titles and cup won just prior to death were secured of the back of cheating every other club in scotland. it should be about 15 in a row.
They are rangers when talking about titles etc.. but when it suits I.e. debts and liabilities they are different. Sevco supporters and their merry band of cheerleaders can moan all they want and claim injustices all they want they are a bunch of cheats.
Their latest shite is trying to claim interwar regional titles as national titles. So while young men were sent to war those in protected skilled work (you know who you are, we know who you are) stayed at home.
Could not give a flying fuck about sevco and their fans views cause they have no credibility. All the shite they talk is alright in pubs and clubs full of (we are the people people) but in the real world the claims are roundly laughed at.
The old saying it’s better to be quiet and have people thing your stupid rather than open you mouth and confirming it comes to
BHOYLO83 on 14TH MARCH 2020 2:34 PM
David
I think what Paul means is the leagues will be called as they are now with no more matches so we won’t technically get to celebrate
Hearts fans won’t be happy btw
—-
Cheers Bhoylo83 – as long as we get that title and the record book shows 9IAR after all we have played 30 league games, anything else would be corruption.
HH
D. :)
Note to Alex Rae. You Know as much about horse racing as you do about football. There is no hurdle races over 1 mile and how can a horse be 10 lengths clear at the last when all the rest have fallen.
as things stand celtic have completed 79% of their fixtures.
and we have a 13 point lead, notwithstanding sevco’s game in hand.
but for this interruption, given the way results were going it is likely that this lead would increase.
we live in scotland so don’t hold your breath if it is decided that this championship is declared null and void.
and don’t hold your breath for the directors’ of our club to raise any kind of objection.
HH from Cardiff!
Was half way here when game got cancelled.
Hey ho, thousands had already travelled. Pointless calling it off.
If my arithmetic is accurate, St Johnstone`s average points per game is below Hibs` average points per game BUT if St Johnstone were to win their game in hand ( The famous one), then St Johnstone would have a higher average than Hibs. As that would mean the difference between top six and bottom six for each side, I would think that gives the matter more importance.
Alex Rae is as clever as he is good looking.
Fud!
Two thoughts on this:
(1) With our £30-40m In the bank, will we become the lender of last resort for SPFL clubs? And if so will we take advantage of the opportunity to insist on root and branch reform of the game?
(2) in the argument over whether the league is declared void with no winner or the title is awarded to the current front-runner, my preference would be to let Steven Gerrard decide for all of the British game – hilarious to see him decide between whether to break the hearts of his current employer’s fans or the fans of “his” team!
Bring back the pools panel
great work Paul,
much appreciated
Art of War,
Noticed your post the other day and wondered if you had travelled.
Enjoy nevertheless, but no pubs, no trains, no buses, no take aways, no huddles, no singing. No Kerry oots.
Self isolation doesn’t seem so bad these days.
Anyway AOW , stay safe and make the most of it.
Cheers and HH.