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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I know most of the chat will be about the unprecedented effects of the Corona Virus and we do not have any interesting live football to watch, but I thought I would do my usual end of season exercise in selecting a Best of the rest 11 from the SPFL. Normally I do not include any Sevco playes as I tend not to rate them objectively. This time I have drafted two team selections, Team 1 and Team 2 , and I included Sevco also-rans in both.
It is hard to balance these teams by position as we have so few Centre Backs and Forwards of any ability but we have a lot of promising midfielders, so here goes:-
Team One (4-3-3)
Hladky (St. Mirren)
Paul McGinn (Hibs)
Gallagher (Well)
Foley (St. Mirren)- converted DM
Barisic (Sevco)
Jack (Sevco)
Campbell (Well)
Ferguson (Aberdeen)
Boyle (Hibs)
Morelos (Sevco) – to December only
Kennedy (Aberdeen)
Team Two (3-5-2)
Gillespie (Well)
Guthrie (Livi)
Dicker (Killie)- converted DM
Halkettt (Hearts)- good player having a mixed season
Aribo (Sevco) Wing back
Hickey (Hearts) Wing Back
Lewis Smith (Hamilton)
Scott Allan (Hibs)
Arfield (Sevco)
Hendry (St. Johnstone)
Defoe (Sevco)
My past selections have always specified htat these are the best of the rest but there were rarely players good enough to be considered for a future Celtic team. However, this year, I would make 2 recommendations- If we cannot see David Turnbulll return to a decent standard, and I still hold out hope that he can, then we should consider either of the 2 outstanding midfield players to replace Scott Brown’s aggression in a future midfield. In order of preference I would go for
1) Lewis Ferguson
2) Alan Campbell
I have no interest in their previous football alegiances but they have both grown into fine, combative, energetic players this season.
Who has the Balls to ask Stevie G that question.
To Be or not To Be.
Praise the Almighty. He has some Story unfolding.
Fair play to those offering to help Big Jimmy.
Let’s look out for each other.
GENE
I think we should henceforth refer to Rae and Boyd as ‘Dull and Void’
as they are both dull witted and have a void between their ears.
Almore
Was about to post the same, great to see.
HH
On my third hawf of Cardhu, beautiful stuff. Purely preventative measure as I’ve informed my wife, completely stops Coronavirus in it’s tracks..:)
HH
Afternoon all
Absolutely disgraceful scenes in some Perth shops today.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-crisis-panic-buying-chaos-as-wa-shoppers-turn-violent-ng-b881489996z
My local shops were amazingly busy but at least people behaved with a modicum of patience and good spirits (generally). I am glad I didn’t go to the Dog Swamp.
Fred Colon
Did Griff tie his Celtic scarf around Stevie G?
BIG JIMMY
Sorry to hear of your troubles. Whereabouts in Glasgow are you? I’m Bishopbrigss and would be happy to help out.
DBhoy, Some might say…….🤗
Tim Malone , in that particular parallel universe , Stevie G got the Liverpool gig and Watty was in charge of Sevco
Did I miss the live updates😀
Jinkyredstar
It’s not only James Forrest that’s invisible today
Ave! Ave!
As one who lives not too far away from the Fair City, I would like to point out that the Perth to which you refer is the one in Australia !
My son’s Aldi has run out of noodles but there was 1 meat feast pizza left ! Dinner sorted.
Believe it or not
https://aleteia.org/2020/03/14/yes-theres-actually-a-st-corona-and-shes-buried-in-the-middle-of-the-pandemic/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL_en
Jinky
No, you have not missed the live updates……itis just that they are about our new team : Covid 19.
CovidQuickNews.
Jinkyredstar
The fired up sevco team were all over us in the opening minutes. Kent’s long range shot was pawed on the bar by big Fras. Then a wayward Arfield effort deflected off Morelos’s over-sized erse and nearly sent Fraser the wrong way.
Then in the 44th minute- the breakthrough- Aribo waltzed his way through a couple of innefectual tackles, played a one-two with ref Beaton and rounded Fraser as the last line of defence- he struck the ball fair and square for the centre of the net and………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Gooooooaaaaaallll! Larsson scores.
The 48 year old Swede who was a surprise last minute free agent buy by manager Lennon Managed to get back to prevent the gaol and then produced a 90 yard lob of Alan McGregor who had wondered off his line to, as he thought, celebrate his team’s opening goal.
Henrik, now that he had got his eye in, went on to score 6 more second half goals and laid on 3 more for Karamoko Dembele.
But did he fix the radio😀
Re Perth shoppers…
Haven’t witnessed anything like in Ave Ave’s post in our shops in Perth, some people rushing about, similar to what you see around Christmas but nothing too dodgy.
There were about four folk in Dan Murphy’s (Think Asda but only sells alcohol) today which tells me the Coronavirus preventative effects of single malt have yet to go main stream…:)
HH
DAVID66 on 14TH MARCH 2020 9:06 PM
Story of the late Glen Campbell starting on Sky arts, quite sad to begin with he obviously had dementia when filming this.
When he passed, he got cards and letters from people he didn’t even know.
Panic buying petrol now…..
SunSport understands SPFL chiefs expect the Prime Minister to intervene this week as the coronavirus crisis grows.
BoJo is likely to order an immediate end to professional leagues across Britain, killing off the current uncertainty.
The SPFL — in line with their English counterparts — would then decide on ratifying final positions in all four divisions as they stand.
Crucially, doing this would enable the SPFL to distribute prize money early to help clubs survive the coming months.
Celtic could be handed their ninth successive title
It’s understood the nuclear option of voiding the season could have severe legal and financial ramifications.
Season-ticket money, sponsorship cash and multi-million pound TV deals for this term would all come under threat.
SPFL board member and Hamilton Accies vice-chairman Les Gray confirmed that position during a TV interview.
He said: “I don’t think the season can ever be made null and void.
“After 30 games, if you make the season null and void — season-ticket holders are entitled to their money back for a start.
“The broadcaster could say the season never happened and want their money back.
“From a financial perspective you can’t make the season void, what you can do is look at what alternatives there are.”
Celtic, Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers could all now be declared title winners for the 2019/20 season.
Hearts, Partick Thistle, Stranraer and Brechin would drop down, though it’s unclear who would be promoted to League Two.
The regular play-offs for places in the Premiership, Championship and League One would likely be scrapped for the season.
To soften the financial blow for all relegated clubs, the SPFL could look at the distribution model and hand out extra cash due to the unique circumstances.
Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Aberdeen would also claim the Champions League and Europa League places.
Leaving the current campaign in cold storage is viewed as a complete non-starter, with clubs struggling to stay afloat.
There is an acceptance across Scottish football that this current season is finished. But Johnson’s intervention in a period of national crisis could allow some clubs to trigger protection insurance.
That could soften the financial Armageddon facing Scottish football.
Several clubs, most notably Hearts, are likely to argue for an alternative way forward, while some lower-league figures have floated a plan of NO relegation this season, with every league accepting two promoted teams.
Yet it’s understood top-flight clubs believe the idea of a 14-team Premiership next season is simply unworkable.
SPFL and SFA chiefs are in constant contact — with an emergency meeting set to be held on Monday.
SFA President Ian Maxwell will take part in a Europe-wide Uefa conference call at 9am on Tuesday morning.
Euro 2020 is set to be pushed back a year until next summer as Europe goes into lockdown.
A decision is also expected on this season’s remaining Champions and Europa League ties.
Aldi in Govan removing all straws from the shelves,
Baxter de Wall the General Manager explained the locals kept clutching at them.
Extremely busy at our local Sainsbury’s but no disorder yet
Great to see offers of help for BIG JIMMY.
This place really is special.
Thank you.
Was in M & S and Morrison’s in the Gyle, Edinburgh, this morning.
M & S said volumes were normal for a Sunday morning but Morrison’s was busy.
No major shortages and that includes t/roll pasta and rice.
Philbhoy
Don’t they still throw their shit out of the window in auld reekie
Philbhoy on 15th March 2020 1:34 pm
‘Was in M & S and Morrison’s in the Gyle, Edinburgh, this morning.
M & S said volumes were normal for a Sunday morning but Morrison’s was busy.
No major shortages and that includes t/roll pasta and rice.’
#####
Any red breeks on show?
MODERATOR2
Thanks for that!
When a fellow poster thanks his god that old timers like me will be the likely fatalities, it didn’t read right.
Keep up the good work!
MACJAY:
I have deleted your posts regarding the ongoing Coronavirus, whilst people are entitled to debate and post about this please think before you post, we are all vulnerable regardless of age and deserve to be treated equally. I too have deleted other posts from those that insulted you personally.
To all of you when debating Coronavirus please be respectful and mindful of everyone, irrespective of their age.
Next time I’ll ask P67 to issue red cards.
ERNIE
“Any red breeks on show”?
…………………………………………………….
Don’t understand what you mean.
Declared Champions on Paddy’s Day?
Philbhoy on 15th March 2020 1:41 pm
You are not familiar with the oeuvre of the newtownflaneur?
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfylj9XHaZw/
ERNIE
No.
Testing
Well the co-op in Aberfoyle was empty the morning as was the town😱