I must admit that I have absolutely no interest in watching football behind closed doors. I get that it's the only way of any sport being played any time soon, but I find it such a boring spectacle on TV.

 

As for my own team, I want to experience the thrill of being part of Forest being promoted to the Premier League far more than actually seeing them play in the Premier League. I'd be seriously conflicted about what I'd want if I can't experience that as it should be done. It'd feel weird not wanting the team you support to win a play-off game, but I don't support a team for that to be done on my own on my sofa.

Arsenal's first-team players and head coach Mikel Arteta have agreed a pay cut to help with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

The Premier League club said the "voluntary agreement" sees those involved have their annual earnings reduced by 12.5%.

Ozil is trending on twitter because he is one of 3 players to have rejected the pay cut. If only there was a straightforward way of making him redundant as he is a waste of space at the club. £350,000 a week.

The Premier League is considering making some behind-closed-doors fixtures available free-to-air when the season restarts, the culture secretary has said.

 

Oliver Dowden has said he had been having "productive talks" with governing bodies from across British sport on restarting following the coronavirus shutdown.

The Premier League is considering making some behind-closed-doors fixtures available free-to-air when the season restarts, the culture secretary has said.

 

Oliver Dowden has said he had been having "productive talks" with governing bodies from across British sport on restarting following the coronavirus shutdown.

 

I reckon this will have legs in it, although likely to be West Ham vs Crystal Palace rather than Liverpool vs Man Utd!

The government has been urged to "take a role" in the potential £300m Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United.

 

Clive Betts, the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football, said Saudi Arabia's alleged role in pirate network beoutQ "should be an immediate priority for regulatory scrutiny surrounding the takeover".

I reckon this will have legs in it, although likely to be West Ham vs Crystal Palace rather than Liverpool vs Man Utd!

Can't see Sky Sports or BT Sport making their games free to air that won't happen.

Can't see Sky Sports or BT Sport making their games free to air that won't happen.

 

They might if they are smart. It is a good way to boost subscriptions. But I suspect some games would be on BBC or ITV. If fans can't go to the games there's got to be some measures in place otherwise people will just turn up to the grounds..

 

I'm pretty sure most of games left will be on TV,

Chelsea have asked foreign-based players to return to England by Sunday.

 

Several players, including Brazilian midfielder Willian, were allowed to travel home after coronavirus led to the league's suspension on 13 March.

Manchester United have received permission to install 1,500 barrier seats - standing with rails - at Old Trafford as a trial measure.

 

United will install the new section in the north-east quadrant for the 2020-21 season after Trafford council approval.

 

If the trial proves successful, the club will look to install barrier seats in other areas of the stadium.

Chelsea have asked foreign-based players to return to England by Sunday.

 

Several players, including Brazilian midfielder Willian, were allowed to travel home after coronavirus led to the league's suspension on 13 March.

 

The wheels are definitely in motion for the return. Be interesting to see what comes out of the meeting today and who is first to leak the news. It does seem very likely that barring an increase in R, June the the 8th is the date.

Playing the remaining Premier League fixtures at neutral venues has the "potential to have a material effect on the integrity of the competition", says Brighton's chief executive Paul Barber.

 

On Friday, top-flight clubs were told on a video conference call that neutral venues will be the only way to complete the season.

 

"Up to 10 stadiums" would be used to resume the 2019-20 campaign.

 

But Barber says his club are "not in favour" of the proposal.

 

"Clearly, we must all be prepared to accept some compromises. We fully appreciate why playing behind closed doors is very likely to be a necessary compromise to play our remaining games while continuing to fully support the government's efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus," he said.

 

"But at this critical point in the season, playing matches in neutral venues has, in our view, potential to have a material effect on the integrity of the competition."

West Ham are not in favour of Neutral Venues.

Manchester United have received permission to install 1,500 barrier seats - standing with rails - at Old Trafford as a trial measure.

 

United will install the new section in the north-east quadrant for the 2020-21 season after Trafford council approval.

 

If the trial proves successful, the club will look to install barrier seats in other areas of the stadium.

 

What is a barrier seat?

West Ham are not in favour of Neutral Venues.

 

There's lots of stuff being leaked from all parties as everyone has their own agenda. Brighton and West Ham seem to be the two clubs doing the most leaking of info. The Athletic said as much that there is a clear division between the Top6 and the Bottom6. Seems Brighton want to play on without the threat of relegation being there :lol:

There's lots of stuff being leaked from all parties as everyone has their own agenda. Brighton and West Ham seem to be the two clubs doing the most leaking of info. The Athletic said as much that there is a clear division between the Top6 and the Bottom6. Seems Brighton want to play on without the threat of relegation being there :lol:

I just read an article about this. There is no sense in continuing the season only if no teams will get relegated, the French league cancelled their season but the teams at the bottom of the table still got relegated so how can any of the Premier League teams have the cheek to suggest that play continues only if there is no relegation? the relegation battle is the main issue that still needs to be decided so it would be the biggest reason to carry on with the season.

 

Also if the matches are played at a neutral venue then no one will have home advantage so it's not just teams like Brighton that would be affected, every team would be affected and with no fans in attendance home advantage counts for nothing anyway. It just sounds like they know deep down that they were eventually going to get relegated and are now trying to find anything to avoid facing up to that.

There's lots of stuff being leaked from all parties as everyone has their own agenda. Brighton and West Ham seem to be the two clubs doing the most leaking of info. The Athletic said as much that there is a clear division between the Top6 and the Bottom6. Seems Brighton want to play on without the threat of relegation being there :lol:

Brighton aren't leaking information. They just have a chief executive prepared to voice his opinion and attach his name to it. Leaks are done anonymously.

 

I suspect Brighton and others will have to accept the use of neutral venues. The best they can hope for is that teams with more home than away games remaining will be able to play one game at home against a side for whom the opposite is true. At least that would mean that each team has played an equal number of home and away games even if some of them (like Brighton) will have been without the support of the crowd for one of their home games.

What is a barrier seat?

Hope this explains things:

 

http://spectatorseating.com/barrier-seats/

 

Welcome to the sports forum, Alex.

I just read an article about this. There is no sense in continuing the season only if no teams will get relegated, the French league cancelled their season but the teams at the bottom of the table still got relegated so how can any of the Premier League teams have the cheek to suggest that play continues only if there is no relegation? the relegation battle is the main issue that still needs to be decided so it would be the biggest reason to carry on with the season.

 

Also if the matches are played at a neutral venue then no one will have home advantage so it's not just teams like Brighton that would be affected, every team would be affected and with no fans in attendance home advantage counts for nothing anyway. It just sounds like they know deep down that they were eventually going to get relegated and are now trying to find anything to avoid facing up to that.

 

It's bizzare, it's rewarding failure. You can't claim to uphold the integrity if the league and then say no team should be relegated - what about the integrity of The Championship and to Leeds and West Brom, both of whom have had fantastic seasons. Just reeks of hypocrisy.

 

Brighton aren't leaking information. They just have a chief executive prepared to voice his opinion and attach his name to it. Leaks are done anonymously.

 

I suspect Brighton and others will have to accept the use of neutral venues. The best they can hope for is that teams with more home than away games remaining will be able to play one game at home against a side for whom the opposite is true. At least that would mean that each team has played an equal number of home and away games even if some of them (like Brighton) will have been without the support of the crowd for one of their home games.

 

Maybe not now but there are a few articles going around where two clubs are particularly vocal in the meetings (this was before the comments made by the chief executive today) about not wanting the season to restart. My issue is not around their concerns, I think some of them are valid, it's more Brighton and West Ham are two of the clubs who would gain if PPG was implemented. I mean I'm sure Brighton have an 15-20% home win record this season so I do find the argument against neutral grounds somewhat perplexing as why it will ruin the intergrity of the league.

 

Teams start the league on the assumption that each team will play every other team twice and that all teams will play the same number of games at home and away. In that sense, playing ALL remaining games on neutral grounds can be said to damage the integrity of the competition.