So reading the LE, some conjecture over when next season should start and also over financial concerns.
Championship Clubs concerned over testing costs, understandably.
A proposal to start an expanded (maybe NRC Style?) 1895 Cup on Boxing Day with that being the starting point for the season.
In principle, I think that's a pretty good idea, Widnes v Leigh on Boxing Day with the return (in the league presumably) on Good Friday would be enticing.
In practice though, if they are talking about restricted Christmas' then what hope for a worthwhile crowd on Boxing Day?
Is it worth starting without fans, or should the Championship wait for hopefully better news around Feb or March?
It all hinges on the start date CJ and who know what that will be? Quite depressing atm for everyone.
Something on the Today prog this morning mentioned that some new sports contracts have Covid 19 clauses written in presumably to avoid clubs having to pay even if no games are played! Don't know if that extends to RL clubs.
It is impossible to plan anything atm with any certainty, I wonder if anyone will be left who wants RL at the end of it all.
That Govt briefing yesterday was the death knell for any thoughts of even planning the next Championship season. I can't see how we can re-start until the vaccine has been widely circulated and pre-game tests are a thing of the past and speccies are able to return to games. Wouldn't be surprised if this was the middle of 2021 at the earliest.
Maybe we will have to schedule the start of the season to take account of the weather conditions in Canada and start the season in mid-April with TWP v Wigan game!
Barrie McDermott made me laugh when he supported keeping in TWP because Toronto is a beautiful city and fans should plan attending at a game with a family holiday. Clearly he can afford that, but it is probably beyond the reach of a lot of fans. He seems to be associating the expansion of RL with tourism and saying the likes of Toulouse and York should be included because they are beautiful cities to visit. Blackpool should be OK, but Halton need to start promoting Widnes as a must visit tourist resort, if we are to have any chance of SL. The Bongs and Spike Island to be must visit tourist attractions, sunbathing on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal and, if you close your eyes and have a vivid imagination, you could be in Sydney when you look at the Bridge, particularly if you have had a few drinks in Leggies.
The testing costs are just ridiculous. Might be worth the SL/RFL getting a price from a lab and organise their own tests. There is no reason why most clubs couldn't allow just ST holders into their grounds. Plenty of space then for social distancing with common sense.
Speccies might need temperature checks and masks.
It'll be a lonnnnnnnnnnnng time yet before we see any football below SL level in my opinion!
The chances of even having a thou in attendance, were shot dead by Boris' announcement yesterday, so the season starting on Boxing Day, must be dead in the water already!
At a guess, I'd say March, which'll then be a full year from (y)our last game, with the cup-tie at your gaff.
It looks like I'll be watching the Challenge Cup Final on the box for the first time since '85, and I'm not holding my breath about a trip to OT either, and I've attended every one of those, but......
As I've said many times, these are unprecedented times, so unprecedented measures are needed!
Stay safe all of you.
Spelly.
Good Friday is 2nd April, maybe that would be feasible for with crowds?
For me, I think if we started early March there is a chance of smaller restricted crowds building towards a normal attendance by April, that is more sensible than Boxing Day.
Lower League football have done streaming deals to make income, that would be a possibility.
Also a problem would be contracts I would have thought, with future furlough a bit uncertain, be nigh on impossible to pay players for long without matchday income....
Mass attendance at anything is unlikely / very high risk until there is one or more proven vaccines made generally available. It’d be nice to start allowing people into games as soon as possible but it just isn.’the safe for the foreseeable future.
It’ll be very interesting to see what SL / RL looks like in 2022 if next season is cancelled / played behind closed doors. I would say that it really does give an opportunity for those running the game to come up with a sensible long term plan based on what we will have available rather than what they WISH we had at our disposal.
It is a very sad situation all round, for families who have lost loved ones, to people who have been gravely ill , to people who have and will lose their jobs.
Some might say that sport is a minor part of the jigsaw, but to millions who follow sports of all types, it can be a lifeline and to some, it is their only social activity and a huge part of their lives.
Very sadly, many clubs especially in the lower leagues of professional sport be it football, cricket or the sport we all love, I am sure that some might struggle to stay afloat after a year (as it will be at the end of march) without any gate money.
With over 6,000 new cases in england alone yesterday, it is difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel
Let us all pray (or what ever your choice is ) for a vaccine and an end to the misery. In the mean time stay safe and well.
The length of time without income will stretch many clubs, presuming they are still honouring contracts. The longer it goes on the harder it will be.
Clubs depend on the sale of ST to cover them befor the season starts, but how can that happen in today's circumstances?
I hope that our VIQI contributors can continue, though it may be hard for some. At least it gives the club some support.
I just wonder how long it will be before a club dies, and starts a Tsunami.
The new scheme that follows on from furlough requires employees to do 1/3rd of their normal hours and also the employer pays 55% of an employees wages.
Would this apply in PT RL, lets say they do 6 hours of training a week for arguments sake, then they could come and train for 2 hours?
Also if clubs are paying 55% of wages until April, would in our case VIQI subscriptions go some way to paying for that?
Not to mention the residual ST money from last year......
The new scheme that follows on from furlough requires employees to do 1/3rd of their normal hours and also the employer pays 55% of an employees wages. Would this apply in PT RL, lets say they do 6 hours of training a week for arguments sake, then they could come and train for 2 hours? Also if clubs are paying 55% of wages until April, would in our case VIQI subscriptions go some way to paying for that? Not to mention the residual ST money from last year……
The new scheme will cover up to 22% of people's normal salaries, with the employer making up 55% of wages and the employee effectively giving up 25% of their income. I think help wise it's nothing compared to what furlough was, and a lot of firms are going to struggle worse than before.
If the season doesn't start next year on time, well I hope we put some COVID related clauses into these new contracts we're giving up otherwise we and most other clubs will be up a certain creek without a paddle.
Totally, be sensible to have safeguards in the contracts but who knows...