Morally and logically yes. But if this goes on until a vaccine how do you pay the players without clubs going bust? That's the panic and then need to get a resumption.

It's not that simple. They don't want to give tv money back because how else do they pay the players. And if they don't pay the players, can they just walk from contracts? If clubs have to pay the staff, but don't get the tv or some streaming money, they will fold without serious intervention. It appears football is screwed unless they play this season ASAP.

If you can't fully socially distance at work, you are still actually still meant to go to work:- (taken from here.). However you wouldn't expect most places who struggle to adopt social distancing to allow the level of contact you would get on a football pitch !!!!! Employers who have people in their offices or on site should ensure that employees are able, where possible, to follow Public Health England guidelines on social distancing (including, where possible, maintaining a 2 metre distance from others), and hygiene (washing their hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds).

I agree with the first part, although many people who cannot work have been furloughed, sometimes on a portion of their salary. Companies who are struggling to pay their staff have been able to furlough them. This doesn't really apply to clubs. Football clubs have had their income streams turned off, but are still expected by the players to pay 70% or upwards of the players massively salary. Whilst there is way too much money sloshing about in football, many clubs aren't actually cash rich, just rich in the balance sheet. If footballers don't want the clubs to move heaven and earth to get them playing again and regain access to some of their income streams, they are going to have to accept a far bigger salary decrease than I expect they currently have. I'm not saying that they should be forced to play if its not safe, but they need to realise their salaries are not sustainable at all at the moment. If they want to keep earning what they currently earn, they need to accept the risk over health and safety. On the second part, that's untrue as warehouse staff up and down the country have worked through all of this supplying dart boards, bicycles, toasters, TV's and every other gadget people desire. Only non-essential shops had to close, not businesses. However it's not really relevant to the point regarding footballers, and I'm sure they don't go around the warehouses grappling with each other and spitting on the floor.

I've had a season ticket for 30 years. I normally watch about 5 or 6 games a week on tv whilst watching the highlights of other games and regularly looking at league tables during the week. I am missing not going to Ewood, meeting up with long standing mates and having a pint during and after. However I thought I would be craving some live football to watch. But I'm not. I can't explain why. Maybe because I know when it restarts it will be behind closed doors and I suspect it just won't be the same. It should be left until the stadiums can be filled again. As supporters, we have often used the phrase "football without fans is nothing". Well that's about to be put the test. If Rovers played this weekend in a deserted Ewood, I'd stream it but not with great anticipaton. But I wouldn't stream any premier league games or other games as I just don't have the interest. I'm fairly sure I'm classed as a football fan though.

How can the Champions League and Europa league go ahead as normal next season anyway. Even if the premier league finished the season, there would be many other leagues around Europe that wouldn't. How would the early qualifiers be able to take place in July? They wouldn't. Therefore the competition will be being changed from its usual format regardless of what the PL do. There's no easy solution. There will be legal cases regardless of what the outcome is, if the clubs can afford them. Wierdly, I don't really care if the season is played behind closed doors or not. I normally watch loads of football, but I don't have any real appetite for behind closed doors games at the moment.

At the moment it seems like the PFA and the Premier league players don't want to risk playing. They are the ones who would halt 'project restart'. However they will see themselves sitting around for the rest of this year on 70% or 80% of their substantial wages. However, as more and more players stop getting paid (at all levels), there will become more and more of a clamour from them to play behind closed doors to unlock the TV rights and streaming monies. Stuart's idea is the best one to try and safeguard football and it's 91 league clubs, but will be fought against by many different parties.

The season needs to be either cancelled or finished behind closed doors. Finishing it on points per game would be a nonsense. Relegating Villa, who have a game in hand having reached a cup final, would be farcical. Not relegating teams from the Premier League, whilst relegating teams from the Champinship would also be farcical.

Ok. Thanks.

Interesting. But why the spike on the top graph at the start of April? It was discussion on commercial revenue within football that got me thinking about knock on effects and eventually this site.

Hi, Just wondering what the traffic would currently be like on BRFCS compared to normal? Also is there more activity on ICBINF than the main board for the first time ever?

A few pieces of news from this season that act as a follow up to season 2, for those who don't normally give a damn about other clubs so may be unaware (like me) Charlie quit in December 2019 Charlie-methven-hits-back-stewart-donald-financial-claims-after-sunderland-til-i-die-revelations

I'm guessing the Palace 89 play off game would be it. To see that team in the 80's finally pit themselves against the top division would have been some achievement, and to have it snatched in such a cruel and controversial way was gut wrenching.

Just finished it and had the same opinions as most on Stewart and Charlie. In hindsight, they'd have been better letting Maja's contract expire. I felt the players and manager were more wary and less open than in season 1. Jutst looked at Griggs record for them and its awful - 5 goals including that penalty in 14 months.

Don't know, but one way to break the unity of your team is to start swinging punches at your team mate live on national tv.

Is there not a logic that says if premier league players take 30% or bigger salary cut, the government will lose out in lost tax and lost NI. If Liverpool furlough their non-playing staff, but continue to pay tax on their players full salary, is that not better for the government financially? Ive no idea, just asking. Regardless clubs like Liverpool should pay the whole lot, certainly for the short term.

Was anyone else at Old Trafford when Super Dario scored for us ??

I forgive Yorke being on the decline just for scoring that equaliser at Bolton in injury time. In my 30 years of watching football, that would still be in my list of most celebrated goals. Its a goal that is difficult to find online.

Both arrived with big expectations and were a let down. Wouldn't be pushing a current worst XI though.

I don't think Matty Holmes was a bad player. He just wasn't the signing you needed or expected when you had just been crowned champions of England and were playing in the Champions League. Just had a look on wikipedia at what happened to his career and he had a career ending injury soon after he left us to go to Charlton.

Newell was excellent in his first 2 seasons. The slump which saw us nearly miss out on the play offs coincided with him being injured, and he came back just at the end of the season which saw an upturn in fortunes to scrape into 6th. The first season in the Premier league he was also excellent. However he had an injury during 93/94 and he never looked as good. I remember him scoring a last minute winner at Sheffield Weds in early 1994, and he had been woeful all game. I was suprised to see he made over 30 appearance in 95/96 , as he hardly played the year before. By then he was in his thirties and on the wane. His record for numerous clubs after Rovers wasn't great. However he was a massively influential in those first two years. A proper player.

Yep. I paused it and then immediately starting watching the Gary Neville Soccerbox's that are on. The Alan Shearer one focuses on the 2-0 win at Ewood over Man Utd when he scored twice and at least half of the program is on his Rovers career.

What was interesting was watching Dack set the team up at the start. Evans in for Travis. Mulgrew on the bench. No Brereton in the squad. Based on FIFA's players ability or personal preference ?

Dack for Rovers and Thibaud Verlinden for Stoke. It would be good if it was only a professional player for each team. But I think some clubs have esports professionals representing them.

I did. I found one twitter loon saying it and nothing else.