That’s simply not true.

Why should a footballer get back to work before a shop worker or hairdresser?

Everything else is, so why not.

You see stocks as separate designated for different customers. (The inference then has to be ‘based on who pays more). I see them as a single flexible pool from which everyone ‘could’ pull. I believe the latter is how we should all be viewing it while in a global pandemic.

Exactly. L1 and L2 have already been canned on this exact basis. The money at the top level has become an albatross around the necks of ✌?Big Clubs✌?which means their years of living above their very lofty means might be about to bite.

I know you don’t want to hear it but it’s basic maths. We will have to agree to disagree because we are looking at it from different ends of the telescope.

Surely if TV money being repaid is the issue then they could simply restructure the remaining years of the deal at a lower price per season and hand out commensurate pay cuts to players. Simples.

It might look and feel like training games Mark but with relegation still possible clubs will still need to have one eye on the prize. That said, the players you mention could well step up. I’m certainly not looking forward to crowdless football in the meantime, although I do wonder if iFollow will be made available for all games to UK viewers - or if Sky would block it.

The bit in bold seems to be a difficult thing for people to get their heads around. This is a global pandemic. Production of test kits is (or should be) effectively a total combined number of all of those manufacturers. If the PL didn’t pay more to jump the queue and buy those test kits then they would be available to other buyers - I.e. the government. (They are not - or certainly should not - be specific production runs for the PL - or Apple or Amazon or whichever huge money making enterprise feels they ‘deserve’ to not have to wait in line). What is happening in reality is 100% pure capitalism. Those who can afford it going straight to the top of the list ahead of those in most need. Now I’m not a socialist per se but in the midst of a global pandemic, profit should not be put ahead of life, and quality of life for the 95% of people who have to wait until the 5% take their snouts out of the trough. The fact that it is and we do, is disgusting. The fact that ordinary people (who would - but for the grace of god - be directly impacted as a consequence) are defending this is worrying.

So in order to get football back on TV... - NHS and other key workers have to wait in line as stock they could have had access to is consumed weekly for footballers and staff - L1 and L2 team having no income and potentially going to the wall is ok - Footballers with health concerns including their families mean they don’t get paid unless they take their chances Meanwhile.... - Fans cannot attend because it’s not safe - Small businesses still cannot reopen (because it’s not safe) - Everyone’s Summer holidays are cancelled or on hold - because it’s not safe Why is Premier League football any different? (And let’s be honest, Championship football is only being discussed in the same breath because of promotion to the PL or it would already have been cancelled). The only real concern here is large sums of money being paid to a small number of people who operate the PL and some of their clubs. I can’t believe there are ordinary folk who agree with this. Let’s get shops open before we talk about football. Yet another symptom of how football doesn’t need paying fans - or at least it sees them as somewhat necessary for atmosphere.

He will almost certainly be first choice. It’s Groundhog Day just with an even lower calibre candidate than Walton. I can’t see how any clubs would buy players when the window opens when they don’t know if/when the season will start. I expect these are the kinds of question driving the ‘need’ for spectatorless matches.

You are championing footballers getting tested BEFORE key workers, with some made up notion that there are different test manufacturers for the footballers and normal folk. I’m afraid that’s very that’s very hypocritical - although knowing your opinions all these years I suspect it’s more naivety. I really hope the whole PL money racket comes crashing down.

All tests should be made available to the government for use by the NHS, not held back for the highest bidder. There is no such thing as different stocks, there is simply global manufacturing capacity and global need. We have companies creating and donating PPE yet (as always) big pharma will always coin it in. The only person delighted about this approach is Kier Starmer because it’s a stark reminder of how when the chips are down for the nation the rich will always be favoured. What happens when a vaccine is finally found? PL players before frontline NHS and vulnerable people? What a country. The priorities are upside down. Football is nothing right now and its reputation is falling fast. Yet some people not only think this is ok but try to justify it?! I hope none of you stand outside your house clapping on a Thursday evening.

Au contraire. They can take their players to other leagues or at least threaten to.

So you believe these tests PL players are going to ‘consume’ would be wasted otherwise? If so then we’ll have to agree to disagree. No, I haven’t. I expect agents will put paid to that one.

Good point on the maths but it doesn’t change the argument. The government cannot buy them because the company can sell them for more money privately and to the PL mega bucks. It’s immoral. I really hope this PL bubble bursts sooner rather than later.

Sorry but that’s BS. The PL will survive. Meanwhile the lower leagues have had to curtail their season and will have to cut their cloth accordingly. Where are their tests? There is a finite stock of these things. If the PL weren’t buying these up (chicken feed costs for them) they would be available for the NHS. It’s utterly immoral that these are being taken away from people who need them more. This isn’t a single test like everyone else will be hoping for - it’s 16,000 tests every single week - and that’s just for 20 football teams.

You’re right, the government should be stepping in and saying footballers are not a priority for tests. Let alone 1,600 PER WEEK. And that’s just the PL. The rest of football? Well, you’ll just have to cancel because you don’t bring in enough money.

2m from it at all times. It’s going to be a weird window.

That makes sense (I think!) for the general public but not for a group who are effectively in a bubble and need protecting as a whole not from each other. I fear that pragmatism is dead, and COVID-19 couldn’t have hit a worse generation. We are going to have to learn to live with this for some time and everyone seems to be on a risk-free mission. They are in for disappointment.

Dortmund running away with this. Without any crowd atmosphere/intimidation I’m going to suggest that the bookies’ favourite will win 9 times out of 10.

Forgive me but why would they need two carriages or coaches? If players need to socially distance from each other - let alone the opposition - then this plan is doomed to fail. Are they going to get changed in shifts? Half time team talks on the pitch?

Impossible to read that without hearing Dave Gilmour!

Yes, I blame Tim Sherwood too. Until Souness turned up Hodgson’s time was one of the most exciting times to be a Rovers fan. His start to the 1997 season was absolutely breathtaking. This was the table after a 3-1 win at Highbury...

https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/12/police-open-to-talks-for-premier-league-clubs-to-finish-season-at-home-grounds This is getting worse and worse. It will be bad enough with numpties turning up at games anyway but can you imagine what Anfield will be like if they have a title decider to play there?