The problem with this checklist is that it assumes that the PL (and even FA) care about fans, players or clubs. Fans are always the last people listened to or considered in any consultation (in the rare event that they are even deemed worthy of consultation). See the treatment of Rovers fans when we were still a PL club. Players are many and every club would be expected to field any XI they can. See Bolton kids. Clubs can easily be replaced and as far as they care they can fold - regardless of how long they have existed. See Bury.

There is absolutely no need for there to be any promotion or relegation. If nobody knows when next season will start - or even if next season will start - then it’s hardly a priority. Any solution will impact some clubs more than others but what is more fair, that one team are relegated despite not being able to complete the season or that another isn’t promoted. The outcome (Championship football) is the same for each. Who decides who is more important? Can they be cleared of any bias or looking at it without the commercial implications being a factor. The PL will have to pay large sums of money to whichever team loses out on the arbitrary mathematics used. A complete void season would not be unreasonable, and would be more difficult to pin on any institution. Hopefully all of the current discussions are perhaps just a way to be able to say, when it all fails and void is inevitable, that “we did all we could” - and not in a Waggott way! PPG is not a fair conclusion imho as it takes no account of the opposition. They should look at the previous records between clubs and apply a weighting based on home records but it then all becomes very complicated indeed.

I find it very hard to reconcile that a BAME footballer is in anyway similar to a BAME care worker in terms of health condition and access to medical care. It sounds like you are suggesting that there is a specific and inherent genetic issue. If so, then surely all BAME workers should be classed as vulnerable and shielded for the 12 week period that was enforced while more studies are carried out. However, separate from the race angle that the media are pushing, what about any player with asthma or an undiagnosed heart defect. They should also be extremely concerned. The bottom line is what happens when someone dies because their place of work did not take reasonable measures to offer social distancing protection? Including footballers.

Fans being in stadiums won’t happen until there is a vaccine. We could be writing of next season at this rate. Testing and behind closed doors games are likely to go ahead. What fans should do - if they feel so strongly - is boycott all televised football during this time. At the same time players should also refuse to play. It would be a very interesting twist but won’t stop this season being concluded one way or another.

Livesey (v.) - a long walk up or down hill in either miserable or hopeful mood. ”Just going out for a Livesey. I might be a couple of hours”

Has anyone said why that is yet? Is it a genetic predisposition? I thought it was because of the proportion of BAME people in jobs were the virus was most prevalent. Would BAME footballers really be any more susceptible than their white (is that the right word?) counterparts?

The two L words are obviously of paramount important to someone (‘s wallet). If City were clear, and Rovers and Wigan had been in the top two of the Championship it would have already been called off by now. Much like FFP, all decisions are taken to get the clubs with the highest fan-density into the PL and keep Cinderella clubs well away from the ball.

Seemingly all of the players are being tested. Once they are given the all clear they’ll need to stay away from other (non-football) people. Should be very easy when they don’t need to go to the supermarket. I certainly don’t see behind-closed-doors matches raising morale for anyone but Liverpool and Leeds. Which seems to be all that matters.

I agree Travis will probably be the next ‘prospect’ to leave. (Assuming Darragh is no longer in the age range to qualify). However, I think we’ll be disappointed at the fee.

£4m to get to the front of the queue ahead of NHS staff. ‘Colonel’ Captain Tom put more money in than them! And all because of Liverpool and Leeds IMHO. Here we all were hoping that the pandemic might have seen a massive change in football but it’s just the same as ever.

You are right I haven’t. But in your first reply you’ve already suggested that there won’t be much to next season to put a discount on. And I’m inclined to agree, September start was best case and assumes people wearing masks. Ironically, we have the size of stadium to offer plenty of spacing between seats. Just people passing each other but I’m reading more and more that to catch it you need to be in an enclosed space, in close proximity to others for 10 minutes or more. Difficult to know what to believe at the minute.

I don’t see how they can go with a hybrid approach. Will there be play-offs for who is relegated? PPG is such an inaccurate measure because each game isn’t even (even with the home and away factoring). One team could have a decent run of fixtures having got some tough ones out of the way and surge into the play-offs or surge to safety. Looks like selective outcomes to placate lawyers for those teams wanting promotion. Not unexpected from the spineless EFL. I guess they only need votes from midtable safe teams looking to cut costs and those with a stake in getting it finished due to the top 3 situation. It’s an utter nonsense. I definitely want a refund under this scenario. And not just because Mowbray bottled it at Derby! Can you imagine if Preston went up because of this?

Bundesliga breaking ranks has caused a problem. Lawyers will now cite that as reasonable approach for a top European league. Leeds and West Brom will have cases. If the situation in the UK (England) is supposedly the worst in Europe (and I’m still not convinced that the measurements across each country are the same - especially when ‘suspected cases’ are being included) it could be argued that the German precedent can’t be applied in England. A lot depends on when a normal (supporter attended) season could resume. If zero percent risk is the tide mark then the answer is never but with some mitigation planning, let’s say September. The season should be scrapped and restarted again as at the start of the season. You could argue whether some weighting could be applied, similar to a points deduction but that would be the cleanest. If it was next year some time then behind closed doors becomes a serious consideration. In that case I’d say finish this season first over the Summer. Worry about next season, such as fewer matches, after that when legal issues wouldn’t be a factor.

They had it for FA Cup games and then not for the replay; for some games and not others; some team’s decisions referred, others ignored. There is nothing fair about how VAR has been applied so far. VAR should be applied consistently but it certainly hasn’t been so far. Actually that’s not right, VAR should be abandoned along with the 2019/20 season.

Sunderland to stay down again! Scandalous really given the way a season can change in the final third, even quarter, with the January window recruits and as injuries and suspensions take their toll. The precedent is set now for the top two divisions. Perennial bottlers Leeds to finally get promoted by default. The champagne corks will be popping at PL HQ. ? ? ? ? I’d feel a bit sorry for Charlton after all they’ve been through in recent years. Bournemouth to go down despite being one of three teams on 27 points. Definite out of court settlement looming there. Liverpool to win the PL (not unjustly but unsatisfactorily), Leicester Champions league. United to qualify too instead of City - court case permitting. Artificially finishing the season is not the same as scrapping it.

In response to the short season suggestion, I wonder if they could split the league into two parts, each fairly even - maybe every other team in league order. Liverpool in one ‘pool’ and City in the other for instance. - 18 games plus title match. The winners of each pool play each other for the title and the bottom two in each division go into play-offs the winner stays up. - 18 games each plus 3 play-off matches. Second placed teams automatic Champions League places Third placed teams play each other for final champions league spot, runner up in Europa League. - 18 games each plus European competition decider Could probably even fit in the FA cup. Similar arrangements in the rest of the divisions with 12 teams, so 22 matches - maybe split geographically to reduce costs. There are lots of imaginative ways out of this, it all comes down to money.

But Germany have done the opposite. Who is right and who is wrong? Personally, I’d scrap the season, mainly to avoid encouraging large gatherings and provide some certainty, but there needs to be an end to the lockdown so that Joe Bloggs can get back to work, and aside from vulnerable people, I’d say by the end of this month.

A lot more than football will be gone. What happens if a vaccine cannot be developed? How long do we wait? I’m not just talking about football either. Football is a mere frivolity in the wider scheme of things but is a political and commercial metaphor for it too. Something has to give. It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility to protect the vulnerable but get those who can and who want or need to back to work. (There were some very disappointing comments earlier in the week about inferred discrimination, btw, which is utter nonsense when the vulnerable need to be protected while the economy needs to re-start). But back to football, the MLS are already gearing up for this new normal. Granted it’s under the guise of charitable giving but it certainly looks like a way of getting people into a different mindset... https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/04/21/now-mlsstore-com-cloth-face-coverings-benefit-communities-affected-covid-19 I expect a lot of people would by a Rovers one and take their chances...

“With its emotion”? No crowd No noise No atmosphere No goal celebrations It’s going to be a hoot. There are people who need to get back to work far more urgently than overpaid footballers. What a crock. This is ALL about the money.

Disabled. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/13523606.blackburn-rovers-drop-disabled-fans-club/ A reminder of the sheer pettiness and excuses that our club administration are capable of. Some of the comments. Hang your head in shame, Cheston. At least he was right that people would be confused about the brand.

A “controlled pause” might be a the way out of this. There is no vaccine likely until next year, which is at least halfway through the season. This means social distancing will be required for at least another 8-10 months and no crowds at games. So there is plenty of time to spare in between. Restart the 2019/20 season in February or March 2021 and call it season 2019-21 (2020 is the year that never was for the rest of us anyway) and finish the matches that are currently left. PL players don’t get paid until the season restarts next year - although their own clubs make sure they aren’t destitute and also pay for their training regimes, contracts are extended by 12 months. Each PL club and/or Sky/BT puts their money into a big pot which funds the wages and hibernation/maintenance costs for the Championship, L1 and L2 clubs for the intervening period. At a fraction of the cost of their own wages. Agents (and people like Roy Keane) will fight tooth and nail against this of course because they “deserve” to get paid on their contracts.

How is it patronising people to be proud of our club’s history? This club was shaped by these people who you look down on for something as obscure and trivial as wearing a flat cap - the uniform of their generation. More patronising is being told how to “fan” by some who ditched us to go and watch City at a time when we really needed support. Your attempts to tell us how we should be doing it are, at best, hollow I’m afraid.

This is a throwback thread. A bit of nostalgia for interested fans. Ideally with a few photos. It doesn’t need to become another thread hijacked for your anti-parochial ideals. Didn't I read a post from you saying that you weren’t coming back to Rovers anyway and were going to watch other clubs (but not City so that’s ok)?

Not sure what would be more depressing. If we didn’t make the virtual play-offs - or if we did!

Wasn’t he also sent off?