Stuart Fordyce
Well-Known Member
I am quite sleep deprived due to a new baby, but wasn't there a proposal for a National League Midlands floating around earlier this season?
Dulwich Hamlet and Coronavirus
- Thread starter TonyWalt
- Start date
Don't believe so. The last reorganisation put a step 3 league in the Midlands.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
There was due to be an eighth division created for the Midlands at Step 4 for next season, making the pyramid structure from National Division downwards 1-2-4-8 divisions at each of the first four steps, as opposed to the current 1-2-4-7 that superseded 1-2-3-6 a year ago.
Stuart Fordyce
Well-Known Member
I'm not surprised at these answers. Been a long night. Cheers guys.
Can see a case for regional football replacing League 2 and National League tbh but that's another discussion for another time.
Can see a case for regional football replacing League 2 and National League tbh but that's another discussion for another time.
Some EFL chairmen are already pushing for a change to regional divisions when football returns, and are claiming growing support. If that happens it's difficult to see the National Premier surviving in its current format.
I suspect the changes won't happen before next season, whenever that happens, due to AGM dates etc.
I suspect the changes won't happen before next season, whenever that happens, due to AGM dates etc.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
My assumption was that this suggestion is is intended to be a temporary measure for next season to minimise travelling and facilitate two or more regional groups with a smaller fixture list for next season in the likely event that the season doesn't start on time, not a proposal for a long term restructuring of the leagues and divisions.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised at that and I'll be even more surprised if it gets majority support but, as you say, it would make regionalisation at National League level look inevitable.
TonyWalt
Well-Known Member
Chairman’s statement to fans, supporters and stakeholders 28/04/20
The latest from the Chairman, Tuesday 28th April 2020
www.pitchero.com
Various media outlets are reporting EFL club captains have been asked to tell their teams' players the season is unlikely to finish. No decision yet on promotion/relegation.
Also, they don't expect spectators to be permitted at that level into January.
Clearly both points could impact the National Leagues.
Also, they don't expect spectators to be permitted at that level into January.
Clearly both points could impact the National Leagues.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
State my bias here up front: I want 19.
But I just don’t get the declaring seasons over thing. Making a decision doesn’t alter what will happen with Coronavirus. It might give a semblance of a feeling of control for five minutes, but it won’t actually give you any control over it
The reality is this is with us for many more months if not years. Any 20/21 season will likely be started late, if at all, and will be regularly interrupted. This time next year 20/21 will at best be probably half played and therefore - by precedent - cancelled. Result? Two years, one season 3/4 played, one 1/2 played, all results expunged. Whereas if people just waited, said “Finish 19/20. See where we are then” you would at least get one season done.
But I just don’t get the declaring seasons over thing. Making a decision doesn’t alter what will happen with Coronavirus. It might give a semblance of a feeling of control for five minutes, but it won’t actually give you any control over it
The reality is this is with us for many more months if not years. Any 20/21 season will likely be started late, if at all, and will be regularly interrupted. This time next year 20/21 will at best be probably half played and therefore - by precedent - cancelled. Result? Two years, one season 3/4 played, one 1/2 played, all results expunged. Whereas if people just waited, said “Finish 19/20. See where we are then” you would at least get one season done.
My understanding is that contracted players at this level are entitled to paid until the last fixture of the 2019/20 season. If the old season were permitted to carry on until completed, many clubs would be in major financial difficulty.
Sadly it does look like 2020/21 will be just as challenging. I suspect we'll see far fewer contracted players and much lower wages at this level next season.
Sadly it does look like 2020/21 will be just as challenging. I suspect we'll see far fewer contracted players and much lower wages at this level next season.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
Yes, sorry, understand this issue at this level. But there needs to be a way to roll results if not rolling contracts in future. A lot of new contracts in other spheres - shop rental agreements for example - now contain pandemic clauses. If this were adopted in football contracts you could avoid the issue of losing potentially consecutive half finished seasons. The clause would kick in, reducing the wage costs, with no need therefore to write off 30 odd games.
blueheaven
Well-Known Member
Logistically I don't really see how you'd be able to do this fairly. By the time clubs are able to play the remaining games, their personnel could be completely different due to existing contracts expiring and pre-contracts kicking in... and of course there's still the transfer window to open, too. Would you allow teams to play their remaining games with potentially completely different squads? To me that just wouldn't be fair and would make the whole season invalid in a lot of people's eyes anyway.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
Yes, even with the benefit of hindsight I don't see how you can contrive a situation whereby everyone resumes with a similar squad for the final seven rounds of matches after a break of maybe 6 months or more. Clubs with a chance of promotion would be in pole position to cherry pick all the best players from the also rans, or possibly from each other, if some of them are better placed to pay the best wages than others. I'm sure some some clubs simply won't be in a position to sustain their pre-lockdown playing budgets under any circumstances. There may be a much wider disparity between the haves and the have nots whenever football resumes.
scousedom
Well-Known Member
The transfer window doesn’t have to open. In fact FIFA have already said it can be postponed.
I’m just saying that if you set the precedent that you cancel a 75% complete season, then given this thing is going to be with us for literally years you’re probably setting a precedent not to have any completed league seasons until I dunno 2023. Rushing onto next season only makes sense if you can guarantee it will complete. And you can’t. So you may as well just finish the current one and see where you are after that.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
True but at any club from about League 1 down, contracts for most (and all at some clubs I expect) players will be expiring. It's only really at the top level where most players are under contract and move by transfer, lower down their contracts expire and they try and find a club to take them on. And clubs are not going to be able to extend them on the same terms because they're not going to have the funding. So I think all you'd achieve by delaying the transfer window is a situation where clubs aren't able to put out a team at all.
It now seems probable that non-league would not be permitted for play for several months, even if it wanted to.
The full time players would be made effectively unemployed by a virus clause. I suspect the football camps etc is very much their secondary income for most. They may need to get a "proper job" to pay their rent / mortgage if a virus clause kicked in.
Not sure they'd be too happy to give up a "proper job" to resume a contract with DHFC in, say, September, knowing they would be out of contract in a month and re-engagement offers were likely to be substantially lower.
I suspect a few would say stuff it, knowing they are unlikely to be sued for breach of contract due to cost. Sporting legitimacy would be out of the window.
The full time players would be made effectively unemployed by a virus clause. I suspect the football camps etc is very much their secondary income for most. They may need to get a "proper job" to pay their rent / mortgage if a virus clause kicked in.
Not sure they'd be too happy to give up a "proper job" to resume a contract with DHFC in, say, September, knowing they would be out of contract in a month and re-engagement offers were likely to be substantially lower.
I suspect a few would say stuff it, knowing they are unlikely to be sued for breach of contract due to cost. Sporting legitimacy would be out of the window.
After getting us through being homeless and now this, Ben Clasper is arguably fast emerging as the most important behind the scenes person at the Hamlet since Pa.
www.southwarknews.co.uk
Dulwich Hamlet almost go bust - as chairman explains financial juggling - Southwark News
'Had that vote gone the other way this week, I’d be telling you that the club is out of business'
www.southwarknews.co.uk
Surprise surprise, no final decision on what the National League are going to do until the EFL makes a final decision.
National League will wait for English Football League before deciding outcomes
The outcome of the National League season will be shaped by the English Football League, with no decision expected imminently.
www.bbc.co.uk
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
And the EFL will keep delaying until the Premier League makes a firm decision. We now seem to have clubs in the Premier League relegation battle arguing that relegation should be scrapped if they're denied home advantage by using neutral grounds to complete the fixtures. I just don't get that argument. Won't their opponents also be denied home advantage for the away fixtures?
steeplejack
trapped lbw for a duck
There's a hugely frustrating logjam at National League level at present.
I can see Barrow going up, but only because there's a gap in the league with Bury's demise last term. Had Bury somehow survived I don't think there'd have been promotion at all. Hard to see any promotions or relegations being enacted tbh.
Impressive response from the Dulwich officials to the crisis, I must say.
I can see Barrow going up, but only because there's a gap in the league with Bury's demise last term. Had Bury somehow survived I don't think there'd have been promotion at all. Hard to see any promotions or relegations being enacted tbh.
Impressive response from the Dulwich officials to the crisis, I must say.
blueheaven
Well-Known Member
I guess it could be argued that their opponents might have had home advantage for easier fixtures, depending on who everyone still has left to play.
Basically, whatever way they now call it, there's no solution that is going to be fair for every club. The circumstances are going to create winners and losers, and the losers will always feel hard done by.
It is being reported that League One and Two clubs will vote on ending their season next week, and are expected to agree to ending the season now. (Many clubs feel they can't afford to pull players off furlough, reduced wages etc to play behind closed doors.)
The expectation is Stevenage won't be relegated into the National League.
If that is all confirmed, the National League should be able to make their final decisions.
The Championship will be excluded from the vote as they need to see what the Premier League do.
The expectation is Stevenage won't be relegated into the National League.
If that is all confirmed, the National League should be able to make their final decisions.
The Championship will be excluded from the vote as they need to see what the Premier League do.
Nivag
Well-Known Member
Looks like the Bundesliga will start again soon
Coronavirus: Germany's Bundesliga to resume this month, says Angela Merkel
Chancellor Angela Merkel confirms the German Bundesliga season can resume this month.
www.bbc.co.uk
The Dutch Health Minister expects football to be behind closed doors there until a
vaccine exists. It could be a very long close season at this level if the UK goes down the same route
www.skysports.com
vaccine exists. It could be a very long close season at this level if the UK goes down the same route
Coronavirus: No fans at Dutch games until there is a vaccine, says health minister
Supporters will not be able to attend football matches in the Netherlands until there is a coronavirus vaccine, Dutch health minister Hugo de Jonge says.
League Two season over, though they may still have play offs, with the table probably decided on a weighted points per game basis. Stevenage probably won't be relegated. That is all to be confirmed. League One yet to decide.
Edited to say, all the above is subject to FA approval.
Edited to say, all the above is subject to FA approval.
League Two clubs vote to end season, but League One teams fail to decide
The League Two season is brought to an early conclusion after talks between clubs and the English Football League.
www.bbc.co.uk
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Cat Daisy
Well-Known Member
On the pitch, they have deserved to go down. Off the pitch, they have been doing some sterling community work during the coronavirus crisis (Coronavirus Community Careline nears sixth full week in operation).
A Shots fan I know has told me it's being reported the Conference National and Division Two may merge to form Division Two North and South next season. Apparently it's one of a few options being thrashed around.
The previous idea of Divisions One and Two merging and splitting North and South is now thought unlikely due to the bigger clubs in Division One wanting to finish 2019/20, some of the leading figures in Division Two still want to regionalise
The previous idea of Divisions One and Two merging and splitting North and South is now thought unlikely due to the bigger clubs in Division One wanting to finish 2019/20, some of the leading figures in Division Two still want to regionalise
