Let's start with the EPL Statement on restart. Games would start on 6/17 with Aston Villa-Sheffield United and Man City - Arsenal. That would bring everybody to 29 matches. Full slates would start on 6/20. The general schedule for the weekends would be one on Friday, four each on Saturday and Sunday and one on Monday - all sequential with no overlapping start times. The midweek approach would be games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This leaves us with the tantalizing (daunting?) possibility that there will be an EPL match every day of the week until the season concludes.
The statement says matches will be behind closed doors. It does not address venues so we don't know yet if these will be at neutral sites. Also note, this whole thing is contingent on meeting "all safety requirements."
From there we are left with unconfirmed reports about various aspects. Perhaps the most important is what happens if this doesn't happen. Rory Smith of the NYT says:
If it cannot return, the season will be determined on a points-per-game basis (effectively freezing the table as it stands, with one or two exceptions). It will name a champion. It will relegate its three worst teams. At last, the idea of “null and void” is off the table.I couldn't find confirmation of that. The points per game approach would move change a few spots (Wolves and Sheffield United switch 6th and 7th while Spurs and Arsenal flip flop 8th and 9th). That would mean the St. Totteringham's Day will fall on whatever day they make these decisions. But I digress.
NBC suggests that the league is trying to keep the matches at their home venues but I also read that some hybrid approach may be necessary based on safety and security concerns.
So, after months of endless speculation we did get some hard news. Except it turns out to be limited and maybe not so hard.
Effing Newcastle
Speaking of a lack of hard facts...
The proposed sale of Newcastle to the "Saudi-backed consortium" is still under review. There are reports that the FA has threatened legal action against Saudi Arabia's state-owned sports TV station (hilariously called beoutQ) for illegal broadcasts of FA Cup matches. There has also been opposition to Saudi Arabia based on its abysmal human rights track record. But as of now, the deal has not been approved or denied. So, yeah, it's pretty much where it was a month ago.
Filling the Time
I am not a TV critic, nor do I play one on TV. Still, I will give a hearty thumbs up to the Netflix series The English Game. Laura really liked it too. Very much reminded me of Chariots of Fire. And though it is theoretically about football, I'll suggest that the "game" is metaphor for other topics like social class, marriage, familial relations.
And Forest Green is thriving so far in League One in Football Manager with five wins and a draw through August 2020. Fully aware that we haven't faced any the likely top four yet. The transfer season was rough and tumble, as a top player came to me to say he wanted to play for a higher level team. Initially I refused and not only was he upset but other players on the team expressed concern that I wouldn't let him go. So I relented. At least, the salary cap space helped me plug a few other holes. Think this is a strong squad that should challenge for automatic promotion despite what the pundits are saying.
Stay safe. And put your #*&king mask on.
