It is the middle of May and we should have reached the stage of the Championship season where every club knows its fate.
For us Hatters fans, that fate would have been whether we retained our Championship status or whether we’d made a swift return to League One.
But then COVID-19 struck. and everything changed.
The pandemic has left us all in limbo, suddenly football didn’t feel as important as it had been, staying safe, staying at home and ensuring you don’t succumb to the deadly virus was the official mantra.
But, now, things are starting to change!
Slowly, lock downs are being relaxed and there is more than a hint that we are moving towards a resumption of the 2019 / 2020 season.
Seemingly, the players are set to return to training shortly and the game we all love will resume sometime in mid-June, albeit behind closed doors.
But why?
Watching the news every day, the reported number of deaths, each day, still hovers around the 500 mark.
We’ve not beaten the virus we’ve merely stalled its advance through society.
But those who run this country are of the opinion that a return of the game we love will boost morale and also give the game the lift it desperately needs.
Really!
Behind-closed-doors, is that what this glorious game of ours is all about?
No, it is not, it’s all about the passion and love for the club you support, something you are not going to get in what will, undoubtedly, be a sterile atmosphere.
Instead of a cacophony of noise, there’ll be silence only perpetuated by the vociferous requests of those participating.
With the lock down relaxed more and more, what happens when that second spike hits us?
Do we call a halt to proceedings again whilst the NHS struggles to cope?
Common sense appears to be in short supply, call a halt to this season, squabble about relegation and promotion and concentrate on a fresh start for the 2020 / 2021 campaign.
That’s only my view, please feel free to offer your view in the comment facility beneath this article and also in our latest poll.
Do You Believe The 2019 / 2020 Season Is Now Almost Ready To Be Resumed?
Yes!
No!
Unsure!
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i totally agree with you as much as i love our club football cant possibly return while death rate so high,what gives the people who run football the right to put it above peoples health players included if its not safe for fans its not safe for players! 2metre social distance when making a tackle!! defending a free kick on edge of box 2metre distance between players making a wall?the scrums that always happen in box at a corner!! and what about sweat on ball headers players taking throw ins?? does the game stop so he can sanitise his hands?? after ?? its really a no go in my mind saying that i do want season completed but only when 100% safe
Hi mh an Steve, I completely agree with you both people must come first. I now believe that the season must be abandoned sad as it maybe for all those who looked like they were promoted an Liverpool as champions. I’m not sure how if teams don’t finish with the same squads as at the stoppage it can be fair. Also I don’t see how the new season can start either
i understand regarding contracts but all teams will lose but also gain players so imo thats not an issue, wen its 100% safe to start football again to finish this season has got to take priority though most people only thinking of next season for some reason,this must be completed sort out promotion relegation we can worry about next only after this whatever the time frame,as you stated there must be doubts over next season so with that in mind surely with a second wave of this to hit at some point why have 2 interupted seasons? doesnt make sense …its going to be long winded so over next 6,7,8 months complete this season cancel next start again with21/22 season?
Hi Steve, that’s fair comment. But I don’t know the answer it just seems to me that if players have returned to clubs an players have left clubs then it corrupts where clubs were when the season was suspended if clubs restart with a new team. So why not forget the season and only start a new season when it’s totally safe for all players an supporters to attend home an away
Was very dismayed and angered when I read that 6 Division One Clubs have publicly stated that they intend to complete the season seemingly come what may.Guess what ? – they are all clubs still in with a chance of promotion. I cannot believe that even amidst the death, suffering and hardships being endured throughout the world, all some football clubs seem to be worrying about is what Division or League their club will be playing in next season- how sad and selfish is that? Almost makes me ashamed to be a football fan. Also grass -roots football as been null & voided this season – why one rule for one etc ?
totally agree with what you said ,i do still believe this season should be finished even if we have to wait till january players out of contract coukd be given month long contracts until season finishes its not as if they can play for another club if there is no football just a thought but at end of day the original question was should foorball restart while people are still losing their lives in the hundreds daily the answer is quite simply NO ..and it shouldn’t even be an option and is a total lack of respect to the families who have and are losing loved ones
Hi Steve, completely agree with the last paragraph. NO football till this is over. Don’t risk anymore lives.
Whatever is decided, I think one thing is certain -the 2019-20 season will never be accepted as a “proper” season. I cannot agree to the League 2 clubs proposals to end season on a sort of pro -rata basis. Either continue when it is safe – however long that is, or scrap it. To me awarding Champions, Promotion, Relegation before all matches have been played completely blows away any integrity of the whole concept of League football. For us Hatters, just remember those seasons, 1989-90 and 90-1 etc. when we seemed dead and buried only to pull it off at the death. If we had used such a system being proposed by some we would have been relegated for sure.
Hi all, I tend to agree with Steve that concluding this season should wait until this virus is under much more control even if it means finishing it in what effectively would be next season if that indeed is at all possible. I think personally the government were far too slow to introduce lockdown & now lifting restrictions far too soon especially with football. Also I feel when it does resume players should be tested daily to minimise transmitting the disease to other players & people maybe even isolate them too for say 7 days before each game so it would hopefully eradicate the problem of congestion at corners, set pieces, tackles, going in for headers etc but as MH highlighted in his introduction to this particular forum empty stadiums are not really what football is about. Perhaps they could social distance fans so maybe in Luton’s case perhaps get 1000 fans in the ground under strict control & the rest could pay to watch via websites so at least the club would gain some revenue but I appreciate this would be really difficult to organise? Of course we are all going to have to adapt to a new way of living & as necessity is the mother of invention I’m sure people will come up with clever ways to get round all the problems & let’s just hope this vaccine bring trialed in Oxford(or any others for that matter)comes up trumps & we won’t be having to talk about the havoc & destruction this awful pandemic has bestowed on our world for much longer let alone football which pales into insignificance with the devastating loss of life that’s been incurred.
Hi all, whilst I still agree with you all. I still feel that no football at all should be allowed until such time as it is safe for people to attend games at home or away. That’s what football is all about for me meeting mates an going to games. An if that means no football for a year, then so be it. I don’t want 1 life more lost because of this just for a game of football. Also what if a game played started a second wave of this. Do any of us really want that. I think not.
we all have our own ideas and opinions but the over riding one is NO foorball until its 100% safe to play in front of a crowd.
luton town fc is part of my family for 49yrs and i miss match days the 12 hour round trips ( from leeds ) to the likes of plymouth!! but as was said above no more deaths because football started to soon we should wait patiently for that first game we can all attend
STAY SAFE everybody we will be back😁😁⚽️⚽️
Thank you Steve, an everyone no matter what you feel is the right thing please stay safe. 😁😁
Hi again, I personally do agree with you all that football should not resume under any circumstances until its 100% safe to do so & I think most of us are not in favour of the game being played inside ghostlike surroundings either. However whether we like it or not obviously the only way to ensure maximum protection is achieved is only going to happen once a vaccine is found. The problem then that arises is when will this happen & in fact a lot of eminent people have also suggested that we may never find a cure which of course would mean that unless risks with health & further waves of covid always lurking menacingly in the background are not taken the game could disappear forever. The other problem that has to be confronted like it or not is wether to cancel the season, carry over till next, indefinite hold, players contracts & most importantly clubs surviving or not.Also this mess were some leagues have finished some want to carry on etc.. If we cancel football till a vaccine is found that’s fine but how do clubs like Luton survive indefinitely without financial aid? I can’t see how they can unless the Premier league/government step in, that’s why I mentioned in my previous post this situation is a double edged sword between health & wealth as far as I can see, its nigh on impossible to find an ideal solution at present I think because whatever is done will not please everyone will it?
Hi All.
For what it is worth here is my humble solution to the current problem re 2019 -20 season.
1. Allow the Premier League to resume behind closed doors. These clubs have the better means to test and ” police” matches. No relegation, but it would determine Champions and European qualifications and satisfy the SkyT.V and B.T. Sport obligations.
2. Null and Void the rest of the season E.F.L. Clubs would therefore know where they stand in planning for next season – whenever that may be -.when its safe for these clubs to resume , especially with a lot of players contracts ending on 30 June. Obviously, there will be Winners and Losers but In times like these nothing is ideal. Stay Safe all you Hatters out there.
Hi Alan, I think your idea is as good as any I have heard, at least it would buy some time in the short term & be the same for all EFL clubs.I just fear though for Luton & other clubs who don’t have the resources of a Man City or United but maybe some miracle will happen like a vaccine being found which will resolve this awful situation both in life & in football, yes let’s all stay safe & keep positive minds for better days ahead.
Hi Everyone, miss sitting in my Hatter’s seat but not the aching knees afterwards.
My solution, go along with D2 idea; no relegation, promote 3 teams (play-offs??) in each division up to PL, then increase PL by 3 teams with no relegation.
No team should be relegation without playing the full season