Covid 19 - LOI Ramifications

[Nesta99]

OK, so two pieces of news from the past week or so have given us an indication of what will happen in the next year or so. Firstly, the government setting of levels of openness during the pandemic and secondly, the statement by the head of the CDC that a vaccine won't be widely available until the second or third quarter of 2021 (although it will be available for high-priority groups earlier in the year). Given this, what should the plan for the LOI be in 2021?

1. Have a full season, limping by with crowds of 200/500 and revenue from the streaming service for the first few months, with the hope of getting bumper crowds in the second half (could they ask for an increase in the limits to allow for vaccinated citizens earlier in the year?)
2. Start the season late, and possibly shorten it so that early-season losses are limited
3. Switch back to Winter football, starting up in August/September/October
4. Shut the clubs down for the year and start up again in 2022

Cant see how this could be done, nobody is going to be asked to carry a vac sheet without a change in law. Efforts to have parents show kids vaccination status prior to starting school has caused ructions. Option 4 wont be allowed by UEFA unless things are catastrophic Europe wide. The way fixtures were weighted to the front end of the season could changed so part of option 2. A later finish to the season would be ok but id hate a full change back to a winter season. Whichever way its done a decision need to happen early as possible so clubs can mitigate for changes eg with player contracts. While there is no indications of this, it is a fear for Dundalk that significant change and futher disruption gives P6 a easy(er) out!

[nigel-harps1954]

We'll have to carry on, really.

Option 1 isn't too attractive for anyone, but it's the best of a bad lot.

Option 2 leaves us with far too much of a gap of pre-season. Bills still need paid then too. No football for another 6 or 8 months of an off-season could kill more clubs.

Option 3 would never be taken by the clubs. Several wouldn't mind a return to winter football, and regardless, you'd still need some sort of a League Cup competition run between Feb-April or something to keep the clubs ticking over.

Option 4 just isn't an option worth considering at all.

[Martinho II]

Meant to say with the lockdown in Dublin are the loi games there exempt from this ruling?

[John83]

Meant to say with the lockdown in Dublin are the loi games there exempt from this ruling?

The level 3 restrictions just limit the crowds a bit more.

[joey B]

.....

[total hoofball]

OK, so two pieces of news from the past week or so have given us an indication of what will happen in the next year or so. Firstly, the government setting of levels of openness during the pandemic and secondly, the statement by the head of the CDC that a vaccine won't be widely available until the second or third quarter of 2021 (although it will be available for high-priority groups earlier in the year). Given this, what should the plan for the LOI be in 2021?

1. Have a full season, limping by with crowds of 200/500 and revenue from the streaming service for the first few months, with the hope of getting bumper crowds in the second half (could they ask for an increase in the limits to allow for vaccinated citizens earlier in the year?)
2. Start the season late, and possibly shorten it so that early-season losses are limited
3. Switch back to Winter football, starting up in August/September/October
4. Shut the clubs down for the year and start up again in 2022

A full 36 game season isn't going to happen in 2021 as the 13/14 game resumption is costing the FAI (or in reality the tax payer) a minimum of €2.5 million so you have to treble that cost for a normal 36 game season as there is no chance of economically viable attendances at games until the population is achieving herd immunity which may not be until 2022 and sponsorship income/merchandise income is going to dry up too with the economy on life support

The FAI and the clubs haven't shown anything to indicate that they want to shift from Summer football back to Winter and UEFA requirements will ensure that there will be a season in either 2021 or 2021/22

I predict it will be another 18 game season for both divisions/LOI only FAI Cup with the 2021 season kicking off second half of June to give Euro clubs some competitive games before the qualifications and it will be again funded by the taxpayer for a similar amount to 2020 with some degree of salary caps/FAI budgeting in store for the clubs. If the clubs cannot pay their professional players during the offseason then they will have to go on PUP or the dole

[joey B]

Crowds at football in the UK might not return for 6 months going by the British government statements today, if its the same here then we are facing a disaster, minimal crowds if any and revenue from streaming will not cut it, sponsorship is gonna be a harder to come by as-well due to the general state of things in the country, professional football is on thin ice here I'd fear..........

[Yossarian]

Crowds at football in the UK might not return for 6 months going by the British government statements today, if its the same here then we are facing a disaster, minimal crowds if any and revenue from streaming will not cut it, sponsorship is gonna be a harder to come by as-well due to the general state of things in the country, professional football is on thin ice here I'd fear..........

If it was only 6 months then we’d probably be ok as most of that is our off season. I think the real issue is the uncertainty. How can clubs offer deals to players for next season when we have no idea what the situation will be regards income.

[Martinho II]

Seen last weekend that Macclesfield have gone out of business which is sad to see as they got relegated from league 2 last season. Sad to see this!

[pineapple stu]

If it was only 6 months then we’d probably be ok as most of that is our off season. I think the real issue is the uncertainty. How can clubs offer deals to players for next season when we have no idea what the situation will be regards income.

Will players accept them either? A lot of uncertainty ahead.

[sbgawa]

i guess the contracts will be something like
€500 per week assuming crowds or €250 if no crowds , variations on this theme.
very few of the players beyond those able to secure a deal in the UK (who have their own problems) will have much choice but to be reasonable

[Yossarian]

Will players accept them either? A lot of uncertainty ahead.

I’d guess if a player is offered a contract they’ll take it. What’s is their alternative really. I suppose it depends on the terms and how different it is to what they were on this season.
I’m not sure about other clubs but it has been well flagged the number of players out of contract at Dundalk but for most of those players I don’t see a lot of serious options for them. Obviously there are one or two who would be snapped up elsewhere but I really only think Duffy and Gannon are in bracket.

[pineapple stu]

I’d guess if a player is offered a contract they’ll take it. What’s is their alternative really.

Well I guess it depends on a full-time or part-time contract.

Yeah, part-time at a couple of hundred a week, take it and take each week as it comes.

Full-time and you've an option of taking up a job elsewhere, you might have a choice to make.

Does the covid payment cover secondary employments?

[Yossarian]

Full-time and you've an option of taking up a job elsewhere, you might have a choice to make.

Do you mean full time players could take up a job in a different industry? If so I would be surprised if many of the full time players in the league would have that option. I would presume most of them have only ever played football as their full time job.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, it mightn't be easy - and there's a big recession coming and so not a lot of jobs on offer necessarily - but some (McMillan would be an obvious example) could switch, and others could surely consider something, even if it's Dunnes or similar.

Not saying many will jump at it - but you'd have to be uncomfortable as a footballer going into the new season if things are the way they are still, and you'd have to look out for yourself. It's just another uncertainty is all.

[Yossarian]

There’s no doubt that some players may consider it if there is uncertainty in contracts being offered or potentially not being fulfilled. Plenty of the full time players would have mortgages and family so would have to have an income of some description.

[Martinho II]

Seen piece in sun today about that scenario. Think a lot of FT footballers thinking of working FT and having footie as a sideline.Theres no other way Im afraid. This recession will stick for a bit.

[Nesta99]

Could be an issue here if he was in a incubation period at the time of the Tallaght game.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020...-for-covid-19/

[DCSIL]

The relationship between parts of Donegal and Dublin doesn’t just cover Football now with Donegal set to be at Level 3

[nigel-harps1954]

On an all-island basis, Derry/Strabane district has supposedly the worst rate of infection in the country. The close ties on the border is killing Donegal. The lax attitude towards mask wearing in the north is reflected in the case numbers here.

A disaster from a Harps perspective too. Hoped to have a crowd for Cork on Sunday and now behind closed doors again. Nightmare.