Pugin

What is being proposed are conditional part reductions and referrals, rather than a straight relinquishment of 30% of salary. Sounds a socially responsible proposal. What worries me is that players are almost always accustomed to having agents handle all financial discussions and decisions, so how will the consultation process be conducted. If the PFA leads, will agents need to agree to proposals? Agents will be losing out - many are on 15% of gross salary so they will be hit in the pocket. Interesting. I guess the PFA players' reps will have a key role at each club.

This is true. How quickly some seem to have forgotten the extent to which Robert Mercer, Steve Bannon and Cambridge Analytica were allowed to poison and pollute our politics in a way from which there seems no return. In no small way were they responsible for delivering to us the woefully inadequate Johnson and a Brexit which he didn't want when the journey began. By comparison, arrivistes Momentum are paragons of political virtue. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/07/smash-and-grab-dominic-cummings-democracy

The week following 11th April will prove to be a critical time. That is when the NHS expect to hit peak ICU admissions as from that point we hope to see the effect of social distancing. We need the upward curve to flatten / plateau at that point. The NHS is gearing to have sufficient ICU capacity to cope with the projected figures from 11th April. If ICU requirement continues to escalate in the week following 11th April either additional measures will have to be introduced or we shall have to expect avoidable fatalities. I understand why gearing up ICUs is the current priority rather than testing. Testing will be the priority once we have achieved a plateau.

I think Marcus has always known known where the real money is. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1542327/Lib-Dems-cash-in-on-arms-trade-link.html

I have a costly tale to tell about selling programmes. Before moving house last year I decided to sell my collection, hundreds of programmes from the 70's and 80's. Not realising that they had such low monetary value, I put them on ebay with a low opening price of £5 expecting the to fly, and offering free delivery to Norfolk, Suffolk Essex or Cambs. You can guess the rest - they sold for a fiver and I was obliged to drive the down to Lakeside Services on the M25 to hand them over. Lesson - a fool and his money are soon parted.

Johnson doesn't know his Einar Aas from his Assou-Ekotu. That's the problem. He is a man who has been educated and employed well beyond his level of intelligence. The medical people who he has stood alongside him make him look an intellectual pygmy by comparison. Yes, he can facilitate the briefings and generally remember his lines, but that's about it. He may actually be coming out of the Covid-19 rather well in terms of popular image. I suspect his inner character is showing, and he can come across as amiably good egg, wanting to do the right thing, out of his depth, but desperate to not cause disaster. It's impossible not to feel empathy for him. He is in a living nightmare. But ultimately his loyalties surely still lie with the born-to-rule Etonian financiers who have previously guided him. Rest assured that Priti Patel and Dom Cummins will be planning their next move. Based on performance, how could Johnson ever be trusted to actually make rapid strong and instinctive decisions when it really mattered? And on the question of the Tory treatment of the NHS, speak to anyone employed by the NHS, absolutely anyone, to appreciate how valued they have felt under the Tories. I am not saying we could have planned better for the current situation, because the dreadful thing about Continuity Planning is that no one can foresee the way the dice roll, but the NHS could have been maintained as a more robust entity.

Steve Foley told me a typically funny story about the game, which also sheds light on the defeat. I am pretty sure it hasn't been aired anywhere before - apologies if it has. Steve has a funny story for every occasion (easily a book full), and the Craven Cottage debacle was no exception. Steve was Nigel Worthington's assistant, and with him on the touchline he started to feel very unwell as the game developed. It reached the point where Steve thought that he must be having a heart attack, and he could imagine himself dying there and then, on the touchline in public view. He didn't want to let the side down and he's a proud man who didn't want the indignity of being carted away on a stretcher. On the verge of passing out he allowed himself to be assisted by the St John Ambulance paramedics. They walked him down the touchline and as soon as he got out of sight and in the medical room, he collapsed. All of the medical people were hugely concerned, fearing cardiac arrest or similar, and Steve was loaded into an ambulance and rushed straight to St Thomas' Hospital to be assessed. At the Hospital he was given absolute priority attention as an emergency admission and within a matter of minutes he was joined by a Consultant and a medical team, ready for action. The Consultant's first question was 'Now, Mr Foley, please tell me exactly what the problem is?' To which Steve replied, 'It's simple. The problem is, we just can't fookin defend!' Many a true word is spoken in jest 🙂 (It turned out that the illness was a nasty viral complaint, and Steve recovered quite quickly).

delete please

I have a John Peel story, which does go on a bit, so I shall keep it as brief as possible. 20 odd years ago, maybe more, I was involved with a local Suffolk and Ipswich League team which ran three sides at various levels. One of John Peel's (John Ravenscroft's) sons signed on for our 'A' team - Tom Ravenscroft, who was in his late teens at the time. He was a really good and popular lad. At the same time I got involved in a little social / drinking group, maybe 6 or 8 of us who met in the same pub every Friday. We dabbled in wholesaling organic wholefoods, just as a sideline, and always had a good laugh when we got down to the pub. We put more effort into drinking than we put into marketing. One particular night we were having an impromptu pop quiz which ran on and on into the early hours as the beer flowed. There reached a point where we were deadlocked over the answer to a particular question. One of our group - Mick O - insisted that a sixties singer 'Clarence Frogman Henry' had recorded a certain tune. None of the rest of us had even heard of Clarence Frogman Henry, so we refused to accept the answer. Mick dug his heels in this, and the dispute went on and on and on. Bear in mind it was after 2am and we had been drinking for hours, because what happened next does us no credit. Suddenly, Mick O got to his feet and walked over to the telephone which sat on the bar and said 'I know how to settle this'. Now, Mick managed the football team that Tom Ravenscroft played for, so he had John Peel's home telephone number. So, no matter the unearthly time, he rang the number, with us inanely giggling in the background. The phone rang and rang and eventually an extremely bleary John Peel answered. Mick simply asked 'Sorry to trouble you John, but have you heard of Clarence Frogman Henry?' With minimal hesitation, John Peel said 'No I haven't', and hung up. That should be the end of an embarrassing little story, but it wasn't. About two years after, on a sunny Sunday lunchtime, I found myself with Mick O and families at a North Suffolk pub called Cotton Trowel and Hammer. We were in the beer garden where there was a large swimming pool which drew the crowds in as soon as the sun shone. Sitting in the beer garden, Mick O suddenly reacted like dog which had got the scent of a rabbit. He had spotted John Peel and his family a few tables away, and like the naive guy he was he upped and walked across to JP's table and fixed his stare quizzically upon the world famous broadcaster. Eventually, John Peel enquired 'Do I know you?, to which Mick replied with three fateful words - 'Clarence Frogman Henry'. It is fair to say that JP was not amused. He said ' Do you know I had to go ex-Directory because of you, you c**t'. And that was it, end of conversation. I still find the story embarrassing and amusing in equal measure. The evils of alcohol!

The EFL will endorse UEFA's view that all games must be completed by 30th June. Then it is merely a question of setting indicators which must be complied with before games can be played, either behind closed doors, or with public admission. If those indicators are met, then games can recommence. Things like 'no positive testing within the immediate group for 14 days' and '90% of the playing squad 21 days clear of infection' (to allow a return to match fitness). All of it will be subject to government advice on, for example, public assembly. I can't see how you can stage a televised game without an assembly of well over 50 people - players, support staff, medical staff, cameramen and technical staff. This at least will give the clubs clarity. Even if these things can be achieved, it would only be prudent to test every attendee on arrival at the stadium to filter out and carriers. It's just about possible to satisfy requirements such as these, but realistically I can't see any games being played by 30th June.

It's not a question of 'the' virus. Scientists understand something in the region of 5000 viruses. Of these, about 150 cause significant illness. These would be the viruses that would be targeted. Cov-19 has had such an impact that the current outbreak will be the agent for change. Expect change to start in China or America as they will be the first to grasp the commercial and political potential.

So here's some food for thought. If 100% testing an be achieved within a controlled population, all carriers can be identified and isolated, which of course stops the infection in its tracks which leads to its elimination within that population. In years to come I can see this leading to an annual 'World Virus Week' , based on testing and isolation. It would actually work, and of course it is also a commercial opportunity. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/scientists-say-mass-tests-in-italian-town-have-halted-covid-19

Consider this: Half of the world's net wealth belongs to the top 1%, top 10% of adults hold 85%, while the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15% of the world's total wealth, top 30% of adults hold 97% of the total wealth. When the Stock Market is battered, the real question is 'who suffers in a economic downturn?' In a fairer society, there would be no need for the 'bottom' 70% of the global population to bear the brunt of the cost of recession. Bur they do 😞

This too is my understanding. I haven't seen the agreement between PL and EFL, but it is reasonable to assume that it states that at the completion of the season, the qualifying sides from the EFL will / will be invited to join the PL. The wording is crucial, as is the intent of the agreement. Based on what we know and can reasonably assume, I do not believe there are grounds for an action against the PL if they void the season, irrespective of the sabre-rattling by Leeds United and others. As you say, contractual disputes with broadcasters etc could rattle on for years, but that is largely incidental as football can resume while it goes on.

He makes a very valid point - relegation is such a massive issue because hundreds of millions of pounds are involved. The headline does not reflect what he is quoted as saying. How typical of the EDP. He doesn't express an opinion as to how the issue should be resolved. We should be shocked, but I think we are used to shoddy sub-editing.

This is the sort of abuse the guy is getting on Facebook. Very, very poor. Roger Dyndal For God's sake. Hang your head in shame. You are pathetic 4 Like · Reply · 18h Reuben Fitt What if they aren't about £125. Just over an hrs wages for some . There's a thing are the players still on full pay ? Got to be asked Like · Reply · 18h Roger Dyndal Reuben Fitt only a complete and utter idiot is thinking about money at the moment. Like · Reply · 17h Reuben Fitt Roger Dyndal cheers Like · Reply · 17h Roger Dyndal Reuben Fitt I thought of you when I got the bread out this morning. But when I opened it fully I realised it said Thick Cut 2 Like

The FA Cup win at Spurs is looking more beneficial by the moment. I think the remaining 7 FA Cup ties will be played before the end of this calendar year. The Quarter-final tie with Manchester United will net us over £1.5 million. Not massive money but more than useful. This will be unbudgeted sales which technically should have gone into the 2019/20 budget, but will now go into next season's budget. City's financial year ends on 31st May, as with all EFL clubs. All clubs need the EFL to issue a statement of intent within the next couple of weeks, or else planning becomes impossible.. The real challenge for the club will be writing the 2020/21 budget, with uncertainty everywhere you look. The club's success in getting all key players tied into long contracts is looking touched by genius in terms of managing risk. Outgoings within the budget are pretty much cast in stone (subject to player sales). Income from Season Tickets, TV, Sponsors, match day sales etc. is anyone's guess, so it's a horrible job. But before we feel to sorry for ourselves, imagine being a chaotic club like West Ham United at the present time, with no manager nailed down for next season and a tradition of high turnover of players. As fans, we are very lucky by comparison.

We can all learn from history. Surely, there is enough choice here to keep everyone happy and healthy down below? After experimenting with seashells, stone and sand, good old scratchy Izal toilet paper would seem like luxury. Trust Henry VIII to take things to the extreme. Medieval toilet paper (from Wiki) Before the advent of modern toilet paper many different materials were used for the same purposes. Different materials were used depending upon the country, weather conditions, social customs and status. People used leaves, grass, ferns, corn cobs, maize, fruit skins, seashells, stone, sand, moss, snow and water. Surely one of the most repulsive jobs in history, the ‘Groom of the King’s Close Stool’ (or just Groom of the Stool for short) was a role created during the reign of Henry VIII to monitor and assist in the King’s bowel motions. The word ‘Stool’ was in reference to a portable commode which would have been carried around at all times, along with water, towels and a wash bowl. To ensure he was carrying out his job at peak efficiency, the Groom of the Stool would also have closely monitored the king’s diet and mealtimes, and would have organised his day around the king’s predicted motions.

With 736 clubs having been involved (reduced to 735 because of Bury folding), and with only 7 games remaining, it's hard believe that the 2019/20 FA Cup tournament will not be completed provided that football games re-commence by August or September. The FA will want its flagship tournament to be resumed. It's hard to imagine there will be too much opposition, if any. The FA and it's member clubs need the funds arising. Games could be arranged during midweek if necessary. Presumably the FA will want it all done and dusted before the 20/21 First Round Proper is played, usually November. The most obvious problem will be to book Wembley Stadium for three games, although the two semis could conceivably be played on the same day. Great news for the 8 clubs remaining, woop woop.

No mate, 'wronged' parties would be able to bring separate actions against those that they thought had failed to satisfy contractual terms for as long as statute allows, but the big question of voiding the league programme will be a matter for CAS if it cannot be agreed without arbitration. edit - but of course there is no need to think that the EPL clubs cannot agree a solution without arbitration

I believe the EFL will distribute payments based on 'average points accrued per game', thereby overcoming the issue of some teams having played more than others. Funds allocated for disbursement to member clubs will still be used for that purpose.

Just a couple of points: First, we are not going to see any disputes regarding a voided season being resolved in the High Court. The correct forum for any such dispute would be the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). The CAS exists for resolution of sports-related disputes. It is designed to be more conciliatory / less adversarial, cheaper and quicker than recourse through the legal system. Second, with regard to the agreement between clubs and the EPL I believe the best reference document is the EPL handbook. It is unhelpful on the subject of an early termination of the season. See page 102 attached. It simply says: 'C.14. Subject to Rule C.15, the bottom three Clubs in the table at the end of the Season shall be relegated to The Football League.' file:///home/chronos/u-f165b0b83e6303ef773af0694155fbac146c43a8/MyFiles/Downloads/2019-20-PL-Handbook-020819.pdf I am confident that the 'end of the season' was not reached and therefore Norwich, Villa and Bournemouth (as it stands) could not be relegated. As the Handbook is silent on the question of an early termination of the season, the arbitrator would make a decision based on what was 'within the contemplation of the parties', when the rules were agreed. It would be sensible to decide that a premature ending of the season was not within the contemplation of the parties, therefore the season has not 'ended'. It could be carried over until after the pandemic has largely passed, but that will eat into season 2020/21, or the season could be voided.. The task for the EPL at this moment is very simple. 1 Find a solution to which sufficient member clubs agree. 2 Attempt to also reach agreement with affected third parties such as EFL, broadcasters, betting companies and sponsors. 3 Communicate to member clubs and others. Lessons learned (which someone has raised elsewhere - develop the EFL Business Continuity Plan with the agreement of all clubs, for use in any future crises.

The EPL need to reach a decision embraces two things - simplicity and certainty. They also need a solution which maintains cashflow to its member clubs. Simplicity - the only simple solution is to declare season 2019/20 null and void. Certainty - domestic season 20/21 can commence (say) 45 days after certain indicators have shown that the global and domestic pandemic is in full remission. Such an indicator could be, for example, 75% of the population has an immunity to the virus or the incidence of new cases is below 5% of the population and has been reducing for 10 consecutive weeks. Other Leagues can make their own decisions but may we follow the EPL. The threat of legal actions is a hollow threat. Ultimately, the Courts will unite to agree an umbrella policy which works in favour of the common good. Simplicity and certainty - those will be what the likes of Stuart Webber are demanding. EPL clubs' financial years end on 31st May so certainty is needed very shortly.

Lesson learned this season - If, whoop whoop, it magically turns out that we have avoided relegation because of the measures taken to combat Coronavirus... I have no doubt whatsoever that VAR will have another look at it, deliberate for 5 minutes, and then overturn the decision.

We are in totally uncharted territory. The government will be obliged to opt for the 'best worst' solution and is currently being torn in different directions by advisers and special interest groups, let alone large party sponsors such as the betting industry. The 'best worse' solution is actually to abandon the 2019/20 season right now. Government can leave it to the football regulators to pick up the pieces. In terms of NCFC's approach, it was thankfully and intelligently based on risk avoidance, and yes it can withstand the worst of what coronavirus throws at us. That's the beauty of employing good people. No one will have expected this scenario, but or strategy was robust enough to withstand the unexpected.