Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ON THE FUTURE
Answer our five questions about the nightmares facing the teams they love MANCHESTER CITY MANCHESTER UNITED NEWCASTLE NORWICH SHEFFIELD UNITED SOUTHAMPTON WEST HAM WOLVES
2020 and go out of business.
No relegation is the worst shout there is.
It would be disappointing if not quite disastrous if it goes that far.
At home and on Motd. Absolutely not. I wouldn’t travel to the Etihad to stand outside.
It is right to try and start it. Other businesses will be opening up, so why not football? No. If you are playing games out, you are playing for a purpose – top and bottom.
Matches behind closed doors will be uninteresting.
Home.
Don’t be ridiculous! It should end now. If a squad shows a positive test for Covid, how are they going to finish it? Assuming it is going ahead on neutral grounds, I think there should be no relegation.
I think it’s a daft idea. I’d rather have no football at all, and wait until such a time when we’re in the clear and can get back to normal with fans going to games.
Either at the local rugby club or in Newcastle city centre.
Definitely not. It’s a stupid idea and I wouldn’t be prepared to break lockdown rules.
I’ve come round to the opinion the season should be declared null and void. Then we can all have a laugh at Liverpool missing out again!
No. Very much the wrong one. What would be the point of restarting with so little to play for? Too many fixtures would not be fit for purpose.
We need to do whatever is necessary for people to stay safe and it’s better that some football can be played than none at all.
At home, either on TV or occasionally online. If I’m not able to watch, I listen to radio coverage via the club website.
No – maybe when I was younger, but not now and not in this climate.
They need to show they are doing what they can, and the need for TV money. But football and the Premier League are not covering themselves in glory, pushing to restart while so many people are dying.
It isn’t fair to relegate teams, unless all 38 games are completed in accordance with the rules the season started under. If the bottom six are forced by the other 14 to play on neutral grounds, I don’t think that’s right. that maintains public health and allows the season to be concluded. If that’s behind closed doors, it’s not ideal, but it may have to do.
On Sky Sports.
If you’re going to cause problems in terms of social distancing by going to grounds, then I wouldn’t do it.
We’re on the cusp of something pretty significant, and it would be unfair on everyone connected with Sheffield United to be robbed of that. If they can’t finish the season safely, then the fairest way would be to decide everything on a points coefficient.
There’s no point in playing games if there is no relegation. It would seem disingenuous. Teams down there wouldn’t try. If there’s no relegation, there’s no point restarting.
Without the buzz, games won’t be the same, but I am sure the broadcasters might do something about that. At least it will be something to watch on TV.
If I can’t go, I watch whenever Southampton are live on TV.
No. Why would you? There is not really that much point – you are putting yourself in harm’s way for very little.
Ideally, Project Restart would go ahead, but it has got to be done in the right way and there is no need to rush.
It is so tight at the bottom, it seems harsh to relegate teams if you have not had a proper season. But if you want to award the title and Champions League places, you have also got to have relegation.
If it is not safe to host games with fans, it is not safe to host them in front of 300 staff. Without fans, football is nothing.
On the rare occasion I miss any game home or away, a live stream on my phone.
I can see why, if there was something riding on the game, you might be tempted. But I won’t drive hundreds of miles not to watch a match.
We know they are having to do this because of the need for income throughout the pyramid, but I don’t believe it will be the ‘festival of football’ Boris says the country needs.
I would be livid if my club was relegated in these circumstances. The remaining fixtures would not be like proper games and there is still so much to be decided.
It’s not ideal. If it has to be done that way, I understand – but there are things far more important than football at the moment.
I go to most games, home and away. If not, I would normally watch at home on TV.
Absolutely not – I would respect the reason for playing on neutral territory and would watch it on TV instead.
Forget about timescales – the only one that matters is that we play football again only when it is safe to do so.
You could argue changing the rules three-quarters of the way through a season dilutes the competition’s integrity. In normal circumstances, you expect three clubs going down and three up – but these are not normal circumstances.
I think it’s a waste of time. It just devalues the competition and there are bigger things to worry about than playing football.
At home on Motd.
NO!
It should definitely end now. What would be the point of playing them? It would be a waste of time. Why bother?
It is sad, but there is no other way, given the absence of a vaccine.
I go to the pub or watch Motd.
No.
I believe the season should end now. I think it is too risky for players and staff alike. Definitely not. It makes a mockery of the system. If you are going to play on, you must do it properly.