Also to free up the emergency services that have to be around all major sporting events. Supposedly the banning of large scale events doesn't have a great effect on the virus, it's the strain on the services.

“ [T]here are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.There are known unknowns; that is to say there are things that, we now know we don't know.But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know. ”
—United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld

If it were me, I would self isolate the club, after two weeks see who is fit and ready to play - this includes all back room staff too and a core skeleton crew for the stadium.

I would then also keep referees in isolation.

I would then play out the rest of the season on Saturdays and Wednesdays and get 9 matches done in a month.

Just view it as tournament camp - to be honest, for 40k+ a week, it's no drama.

Think about it, other businesses are still running - sainsburys, how many staff are wandering around the aisle and staff room?

Also, as an after thought - the champ and lower leagues - if the same can be done for them, great, if not, void the league and the promotion prize money distributed to the clubs as compensation.

The alternative is a way bigger, expensive headache.

Edited by Vaibow (15 Mar 2020 4.24pm)

This was once a quality forum....

Or for the PL we could use the BBC Brexit's formula in which case the sum total of points bar Liverpool have more points so the scousers can't win it.

One more point

In all honesty, looking at the league table and the last 5 matches for form guide, there are a few dead certs and a few unlucky clubs.

At the bottom, Villa have the worse record - 4 straight losses one could argue the cups were a factor. Norwich losing too many to assume they could turn it around but are only 7 points off safety (goal difference the factor) so to deny them an opportunity would be a tad harsh. Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham all on 27 with goal difference keeping them safe/18th.

Brighton look like they are headed lower in the league - they are lucky.

At the top, Liverpool odds on to win league, not even a question. Top seven though, 4th to 7th could be anyones, with spurs slipping out, arsenal creeping in. Palace are on form and actually look like the only mid table team to challenge for top 7, being only 4 points away, with 27 points to play for.

So it's a tad harsh on the bottom 3 clubs as they will argue they 'could' turn it around, but, their form doesn't really suggest that.

So, it literally boils down to, if the league stops now and is void, Palace look to be the unlucky ones - as their form suggests European football is within touching distance, on a shoe string budget and the lucky ones look to be Brighton, who's descent into the bottom three looks halted.

This was once a quality forum....

Ofcourse, it's all ifs and buts - just saying, as it stands, how things look.

Most of us know, as you rightly said, Europe would ruin us, parish wouldn't invest for it, doesn't even invest for the league.

I said months ago, that if we did ever get Europe and things panned out, financially as they have been, I would just let the fans in for free and say 'don't expect us to properly compete, so with that in mind, it's free to go to"

The gate receipt isn't anything crazy for a club, the fans would love it - the money spent at selhurst would help cover costs.

I would honestly look at it as pre season friendly style.

It ruined Burnley, Wolves are enjoying it but come on we all know a club needs to squad and money for it.

This was once a quality forum....

Yes ... taxpayer's money is sorely needed elsewhere.

Sky and BT will start charging customers again to watch any televised matches but if they are all played behind closed doors we should ask for 22% of our current season ticket money to be refunded.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt