2020/21 Season - What will it look like ?

I know this is an imponderable at the moment, but there are one or two decent thinkers on here

I assume they will play the last 110 games of the championship season behind closed doors on SKY, BBC or the club's TV or cancel the season (which i doubt) but that is a short term fix.


Is professional football football without fans ? Will games look any better than training matches ? I know most of us have played in fully competitive amateur games with the proverbial one man and his dog, but that is our level, not top end.
I can't see a full season behind closed doors, how do clubs make enough money to cover their costs. I don't want to pay (much) for a single camera in an empty stadium on the internet.

Assuming no vaccine until spring 2021, that means we have to go through a winter with social distancing as our only protection against the virus. Can even a medium sized club like ours set the stadium up to socially distance.
What would our max attendance be if we had to keep 2M away from other fans who do not live in your house ? It would be like watching the Cardiff Blues.




How do you wash your hands before entry

The toilets, these are a lights years ahead of NP but it is "cosy" at H/T.
The atmosphere will be trashed by the distancing - will fans keep to their seats in a quarter filled equally spaced stadium
I guess we'll be on compulsory mask by then, what will we do with the no mask rebels
Will the vulnerable take the risk to leave the house to go to a mass gathering, would it be worth it.
Would you ban travelling fans, even for local derbies
Would they open the food and drink kiosks ? Would you trust them ?





I genuinely think professional football is in for a tough time with massively reduced revenue streams.

How do you see it going.

Think it depends on how quickly a reliable immune response test has mass availability. I read the Rapid Testing Consortium at Oxford are almost ready with this, but the reliability is critical, you want >95%..

If that happens, millions of people could possibly return to some semblance of normal life, unless it emerges that Covid reinfects, but I think there’s no evidence of that thus far.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that football without fans is not football.

Currently in America the WWE is still going. They are having their matches in front of no fans. You can hear everything being said and it just isn’t the same. The ratings are reflecting that. Down and falling weekly. I understand that wrestling is different to football but the premise is the same. Entertainment. Not to mention what happens if and when a player then gets covid? The whole team will need to be taken out of playing. It just won’t work.

Football without fans is not football. Only the premier league teams survive on TV money alone and arguably a couple of Prem teams need the income boosted by fans attending. It’s simply not sustainable without fans in its current form. The pyramid will fold and we will be left with hardly any teams in my opinion. They will never be able to get social distancing done at matches as the whole set up of football stadia isn’t geared up for this.

If we don’t get a vaccine anytime soon, and we need to keep measures similar to what we have now (probably slightly improved) football as we know it will die and quite quickly. The very top level will remain for the short term but people will lose interest quite quickly in the glorified training matches.

I certainly cannot see any attendance at games until the 21/22 season unless there is a vaccine available.

If there are any spectators it could just a few hundred in each block and no more than say 5k allowed in. Supporters based in every fourth row and 4 apart, how surreal would that be.

All outlets closed within the ground as it would be to difficult to manage and even leaving the ground even with 5k would be a nightmare.

With an approx loss of 500k each game, the loss could well be over 12 million to the books, i would fully expect this to be the gauge for any players future contracts, 6k maximum wage.

1 thing that may be really difficult to understand is how many supporters would be willing to attend, especially the older generation?

FFP , well i think every club in the league could be breaking the rules next season and i could well see sky and BT reducing their prices as they will be in the driving seat, the clubs will be desperate for any monies next season

As a slightly more radical idea, let’s cancel next season.

Let’s continue next season when we are able to get fans back, even if it is as late as March 2021. Then complete this season. If it is possible to restart earlier, then stretch the remains fixtures out to get them completed by the end of May and then play the Euros. If the Euros and the Olympics are played a year late, then move the next World Cup back a year too.

Just a thought.

As a slightly more radical idea, let’s cancel next season.

Let’s continue next season when we are able to get fans back, even if it is as late as March 2021. Then complete this season. If it is possible to restart earlier, then stretch the remains fixtures out to get them completed by the end of May and then play the Euros. If the Euros and the Olympics are played a year late, then move the next World Cup back a year too.

Just a thought.

If we cancel a season (not that it’s not going to happen anyway) there will be about 40 teams left in the football league I think possibly less.

I am over 60 and I believe many of our older support would not risk attending for fear of catching the virus. It simply isn't worth the risk and until we have a vaccine available we shouldn't even contemplate fans in stadiums.Sadly there are also many of us who also wouldn't want to watch our games if televised in an empty stadium, it would be like watching a training match.

Clubs like Arsenal have started a return to training plan today so it looks like the EPL clubs will be pushing to start completing fixtures streamed to TV in June with no fans. Whether the Championship and the other Football League can do similarly is another thing !

Also with European countries having 14 day isolation at airports or even borders shutdown , I am not sure how the Champions League and Europa Cup will get completed ! play all games in a Central location as 1 leg and streamed ? ? And if they were to try that in July/August , players are out if contract, etc .

I also think the Euros in 2021 will have to change from its current format as I cannot see for instance Welsh fans being able to or maybe even wanting to travel to Baku via various airports ,then stay in Vaku for 6 days before travelling to Rome then possibly Amsterdam....? I know that’s 12 months away but I just don’t see it happening without a vaccine and comprehensive testing being available worldwide .

Think it depends on how quickly a reliable immune response test has mass availability. I read the Rapid Testing Consortium at Oxford are almost ready with this, but the reliability is critical, you want >95%..

If that happens, millions of people could possibly return to some semblance of normal life, unless it emerges that Covid reinfects, but I think there’s no evidence of that thus far.

its a virus there is no cure for which has barely touched big chunks of our country...and every other country is exactly the same. hot spots and much cooler spots.... youd expect then that there would be no talk even of easing lockdowns as these milder areas might get hot ....but there is...?

I am over 60 and I believe many of our older support would not risk attending for fear of catching the virus. It simply isn't worth the risk and until we have a vaccine available we shouldn't even contemplate fans in stadiums.Sadly there are also many of us who also wouldn't want to watch our games if televised in an empty stadium, it would be like watching a training match.

I agree with you re not attending until a vaccine (or maybe drugs) can be used.
However, at the moment I’d welcome watching a live city game on tv. Without fans is by no means perfect but as a stop gap, it’ll do.

I know this is an imponderable at the moment, but there are one or two decent thinkers on here

I assume they will play the last 110 games of the championship season behind closed doors on SKY, BBC or the club's TV or cancel the season (which i doubt) but that is a short term fix.


Is professional football football without fans ? Will games look any better than training matches ? I know most of us have played in fully competitive amateur games with the proverbial one man and his dog, but that is our level, not top end.
I can't see a full season behind closed doors, how do clubs make enough money to cover their costs. I don't want to pay (much) for a single camera in an empty stadium on the internet.

Assuming no vaccine until spring 2021, that means we have to go through a winter with social distancing as our only protection against the virus. Can even a medium sized club like ours set the stadium up to socially distance.
What would our max attendance be if we had to keep 2M away from other fans who do not live in your house ? It would be like watching the Cardiff Blues.




How do you wash your hands before entry

The toilets, these are a lights years ahead of NP but it is "cosy" at H/T.
The atmosphere will be trashed by the distancing - will fans keep to their seats in a quarter filled equally spaced stadium
I guess we'll be on compulsory mask by then, what will we do with the no mask rebels
Will the vulnerable take the risk to leave the house to go to a mass gathering, would it be worth it.
Would you ban travelling fans, even for local derbies
Would they open the food and drink kiosks ? Would you trust them ?





I genuinely think professional football is in for a tough time with massively reduced revenue streams.

How do you see it going.

personally i think things are going to return to being very close to normal very quickly. most countries are now looking at lockdown exit plans, Germany have announced theirs..

Simon Jordan on talksport stating he can see all games played behind closed doors next season, hard to disagree.

As for me , watching games live on tv at least would be a start and it would keep players employed.

I know this is an imponderable at the moment, but there are one or two decent thinkers on here

I assume they will play the last 110 games of the championship season behind closed doors on SKY, BBC or the club's TV or cancel the season (which i doubt) but that is a short term fix.


Is professional football football without fans ? Will games look any better than training matches ? I know most of us have played in fully competitive amateur games with the proverbial one man and his dog, but that is our level, not top end.
I can't see a full season behind closed doors, how do clubs make enough money to cover their costs. I don't want to pay (much) for a single camera in an empty stadium on the internet.

Assuming no vaccine until spring 2021, that means we have to go through a winter with social distancing as our only protection against the virus. Can even a medium sized club like ours set the stadium up to socially distance.
What would our max attendance be if we had to keep 2M away from other fans who do not live in your house ? It would be like watching the Cardiff Blues.




How do you wash your hands before entry

The toilets, these are a lights years ahead of NP but it is "cosy" at H/T.
The atmosphere will be trashed by the distancing - will fans keep to their seats in a quarter filled equally spaced stadium
I guess we'll be on compulsory mask by then, what will we do with the no mask rebels
Will the vulnerable take the risk to leave the house to go to a mass gathering, would it be worth it.
Would you ban travelling fans, even for local derbies
Would they open the food and drink kiosks ? Would you trust them ?





I genuinely think professional football is in for a tough time with massively reduced revenue streams.

How do you see it going.

personally i think things are going to return to being very close to normal very quickly. most countries are now looking at lockdown exit plans, Germany have announced theirs..

Close to normal? What do you mean by that?

I can’t see that at all. Anything like close to normal would result in too many deaths.

I know this is an imponderable at the moment, but there are one or two decent thinkers on here

I assume they will play the last 110 games of the championship season behind closed doors on SKY, BBC or the club's TV or cancel the season (which i doubt) but that is a short term fix.


Is professional football football without fans ? Will games look any better than training matches ? I know most of us have played in fully competitive amateur games with the proverbial one man and his dog, but that is our level, not top end.
I can't see a full season behind closed doors, how do clubs make enough money to cover their costs. I don't want to pay (much) for a single camera in an empty stadium on the internet.

Assuming no vaccine until spring 2021, that means we have to go through a winter with social distancing as our only protection against the virus. Can even a medium sized club like ours set the stadium up to socially distance.
What would our max attendance be if we had to keep 2M away from other fans who do not live in your house ? It would be like watching the Cardiff Blues.




How do you wash your hands before entry

The toilets, these are a lights years ahead of NP but it is "cosy" at H/T.
The atmosphere will be trashed by the distancing - will fans keep to their seats in a quarter filled equally spaced stadium
I guess we'll be on compulsory mask by then, what will we do with the no mask rebels
Will the vulnerable take the risk to leave the house to go to a mass gathering, would it be worth it.
Would you ban travelling fans, even for local derbies
Would they open the food and drink kiosks ? Would you trust them ?





I genuinely think professional football is in for a tough time with massively reduced revenue streams.

How do you see it going.

Bud I dont think football clubs will risk every fans health by letting them into the stadiums. Clubs will NOT waste further money taking away seats just for the social distancing. Because even if the clubs do there best to try and bring fans back I dont think its possible. Ques will be massive to just get into the stadiums, the food and drink stalls will be banned because of the social distancing within the stadium, and it will have to be at least 10k fans in each stadium due to the lack of seating.

Thats just the tip of the iceberg because most importantly and hopefully fans will not come back just because they want football. Fans will keep away until everything improves. Clubs will have to hand pick individuel fans to watch a home matches.

For Cardiff fans when im 23years old myself there are alot of our Bluebirds fanbase who are old and these are longtime supporters.

As a slightly more radical idea, let’s cancel next season.

Let’s continue next season when we are able to get fans back, even if it is as late as March 2021. Then complete this season. If it is possible to restart earlier, then stretch the remains fixtures out to get them completed by the end of May and then play the Euros. If the Euros and the Olympics are played a year late, then move the next World Cup back a year too.

Just a thought.

Yep, I've said this before. The current season is more important than the next, i.e. no matter when it resumes (although I'd be okay playing the season out 'behind closed doors' and I am not an advocate of the comment "football is nothing without fans", as they will still exist; just not at the stadiums for the purposes of completion and will (in the main) return when the time is right....