Coronavirus forces Premier League to suspend games for 3 weeks

I feel so wretched and sad about our friends in Mordor, however... That's Karma, you bastards!

To all Evertonians and older fans and their families – take care, one and all.

Europa League and Champions League might not even get finished, or the FA Cup for that matter.

I'm assuming we season-ticket holders will get credit for next season, possibly for cup games if the club are mean about it, or they'll give us a pint and a giant Twix bar each.

If our government's advisors are right, the idea is to spread this epidemic over as long a period as possible to avoid meltdown in the NHS while getting the majority of young and healthy people infected and immune. Essentially, this is like any other coronavirus (flu etc), the real difference being that nobody has immunity to this one yet and so it spreads quicker and more widely than the usual seasonal flu. Plus it seems to cause a higher rate of serious illness.

Anyway, I'm not going to the pub for a while, I'll be cracking open a bottle at home instead. After I've washed my hands of course.

One possible godsend is that the Blues wouldn't have had to face a possible backlash after the Atletico game, although Everton would have been like lambs to the slaughter anyway after the dreadful performance at Chelsea.

"Wear gloves. When I wore them I caught fuck-all."

WOW! That was a very close call made just 10 hours before the flight. Disappointed but I was fully refunded and hope to do the same trip in August for next season.

I was hoping to meet up with John McFarlane and possibly some other TW's to celebrate a win and also my son's 50th Birthday. "Instant Karma" if those other bunch do not get the Premier League Title. Many thanks to all those who posted their sympathies. We will be back.

I imagine (hope) they're just buying time while they figure out how to deal with promotion/relegation, sponsors wanting money back for games not played, Football League clubs becoming insolvent due to lost gate receipts etc.

For once we can enjoy a derby weekend.

See where we are in the Summer and start everything off from fresh. Obviously there will be no European football until after next season.

No doubt there would be a lot of aggro just cancelling this season but firstly we have to think of people; secondly, footy without spectators is nonsense.

Ensuring clubs remain sort of solvent will need looking at especially lower-league clubs.

In future, Klippetty, be careful what you wish for!!

They have to finish this season by end of June; if they don't, then I can't see them finishing it.

Maybe the RS didn't read the small print in their deal with the devil and this is their punishment?

I admit that this course of action would have been hypocritical, considering the fact that I have often commented on there being more important things in life than football. Thankfully, the decision has been taken out of my hands.

However, the current situation has convinced me that my claim was correct, and will ensure that I will not be tempted should a similar situation arise. I stand chastened.

Then pick some preferred venues that must include the Olympic Stadium; cannot have other "supporters" not making a return on an investment.

The season should be written off but Liverpool should be allowed an advantage for next season to make up for them not winning this season, that VAR always goes in their favour.

Oh wait, that was this season's deal.

Well, at least you were honest about your intentions. I hope you are okay and stay that way. Good luck and good health to you, Josh and all the family.

This stoppage was inevitable, and it seems highly unlikely that the crisis will have passed in 3 weeks.

My best guess is the season will eventually be resumed without trying to make up the missed games. It might be too complicated to extend the season into July just to make sure every fixture is played.

To give an idea of the size of Canada, this virus started off in British Columbia and Liverpool is closer to me than Vancouver by over a 1000 km. Now I don't now if I am supposed to stay in, in isolation, as I will be at risk, having diabetes, or carry on as normal as I am not sure if there are any cases here.

I am glad the games have been cancelled as it will give Everton a chance to recover from that disgusting display at Chelsea. As I watch all the games on TV, I am happy that we are not playing behind closed doors as, in empty stadiums, after watching PSG against Dortmund and a couple of other games without the crowd, there was no excitement that is produced by a crowd, and this was highlighted when I switched over to the Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid game after the other game finished.

My own opinion is this season should just end as is and just promotion and relegation decided by the present league positions and any cup games scrapped. This virus that started off in China 7-8 weeks ago is only just starting to be contained.

You can't contain a new virus in a couple of weeks that, up to today, there are no vaccinations to contain or cure it.

Karma with a capital K-A-R-M-A if that does prove to be the case, many a football fan may conclude.

It was a little unfair on the RS as Lineker broke off his base so I used Bluetac to fix him and it gave him a bit of a weight advantage which helped power in shots from our own half. Nonetheless, I will pass on the results to the Premier League for official recording.

I bet half of the Subutteo players had more movement and a better array of passes than our midfield.

Lol, they did. You should have seen Peter Reid, he doesn't even have a head any more yet he was all over the field.

Aston Villa have invested money and are not dead yet.

Anything – and we mean anything – that Liverpool Football Club don't like shall be completely excluded in its entirety from (i) the result and (ii) humanity in general as if it never existed whatsoever unless it is to Liverpool's advantage.

If any club disputes the foregoing, then Law 1 shall always apply.

You're probably right. Plus, the Liverpool team I had was the old Crown Paints shirt lot which means one of them was Rushie and I am pretty sure there used to be a rule that Rush always had to score against Everton.

What a good observation! And I'm sure there are lots of other unintended (and as yet unknown) consequences of any lengthy postponement.

Coronavirus 1 - Liverpool 0

The ones that are going to complain the quickest to start off the leagues will be the media, who no doubt will pay for their own experts in scientific medicine to declare that this virus is not serious and start pressurizing the FA to start playing again.

Companies that make huge amounts are okay until they start losing it, and that is when, as they say, the shit will start hitting the fan.

It will not matter what decision is made – no-one will be happy about it, and more than likely teams will end up playing at least 2 games a week, and teams still in domestic and European cup games will play more.

As Liverpool only have the league to worry about, this is one they would agree to.

I find it easier to confess; a typical example is the fact that I could claim that I saw the World Cup, FA Cup, and League Championship trophies being paraded around Goodison before the Charity Shield game in 1966. I did attend the game with my mates but we'd stayed in the Pub a bit too long; we did, however, make it in time to see the kick-off.

It would have been nice to have witnessed it but I can't lie to myself. I believe there's a saying: "To thyself yourself be true" which I try to do. I believe I've told you that tale either in the cafe on County Road, or at one of our gatherings.

Josh is doing well, I don't know the exact details but it appears that the manager of the West Lancs team is exploring the possibility of nominating him for Academy trials. Thank you for your good wishes which are reciprocated.

Hopefully all those involved in football will be okay.

I cannot see this season being finished and I doubt the Champions League and Europa League will finish either.

Take care, everyone.

I'm with Jim @6, declare the whole season null and void and start over.

This virus is serious for those of us or our loved ones with any form of respiratory condition, so I echo the sentiments of Jack above and wish everyone a safe recovery in due course.

Those numbers could take 4-6 weeks to work through, based on China, and they only controlled the situation by shutting parts of the country down. You've seen in just 24 hours within the football community how quickly it's spread.

Voiding the Premier League at this stage means no-one is disadvantaged: as it stands, there are no confirmed mathematical promotions or relegations in any of the English professional leagues as far as I'm aware.

We need all medical resources to be dedicated to help those who need it, not to be at football games or other gatherings. If for one moment your attendance might seriously affect someone else's health, then I'm sure you'd all go "Ah, that could be me."

Our medical services are already hugely over-burdened; why increase that burden? It's selfish, because many medical staff will contract the virus helping others, depleting their numbers further.

I just think if the coronavirus had struck before the Wimbledon game, we might still be in the Championship. The relegation issue has to be properly sorted - just think of all the court actions that would ensue.

Possibly start next season with 22 teams and relegate 4 teams. The same again the following season. Status quo in 2 seasons, nobody unfairly penalised.

No doubt an 'exception' will be made to crown them Champions anyway.

See 'The Masters' has gone now and the Players cancelled too.

I'm off to call Sky.

I thought the same about 22 teams but then remembered Klopp, Jose and Pep would complain about extra games alongside Champions League and mid-season friendlies, which seem to be their priority, so I don't see that getting passed. Also, the greedy bastard teams wouldn't want two extra mouths to feed with the TV money.

Why we are one of the few countries in Europe not to have banned any large gatherings seems a mystery, as I am sure all the other countries have taken sound medical advice. The chief medical officer said yesterday that he didn't think it necessary to ban large gatherings as at this stage as it would have little effect.

He also went on to say that, by people catching the virus, it would build up our immune system to it, so maybe it's worth a few thousand over-60s dying as the majority will recover.

The Premier League is either resumed at some future point in time and played to its natural conclusion, or it is scrapped and scrubbed from the records; there is no middle ground – perhaps due to the ridiculous VAR calls we have seen this season, it would be best if it became the forgotten season.

Of course, all of this is not as important as the health of our friends and loved ones.

The idea that the title or relegation issues could be decided by current league positions is absurd. The fact is that the season will not have been played to conclusion, so it can only be voided. Yes, of course some teams will be very upset by this, but quite frankly their concerns are irrelevant in the context of this unprecedented crisis that the world is facing.

Do football teams really believe they are the only entities that will be economically hurt by the restrictions? The world is on the precipice of an economic meltdown and they need to get real.

One final point. Liverpool FC could be one of the biggest losers and complainers; I however remember a situation back in 1985 when many other teams lost out financially due to the misbehaviour of their fans. What a delicious irony.

The usual fish and cheese jokes can go ahead and we can resume the discussion of the decline of standards which has seen Costa open in Old Swan.

I will ask for links as usual, there will be the occasional stream of comments consisting of "Fuck", "Shit" "Pickford is shite" and the rest of us wait as the illegal NBC stream slowly catches up. There may also be some "Get innnnnnnn" and "DCL only championship standard?" and a couple of commentators calling each other wankers and suggesting that if this was a pub they'd be heading for the car park.

In these dark days, we need to keep some semblance of normality.

The FA chairman Greg Clarke has told the Premier League that he does not think the domestic football season will be completed, sparking fears of huge financial repercussions for the clubs.

Clarke attended the emergency Premier League meeting in London yesterday, which concluded by suspending the Premier League, EFL, the FA Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship until April 3 in response to a series of coronavirus cases across the game.

Costa in Old Swan? Has the transfer window reopened to entertain the masses?

Ossie out and Hibbo is shite!

I'd like to see them stop games for a year or so, so that we can strengthen the side before playing again.

You ask for my alternative. Abandon the league and start afresh next season. Same teams, same fixtures.

You ask a Villa fan if he wants the league stopped now just so the RS can be presented with the title. You can't relegate teams who have a real chance of staying up. It's immoral.

The RS haven't won yet, anymore than Villa have been relegated. I tell you one thing: whatever is decided will have money as the motive.

What do I think? Well, after that banner they have at Anfield with The European Cup and Steua Bucharest on it, I will certainly be having a giant banner made with a Premier League trophy and 2020 Coronavirus on it.

Too right, I'm bitter!

I was brought down to earth by my wife of 52 years. I was delighted and very lucky to have dodged a bullet by cancelling the trip. I was even higher as I was explaining how this would negatively affect the RS... Karma!

Before I got too ecstatic, she decided that I would now have time to do about 25 boring jobs around the house. Worse still, the old excuse of "I just HAVE to watch this game" would no longer work. The instant Karma on the RS has backfired once again on this long-time "Blue". Help!!!

GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

Instead of going on money-making excursions, clubs could concentrate on preparing for the 2020-21 season. If the problem means starting early and finishing late, so be it. Shorter close seasons may be necessary and it may take a while, but the normal routine will eventually be restored.

Your stream must be behind – it's gone to VAR and Sigurdsson was caught offside sitting in his sun-bed sipping gin slings.

I agree but another interesting thing will be player fitness when it resumes. If no-one has played for 2, 3, 8 weeks or whatever, some of them even having been quarantined. Will they be able to kick off immediately or would there need to be some kind of pre-season to get them back into match-playing shape?

I heard on the BBC that the peak is due in 4-6 weeks - approx 20th April. If true, wouldn’t it be fair to assume there will be a decline phase of 4-6 weeks? That takes us to the end of May.

The disruption with about 9 matches to play from June at the earliest would be ridiculous.

There are a lot of unknowns here and given that health and safety should be paramount I think the wise and prudent path would be to scrap this season now.

If any deaths resulted from prolonging the season, wouldn’t it leave clubs open to legal action?

Beyond the virus, VAR has made this season a farce. Start again next season. (It’s only fair to RS fans as I wouldn’t want their victory to be a hollow one. Honest.)

The coronavirus peak is 10-12 weeks away (source Radio 5Live just now). This season cannot be completed. 10 weeks is the end of May / beginning of June.

Playing 9 or 10 games takes the season into July. Knock-on effect to next season. Scrap it now. It's over.

I've just stumbled on to your post, it is a disappointment that we will have to postpone our meeting but, as you said in your e-mail, it gives us an incentive to keep plodding on. I did say in an earlier post that, if the decision to cancel games hadn't been made, I probably would have selfishly opted to attend the game; fortunately, the powers that be removed my guilt complex. This post will be a substitute for an e-mail but I will keep in touch with you.

Hi John [aka] Patrick [88],

Do I detect a dislike of Gylfi Sigurdsson in your post? You disappoint me, because your other contributions are well presented, I'm not an expert by any means, but I believe I can differentiate between humour and cheap jibes.

Hi Kieran,

There may well be a bit of rustiness but, if they are properly prepared in their training sessions, they should be fit enough; there will be no need for extensive training, and every club's players will be in the same boat.

There's the Qatar 2022 World Cup to fit into the equation for next season already. Restarting the season is the only thing that is reasonable in the circumstances.

The quickest way to get over this pandemic is for healthy people to encounter the illness, have their immune systems beat it, and so pass on antibodies to others. So, John, it would be "selfish" of you not to go!

Best scrap the lot, pretend it never happened!!

Void the season!! No debate.

The reason I would have felt guilty by attending the derby game, was because I wouldn't only be putting my personal health at risk. If I had suffered a 10,000:1 chance of contracting the virus, I would have put my family, and everyone I came into contact with at risk. A terrible chance to take, don't you agree?

I'd equate that to a 5-year European ban for doing fuck all during our most successful period in our history.

If that happens, I may well start to believe in a god and karma. It would really exercise the RS bitters and, as a bonus, it would keep Leeds out of the Premier League for at least another season.

I thought: Why not just freeze this season and effectively start completing it when season 20-21 was due to start? Then you realise there is only a quarter of a season to play. This would mean that 3 quarters of the 20-21 season would be obsolete.

Would players on £100,000 a week get paid for doing nothing for months? No. Some posters have made the excellent point of players contracts ending in June, what then?

A brilliant point was made that no team has mathematically been promoted, or relegated or won their league as we stand now. This may ultimately be the deciding factor that abandons this season.

Would this be cruel to Liverpool? Yes.

Do I care? No.

Them being denied crowned Premier League Champions is a small price to pay compared with what we had to endure from 1985 onwards. As had been said before, they have (hopefully) been denied being crowned Premier League Champions through no fault of their own. We were denied being potential European Champions through no fault of our own.

Is this Karma? Too bloody right it is, and if they are denied being crowned Premier League Champions, then it is fully deserved, and couldn't happen to a more vile scumbag of a club.

At which point, we can then start calling them “bitter”!!

😡

Take a bow.

1) Won the First Division in 1914, we then kept the title for 4 more years, until the end of the First World War in 1918;

2) Won the First Division in 1939, we then kept the Title for 7 more years.

3) Four plus Seven equals 11

4) The 9 league titles we already have gives us a Grand Total of 20.

May be considered nit-picking but useful when dealing with Red Nitwits. From everything I have been told, we had fantastic teams prior to both World Wars and would have continued to win if Our Champions had not been called to fight for their Country.

It just makes sense and is fair to every club whether it's Man City (League Cup winners – the only team to have won anything this season) and teams battling relegation, promotion and potential champions of their divisions.

For all our RS family and friends, I recommend just buying them a few Coronas to drown their sorrows!

It's only natural that people will speculate on the consequences of suspending professional sport but, IMO, it's way too premature to do so.

We are in mid-March. UK professional football will not resume (at the very earliest) before 3-4 April. There is absolutely zero guarantee that football (or other sports) will be able to resume on that date.

I would hazard a guess that, having now pulled the handbrake on the sport, when – IF! – this season resumes, then it must be with the guarantee that the worst has passed.

Looking at the Wuhan lockdown model, it seems highly unlikely that the sporting calendar can realistically or confidently be re-initiated in just 3 weeks time.

With every additional week lost to this sporting shutdown, the greater the likelihood that (in the case of UK football) this season's fixtures simply cannot be completed.

Tough on teams fighting for titles and promotion? Of course it is. But equally so, it would be patently unfair to declare as some have proposed that should leagues not complete their fixtures that titles, promotions and relegation should be decided as the tables now stand. Any club relegated on such a ruling would quite rightly challenge it through the courts, causing even more bedlam.

As I said in my opening, it is way too premature to make pronouncements on what should be done should league fixtures not be completed by a certain date. But there will be a tipping point in the calendar when it becomes impossible to complete the season without seriously impacting on the following one.

Is the issue not further compounded that national leagues around the globe were intending to already make adjustments to the 2020-21 fixtures starting and finishing times to be able to accomodate the absurd staging of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the northern hemisphere's winter months?

The postponing of this summer's Euros may, just may, afford national federations a bit of wriggle room to extend and complete this season.

But right now I'm leaning towards the likelihood that many a European Football League will declare this entire season as null and void and start from scratch again in August, with no titles awarded and no promotions or relegations made.

And that's not even taking into account the considerable financial hit all professional sports clubs are going to take in the absence of live televised sport. This is a deeply serious Armageddon moment on many levels.

There'll be a cut-off date where, if the games haven't recommenced, then the season would be declared void. Latest information suggests this virus will be with us for 6 to 12 months. With regard to promotions and relegations, I would suggest that this present season would "start again" with all teams remaining where they are (league-wise).

I'd imagine no legal challenges for lost revenue etc etc would be upheld or accepted due to the level of the worldwide emergency and the measures taken would come under umbrella of emergency powers that governments have.

To sum up, we'll have to wait a bit for Liverpool to get what's coming to them – or rather... NOT coming to them. 😁

If it is what it is, then it's the way it is. The RS I work with are already in lament... I think they will be lamenting for a long time.

I sense that Old Nick will try and influence things somehow but, dark forces or not, the chaos that Covid-19, is causing to the nation will have long-term impacts.

Plenty of self-employed people will be knackered, with no income coming in..

Then the irony is that, whilst the RS may not win the title, we have a player with the virus, and I see Bramley-Moore Dock being delayed and potentially the costs could hike by big margins. That could be a big burden on the club's financial constraints.

It's a straight-forward decision for the football authorities and makes sense to cancel and to a degree, we avoid further hammerings like on Sunday.

Interesting days ahead but the family of Evertonians wherever they are will stick together and look after each other, as we do through thick and thin.

This virus will have a huge dynamic on the next season in football and likely too the Euros will get postponed and the Olympics.

Stay safe, and healthy, all.

.

From a selfish viewpoint, it is a good thing that the Reds haven't already mathematically become uncatchable. A couple more weeks and it could have been declared won!

A rather horrid time ahead for everyone but, on the footy front, it is worse for our lovable neighbours! No doubt all of their friends in Sky, BT, the Beeb as well as the papers and radio will try somehow to have it given to them... the complications will stop them from doing so.

There are bets laid on everything, there are the European places, the relegation and promotion issues, and the games outstanding which would/could affect the issues above. A complex problem; not the most important problem we face, but still interesting.

Under these circumstances, the Premier League will have to make sure all matches should be accessed through the internet for free, because season ticket holders have already paid to see their teams for the whole season.

One, the season is completed.

Two, the season is declared void.

Karma if true?? Then we must have done something really bad to have endured the last 25 years. Let's hope that we have now paid our karmic debt...

I'll just say that 'the shite' haven't won it. I never wanted a winter closedown... c'est la vie.

However, as of a certain age, and having witnessed a certain period in our clubs history, along with the behaviours of our neighbours, I can only support, strongly the valid views of Rob #117 and Mike #125.

You have added your views, and respect to them, but they can not be condoned, shared or agreed with by any self respecting Evertonian.

I do not know of your own age, and respect whatever it is, but the likes of Rob, Mike and me, along with many other “Bitter Blues” (I am proud to be called one) will not be swayed in anything less that hatred for that football club. Probably, for loads of reasons, but for me, what their fans deprived me of, I was at Villa Park, Rotterdam too, and witnessed the horror of the much ignored Heysel.

We should not weaken, remember how that “lot” destroyed our club, and never, ever support them in attaining the one thing they seek most.

Kieran, I know you post much sense on here, but our last post let’s you down.

Imagine the uproar if Bournemouth were relegated on the basis of one game vs Fulham and what about the sides vying with Fulham for a playoff place?

There are only two solutions: complete the season, which looks less likely each day, or declare it completed as we now stand.

How can you be certain Liverpool would have won it? They appear to have run out of steam and have hit the buffers good style, losing four of their last five games. Who can say they would have started winning again? They may well have done but it's not a certainty.

There can be no Champions, promotion or relegation if the season is voided.

Seems only fair to match the Kop's 1986 Steau Bucharest banner.

There will be no time to play the games, the logistics, Euros. Olympics etc and there's no consideration of the people.

We could have a preseason where our players don't exert themselves. Fighting fit, for next season...

It's tough... That's Life!

Kieran; extending the season would bring complications of some squad members being out of contract. Would the transfer window have to remain closed and, if so, would some out-of-contract players take legal action if they were prevented from seeking employment with another club?

I would shed no tears for Liverpool – just as they shed none for us when their actions barred us from Europe for 5 years and destroyed the best side in my lifetime (with respect to those who died at Heysel).

The Coronavirus is forecast to peak in June. The only rational solution is to end the season now and start afresh next August.

Given the U-turn by the government on its stance on mass gatherings overnight, I suspect that Boris and company were persuaded to allow this weekend to carry on as normal until Arteta et al contracted the virus.

Football and integrity never together when a certain club is involved.

Brilliant post and agree with every word. I will go to my grave resenting those bastards for getting us banned for 5 years when we did nothing wrong. Pretty sure all the players and management staff of that time all agree with you too. Read recently that in Italy they were furious that we got banned for what they did.

The best Everton fans are people like you, I was in Rotterdam that night and no trouble before or after game.

Thanks Rob.

That aint gonna happen IMO.

The season has to be finished or declared void; I can't see any other option.

And for a line to be drawn under the Scottish Premier League as it stands and the title awarded to the team with a clear lead at the top.

Do you think all the interested parties Sky, BBC, sponsorship, betting companies, food & beverage, the clubs and all of their staff would be prepared to lose a whole season of revenue? As opposed to writing off a quarter of this season?

I don't think that will be a popular avenue to go down. The Premier League clubs have no interest or duty to Uefa to keep Euro 2020 being staged. Euro 2020 will be the least of their concerns.

I’ve got some spare toilet roll, Nearly new.Only been used one side.😷

Moyes is a Scottish twat because he's Scottish and a twat.

In no way am I suggesting that he's a twat because he's Scottish.

I could have said oh I don't know ginger (well grey now), cowardly, duplicitous, tactically inept or sleekit, would any of them have been as offensive to the good citizens of chateau du lait?

Moyes never believed in himself or his club or his players to truly take the next step. And he had got us so close. He did a very good job for a long time but, for whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to take us further.

The cup semi-final against them being a prime example. Despite a combined best eleven probably having nine of ours and two of theirs he still couldn't get a win.

He deliberately ran his contract down, was very disingenuous about the sequence of events in relation to his move to Man Utd, and offered £28 million for our then two best players, before buying one of them for £27.5 million. (If I was Baines, I'd be brutally insulted at being the second-best left-back in Europe at the time and my old boss thinking I was only worth £500k.)

I don't hate Moyes, I don't hate anyone (well maybe the RS) but I'm pretty certain referring to Moyes as a Scottish twat was factually correct. As were you when you called me a twat!

Any time you fancy meeting for a pint in the city centre and discussing all things blue, no problem.

Hare and tortoise situation, let's just declare the hare the winner because he's gonna win. isn't he??

We can always remind our lovable neighbours of Esha Ness, the horse that won the National. But didn't.

My immediate reaction to Klopp's comments were that he's been given a “heads up” that the Liverpool will be awarded the title regardless of not actually winning it. He can now be as magnanimous and humble as he likes because he knows that LFC will be looked after because WE all know that they're the cash cow for the Premier League and will always get what they want.

I think one thing is almost certain though, the approach across all leagues (at least in the UK) will have to be consistent.

That means that if the RS are awarded the title (whilst they can still mathematically be denied it) then all the other leagues from the championship downwards, will need to accept that the finishing positions, as they stand today, in all those leagues, are the final positions.

This too must also be true of the relegation positions.

The problem with that is, any team relegated, that mathematically, could be saved, will undoubtedly object and may sue.

So, the only "safe" thing that the leagues can do, is declare the season void, if they cannot resume on or after 3 April 2020.

There may be much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth from certain quarters, but that is the only legally safe option for the leagues to follow.

Have to go, missus is away on a hen do and I need to get the toilet roll out of the washing machine and peg it out while it's still fair outside.

Liverpool will (hilariously) have achieved neither and so, despite being dominant all season, they have not, and will not, win the title even if some sleazy deal is done to award it.

If they are, through some corrupt deal, then I hope that “You've never won the title” will ring in the Kopites' ears from now to eternity.

I know this is highly unlikely, but while it is mathematically possible, it could be argued that if Man City was to win every one of their games, they could overhaul Liverpool.

The same has to be the case with Clubs in the relegation zone, how many times have we seen a Club destined for relegation, suddenly go on a winning streak and avoid it?

I just hope that sense and sensibility prevails when the powers that be re-convene to decide on what happens, but if Lucifer is part of that group the RS will get their way again.

Next season is more likely to be cancelled if this one can't be completed for say, 6 months (plucking a figure out of the air here). The point being, why even consider the new season until this one is complete.

The 3-week postponement is definitely going to be extended, I would suggest, and given that the UK isn't expected to reach peak-infection for another 10-14 weeks, that's anything up to around the middle of June. You then have to add even more time for the virus to really die down before resuming large scale gatherings.

I reckon they'll scrap the Euros till next year, restart this season in the summer, then start next season a bit later than normal.

Just because RS have that big lead should not entitle them to a premature crown even though it would be a miracle for them to squander it.

Moyes is a phoney and everyone knows it except the bosses at West Ham.

There's millions of people in India, China and Africa that have never seen toilet roll.

Had he said we should be given the title, every man and his dog would have been against it.

I worked for 25 years in mining most times underground and that's a place were stockpiling toilet paper would have been appreciated. I think a number of the people stockpiling, as well as depriving the seniors and people who are ill, will be hoping to make a profit. Talk about kicking a person when they are down.

I live in Canada now with a population of over 32 million, there may finally be over 500 or more than a couple of 1000 that contact this virus but I am sure manufacturers produce more toilet paper and wipes than to just cater for a couple of thousand.

Mass stockpiling is just increasing big manufacturers' profits who will not pass on to their customers. Times like this, there is nothing wrong in looking after you family, but there is something wrong in depriving the vulnerable.

Bill, I think it was Liverpool's own George Melley who said that, when he was a kid, they were only allowed three sheets of toilet paper per visit: one up, one down, one polisher!

My son had a good idea for the RS. They did not win the Premier League so give them a "Treed Hard" special award similar to a kid in school who gets an award for doing his best even though he came bottom of his class. They could pin the award on the wall or even have an extra copy made to send to Norway.

Anyone who thinks otherwise need only look at his behaviour towards the journalist in his last press conference, before the Atletico game. That is a real Klopp statement.

To further enhance his burgeoning nice guy reputation, he then went on to call his own fans “fucking idiots” whilst they (granted, mistakenly) tried to high-five him when he walked out of the tunnel at the start of their last game.

Him and them deserve everything they get and I am praying that, in these circumstances, that is nothing.

Unfortunately, the devil always looks after his own and alas, I'm certain that will end up being the case.

I'm 51 and it is scandalous that we didn't get to play in the European Cup. That was a fantastic side, so, if Liverpool don't get the Premier League title, I won't shed a tear. I despise that vile club with all my heart.

It certainly was. You never thought it through when you mentioned the boozer invite.

Who would pay for the ale?

Got to be two outcomes:

1. Stop the season at current placing.

2. Void the season and start next season when possible.

Historical precedent and my confirmation bias says option 2!

Moyes was great for the first 5 years, I just wish he had left after the 2009 FA Cup Final. After that, he never seemed interested in taking us forward. Of course, we have discussed this in person many times.

As for him being a Scottish twat, I never doubted you had any intention to insult your own kinsmen. It's a shame that occasionally people get the wrong end of the stick, I'm sure the fella ‘inviting you our' never meant to be offensive!

Shame he couldn't apologise for his mistake, but not everyone is as mild-mannered and polite as you.

This season has 3 months left. The average Ashes tour. Can we put players and staff in hotels for that period and play behind closed doors? Remember, these are fit young men with the medical science teams to back it up. Clubs are training as usual, aren't they?

In three weeks, the virus will still be rising in numbers. No Euros, so the season could recommence in June. A further decision could be made to void next season. This virus is not going away soon. Let's not give up on the season being completed. If it does, so be it... but we will be in the same predicament come the end of August.

The country should be in lockdown now to give the NHS breathing space to put further action plans in place. These are unprecedented times.

That may in fact be the real reason for the current bacterial tract soft-tissue shortage

Therefore, in theory, everybody will be okay in 2 weeks... (unless they show later) and that every club is the same – clear in 2 weeks and that all their ground staff, physios, Uncle Tom Cobbley and all, are all okay. Call it 50 people per club in close contact, times 18 clubs = 900... and all their friends and relatives... we're up over a couple of 1000 people now, spread all over the country and all their points of contact.

They'll want it to be televised if played behind closed doors. So that's 9 TV crews and staff, comentators and pundits.

Sorry, the maths don't support it – won't happen.

They'll be doing well to get it going again in August – with or without the crowds.

On a happier note, all this hand washing and large scale 'social distancing' should see a drop in reportable cases of food poisoning... I expect in 3 or 4 years – if I'm still here to see it – a report castigating the fact that food poisoning is back up to pre-virus levels, as everybody quickly gets out of the habit of washing their hands (and they will; people are lazy).

We will have macro social distancing which will lead to micro personal closeness as we all go into lock-down. This will result in a spike in the birth rate in the New Year.

On the shortage front, I noticed in my supermarket there wasn't an onion to be had – people may be waking up to the fact that they may have all the pasta, but you can't make much with toilet paper.

Any odd shortages by you?

Freezing the league and awarding the title to the Shite will be fought tooth and nail by the bottom 3 clubs, so the only viable option is to declare the season null and void and hope that preseason can start in July. If that is what happened, the pure karma of it would be exquisite. I am already enjoying listening to them squeak now about the injustice of it all.

When governments get involved and declare states of emergency, when flights are grounded! What the Premier League wants to do and gets to do is out of their hands... except awarding the title to Liverpool and all the current league leaders and relegating and promoting all teams in current positions.

Would this be fair? No, clearly not.

Just because Liverpool appear to be the biggest losers in the alternative scenario of a void season shouldn't be a reason for it to not happen. The fact that it would make so many Evertonians happy is just a bonus. Do it.

He discovered on Christmas morning that he was short of an onion for the stuffing, so he used a daffodil bulb instead. He put the whole family in hospital.

They didn’t come out til Spring.

I’ll get my coat.

Trump also panic buying. Tried to buy 100% of German manufacturers Covid-19 vaccine output for $1B. When available presumably

That’s my final Trump comment!