Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Many clubs will just be happy to be in existence and playing in August. Neither seems guaranteed for many.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Even the mighty Barcelona are considering a pay cut of up to 70% for all of their players for as long as the coronavirus lockdown lasts in Spain but talks are still ongoing between the club and the players.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Tbh a pay cut for players paid by the million won't hurt too much. Those at the bottom rung of professional football is a different matter. Barnet have already made loads of redundancies and look to be on brink.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Indeed Barnet won't be the only smaller club that will feel the effects of this sadly.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Ridiculous

Noone knows when this situation will ease it will probably be months.

What should be happening is next season's leagues are cancelled.

Play all the rest of this seasons games throughout next season.

Play all next seasons cup competitions.

Noone loses out or gains unfairly.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

l quite agree Julian as its whether they have got the will to do that.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Money from sky etc will decide unfortunately Den. :(

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Premier League notified of Saudi Arabia bid for Newcastle United.

Seems like they're taking advantage of the current situation :erm: They're also proposing Ashley might be at the highest point for selling and will use the liquid cash from a sale to basically exploit the struggling retail businesses around the UK into selling up. Given that Frasers Group aren't in a position to invest directly.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Of course less than a few hours later, Newcastle become presumably the first club to send all their staff home and take advantage of the government's 80% wage payout. This being one of only a handful of clubs to turn profit and stay net debt free over the years. Expected nothing less from Mike Ashley.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

The Athletic report Saudi Arabia takeover of Newcastle United is agonisingly close. A deal a year in the making is coming to an end.

They're making me start to believe it. :erm:

Edit: Newcastle submit paperwork to Premier League regarding sale of club.

This is timed to avoid public backlash. They've literally used the current situation to quickly buy up a football club.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Never mind, Gateshead need some support, get behind them ? It'll be cheaper and more fun. :)

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

It's as close as its ever going to be. At no point has paperwork been submitted to the League in any other takeover attempt. Sources say Ashley is finally a willing seller and both Newcastle and PIF (Saudi) have submitted the takeover to the Premier League.

Fit and proper persons test has to be completed.
The deal has to be drawn up and signed.

How does Saudi Arabia pass a fit and proper persons test?

Money or Staveley goes through it in place. The structure of the bid is 10% Staveley, 10% Reubens and 80% Saudi Arabia.

This will be the first time Saudi Arabia have purchased a sports venture though their public means rather than Shell and investment vehicles.

This would also make Newcastle the richest club in world football by some distance.

On top of this, it's thought Red Bull are scouting out a Premier League team and are waiting for a potential deal collapse and/or are looking at West Ham United.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

One thing that there does seem to be a growing moral clamour for is Premiership managers and players to take pay cuts for as long is needed during the Coronavirus pandemic crisis as Barcelona have just done.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

Seems to me like talks with Sky and the PL aren't going the way the PL needed them to go. Talks of withholding TV money which is the core element of a clubs income.

Re: Season 2019/2020 Football
 

I guess Sky reckon if customers are withholding their sport subscriptions, then their are going to withhold their money to the PL. I'm guessing that both Sky and the PL clubs will still exist after all this is over; clubs further down the pyramid might not be so lucky. Maybe its time the ludicrous level of tv money/players wages were reviewed anyway - it's all got silly with the obscene amounts.