Michael Gove on BBC this morning - crowds will not be allowed back into grounds?

Until?

And then, how many?

Will this see an avalanche of closing clubs? The complete uncertainty over revenue would finish off most businesses.

Better go for a few pints now - before BoJo closes them completely!

No crowds for the foreseeable future is the short answer. The Government is not going to sanction crowds in the middle of winter, when according to all the experts Covid is at its worst. With flu and everything else going on the hospitals will be packed as they always are and Johnson and co. won't risk anything that could make it worse.

If the National League is serious about not starting the season without fans in they may as well make it a summer sport - start in March and finish in September. Of course they can't do that and stay in the football pyramid. Looks like streaming live games and charging for them might be the only alternative - I'd rather watch Pools on a computer screen this winter than have them go bust.

People are due to pick up their season tickets tomorrow aren't they? Are they just gonna give them a refund there and then?

Streaming is the only alternative and that was obvious weeks ago as said here.
Get it organised NL.

Not looking good is it. I don't get how 300 are allowed to attend Northern League games either , when clubs further up arent allowed any fans. Surely one size should fit all?.

It probably will lead to clubs folding, many were folding anyway, nothing to do with Covid.

It has always amazed me how in the UK we have so many full time pro clubs and leagues. maybe it clubs are to survive they will need to cut thier cloth and be ran more like clubs below the top 2 divisions in Spain, Germany, Holland etc, part time community owned clubs that play at municipal sites such as Grayfields

Fair point Mr H - surely the long term fear is that UK football looks similar to US football - few pro clubs and few can play it in an organised way after school.

Fairly organised in Holland, Germany etc, just without the fanfare we have in the UK, plemty of clubs, but more like our Hartlepool FC than Hartlepool United. More community based affairs rather than a hobby horse for millionaires. We have been spoiled in this country and maybe this will enforce change to within our system

I guess the only sensible solution would be to stream games until the turn of the year, when there is a possibility of a vaccine being available.

No, because the government won't say how long it will be before fans can go back:
'Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Gove confirmed plans for a staged return of fans would be "paused".'
That's a long way short of saying the season is cancelled, so no club in its right mind will be handing money back.

it would hardly be revolutionary having just 2 fully pro leagues. more like back to the early 20,s before league division 3 north and south were introduced. actually could take that with more regionalised non league structures around where clubs like pools could settle down still playing competitive football that they could actually afford.

the only thing he did not say was paused until what. when and in what citcumstances will they allow us back. if they are waiting for only a handful of confirmed cases on a daily basis, then i am feeling we are in for a long wait.

The beauty of the English football pyramid is the hardened supporters who support their local teams across the country, across all levels.

Catastrophic if lost. By all accounts national league seem reluctant to provide a paid for streaming service so i'm not sure what happens next. A NL board meeting is called for this week.

3. Liga. Germany
Looks nowt like grayfields, maybe the rec, lol

https://us.soccerway.com/teams/germany/fc-hansa-rostock-ev/969/
https://us.soccerway.com/teams/germany/fc-ingolstadt-04/5476/
https://us.soccerway.com/teams/germany/sg-dynamo-dresden/995/

Is this the same goverment that said get yaselves to the pub and have a meal as well
we will go 50/50 on the meal.

me smells a rat. a 2 e.

Just got my season ticket through the post. Gonna be a collector's item in years to come...

When the big clubs realise that they can get more money per match by streaming, they just may back a delay in live audiences. They could attract audiences of well over a million worldwide and perhaps tens of millions, who knows.
Big games between big clubs will attract big money, really big money.
Is this a fantasy???/ Maybe or maybe not.

I would agree that the clubs with a decent fan base like Pools who have supporters all over the world (ex pats etc) would probably do well with streaming at £5/£10 a match but as said before BT have the tv rights so unless BT relent or are forced to do something the clubs will go down the pan. But then BT would have nothing to broadcast.
I heard the clubs in the NL get little from the BT deal per season........does anyone know?

I cannot see the return of full (ish) crowds till the start of 2022/23 season giving the way this virus is working and past experiences with Spanish flu. In fact with the virus in 1918 there were no real restriction or controls or lockdown to slow it and it simply swept through the population taking who it was going to take and it died out 2 years later. Therefore 2022/23 may be a bit optimistic. Clubs at our level cannot survive this. Action plan required. Part time/regionalisation/streaming etc etc etc etc

See below;

Some things in life are bad they can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewin' on life's gristle, don't grumble give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best

And always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the light side of life

If life seems jolly rotten there's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing
When you're feeling in the dumps don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing

And always look on the bright side of life
Come on, always look on the bright side of life

For life is quite absurd and death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin, give the audience a grin
Enjoy it it's your last chance anyhow

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit when you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true
You'll see it's all a show keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you

And always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the right side of life
Come on Brian, cheer up

Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life
Worse things happen at sea you know

Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life

Might not be as unlikely as you think - BT did it a few months ago for the NL North and South play-offs:
https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/conference-premier/31082/bt-sport-will-live-stream-all-national-league-north-and-south-play-offs/

When BT's coverage of the NL started they only paid the home club £7k and the away side a paltry £1k. I seem to remember it went up slightly when they renewed the deal a few years ago - maybe £8k now?

Lets hope so Mr Flying as i can see it as the only way of moving forward. Do you know how much "per year" the clubs get from BT i heard its only £12k but i may be wrong?

Just seen this and Yeovil Town chairmans says they get £80k per year.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/22/government-to-act-to-help-elite-sports-clubs-facing-financial-ruin

Is that all? £80k. Streaming Pools at 3000 worldwide at £10 gets more than your money back after 3 games..................................

More reason for Pools to get their act together and get flogging replica strips, centenary bar open on weekends and ask fans if they wish to buy a ST even though there is little chance of seeing a game live , and any other ideas to raise revenue

I feel we have left it too late though. I dont think we even have the money to purchase a batch of strips at 18 quid each to sell for 40 quid each

Don't think the club are paupers just yet Mr H. 1,500 season tickets should have brought in £350,000- £375,000 taking concessions into account. Plus £30,000k for the fans/ budget booster that can't have been spent yet, £80,000 from the National League (though there's no knowing when that gets handed over)... Wasn't there something in the Mail about the new merchandise hopefully finally arriving out 'this week'?

If only the club was paying someone to tell fans what the f**k is going on. Seems not to be in Mr Jesper's JD. Thinks have slipped an awful long way since Simmo was sorting out a weekly laugh in on Pools TV with Batesy, Hignett and Maguire.

ST money wont last long . usually gone by November in a normal season, players will need paying, and no other revenue coming in, doesnt bode well. The Budget booster was raised to buy a player was it not? not to cover running costs, though it may be better spent on buying some replica strips the club can then sell on at a profit. not that they will be popular if fans arent allowed into games until Easter , if the season is played at all

Looks like Pools n Stockport have played a blinder selling a decent amount of STs compared to the rest of the national League.
Obviously these fans won't be getting refunds.
Free live streaming will be the refunds.
Add in the live streaming revenues from our non ST holders and maybe like has been said get the club shop revenues STRIPS etc sorted then we should be ok to survive for this season which obviously won't be the case for the poor supported non League clubs.
Pools get promoted back to the football league without any fans at the Vic.
Eh
I read that a Sunderland fan travelled to Oxford on satday to watch the game over the fence on top of a metal wheelie bin.

[quote="kevin pooles gloves"]
Pools get promoted back to the football league without any fans at the Vic.

you can actually see thar happening and winning at an empty wembley.

I'd settle for that over staying in the NL for another season. If the fans were in Pools would probably blow it.

Latest from Durham FA

no spectators at games below National League level, so that's Northern League and Sunday League etc

https://www.durhamfa.com/news/2020/sep/23/return-to-football---covid-19-restrictions---update-23-september-2020

Some were stood on step ladders that were on the roof of a van

Very selective in your choice of clubs there , like our Sunderland and Portsmouths in league 1 ( old div 3)

Below the major leagues in those countries, and go into the regionalised leagues, and its very much as I describe, though the grounds and facilities tend to be much better than Grays, but that tells you everything you need to know about our country

a lot of this is due to arrogance that exists throught the game in britain. we invented it, we know what should be done etc. etc. lots of these countries have smaller clubs in their non league structure and not playing on park pitches. small athletic stadiums with a football pitch and litte stands for fans. think of the keepmoat stadium at doncaster and that small pitch outside the away end. places like this have been derided for years as unsuitable for football where the crumbling viv of years ago were considered fine. we have this holy grail of 92 major league clubs with the majority losing thousands a year and god knows what their total debt of em all is. take their TV money away there would not be many left even with high entry costs at all of em.

National League hedging their bets over the season starting on 3rd October in hopes that the government will announce a funding package in the next few days

Following a meeting of its Board of Directors this afternoon, the following update is issued on behalf of The National League:

"In recognition of the financial uncertainty facing its member clubs, The National League is actively engaged with Government, with the assistance of The Football Association, to secure a critical financial support package, and it is hoped this can be announced very soon.

It is imperative the revenue shortfall caused by the pause to the safe return of spectators is responsibly addressed so each club can operate sustainably over the course of the forthcoming season."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54281233

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54266862

Boris pledges 340 million quid to WHO to help investigate the origins of covid so there shud b a bit of cash in his pocket to enable the national League clubs all survive and start the season next week. .
The bigger issue is will it get finished due to covid n bad weather postponements.
Already 2 games of in league 2 today (covid).

Is PPG on its way again.

Yes can see PPG will decide things at the end of the season.

Sorry haha
.Ya know I meant bfor the end of season is completed.

Hope u not the new PJ .haha.

Over 500 at Matlock today.
2 divisions below Pools.
Hope they all had masks on.
When we getting back in the Vic!

Sunak's new furlough scheme runs till the end of March, with a review in January.

The way things look with Covid at the minute, some fans might get back in for games in April and May. But only 'might.'

forget this season folks. looking for august 2021 as an optimistic guess.

Does anybody have any insight to how much it costs to stream games & how much profit it generates?

Whilst lots of households have reduced incomes due to furlough etc., the amount of private debt across the nation has been falling over the last 6 months & the national savings rate has increased. With restricted opportunities to spend on the leisure & hospitality industries, an element of thrift has returned.

I'm not saying Pools streaming service isn't up to scratch, & at least it remained on for the whole match, unlike Chesterfield's & Maidenhead's outages. So if Pools can produce reliable streaming, then is there a realistic prospect of a reasonable number of away supporters paying per view?

Surely a few more Bromley & Altrincham fans will sign up than would have made the trip for Tuesday night games? The big cash generators could be the games against Wrexham, Stockport & Halifax in November & December. Admittedly there will be no profits from the bars, but every additional sign-up must generate extra profit for Pools?

And hopefully our results so far will encourage more non-season ticket holders to sign up to view Tuesday's game

Listened to it on the radio yesterday, use it or lose it.

So did I, the Club's broadcast anyway. Alex is learning quickly and I enjoyed the input from Robbie Stelling. For the time being I'll just stick to paying for home games to help with our finances.

Would be nice to know the livestream numbers.
Obviously if we can maintain form then it should grow as the season goes on.

The new lockdown hpool rules were households can't mix shud up it a bit.
Guessing we had about a 1000 streamers for Aldershot game 10 grand.
ST holders shud b given a £50 voucher for the club shop as a good will gesture.

As for getting fans back in the ground.
Government need to come up with a solution to get the R rate back down to when the pilot schemes were in place.Dont think anyone contacted covid who attended these events.

UTP.

I also listened to the club broadcast and was very impressed by Robbie Stelling. The lad has a future in broadcasting. I do wish that Max would stop calling us Pooels.

For Max read Alex

Nepotism - the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs

Same. I don't know where Max came from. Corrected now. Sorry Max....I mean Alex.Doh!.

I'll go with this.

As you know i took this Pandemic more serious than anybody on here at beginning..ffs even the resident Scientist on here at time didn't believe me. .