Manchester City: Behind Closed Doors?

As a Manchester City match going fan I am feeling the loss of football even though I know there are things which are more important.

The thing is I may have moaned about Manchester City quite a lot over the years, but right now I would happily settle for watching Lee Bradbury, or even a Stuart Pearce home game.

I know of course the reasons why football has been suspended following the global pandemic of coronavirus. However, that does not mean I should feel happy. In fact I am not afraid to say that I feel a little lost without the usual daily intake of Manchester City.

It has been one of those pillars by which I have lived my life. One of the great constants. Reassuring and annoying in equal measure, and for many years truly disappointing as well.

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Right now and in the days ahead there will be discussions ongoing about how the rest of the 2019/20 football season can be played. And I want to ensure my voice, and the voice of match going fans is heard in the debate.

There is an inexorable demand to ensure Liverpool are crowned following their 30 years of hurt which is being played out in the media and carried by the fan boys and paid stooges. Yet that may be difficult to achieve for reasons of virus management and sporting integrity.

The reality of the situation is it is unlikely matches will resume before Summer 2020, and even that may be optimistic. Predictions in the UK suggest the coronavirus may peak in around 12 weeks and gradually subside.

Completing the existing Premier League season by the end of June 2020 would appear to be a tall order. If the season runs on longer than that then there are serious repercussions for the 2020/21 calendar.

Even running until 30 June will cause all sorts of issues from practical considerations such as player contracts and match day staff contracts, to issues over Stadium availability, given a busy schedule of planned Summer music concerts at many Premier League grounds.

The longer the season takes to complete, then the more the sporting integrity of the competition is called into question. Simply put there is a point reached where it is better to sacrifice one season played rather than several.

I should probably say that although I find some amusement in the impact upon Liverpool supporters, that I consider the best solution is if a way can be found to complete our current season.

My concern as a matchgoing fan though is that in the haste and clamour to crown Liverpool, the powers that be will decide to play games behind closed doors. That would be a practical option to keep TV sponsors happy.

Yet, it would say loud and clear that to the people in charge that match going fans were entirely disposable in football. In those circumstances I am not sure why anyone would want to pay to go again.

Solutions have to be found to settle the 2019/20 season but to preserve the sporting integrity those solutions have to include games played in front of spectators.

If that cannot be achieved in the time scale required then harsh choices have to be made. But those will have to be to void the season- as happened in other times of national crisis such as war time.

None of these alternatives are very palatable but neither is the prospect of the season being declared complete as it stands. That would make a mockery of the competition and stack up decades worth of legal challenges to the decision.

My plea is for decision makers to listen to the fans. Without fans, football is nothing. If you decide to play without us, it would be unforgiveable.

So, Manchester City, it is time to fight our corner.

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