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Most people on here that know me personally will know I have worldly views that others would use to label me as a conspiracy theorist.


I don't want a debate on politics or alternative theories but after studying what's going on in the world I'm genuinely of the opinion that professional football as we know it is finished. I've concentrated so hard on Uncle Clarke I didn't really seriously consider the outcome of current events. Millions are set to lose jobs, peoples disposable income will diminish even further as the economy crashes and we head into a depression. Social distancing is going to be a recurring theme, Clubs like ours just aren't going to survive that.

Can anyone offer me some hope?

Southampton Gull wrote: ↑24 Mar 2020, 14:50 Can anyone offer me some hope?

Twenty years ago, we still had Steve Jobs. Johnny Cash and Bob Hope.

Now we have no Jobs, no Cash, and no Hope.

Trojan 67 wrote: ↑24 Mar 2020, 18:55 Twenty years ago, we still had Steve Jobs. Johnny Cash and Bob Hope.

Now we have no Jobs, no Cash, and no Hope.

Said this right from the start on this forum, others and various social media platforms, when I saw some being critical of premier clubs wealth, and others saying, just null and void the season the only fair way, there was not a bigger picture to see here, there was a picture the size of the grand canyon, by and large got ignored everywhere.

Lets just concentrate on England, but this applies over the globe, the Premiership as we all know have millions if not billions of pounds in TV rights deals and sponsorship, the money men behind all of that will not at the end of this say, ok, this virus outbreak was exceptional circumstances, don't worry, crack on with it.

Money men true to form will either want, what they paid for, or they will want their money back, so that would leave a billion pound black hole in the premiership budget hopefully the penny with all fans will drop on the consequences of that, Manchester city could get relegated with a billion in the bank, but there's a number of medium and smaller sized premiership clubs facing the same uncertain future (not being able to meet interest repayments etc) that clubs at our level now face.

Then there's the lawsuits, football is game no longer of the working class, it's a game of very rich pickings. Leicester City almost certain to qualify for the champions league believed to be worth 11million pounds on it's own, they're going want compensation if denied, Leeds and West Brom looking certain for promotion to the premiership believed to be worth 50 million pounds, they're going want compensation, probably from the F.A, leaving them with a dirty great black hole in their budget, and these cases will filter all the way down the leagues.

The cost to football in this country alone will run into the billions, If football at the top of it's structure fails, the game itself will fold in like a deck of cards.

So unless a way of completing season 2019-20 can be found, personally can't offer any hope, and got it right from the start, the footballing map will look very different.

For football to survive the season has to be completed.
There is, after all, no rush with the (be all and end all) Euro's being cancelled.
If they decide that its the end of the season, the only way teams like ours - and those also higher up the pyramid - will survive is maybe by way of
playing matches in some way/format - perhaps friendlies???
Whichever way its done, football has to be played.

This season isn't going to restart. They've cancelled the biggest sporting event in the works so forget that. Even if it did, even if it was scrapped and we start afresh next season there are going to be reinfections and more social distancing invoked.

I think Sky have been conditioning everyone to watching football indoors on TV. I think even the Premiership will be played in empty stadiums, at our level I fear that's the final nail in the coffin.

My own thoughts are that the vast majority of Premier League and EFL clubs will likely bounce back with TV money next season. Maintaining professional football in the League below seems a much trickier prospect. More so than ever.

Sadly, Dave, I think you are right. As far as football below the Premiership is concerned this is a Year Zero. I fear most professional clubs below that level will fold but rebuilding will happen, perhaps for the better. If, in future, football is rebuilt on the basis of what is sustainable that could be a good thing but footballers themselves - even at the top - have got to get used to massively reduced wages if it is to be successful.

Southampton Gull, i personally believe that Torquay will come out of this OK. I'm sure that the clubs wage bill will be covered by the governments 80% wage guarantee scheme and with uncle Clarke having put 3-4 million pounds into the club, i'm sure he's not going to walk away. Yes i do think that many clubs will struggle but how many lower league clubs have seen the investment that uncle Clarke has put into our beloved club.

I mentioned on an earlier thread that before this pandemic Torquay was on a form of life support being reliant on one individual for our continued existence, we are not alone in this situation with many clubs in leagues one and two and most certainly in our league being in a similar or worse position. Football in the lower leagues going forward will have to change to survive and in a very perverse way this may be the catalyst for change.
We know the premier has for many seasons hoovered up all the power and money and will be very reluctant to give away any of these commodities even if it is for the good of the game. They see the domestic game as a hindrance and the emphasis is on Europe more and more.
For the next few years once corona has been controlled getting money out of any bank for whatever reason will be a virtual impossibility, so football clubs relying on the local bank manager for a revolving and continuous overdraft will cease to be, overall football must adapt or die.
Part time football in out league will become the norm, bringing back regionalisation of league two and the national would have massive cost savings and also much bigger crowds, feeder clubs will start slowly but gather pace if a model can be found that protects the identity and independence of the lower club.
Footballers in our league on a 1000 and 1500 a week is something we will look back on and comment that this madness only contributed to our own and many other clubs downfall.
Football is over for this season, August as a re start is very ambitious , our summer football chats will not be around who may sign for the following season but about clubs going to the wall.
We will be back next season , whether we recognise what we are back as is another matter.

Southampton Gull wrote: ↑25 Mar 2020, 00:40 This season isn't going to restart. They've cancelled the biggest sporting event in the works so forget that. Even if it did, even if it was scrapped and we start afresh next season there are going to be reinfections and more social distancing invoked.

I think Sky have been conditioning everyone to watching football indoors on TV. I think even the Premiership will be played in empty stadiums, at our level I fear that's the final nail in the coffin.

I hope I'm right Dave and not you.
But, if you are, it wont be just clubs like ours that disappear - I believe it affect clubs even in the championship.

I agree mate but I'm only worrying about my own club. I was too young to remember who we played on my first visit to Plainmoor but I hope I don't now have the memory of my last visit being the final one.

dawlishmatt wrote: ↑25 Mar 2020, 07:39 Southampton Gull, i personally believe that Torquay will come out of this OK. I'm sure that the clubs wage bill will be covered by the governments 80% wage guarantee scheme and with uncle Clarke having put 3-4 million pounds into the club, i'm sure he's not going to walk away.

Disagree with you. Yes Uncle Clarke has sunk money into the club for reasons we do not know, but it is certainly done with an eye to future profits. When this crisis is over the economic landscape will look different. Whatever Osborne was considering before may no longer be financially viable and like all money men he will be looking to switching his funds into newer opportunities that present themselves.

Plainmoor78, I agree with you concerning Clarke Osborne, he has no interest in football and is only investing in the club to make a huge profit. He obviously isn't going to make any money through the football club, hence the 5 year plan. Osborne stated at the clubs AGM that his five year plan is now on hold, but I still think he's in it for the long term, he'll make his millions on a new stadium complex and no doubt hundreds of houses, ref the Swindon stadium project for example, which is now underway.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52039174

Looks like the clubs want the season to end now.