The options to break the Premier League and Football League gridlock and what it means for Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wales
Nothing is off the table ahead of a huge Europe-wide meeting of the most powerful people in football
Sunday 15th March 2020
By Paul Abbandonato
Cardiff City's Neil Harris, Wales boss Ryan Giggs and Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper are awaiting developments
So, when will the football season reconvene?
Will it, in fact, reconvene, be abandoned completely, or permitted to stretch deep into the autumn?
What happens with the Premier League title, the Football League, promotion, relegation and, of course, Euro 2020?
Questions, confusion, uncertainty.
Football Association of Wales boss Jonathan Ford takes part in a UEFA conference call on Tuesday morning which, it is hoped, will at least offer some sort of directive.
Once UEFA have given guidance on the Euros and the Champions League, domestic leagues right across the continent can begin some sort of planning of their own.
I'm told nothing is off the table when it comes to ideas to break the coronavirus impasse, which means lots of left-field options will be put forward for debate.
Premier League bosses will lead the way in the UK when it comes to determining what happens next, but any decision they make has a knock-on effect right down the divisions and the pyramid system as a whole.
We take a look at some of the ideas being mooted....
PLAY ON - CARDIFF CITY AND SWANSEA CITY GET THINGS BACK TO NORMAL ON APRIL 4
With the leagues suspended until April 3 at the earliest, the Bluebirds could be one of the first sides back in action.
Neil Harris' Cardiff are due to travel to Ashton Gate on Saturday, April 4 to take on Bristol City in a lunchtime kick-off.
Steve Cooper's Swansea City host Sheffield Wednesday on the same day with a regular 3pm kick-off time.
There are nine games left for clubs in the Premier League and Championship, a few more for League One teams.
If the go-ahead were given, the season could be crammed in by playing three matches a week to enable the regular Football League season to finish on its intended date of May 2, and the Premier League on May 17.
Cardiff City's Neil Harris (left) and Swansea City's Steve Cooper are still very much in the play-off mix with their respective sides
It would mean a relentless schedule that would test squad strength to the full, but needs must. They would just have to get the games on, mix and match players if necessary,
Because of the depth of their squad, Cardiff could benefit from so many matches back-to-back. Swansea, who don't possess such numbers of experienced men, would be more at a disadvantage.
But, and there is a HUGE but to every scenario, the likelihood of getting back to normal by April 4 would appear slim.
ABANDON THE SEASON - IT'S NULL AND VOID
This is what West Ham chief Karren Brady says must happen, although she has received huge flak for doing so amid accusations of self-interest as the Hammers are in danger of relegation.
Despite everything that has happened to date, the results should be scrapped and the entire 2019-20 campaign written off.
It would, of course, cause most outcry on Anfield because Liverpool's wait for the Premier League title would have to continue, even though they are 25 points clear at the top.
You can't rule out this option, as it might provide a clean break ahead of the new 2020-21 campaign starting as normal in August.
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But once again there are any manner of complications.
Would Liverpool take legal action? What about the huge sums of money spent by Championship pace-setters Leeds in trying to win promotion to the riches of the Premier League?
The knock-on effect, on a different scale, would carry on through the divisions, with potential for any manner of legal cases.
What happens with season tickets and possible refunds?
Brady's plan sounds a simple one. It is anything but.
EXTEND THE SEASON INTO THE SUMMER
This could come into effect if, as expected, we're not up and running again on April 4.
It would mean being able to stretch out games over a greater period of time, enable players to have more rest time.
But if the peak is not to be hit for a few weeks yet, as we are being told by the medics, then who is to say football could possibly be played in April, May and June anyway?
RULE EVERY GAME 0-0
This would, at least, be able to hand out the honours - Liverpool champions, Leeds and West Brom up. Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Norwich relegated. And so on through the leagues.
But, that relegated trio probably wouldn't accept that without a legal challenge.
Nor the teams lower down the divisions who would be relegated, but would also fancy their chances of escaping.
Had the 2014-15 campaign finished at this stage of the season, Leicester City would have gone down. We wouldn't have had the fairlytale that enchanted the football world the following year.
And what about sides chasing play-off spots, like Cardiff and Swansea? They wouldn't accept the status quo readily when there are still 27 promotion points to play for.
Why should they?
PLAY GAMES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Could we see games being played behind closed doors at Cardiff City Stadium and beyond?
This will be considered, even though it would be hugely unpopular amongst fans.
Remember, without spectators, football is nothing.
At least this way the matches would be on, results could be chalked off and we would get a slightly more satisfactory outcome to every division.
The only ones attending would be club staff, close friends of the directors and the media who would have to report on what happens.
But even were the authorities to embark down this route, when on earth could the matches be played, given players and staff are testing positive and needing to go into self-isolation?
NO RELEGATION, A 22-TEAM PREMIER LEAGUE
Paul Barber, Brighton & Hove Albion FC chief executive, put forward a plan on BBC's Football Focus on Saturday
This is being strongly mooted as a way to finish the campaign and crown Liverpool champions.
Well, we did say the Premier League would lead the way on this in the UK.
It was a suggestion floated by Brighton CEO Paul Barber on BBC's Football Focus on Saturday. The Seagulls currently sit just two points above the relegation zone, it should be added.
So, no-one would be relegated, hence avoiding legal challenges, Leeds and West Brom would come up from the Championship as the current top two.
It would mean a 22-team Premier League next season, the League Cup scrapped to accommodate the extra fixtures and five teams relegated in 2020-21.
That would enable the Premier League to revert back to normal with 20 teams for the following 2021-22 campaign.
There is a precedent for this in Chile. Universidad Catolica were 13 points clear last year when the football divisions were abandoned because of violent anti-Government protests.
The title was awarded to them, the two leading teams from the Second Division were promoted and this season there are 18 teams competing, not the usual 16.
But even though this idea is being heavily speculated for the Premier League, what about the huge knock-on effect down the pyramid?
And, again, what about play-off chasing sides, like Cardiff and Swansea, who would be unfairly deprived the opportunity of promotion?
FINISH THE SEASON IN THE AUTUMN/WINTER
This is another idea that is being thrashed around, which at least would enable the season to play out properly when the pandemic has subsided.
It means taking as much time as is necessary to finish every match of the campaign, even if that stretches deep into November, even December.
The players could then have a month off and begin the 2020-21 season in January. But, of course, fixtures would have to be reduced by half, meaning teams only play one another once.
The legal challenges would disappear, but there would be any manner of questions of a different sort.
What happens, for example, to players currently on loan, or whose contracts run out on June 30?
Could the following season really be crammed into just a few months?
Who determines the fairness of which games are home, and which are away?
For example, would the Welsh derby be played at Cardiff City Stadium, or the Liberty Stadium?
And what about season tickets for next season, just when do they go on sale?
The Swans have already publicised theirs. Cardiff were due to do so in the coming days, but that seems likely to be put on hold as no-one knows what is happening.
AND FINALLY, WHAT ABOUT WALES AND EURO 2020?
As we said right at the top of the article, the FAW will participate in a video conference call on Tuesday to determine what happens with the remainder of the season - including Euro 2020.
There will be 55 member states taking part, plus various UEFA bigwigs and lawyers who will take the lead.
The chances of Wales getting much of a say are slim, but Ford will undoubtedly be doing his best.
Nothing is off the table, not even the cancellation of the Euros, although with the sponsorship packages in place that seems unlikely.
It could be moved to December , mirroring the next World Cup, or more likely to the summer of 2021.
What that would mean for Ryan Giggs is anyone's guess. It gives another 12 months for his young guns to develop, Joe Allen will probably be available - but Gareth Bale, still the most pivotal figure in the Welsh set-up, will be a year older.
Whether the tournament remains to be played at 12 different European venues, or is brought under a smaller umbrella, remains to be seen.
Whatever, the decisions taken on Tuesday will set the agenda for what is to follow and when leagues can be completed.
Football has never experienced anything like this before. It['s time for the leaders to lead - but whatever decision they come to, there will probably be just as many unhappy as happy.
So many questions, so difficult to find an answer that suits everyone.
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