They say out of adversity comes opportunity, but to be able to see those opportunities can sometimes be hard.
There are many who want to see local sport back being played. The players want to play, the coaches want to coach, and no doubt the referees want to referee. The administrators want play to begin as once again they will have revenue from fees and fines.
In some sports, and especially football the people stuck in the middle of this are the clubs. Some have signed to pay players for the coming season. Yet with only a limited number of fans allowed, and the possibility that the bar and canteen will not be allowed to open the only revenue that they have coming in will be from sponsors. Yet that could be heavily reduced due to the fact that there will be no fans.
So what can be done to make this a win/win situation?
If it is just about playing, being able to go back out there and do something that you love to do, then any player worth his salt would be happy to waive payment for this season to help their club, and the game. They would certainly be prepared to negotiate. This is not a professional league in which people rely on their income from football to live. As one ex pro who graced the WA State League wisely said “if you are playing in this league for the money, you are playing for the wrong reasons.”
Football West clearly want to try and resume some form of competition. That is understandable, and that is their role. However can the league competitions as we know them go ahead under the same rules as previous years? There has been talk that that is the goal, but that there will be no promotion and relegation. Something that appears to most as an unsatisfactory solution. So what are the options?
If the clubs have no income to pay their players they are faced with essentially two choices. The first is that they stand up and state that they cannot afford to participate. Most would not judge them on that in 2020. If that is the case they should be given a year to put their house in order to be a part of the competition in 2021. Just as in the War years players could be loaned to other clubs who participate in a competition.
Sadly many clubs have for many years lived beyond their means, and if in a year’s time it means that a club has to fall away then such is life. Every league around the world has seen teams disappear. Many have famously bounced back such as Accrington Stanley and AFC Wimbledon. If there is a community behind the club they will bounce back. Unfortunately this is part of life’s rich tapestry, as one falls by the wayside another comes to the fore. The king is dead, long live the king!
Another option for the clubs this year to play promotional matches to showcase the game. Ideally they would play two matches home and away with the result based on aggregate against key opponents. For example Stirling Lions v Floreat Athena. (Irrespective of the fact they are in different divisions now). This fixture would attract sponsorship from those communities, money that could be split between the two clubs, to help cover their costs. With the games live-streamed and the supporting company given advertising within the stream it would be a win for all concerned. Giving the sponsor exposure to a captive audience, bring in revenue to the clubs, and also promote the passion of the local competition.
Another alternative could be that clubs do not pay players, but instead put down say $1000 each prior to each game, and the winner takes all. The loser has nothing and in the event of a draw they keep their money. That money is then split amongst the players. So they only receive money if they perform.
They key issue in all of this is whether the clubs want to participate, or can afford to. This is not about bravado, this is about safeguarding their future. Just as was written in Sacrifice or Choice about the professional sports, the club and any player who wishes not to play in 2020 should not be penalised, as these are different times. We must protect the integrity of the game and those running the clubs must at this point in time do what is best for their club.
If a decision is made for a competition to go ahead, it must be a one-off competition for 2020, not the regular season. Especially if not all games can be played under the normal home and away season format. To have a hybrid home and away season and crown a team Champion would forever damage the integrity of the competition.
We have been told that weather and Covid-19 permitting there should be 16 weeks of competition able to be completed.
In all three of the semi-professional leagues there are 12 teams. Assuming that all teams in each division wish to play, why not draw from each of these divisions two pools of six teams. These teams play each other home and away over 10 weeks.
At the end of the ten weeks you could have the top two in each group crossover and play a finals series; so top plays second in the alternative group. With a final the following week. IF you wished to extend that to the top three in each pool then that could be done too.
This abbreviated competition would give Football West the opportunity to attract new sponsors for each division. If packaged well with live-streaming and branding it would be an attractive proposition to a company. However the streaming would need to be of a high quality to keep the sponsors involve din the game.
By not playing the regular season the contracts – if there are any – between clubs and players would be void as the competition would be different from the one that they had signed up to play in. So a clean slate would exist between the club and the players for 2020 and enable all to negotiate terms that were feasible and agreeable.
This is only a suggestion. However you feel that 2020 has to be treated very differently to any other season, as the league cannot be played under the same conditions. So why try and continue with that?
Why not try something different? Why not try and come up with an option that attracts new sponsors, that is a little different that may pique people’s interest?
