How the 2020-21 season could be crammed in and the impact it could have on Portsmouth

Pompey will not return to action until April 30 at the earliest because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

There remains a commitment to complete the 2019-20 season in all divisions – from League Two right up to the Premier League.

But with that now due to finish extremely late– and UEFA committed to holding the European Championship in June 2021 – it may mean adjustments are needed to the 2020-21 club fixture list.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Here, The News, in partnership with the PA news agency, looks at some suggestions for how next season could be streamlined to get the calendar back on track and how it could impact on the Blues.

One-leg European knock-out ties

Although European football hasn’t been seen at Fratton Park since the 2008-09 season when the mighty AC Milan rocked up at Fratton Park, how Europe’s top club competitions are decided impacts on all tiers of the game moving forward.

As a result, this season’s competitions may have to adapt a one-leg approach from the last-eight onwards in order to minimise travel and get the tournaments completed.

And it may be something that needs to continue in 2020-21 as well, from the last 16 in the Champions League and last 32 in the Europa League.

Pompey captain Tom Naylor leads Pompey out for their recent game against Peterborough in League OnePompey captain Tom Naylor leads Pompey out for their recent game against Peterborough in League One
Pompey captain Tom Naylor leads Pompey out for their recent game against Peterborough in League One
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

European football's governing body, Uefa, has already indicated a willingness to drop restrictions on other competitions being played on European football nights, and that may well need to continue in the event of winter postponements in domestic competitions.

Drop the mid-season player break

The break was introduced to the Premier League this season with the best of intentions.

But given the current lay-off and a short gap anticipated between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, perhaps for one season players could manage without it, especially alongside other measures to curb the fixture list.

After Bournemouth took their winter break following a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United on February 9, they had played 30 times this season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They have also lined up only three times since at Bramall Lane outing.

Two tiers below them in the football ladder, Pompey had already clocked up 41 games by the same date.

They have also played nine games since during a season that has seen 50 Blues matches to date.

Revise the structure of the Premier League

Ten matches could be cut out of the season if teams played each other once, and after 19 matches the competition split into two 10-team groups with a further nine matches each to determine the title and European places at one end and relegation at the other.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Clubs would lose revenue and television contracts would need to be altered, but no solution will be perfect.

Scrap all FA Cup replays

Dropping replays from the first round onwards - for one season at least - would relieve pressure on the fixture schedule for Premier League, EFL and National League clubs.

The draw should be done as normal, but perhaps the lowest-ranked club in each tie should be given the option of playing at home or away, whichever is thought to maximise their income.

The Blues sailed through to the fifth round of this season’s FA Cup without the need for any replays.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They beat Championship opposition Birmingham and QPR in the League Cup before exiting the third round against Southampton – again, all without replays.

Rest the EFL's cup competitions?

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said earlier this month - even before the pandemic - that it ‘would be better for everyone’ in England if the Carabao Cup was scrapped.

Perhaps the EFL could be compensated to do just that for one season, or other tweaks could be considered - allowing teams who are in Europe to give the competition a miss, for instance.

Such a ruling applied this term would have denied many fans the opportunity to experience the south coast derby, when Southampton took on the Blues back in September.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But that, perhaps, maybe wouldn’t have been a bad thing given the 4-0 scoreline!

Dropping the semi-final to one-leg ties would also be an easy win in the circumstances.

Meanwhile, the Leasing.com Trophy, for one season, might also need to take a back seat, with the 48 League One and Two clubs struggling to cram in a 46-match league campaign.

Pompey are, of course, scheduled to play Salford in this year’s final, with a new date yet to be decided.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, if the Blues win promotion to the Championship, it’s a competition we’ll all probably be glad to see the back of – irrespective of the memories of last season’s penalty shoot-out win against Sunderland.

Agree on a new contingency model

All league competitions should agree with their member clubs ahead of the season what would happen in the event of something similarly catastrophic occurring in future.

Perhaps locking in that, in the event of no further play being possible , member clubs accept that their league position at the point of suspension is final to avoid ugly legal disputes.

Had that ruling been enforce at the start of this season, Pompey would miss out on promotion to the Championship this term given their position of fourth in the League One table when the current suspension was put in place.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.