'Some
people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed
with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than
that.'
Bill Shankly,
Manager of Liverpool FC (1959-1974)
COVID-19: what
would Bill Shankly do (and say?)
As we head into a pandemic induced sport-less
weekend, we can draw some comfort and get some direction from what our current sporting
heroes are saying, and we can speculate on what sporting heroes of the past
might say if they were still with us.
Among the many quotes attributed to Bill Shankly,
the above one relating to life and death is perhaps the most widely quoted and
misquoted, and never more relevant than at a time like right now. Of course
Bill Shankly had a wonderful sense of humour and his comment was made firmly
tongue in cheek. And when he made that comment, Shankly could never have
foreseen Heysel or Hillsborough - such tragedies would surely have broken his
heart. Nor could he have guessed that a deadly virus would one day spread
throughout the world and bring English football to a halt, right at the
business end of a season when the title was within the grasp of his beloved
Liverpool.
We can only guess at Shankly’s reaction to the
current postponement of football, but considering his mischievous side, he
might have started off by raising a query about the 1914-1915 season, when a
football season was controversially allowed to continue and finish despite the
onset of the First World War. With Everton coming out as eventual champions in
1915, Shankly would have derived pleasure from asking for that season to be
retrospectively scrapped. However, after an initial few witty comments, I’m
sure he would have accepted the ruling gracefully and then promptly developed a
whole range of novel home-based training techniques to keep his team socially
distanced, occupied and fit to restart the season at any point. He is also likely to have issued some words of caution, concern and encouragement for football fans and the public in general, drawing on those pragmatic socialist principles that always guided him.
Jürgen Klopp - next UK Prime Minister?
Half a century after Bill Shankly’s life/death comment,
another iconic Liverpool manager has released a statement in the context of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the initial postponement of all football (that postponement
now extended to April 30th at the least). In his statement
(contradicting Snakly’s witticism), Klopp has reminded us all that football is,
in his words, merely ‘the most important of the least important things’. And reading
the statement has been a source of comfort and a grounding experience for
Liverpool fans and probably all football fans. Such has been the impact of the
statement on professional wind-bag Russell Brand that he has suggested that
Klopp replace Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister.
Jürgen Klopp
2019-2020
season - what lies in store?
So regarding this most important of the least
important things, where is the 2019-2020 English football season at? The truth
is that the picture is changing rapidly and no one really knows. However, the good
old BBC Sport website provides regular and comprehensive updates and I’ve found
myself clicking in there on a daily basis, just like I would in more normal
times when looking for updates on results, team selection, upcoming fixtures, etc.
In their most recent analysis, the bottom line is
that the BBC has concluded that the season will restart in early May in order
to be completed by the end of June. This bottom line has been reached after
considering a myriad of factors relating not just to the Premier league but
also to the other competitions that remain unfinished.
Factors in favour of a restart and finish of the
current season include the fact that so many other football competitions have
been cancelled completely (Euro 2020 and the Copa America have been put back to
2021), meaning that space is being created to finish domestic football. And it
appears that most if not all Premier League clubs want to complete the season
(despite those calls from the West Ham vice-chairperson to have the season
declared ‘null and void’). The likelihood is that, even if the season is
restarted in May, matches will be played behind closed doors with no fans
attending and strict protocols preventing fans from gathering outside or near
football grounds.
Remember too that it’s not just Liverpool who will
want to get this season restarted and finished properly. In the Premier League
alone, teams like Sheffield United and Wolves are making very strong pushes for
the dizzy heights of Champions League spots. Then there’s the multiple possibilities
of promotion and relegation still to play for between the Premier League,
Championship and so on down the football league hierarchy. Leeds and West Brom
look odds on for promotion to the Premier League next season - they certainly
won’t want the whole thing scrapped now. And the same goes for Coventry in
League One and any of the top five in League Two, from Crewe to Cheltenham and
maybe even further down.
Why an early
May restart?
While Liverpool are focussed on nine remaining
Premier League matches (only two of which must be won to secure the title), teams such as our two rivals in Manchester could have 18 or 19 games left this season, considering
other competitions beyond the Premier League. So in order to have all
competitions finished by the end of June, early May is the latest date for
a feasible restart.
And why an end date of June 30th? Sponsorship
deals and player contracts are generally wound up by June 30th,
hence this date is being viewed as the latest feasible finishing date for the
season, considering also the need for a few weeks break before the start of the
2020-2021 season.
However, considering how the
COVID-19 situation is changing and escalating on a daily basis, with corresponding
changes in social restrictions and government policy, we really don’t know if
or when the 2019-2020 football season will be finished.
So in the absence of
any certainty, I leave you with the wise words of the great Mr. Klopp, in his
statement issued on March 13th:
I don’t think this is a moment where the thoughts
of a football manager should be important, but I understand for our supporters
they will want to hear from the team and I will front that.
First and foremost, all of us have to do whatever
we can to protect one another. In society I mean. This should be the case all
the time in life, but in this moment I think it matters more than ever.
I’ve said before that football always seems the
most important of the least important things. Today, football and football
matches really aren’t important at all.
Of course, we don’t want to play in front of an
empty stadium and we don’t want games or competitions suspended, but if doing
so helps one individual stay healthy - just one - we do it no questions asked.
If it’s a choice between football and the good of
the wider society, it’s no contest. Really, it isn’t.
Today’s decision and announcement is being
implemented with the motive of keeping people safe. Because of that we support
it completely. We have seen members of teams we compete against become ill.
This virus has shown that being involved in football offers no immunity. To our
rival clubs and individuals who are affected and to those who later will become
so, you are in our thoughts and prayers.
None of us know in this moment what the final
outcome will be, but as a team we have to have belief that the authorities make
decisions based on sound judgement and morality.
Yes, I am the manager of this team and club and
therefore carry a leadership responsibility with regards to our future on the
pitch. But I think in the present moment, with so many people around our city,
the region, the country and the world facing anxiety and uncertainty, it would
be entirely wrong to speak about anything other than advising people to follow
expert advice and look after themselves and each other.
The message from the team to our supporters is only
about your well-being. Put your health first. Don’t take any risk. Think about
the vulnerable in our society and act where possible with compassion for them.
Please look after yourselves and look out for each
other.
You’ll Never Walk Alone,
Jürgen
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