Arnold Layne

I agree that some games are more important than others. Making every game 'meaningful' is, it seems to me, an attempt to imbue each with the same degree of importance. So I'm not sure what point you're making. Sport is about competition. Winners and losers. Those who win more than they lose rise to the top and those that don't drop to the bottom. That is the nature of competition. Ultimately, there is only one way to make a competition meaningful for all until the end. It's called a lottery. Setting aside those that earn tens of thousands of pounds a week (as I'm unsure of their motivation), most footballers play for the love of the game. Given that they only get to do that around 30 times a year, I don't buy into the argument that they don't try to win every game.

I don't get this 'meaningless games' thing. No game involving my team is meaningless. Each season teams should play every other team home and away. The one who has the most points is the winner. Simple. It's such a shame that there seems to be a need to manufacture excitement by introducing distortions to the even handed model of old. I guess it's a sign of the way we live our lives at the moment. Short term thinking, instant gratification. It doesn't make the quality of football any better. It simply increases the momentary excitement. Our game, at club and national levels, is not improved by these constructs. If you want to find a way to give every team something to play for until the last minute of the season, why not use league positions as seeding for a meaningful national cup competition the following season. Give the name 'League Cup' some real meaning.

Teams in 1st and 2nd place won't have to play Tue - Thu - Sat

So, not guaranteed then. Which was my point. Thanks.

Really?

as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know. You are Donald Rumsfeld and I claim my £5

Particularly as two HL clubs didn't manage to play any games.

Interesting. How many is a lot?

Its almost as if my post was not entirely factually accurate. Almost...

Long time since you've been to China. It's McDonalds, KFC & Starbucks on every corner despite Trump/Xi.

Five days ago Forfar released a statement saying they wanted to play. Not just the mimimum games required but four additional games too. Plus play-offs and the Scottish Cup. Today, their season has been rendered meaningless because games will be played without fans. Take from that what you will.

Read the Forfar statement. "it now looks almost inevitable" suggests that, up until now, they were expecting fans to return.

I agree but we don't know what the clubs have been told privately about the possibility of fans returning. It's pure conjecture on my part based on the following line of the statement which seems to show an element of surprise. "Sadly it now looks almost inevitable that spectators will not be allowed back to games for the remainder of the season a factor which to be quite frank has rendered the season almost a pointless exercise"

Reading between the lines of the Forfar statement, it looks as though the clubs have just been informed that there is little chance of fans returning this season. Perhaps that is why some clubs are now blowing cold on the plan to restart.

They should kettle them there for ten days.

Bonkers

I'm out.

What if your independent body decided that including colt teams was a good idea?

All the clubs in League1and League 2 have proposed this format. What alternative 'structure' would you set up to make decisions for them?

And mine!

You're welcome. I assume everyone is well aware of the guidance by now. Yes, the word essential appears many times but not in reference to work.

As a ScotGov representative, perhaps you could let us know how far a plumber is allowed to travel to play football and pick up a supplemental wage. Alloa to Inverness is ok? When discussing Scottish football, can we please stop calling it elite sport. That's laughable.

Dear me. There is no distinction between essential and non-essential work. You have just quoted the government guidance so I assume you have read it. The government has not made judgments based on whether work is essential. It has made judgement based on assessment of risk to the safety of the population. That is an entirely different matter.

I published the ScotGov guidance a few posts ago. You should read it. Or, if you have read it, have another go at understanding it. The guidance makes no distinction between essential and non-essential work. It also makes distinction between full-time and part-time work. Under the guidance part-time workers, be they hospital staff or footballers, are allowed to travel to work. It is the SFA that have drawn an arbitrary line. No attempt at obfuscation or condescension on your part can hide the fact that you are wrong.