OPINION: The reward of European football should be gained on sporting merit

We have all been told we are living in unprecedented times due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Linfield and Coleraine currently occupy the top two posisitions in the Danske Bank PremiershipLinfield and Coleraine currently occupy the top two posisitions in the Danske Bank Premiership
Linfield and Coleraine currently occupy the top two posisitions in the Danske Bank Premiership

All our lives have been affected massively by the spread of Covid-19 around the world, some tragically more than most.

So to be even thinking about sport at a time like this seems churlish.

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Unfortunately though things need to be resolved, clubs need to come together so things can move on.

However, we have seen already from the example in Scotland that it is never going to be straightforward.

Wranglings over the title and relegation places have ended up with threats of legal action.

Obviously, as I have said, these are unprecedented times. I don’t think any league in the world had planned for a pandemic when they were drawing up their rules and regulations.

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So I fully appreciate just how difficult a scenario this has been for the game’s governing bodies in the different associations around the world.

There is never going to be a one-size-fits-all solution to this problem.

Not only are they trying to come up with a proposal which adheres to sporting integrity, but it also has to make sure the health and well-being of the players/staff is paramount, as well as being financially viable.

To try and construct a plan which encompasses all this as well as content all clubs seems like mission impossible.

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Just this week we have witnessed in our own domestic game how difficult a scenario the whole thing is.

It looked as though we were making progress as NIFL and the IFA put forward their two options on how the season should be concluded - play the last two rounds of pre-split fixtures behind closed doors OR curtail the season immediately and adopt a mathematical formula to determine league positions.

But within hours those proposals lay in tatters as Crusaders had written to the Health Minister, Robin Swann, asking him to intervene as they felt the proposals were “a concerted, planned and deliberate attempt to complete the domestic senior football programme in ways that clearly breach current Northern Ireland Executive guidance on Covid-19”.

Other clubs reportedly felt “backed into a corner” regarding the NIFL vote, which should have taken place on Thursday, after being given the two options.

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Clubs met again on Thursday evening to discuss further options, including finishing the campaign by playing all seven remaining matches with further discussions regarding the redistribution of European money to take place.

But it is how those European places are to be decided which is causing a lot of consternation.

As the table stands Linfield are top on 69 points, Coleraine are next on 65, with Crusaders third on 59. Every team in the league has played 31 games.

One rumoured option to decide the European places is to call it after 22 games, technically after each team had played each other home and away.

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One issue is though teams hadn’t played each other home and away after 22 rounds of fixtures as Linfield’s away game at Larne had to be rescheduled until January 28 along with Glentoran’s home tie with Glenavon.

Those games were the 27 round of fixtures in the league, only four fewer than the current games played!

But they now look set to be included in a table for a crucial decision.

This table has no bearing on anything related to the current season and has only been manufactured for this purpose.

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The standings show Cliftonville top with 47 points, then Linfield and Glentoran, both on 44, and Coleraine on 43.

Obviously it’s quite different from how things actually look now.

For me the idea of home and away games being relevant in the Danske Bank Premiership is fanciful at best.

All teams must play 33 games up until the split - some play 17 at home and 16 away and others vice-versa.

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After the split some can play up to four home games and one away depending on previous fixtures. So to pin such a crucial decision on this seems illogical.

For a team to miss out on the rewards of European football because of how results went after just over half the season would be a real kick in the teeth.

In Irish League terms, getting European football is just reward for all your hard work and effort in bringing success to your club.

Yet if this rumoured proposal becomes reality Coleraine will be the one club to lose out massively.

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They face the very real prospect of missing out on Europe altogether despite currently sitting with a real chance of winning the domestic ‘Treble’.

How farcical would it be if the league and cup were to be completed and the Bannsiders did win both to complete a remarkable season, but were denied European football.

When the news started circulating regarding this on Thursday night the disbelief amongst the Coleraine squad was there for all to see.

Several took to social media to vent their frustration.

Midfielder Ben Doherty tweeted: “sacrifices made for those 9 sets of fixtures, fans paying hard earned money...for what? Teams training 2/3 times a week to win these games and try turn their season or kick on...for what?”

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And it’s hard to disagree with him given that almost a third of their games could be deemed irrelevant if this method is used.

Coleraine aside, there is a growing sense of frustration in the Irish league with wanting things resolved to get back to playing again.

Doherty’s frustrations were echoed by Crusaders midfielder Philip Lowry who tweeted: “Got to the stage I can’t even read anything related to the Irish League without getting massively frustrated and completely unenthused. Scundered!”

Larne keeper Conor Devlin took a lighthearted pop at the situation tweeting: “The Professor would know what to do” in reference to Professor Karol Sikora, who has gained popularity given his positive outlook during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Any decision taken will also have massive ramifications for the Championship and Premier Intermediate League as well.

Talk is of two teams coming up from the Championship with no-one relegated, but how would this impact on the fixtures?

As I have said earlier there is no easy way out of this situation, and all teams have to make compromises if this season is to be completed. But we have to be careful not to damage the good work done to get us this far.