TONY BELLEW ASSESSES COVID-19 IMPACT ON SPORT

This Coronavirus has taken a grip really quickly and I’m shocked at how easy things have come to a standstill. At the backend of last week I was looking forward to getting back to Goodison Park to watch the Merseyside Derby and then it was announced that all Premier League football would be called off. Nothing like this has ever happened before and it got football fans talking immediately about what would actually happen with the season.

I’ve spent the last few days listening to different pundits on football speaking about what should happen with the season, but is there really an answer that will please every club and their supporters? The teams doing well will want it to continue and those struggling will want it voided or cancelled. There’s a lot of self-serving interests on display, interests that are understandable considering what’s at stake, but is there any real issue with maybe waiting a few weeks to let things just go on?

There’s plenty of speculation that Euro 2020 will move to next year so why not finish the football season in the summer months and make plans for next season afterwards. As an Everton fan, I could get months of pleasure winding my Liverpool mates up if the season got cancelled, but you have to be honest and say they should be champions. They’re miles ahead of everyone else and there’s nothing wrong at all in saying that the title should be heading to Anfield, but what about other clubs? This just isn’t about Liverpool.

Let’s look at Leicester City who’ve been brilliant all season and no doubt deserve a place in next season’s Champions League. The money generated from that competition is massive for Leicester and if we were to start things all over again, how is that possibly fair on a club like Leicester? In the Championship, Leeds and WBA are absolutely flying on their way to a massive television windfall by winning promotion. Leeds have waited the best part of two decades to be back where they belong. Can you really just scratch off all their hard work and discredit them?

The people running football have a big decision to make and there’s going to be people who aren’t pleased, but the season is well underway and it deserves a suitable climax. Fans have been invested for almost 30 games and football is everything to these people. They’ve committed their finances and dedication to their teams this season and they need to see what will be at the end. Let’s see where we are in a few weeks’ time, but for me, this season has to be continued as the ramifications are just too serious for those involved.