News

What Premier League suspension means for FPL managers and FFScout

The Premier League have announced that all matches will be suspended until the weekend of April 4, 2020 in light of growing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.

That means that there will be no fixtures in Gameweek 30 and Gameweek 31.

That round of action is scheduled to take place after the next international break, although Euro 2020 play-off matches and friendlies are at risk of postponement in light of CONMEBOL already cancelling World Cup qualifiers.

As things stand, no decision has been taken on what the rest of the 2019/20 campaign will look like, or if the season will be declared null and void.

It looks as if the situation will be reviewed again as we approach Gameweek 32 next month while postponed fixtures will be rearranged when possible.

“Despite the challenges, it is the Premier League’s aim to reschedule the displaced fixtures, including those played by Academy sides, when it is safe to do so. In this fast-moving environment, further updates will be provided when appropriate.” – Premier League statement

We will endeavour to bring you a breakdown of the exact impact on FPL as and when we have it.

What does this mean for FFScout?

As a result of the Premier League’s unprecedented, but not unexpected, announcement, we will cease all coverage of the build-up to Gameweek 30 with immediate effect.

We will spend the next few days assessing the situation and working out what content we can produce for the foreseeable future.

In that time, the production of articles, videos and podcasts will temporarily experience a shift in focus until we know more about what the future holds for the Premier League and Fantasy Football.

Over the next few days, we will endeavour to bring you as much news as is relevant to the situation and our focus on FPL strategy will, in line with the gravity of the situation, be stripped back.

We will be temporarily suspending the FFS Cup and Head-to-Head leagues and making a decision further down the line on how best to proceed with the competitions.

What is the latest on coronavirus in football?

The news of the Premier League’s suspension comes in the wake of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta testing positive for COVID-19 in the late hours of Thursday evening.

The Premier League had originally planned to see all Gameweek 30 matches proceed as scheduled but the news coming out of the Emirates Stadium seems to have forced their hand.

Not only has Arteta gone into self-isolation, but the entire Arsenal squad has also done the same, following contact with their manager while he has had COVID-19.

Naturally, this put the Gunners’ trip to Brighton on Saturday at extreme risk, and later on Thursday evening, it was officially postponed by the Seagulls.

Meanwhile, over the last 14 days, Arsenal’s squad and manager have also been in contact with Portsmouth and West Ham in the FA Cup and Premier League respectively.

Since then, Chelsea midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.3m) has tested positive for COVID-19 and gone into self-isolation, while his team-mates have also entered into the same protocol.

There have also been subsequent updates from Watford, Everton and Bournemouth on Friday morning revealing a number of Premier League players have gone into self-isolation.

The wider football world will now look ahead to Tuesday when UEFA will convene a video conference between the 55 governing bodies it presides over to discuss the future of European football and the fate of the upcoming 2020 European Championships.

What to do if you think you might have coronavirus*

If you think you might have coronavirus or you’ve been in close contact with someone who has it:

  • stay at home and avoid close contact with other people
  • do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital
  • use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next

The 111 coronavirus service will tell you if you need to continue to stay at home (self-isolate) or if you need medical help.

* Information taken from the official NHS website.

820 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Lol@ Wildcarders 😆

    1. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Mean machine 🙂

    2. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Using WC chip now could give you some big ammo as by GW32 all GW's should be updated.

  2. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    That’s just f*cking unfair then.

    1. Poseidon.
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Agreed. It’s abhorrent

      1. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Exactly.

    2. Forza Papac
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      How so?

  3. UshFPL
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Surely we should get an extra wildcard if/when the prem returns?

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      I no longer have my WC, why should I be awarded another one?

      Then I should be given back my FH I used in GW29.

      The season has not been cancelled so it needs to resume as is.

  4. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Hang on, so people who have activated their wildcard have now lost it?

    1. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Correct

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Thats absolutely mental

    2. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Actually, no. You can still do whatever transfers you want and move players around, the only difference being there will not be any matches played when the deadline closes

      1. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Yes, this is true, but they don't have much time to tinker...

      2. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        That means your picking a team for in possibly 2 months time 😆

        1. El Presidente
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Yeah, for GW46

    3. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Correct

    4. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Unless it is not active at this point.

      1. El Presidente
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Obviously

    5. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Well they can still do transfers but they don't know when PL will resume.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        But can only do transfers up until tomorrow?

        1. Pukki Party
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Yes there will be a normal deadline and game update.

        2. El Presidente
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Thats my take on it, yes.

    6. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Yes. Waituntil Monday 23 March to activate, if you still have it I reckon? Or does gw31 now end on Friday 20 March?

  5. BNMC
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    What did I miss?

    1. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Tweet by @officialfpl on twitter

    2. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Assuming you're aware of covid-19 pandemic

      1. BNMC
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Yeah, I just saw people flipping out about losing a WC so I was concerned.

        So basically, everyone's getting zero points these next 2 weeks, but it's still possible to make transfers and therefore get minus points?

        1. Pukki Party
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Correct

      2. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        😆

    3. Forza Papac
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Someone eat a bat in China so Tom Hanks is ill and football is cancelled

  6. Pukki Party
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    It's still possible to get a red arrow following two weeks as overall rank is based on transfers made too? Or is this only in private leagues?

    1. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Red arrow is what you get if you take a hit.

      1. Pukki Party
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Yes but doesn't transfers made also mean rank drop for the reason above?

        1. Pukki Party
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Classic Scoring
          In a league with classic scoring, teams are ranked based on their total points in the game. You can join or leave a league with classic scoring at any point during the season.

          In the event of a tie between teams, the team who has made the least amount of transfers will be positioned higher. Any transfers made using a wildcard or free hit will not count towards total transfers made.

    2. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Scenes!

      1. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        I doubt many have been stupid enough to activate their WC.

        1. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          I would not call it stupid, it is by choice.

        2. El Presidente
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          You would be surprised after all we´re living the year of the casual, right? 🙂

        3. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          And that is why I would love to see autosub scrapped. If you are willing to start a flagged player and he does not feature, then you should be willing to receive 0 points.

          It should be down to you to make that choice, starting a flagged player or not including not getting free points from autosub.

          It would send the game into ultra competitive mode 🙂

  7. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Right... am I correct in thinking, because I have 2FT's, I should use one of them before tomorrow otherwise it will just be burned? Even though I have no idea who I should be bringing in for in several weeks time

    1. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Don't do anything 😉

    2. Annie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      just let it burn.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        But I may as well get rid of somebody like Rico or something?

        1. Annie
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          guess so, or Donk

        2. El Presidente
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Imagine Diego Rico being one of the immune? At this point, everything goes! 🙂

    3. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      I still have triple Arsenal left over after that failed WC29 so I guess I could gradually get rid of them.

    4. Vlad Tepes
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      I guess so, would also like to know.

    5. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      No because if you are on the same amount of points as someone else transfers made in total over the season determines your placement.

      Unless of course you have some obvious people to remove like Pereira if you own him.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Hmm hadn't thought of that actually

    6. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Look at my post above, have a answer with 6 years experience?

    7. Forza Papac
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      That's my understanding

    8. Vlad Tepes
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Do I understand it correct if:

      - 30&31 blanked, moved to another GW which will result in DGW/TGW if the season will be completed
      - I will still be able to make my transfers for 30/31, but if I take hits it will result in a negative score

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        Yes I think so

        1. Vlad Tepes
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          ye so if we have 2 FT for 30 or 31 we should use em if we really wanna get rid of a player

          1. El Presidente
            • 4 Years
            4 years, 15 days ago

            I would say only the case of a player definitely not playing anymore, eg Ricardo Pereira. But even in that situation, who are you picking as a replacement? Based on what? Best is just to wait IMO

            1. Vlad Tepes
              • 7 Years
              4 years, 15 days ago

              Rather have Sarr than Perez tbh, if I do not do that move I will waste a transfer.

  8. Pukki Party
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Holgate C Martin VC, benched Salah and Mane.

    Gtg?

    1. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      That's great, hopefully I can match your team's score with mine!

  9. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    I can actually ask for transfer advice now 😆 FPL is back!

    Which transfer would you make? (Have 2FTs so want to use one)

    A. Rico ----> Taylor
    B. Ryan ----> Pope

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Or maybe I should get rid of Dendoncker to free up a Wolves spot

    2. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Hhhmm, both could have many DGW's against vs you do not know who.

      I would just stick for now.

    3. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 15 days ago

      Do you have another playing keeper?

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 15 days ago

        No, Button

        1. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 15 days ago

          Who says Button won't play?

          How many more player do we know about who have picked up the corona virus?

          Just hold, things will be clearer much closer to GW32.

  10. thejimbon
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Ugh, played my wildcard earlier this week as decided my team needed serious revision. What a waste! Anyone else in my boat?

  11. A girl has no name
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 15 days ago

    Guys if I have 2 FT, I need to make one today right?
    The deadline hasn't shifted which is surprising!