Football to resume behind closed doors.

We can't even test all the NHS and other front line staff but we're going to test footballers - nice PR. They (the industry) really have come out of all this looking like right arseholes.

Some bullshit about protecting the integrity of the game, providing relief and hope (skaus to build on this with 3pm applause every Saturday and everyone's second team), more bullshit about wider community and number of jobs reliant on clubs and their solidarity with NHS. Nothing at all to do with tv money. No siree.

Looking at the supposed government 3-stage plan for easing restrictions there does seem to be scope for playing behind closed doors and getting it done by mid-July.

Originally Posted by tatty

Looking at the supposed government 3-stage plan for easing restrictions there does seem to be scope for playing behind closed doors and getting it done by mid-July.

France aren't having any public events until mid July and surely there's a risk that people will turn up outside especially if bars etc aren't open.

Originally Posted by redhegemony

France aren't having any public events until mid July and surely there's a risk that people will turn up outside especially if bars etc aren't open.

I agree with you mate but with hundreds of millions of pounds riding on it you can imagine they will go to any lengths to get it done.

Originally Posted by redhegemony

France aren't having any public events until mid July and surely there's a risk that people will turn up outside especially if bars etc aren't open.

Not convinced. If your game is on the telly, are you really gonna stand outside a ground and have a row with a copper, while somebody films it to share on twitter and make you look an arse, or are you gonna sit at home and watch it?

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Not convinced. If your game is on the telly, are you really gonna stand outside a ground and have a row with a copper, while somebody films it to share on twitter and make you look an arse, or are you gonna sit at home and watch it?

Yeah I’d imagine the scousers will all sit and watch them win the league on telly and won’t be tempted to go to the ground at all

Originally Posted by browser

Yeah I’d imagine the scousers will all sit and watch them win the league on telly and won’t be tempted to go to the ground at all

exactly.

as if they're gonna sit indoors and celebrate in their £#%&!ing gardens

Originally Posted by browser

Yeah I’d imagine the scousers will all sit and watch them win the league on telly and won’t be tempted to go to the ground at all

Yeah forgot about that. Fair enough. Let them all die and the rest of us can watch it on tv.

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Not convinced. If your game is on the telly, are you really gonna stand outside a ground and have a row with a copper, while somebody films it to share on twitter and make you look an arse, or are you gonna sit at home and watch it?

Watching a game without a crowd is painful - will probs listen to the radio - who am I kidding.

https://twitter.com/markogden_/status/1251460028021780480?s=21

Apologies if already posted.

Originally Posted by measlyshark

Guardian are reporting that 240 people needed to be tested for each match behind closed doors, so for each match you'd need ~4000 tests. We test 18,000 people per day....

They'd need re-testing for each round of matches.

Can't see it happening.

Thats why I have said only thing that can be pontentally saved from this season is the FA cup. 92 games remaining vs 7 games.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

They won't be allowed to do it.

All these meetings.... league 'committed' to finish. Ah, good for them. I'm sure that commitment will go well in overturning a global pandemic. Your 'commitment' is just words.

They have to have their meetings and pretend they are finding solutions, because they have no power whatsoever.

It's actually quite satisfying. So much money. So much supposed power and now it's all ground to a halt, shown up as a mere distraction and there's really nothing they can do.

If this pandemic had happened few decades erlier when footballers still lived on same wages as the pepole that came watching them we would sympathy for footballers losing money over the pandemic but now days when players and clubs are earning astronomical figures post-Bosman ruling its actually very hard to feel sorry for them now. They were warned when Bury FC whent bankrupt of what would happen if the cash flow stops.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

And what happens when, inevitably, half an entire team has to self isolate because someone at the club has it?

Didn't we see that already happen when Arsenal vs shitty was cancelled? after Arteta tested posetive. ?

Originally Posted by ScarFace

They dont want standing 30 years after they caused hillsborough but begging for football to start while thousands are currently snuffing it.

They might have managed to dwarf that 96 number with playing Atletico in front of full crowd at Anfield.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...onward-journey

The number of
confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Merseyside region is over 1,000

Originally Posted by dragflick

What do you mean? They are allowed as they can’t work from home. Most sites still open and operating. Key workers isn’t mentioned in the stay at home guidelines, it’s simply if you can’t possibly work from home then you can still go to work.

Not round here. There's a number of large building projects in the town and they are all shut down.

Originally Posted by red red robbo

Not round here. There's a number of large building projects in the town and they are all shut down.

Where’s that? I know Scotland shut theirs. Most here shut down for a few days after the governments announcement to allow them to alter the sites a bit and get them in line with H&S guidance, and then reopened. I’d say 2/3 are open now on sites for our engineers.

Tbh I thought they should have been forced to shut for a few weeks back when they did the announcement, but it wasn’t the case- as they clearly can’t work from home.

Obviously we're not going back to full grounds for months but if the easing starts before the end of May then it would seem a bit of light for completing the season behind closed doors...unfortunately.

There won't be any mass parade or presentation though so every cloud.

from the Guardian today

Scotland’s first minister and interim chief medical officer have appeared to rule out the resumption of football matches behind closed doors, a move which will increase anxiety at the country’s professional clubs.

The vast majority of the Scottish Professional Football League’s sides – including Celtic and Rangers – have used the government’s job retention scheme or implemented pay cuts or deferrals for players and staff. The 2019-20 campaign for the lower three tiers has already been abandoned and the Premiership is heading for the same outcome upon receipt of Uefa approval.

The SPFL has been anxious to be in position to start its new season on the first weekend in August as per details of a new broadcasting deal with Sky Sports, worth a record £160m, and season tickets for the 2020-21 season are already widely on sale. The Scottish Football Association even hopes to open a new campaign with its cup semi-finals, which would ordinarily attract an aggregate of at least 80,000 spectators.

Both options are now seriously remote, with Nicola Sturgeon also suggesting matches with no spectators would not be viable unless there is a major coronavirus breakthrough.

Bundesliga talking about restarting on 9th May

Originally Posted by dragflick

Where’s that? I know Scotland shut theirs. Most here shut down for a few days after the governments announcement to allow them to alter the sites a bit and get them in line with H&S guidance, and then reopened. I’d say 2/3 are open now on sites for our engineers.

Tbh I thought they should have been forced to shut for a few weeks back when they did the announcement, but it wasn’t the case- as they clearly can’t work from home.

South coast, not one of the vibrant towns, more one of the God's waiting room types

Even construction of the forth building HMRC have occupied in the town in the last 25 years has stopped.

Originally Posted by red red robbo

South coast, not one of the vibrant towns, more one of the God's waiting room types

Even construction of the forth building HMRC have occupied in the town in the last 25 years has stopped.

Most construction sites are open to my knowledge - not working to capacity but still operating. City centre office schemes with government occupiers ahead of them are likely to be shut, obvs.

Originally Posted by My Name is Keith

Most construction sites are open to my knowledge - not working to capacity but still operating. City centre office schemes with government occupiers ahead of them are likely to be shut, obvs.

Must be lazy arse southern builders then