Covid and the future of games

[filmyfan]

Bit of confusion on Sky News- originally was stated that elite sport was off ( that is what i took it to mean) - later clarified to say it will carry on- as i guess people had emailed in to seek clarity on what was said by reporter

 

[Ealing Bee]

They don't need to vote on this. It has to be considered by delegated legislation within 28 days of implementation. The vote on Wednesday will be an expression of opinion unless it has been decided that legislation is necessary which is unlikely. They require Parliament to be unified behind the changes which makes sense.

Boris said* that these new English measures would take effect from the start of Wednesday, with Parliament (effectively) endorsing it later that day.

So that even if pro football was suspended, we should be ok to play Spurs tomorrow before then.


* - Can't quote his exact words, but I was listening specifically for this point.

 

[liverbee]

Bit of confusion on Sky News- originally was stated that elite sport was off ( that is what i took it to mean) - later clarified to say it will carry on- as i guess people had emailed in to seek clarity on what was said by reporter

He definitely said that. I nearly died. The top two tiers are at least as safe as any work place on the whole and far better than most.

 

[Judio1999]

Sam Coates got it wrong
And the rules start in 2 hours

It will only be law changed on Weds

 

[BFC1997]

PL & Championship will surely continue now.

Suspect that L1 & L2 will have a decision to make soon. It will probably be spring by the time things are back to normal, there will be a lot of postponements until then. With no crowds can they justify cramming so many games in at the end of the season?

 

[Ealing Bee]

Sam Coates got it wrong
And the rules start in 2 hours

It will only be law changed on Weds

I think that that is not correct (i.e. schools aside, the rules are effective from early Wednesday), both because I listened specifically to Boris' speech, also because Sky News has the following:
"The new restrictions will come into law in the early hours of 6 January and are expected to last until mid-February, [the PM] said."
Am I allowed to go to work? Can I still have a bubble? The rules under the new lockdown

For if the rules don't come into law until early Wednesday (which is before Parliament can debate/vote btw), surely one cannot be legally punished for not complying before then?

 

[Hullbee]

I think that that is not correct (i.e. schools aside, the rules are effective from early Wednesday), both because I listened specifically to Boris' speech, also because Sky News has the following:
"The new restrictions will come into law in the early hours of 6 January and are expected to last until mid-February, [the PM] said."
Am I allowed to go to work? Can I still have a bubble? The rules under the new lockdown

For if the rules don't come into law until early Wednesday (which is before Parliament can debate/vote btw), surely one cannot be legally punished for not complying before then?

The comma and u-turns have been a disaster in relation to covid.

However let’s not get to caught up in punishing people or when the state can start punishing people. Better to do the right thing and stay at home so other aren’t punished with the loss of a loved one.

 

[Rob-BEE]

I think they're probably still allowed to see their family! Who will be going to the supermarket, gym, school etc. You can't keep a bubble like they did for the cricket for the whole football season.

Yeah, fair point! I guess I was thinking about the footballers who live on their own or just with their partner. Clearly many of them have young children who may go to nursery or school and it's impossible to stay completely "safe" in that situation.

 

[Ealing Bee]

"Wayne Rooney and Derby's first-team squad will miss Saturday's third-round FA Cup tie away at Chorley following the coronavirus outbreak which closed their training ground on Monday.
The Rams team for the game at Victory Park will be made up of under-23 and under-18 players.
FA Cup rules state that clubs are expected to fulfil their fixtures if they have 14 eligible players - including from the under-23 and under-18 squads - available, although there is scope for appeal."
Rooney & Derby first team to miss FA Cup tie

 

[A Real Mysteron]

A one off chance for Chorley goes tits up. Now they will get most likely get beat by Derby’s kids.

 

[Hullbee]

Interesting the different way bubble breaches are dealt with in sport. In the NRL when a breach occurred the managers owners etc all criticised and reinforced that breaches are putting everyone lively hoods at risk. A morale code and even small breaches hugging opposition players at the end of games was stamped out. Even when limited crowds were allowed back in a player making his debut game who had a blinder went over to family at the end and gave them a hug in the stands dealt with exclude immediately from the squad for two weeks.

I suppose the difference is NRL players had to take a pay cut collectively and knew their jobs were at risk plus they had a responsibility to the fans to ensure the competition could continue.

The New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne club were effectively quantantined away from family friends for months to ensure covid didn’t get into the squads and undermine the league. Imagine a football clubs players commuting to that highly unlikely

 

[Judio1999]

Today, the EFL and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) have confirmed they will be introducing twice-weekly COVID-19 testing for all 72 Clubs from Monday 11 January.

The re-introduction of a League wide testing programme follows this week’s round of mandatory Coronavirus tests and is designed to complement the League’s recently enhanced matchday and non-matchday COVID protocols with funding provided by the PFA earlier this season.

Medical advice continues to support that following these protocols is the most successful route to mitigating against the spread of infection but given the emergence of a new strain of the COVID virus, it is acknowledged that additional testing where it is not currently happening may help with the early identification and isolation of asymptomatic individuals.

The tests have initially been procured from the private sector and will be fully funded by the PFA following discussions that have taken place with the EFL across the past 72-hour period.

 

[Holysmit]

'Significant' Covid-19 outbreak at Villa

Aston Villa confirm "a significant" coronavirus outbreak at the club on the eve of their FA Cup third-round tie with Liverpool.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[badgerbee]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347195532855418881

 

[Themepark]

I think Gary's right. Extending the testing down into L1 & L2 isn't going to make much difference now other than to call games off. As much as it pains me to say it.. put everything on hold for a month and see where we're at

 

[Gazza Bee]

Yep I think with the number of cases coming out there will be a time when the leagues will need to be put on hold. Even the PL is being affected so there will potentially be a backlog to fit games in before Euro 2021

 

[BFC1997]

Sean Dyche has suggested the footballers at the top level are vaccinated. This way the sport can continue and keep the morale of the nation up, and they aren’t spending so much money on two tests for every player each week. The proposal would be that this money would be given to the NHS instead.

 

[wibs]

Sean Dyche has suggested the footballers at the top level are vaccinated. This way the sport can continue and keep the morale of the nation up, and they aren’t spending so much money on two tests for every player each week. The proposal would be that this money would be given to the NHS instead.

And as usual some People on Twitter are outraged saying why should millionaire footballers jump the queue, without properly thinking about the validity of quite a well reasoned point from Dyche.

 

[cheshirebee]

Sean Dyche has suggested the footballers at the top level are vaccinated. This way the sport can continue and keep the morale of the nation up, and they aren’t spending so much money on two tests for every player each week. The proposal would be that this money would be given to the NHS instead.

It’s not totally without logic but would, rightly imho, leave anyone who sanctioned it (govt, PL, PFA etc)open to all sorts of accusations of elitism and/or hypocrisy. Also , thin end of the wedge, if footballers why not newsreaders, TV hosts, TV technicians, Facebook staff etc who keep us all entertained and then supermarket staff, farm workers, warehouse workers, packers etc who keep us all fed, not to mention NHS staff beyond the front line.
I’ll give SD the benefit of the doubt of just looking for a solution to the problem he is closest to but it’s a non-starter really.

 

[Gazza Bee]

Sean Dyche has suggested the footballers at the top level are vaccinated. This way the sport can continue and keep the morale of the nation up, and they aren’t spending so much money on two tests for every player each week. The proposal would be that this money would be given to the NHS instead.

Depends what he means by top level - if that includes all 4 professional leagues then why not although it would no doubt enrage the non football fans...

 

[BFC1997]

Depends what he means by top level - if that includes all 4 professional leagues then why not although it would no doubt enrage the non football fans...

Probably PL and Championship.

Below that, I don’t think football is really viable for any significant period of time without fans anyway. I’d not be surprised if there was suspension from L1 and below around the corner sadly. Let’s see.

 

[nick logan]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347195532855418881

the games on !
f*** off Lineker , why don't these idiots get players will be more at risk once out of their current regimes.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347195532855418881

 

[BlueJayBee]

the games on !
**** off Lineker , why don't these idiots get players will be more at risk once out of their current regimes.

Everyone in the media is an expert.

 

[Gazza Bee]

Probably PL and Championship.

Below that, I don’t think football is really viable for any significant period of time without fans anyway. I’d not be surprised if there was suspension from L1 and below around the corner sadly. Let’s see.

Yeah I think you can write off this season without fans but if the players and staff were vaccinated at least they could finish the season and not have a somewhat dubious finish like last season where teams went from 8th to 3rd in some cases...

 

[Judio1999]

The Trident Leagues have gone full in

Having decided not to restart in December they now on Jan 8th want to cancel......

LEAGUE STATEMENT - The Southern League

The Southern Football League, The Southern League, Football League in England forms part of the National League System, participating at steps 3 and 4.

southern-football-league.co.uk

 

[Invipai]

112 positives in 3,507 tests... that is a lot.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347536492365803520

 

[nick logan]

112 positives in 3,507 tests... that is a lot.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347536492365803520

1 in 31 , didn't think that was too bad

 

[hobbsy]

112 positives in 3,507 tests... that is a lot.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347536492365803520

If that was a town it would be around the 3,000 per 100,000 mark!

 

[filmyfan]

1 in 31 , didn't think that was too bad

Figures just out...

COVID-19: England coronavirus infections rise to 1 in 50 people, says ONS

Positivity rates are decreasing in Wales, but they are increasing in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

news.sky.com

 

[Holysmit]

112 positives in 3,507 tests... that is a lot.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1347536492365803520

I was actually expecting it to be a lot higher then that. It's only around 3% and given the outbreaks at Villa, Middlesbrough, Derby and Shrewsbury I was expecting it to be around 10% as my gut instinct is that there are/have been a lot of asymptomatic cases.

 

[wanderer paul]

1 in 31 , didn't think that was too bad

That’s bloody high!!!

London is 1040 per 100,000. Which is the highest in England.

1 in 31 is way too high for football.

Many dismissed the stoppage last March. Expect a decision in Feb, or even March again, re this season, if those vaccinations aren’t done quickly enough.

 

[Banana]

Yeah I think we could be heading to a bad place here.

 

[nick logan]

doubt they will stop the football now there are vaccines.

we all better hope not as it will bound to feck us one way or another

 

[Wise old Bee]

Once the cup games are out of the way then the number of players available will presumably drive any decision as to whether to cancel/ suspend. I am fairly sure that Brentford will be top of the Championship at the time football stops. The vaccination programme will be too far down the line to affect this season. If we are top then, naturally, there is no way that the season will be deemed to be over as PL will weasel out of relegating anybody.

 

[wanderer paul]

doubt they will stop the football now there are vaccines.

we all better hope not as it will bound to feck us one way or another

They're halting non league. If L2 & L1 can’t afford testing, then they’ll stop.

Then it’ll be up to, again, the EPL chucking money to the EFL to keep clubs going with testing twice a week until vaccines show that it helps to curb the virus and the transmittance of it.

 

[nick logan]

PFA paying for the EFL testing ?

 

[GABS]

I can't envisage footy seeing this out TBH. The vaccine is neither here nor there as won't influence the current wave at all for quite some time.

More than 100 Covid-19 cases across EFL

A total of 112 positive Covid-19 cases are recorded after tests are conducted among players and staff at 66 EFL clubs.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Judio1999]

Yes

I guess a week of Gordon Taylor 's wages will cover the cost

 

[Judio1999]

If that was a town it would be around the 3,000 per 100,000 mark!

Agree

Following the latest round of mandated Covid-19 tests, the EFL can confirm that 3507 players and Club staff from 66 EFL Clubs were tested over the course of the past week with 112 individuals testing positive.


Thats about 3000 cases per 100000
Over three times the London Average let alone National Average

 

[jlove]

Are these numbers not the first that include additional testing for Leagues 1 & 2 and therefore a blip in the figures? I note the actual statement includes:

This week’s testing programme incorporated all EFL Clubs who are participating in the FA Cup Round 3 fixtures, and the remaining 6 EFL Clubs who did not feature will be tested ahead of their next League fixture with results announced in due course.

 

[SpiderBee]

All non league football below the national league will be terminated.
Not sure if leagues are far enough advanced to use PPG

 

[nick logan]

Agree

Following the latest round of mandated Covid-19 tests, the EFL can confirm that 3507 players and Club staff from 66 EFL Clubs were tested over the course of the past week with 112 individuals testing positive.


Thats about 3000 cases per 100000
Over three times the London Average let alone National Average

yes but they all train with and play against , and party with each other.

10 first team players at Villa alone for instance

 

[Terrible Twins]

Sorry to say but I can see football being stopped with all this COVID about

 

[Ealing Bee]

I’ll give SD the benefit of the doubt of just looking for a solution to the problem he is closest to but it’s a non-starter really.

I listened carefully to what SD had to say (how many of the Twitterati did, I wonder?) and he was careful to stress that this was not a demand, or even a proposal. Rather he was "putting it out there" as a suggestion for further debate, whilst ackowledging freely that it was for the (real) experts to decide.

He also stressed that urgent priority groups must still get the vaccine first, but that once they were satisfied, then perhaps footballers might be moved up to the next groups, whilst diverting to the NHS the money which Football is currently spending on testing.

 

[badgerbee]

Need to ensure we’re in 2nd place on a points per game basis ASAP........and stay there........
Select strongest team available for each league game from now on......

 

[Judio1999]

You will bet that clubs in Top 2 on PPG will then have multiple cases and unable to play

 

[Holysmit]

I listened carefully to what SD had to say (how many of the Twitterati did, I wonder?) and he was careful to stress that this was not a demand, or even a proposal. Rather he was "putting it out there" as a suggestion for further debate, whilst ackowledging freely that it was for the (real) experts to decide.

He also stressed that urgent priority groups must still get the vaccine first, but that once they were satisfied, then perhaps footballers might be moved up to the next groups, whilst diverting to the NHS the money which Football is currently spending on testing.

I can't stand Sean Dyche but I can see why it should be considered. Utimatley tho it should be based on who has the greatest need for the vaccine as football is just a distraction rather then an importance.

It's a reasonable thing to suggest and discuss but don't think it's feesible.

 

[Outlander]

Agree

Following the latest round of mandated Covid-19 tests, the EFL can confirm that 3507 players and Club staff from 66 EFL Clubs were tested over the course of the past week with 112 individuals testing positive.


Thats about 3000 cases per 100000
Over three times the London Average let alone National Average

Yes it is high, too high of course, but it can’t be compared to a town or city as not everyone is tested in said town. You surely have to go by the percentage of positive tests which is about 3%... As of yesterday up here in Scotland the positivity rate for tests was 8 or 9%.

 

[SpiderBee]

TalkSport "bigging up" Aston Villa's under 18 side at Anfield is embarrassing !

 

[badgerbee]

TalkSport "bigging up" Aston Villa's under 18 side at Anfield is embarrassing !

They haven't got "exclusive coverage" by any chance have they??!