Starting the new season

[mrb85]

Freedom of choice is a right that has moral constraints . If by exercising your freedom of choice you endanger other people’s health and well being that is morally wrong as well as being incredibly selfish.

But aren't we doing that in many walks of life? Every time we get into a car and drive off we are taking a risk and potentially a risk to everyone else on the roads. We nevertheless do it (all of us) - to have a better life and to keep the economy going and adding to our material wellbeing.

 

[mrb85]

It seems to me though like you're trying to negotiate in a very human business like way - by saying "it's gone on long enough, our lockdown was only a temporary solution, we'd like to get on with life now because "x" has been a reasonably long enough time - you've had your fun now we should just ignore you."

Trouble is you would be trying to negotiate with an unthinking microscopic particle that doesn't have a plan or a motive other than replicating itself. It's not a business colleague or an ambassador. It's a fatal disease, and there is currently no other solution other than keeping a distance. We're lucky that we have THAT!

Past pandemics show that there is always a second wave and the second wave is ALWAYS worse - probably because people become impatient or bored or just want to get back to life as normal (don't we all?). In time either enough will have caught and had the disease that herd immunity will come into affect and protect the rest; or some scientists will develop and effective vaccine (if we're lucky). Simply thinking "this has gone on long enough" isn't a solution though.

Businesses closing, people losing their jobs, poverty - these are all awful consequences, no argument there. I'd argue though that they are all secondary to actual loss of life. To me it seems a straightforward choice of which is the least bad solution - if we stay in lock down (or partial lockdown) we have poverty, if we don't we have poverty and loss of life.

If the idiot liar chief in charge had made better and faster decisions back in late January early February and shut the ports and airports, we at least could have had a better chance of carrying on a normal life on this island - but no - his first priority like any Tory was not others lives but wealth.

Far from it being the case that epidemics always come in waves, the norm is that firstly they rarely appear on the scale forecasted and secondly they die away. Last I heard was that for the second wave to be bigger than the first in a UK context the R value would have to be over 3. Hardly likely. And as for criticising Johnson for not having closed ports of entry in January you seem to have got your timelines in a twist -- even the WHO was denying at that time that the virus was going to become a pandemic. No western world leader would have chosen to have undertaken such a move ahead of all other countries.

 

[chrismpw]

Far from it being the case that epidemics always come in waves, the norm is that firstly they rarely appear on the scale forecasted and secondly they die away. Last I heard was that for the second wave to be bigger than the first in a UK context the R value would have to be over 3. Hardly likely. And as for criticising Johnson for not having closed ports of entry in January you seem to have got your timelines in a twist -- even the WHO was denying at that time that the virus was going to become a pandemic. No western world leader would have chosen to have undertaken such a move ahead of all other countries.

I would. I said it to the missus in late Jan.

 

[everton1953]

Limited attendance will be allowed from some point in 20/21 unless the virus situation gets much worse. Allocation of seats, presumably to existing season ticket holders will have to be by lottery disregarding allocated seat numbers, so that social distancing can operate. 3000 will be better than zero attendance which is ruining the spectacle. The allocation of seats will be eased by the 70+ or vulnerable brigade voluntarily opting out, as I am. That will have to apply for as long as there is no vaccine.

 

[gazzaa2]

Ultimately comes down to money. Clubs rely on the TV money. That's why the season had to finish and why the next one has to start. The league would collapse if clubs had to hand the TV money back.

Personally got little interest in it until the crowds are back but it's a case of going through the motions.

 

[gazzaa2]

Limited attendance will be allowed from some point in 20/21 unless the virus situation gets much worse. Allocation of seats, presumably to existing season ticket holders will have to be by lottery disregarding allocated seat numbers, so that social distancing can operate. 3000 will be better than zero attendance which is ruining the spectacle. The allocation of seats will be eased by the 70+ or vulnerable brigade voluntarily opting out, as I am. That will have to apply for as long as there is no vaccine.

Fans sat all spaced out like the subs and staff are will be just as farcical. No away fans as well.

And we know fans of some clubs (need mention no names) will ignore the social distancing anyway.

I'd rather it was all or nothing in the Premier League (or at least 50%). I get lower down they need paying fans to stay alive, whereas in the PL it's the TV money that keeps clubs going. Clubs like Tranmere only fill about a third of the ground anyway.

 

[mrb85]

Fans sat all spaced out like the subs and staff are will be just as farcical. No away fans as well.

And we know fans of some clubs (need mention no names) will ignore the social distancing anyway.

I'd rather it was all or nothing in the Premier League (or at least 50%). I get lower down they need paying fans to stay alive, whereas in the PL it's the TV money that keeps clubs going. Clubs like Tranmere only fill about a third of the ground anyway.

Exactly. Leagues 1 and 2 are going to be far less affected by any percentage crowd restriction. Just as well or many of them might not reach the end of the season.

 

[Connor]

 

[artetas_biggest_fan]

Fans sat all spaced out like the subs and staff are will be just as farcical. No away fans as well.

And we know fans of some clubs (need mention no names) will ignore the social distancing anyway.

I'd rather it was all or nothing in the Premier League (or at least 50%). I get lower down they need paying fans to stay alive, whereas in the PL it's the TV money that keeps clubs going. Clubs like Tranmere only fill about a third of the ground anyway.

Wouldn’t be. It was done here in Norn Iron for the the cup final...and it was much better than having no fans. People spaced out, maybe in groups of two or three (family members), it gives players an audience. When celebrating a goal there is a focal point for players to look to..as well as providing noise for a goal.

Until a vaccine for the Chinese virus is found I think it’s the only way forward.

 

[Wat Tyler]

We are always frothing at the mouth on the way out but should be sound going in

 

[Wat Tyler]

When are the players back for pre season? I heard the fixtures mightn’t be announced until 3 weeks before the season starts, 21/8.

 

[Collyman]

I understand the season has to start but I have zero interest until the fans are back, I just can’t watch a game unless it’s us and even that is very hard, even in the Derby. Maybe it was because there wasn’t really anything to play for and it may be different going into a new season? I hope so, watching football without that emotional attachment is cack.

 

[Hickson9]

When are the players back for pre season? I heard the fixtures mightn’t be announced until 3 weeks before the season starts, 21/8.

I think it is a fairly safe bet they will be back by 14/15 August. That gives them 3 weeks off and then a 4 week pre season.

 

[4737carlin]

Personally I don't really want fans back until next year, mainly because getting the virus under control is more important, and crowds at football matches will be the worst thing we can do

 

[Wat Tyler]

The conference have agreed with FA they won’t return until fans are allowed back. They could be waiting a long old time.