Coronavirus and football

[Redalert1970]

Rumours going round Twitter and Facebook that all games from now to end of season will be played behind closed doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak

This includes all premier league and efl matches

Could be announced as early as tomorrow

Watch this space

[Andy D]

This could seriously impact us financially if we have to start playing our home games behind closed doors, think we’d surly be better postponing games to a later date??

just hope Morecambe FC can get the same help off the Government regarding telling banks and lenders to basically chill out while people are in quarantine unable to work and generate money to pay bills!

[mrpotatohead]

Apart from the impact on football club,which as a business will get a certain amount of help from the government, the Virus surely must have an impact on the potential Eden project funding in the near future?

The government are unlikely to have spare money to pay for an attraction that brings huge crowds from all over the uk to one venue on a daily basis 350 days a year?

[RapidShrimp]

“All professional football matches in the United Kingdom will be played behind closed doors from Thursday, according to a report in The Times.

A meeting of the government’s Cobra committee this morning is expected to move its response to the coronavirus pandemic from “contain” to “delay”, meaning all football matches will have to be played in front of empty stadiums.

As per The Times, that will mean:

- The current season will not be postponed and instead matches in the Premier League and lower divisions will be moved behind closed doors;

- All Premier League season-ticket holders and ticket holders for individual games will be able to stream coverage of matches into their homes;

- No games will be shown in pubs so as to avoid congregation of people;

- Premier League games will not be shown live in the 3pm slot on Saturday afternoons;

- Broadcasters will be permitted to screen more than one Premier League game during both the lunchtime and tea-time television slots on Saturday, and the scheduled slots on Sundays and Mondays; and

- Season-ticket holders and ticket holders for individual games at Football League clubs will be allowed to watch matches on iFollow streams.


The plan may be implemented once the number of UK coronavirus cases passes 500. Last night it stood at 460.”

[black morse]

This could seriously impact us financially if we have to start playing our home games behind closed doors, think we’d surly be better postponing games to a later date??

just hope Morecambe FC can get the same help off the Government regarding telling banks and lenders to basically chill out while people are in quarantine unable to work and generate money to pay bills!

How much later though? This could go on for months until most of the population have had the virus and thus built up immunity. Vaccination unlikely to be available before the end of the year, by which time.....?

[HALMA 1983]

As much as we all love football, most folk will be more worried about their immediate family and in some cases, their livelihoods are at stake.
This is a reality check for everyone, in everything we do and have planned, hope everyone stays safe and we all see it through.

[redrobo]

Health issues must take priority and as much as it could costs us it's the lesser of two evils. Not sure if we would get Government money to see us through until the crisis is over.

We are off to Hungary on a river cruise early June and now suspect that that will be a casualty as well.

[Little Shrimp]

Tweet from Phil Hay saying that the EFL have indicated this weekend's fixtures are still set to go ahead as planned:

https://twitter.com/PhilHay_/status/1238064660068392966

[Joe Oh]

I really can't see the season being finished. As soon as players start to contract the virus, they'll have to call it off.

I guess they could reschedule matches, but until when? Might be better off just drawing a line and starting the new season when everything has settled down in August. Not sure how that'd work with promotion / relegation though.

It's going to cause all manner of problems for so many people and businesses but I can't see a way out.

[Redalert1970]

Sport is a secondary thing

Peoples health around the world is more important than anything

If there is no sport so bloody what

[redrobo]

Sport is a secondary thing

Peoples health around the world is more important than anything

[b]If there is no sport so bloody what[/b]

Not often I agree with Redalert but on the question of sport and its relevance at the moment, he's spot on with his thoughts.

Survival is more important than anything.

[Keith]

I really can't see the season being finished. As soon as players start to contract the virus, they'll have to call it off.

The vast majority of professional footballers will be ill & recover in about three days at the most. People under thirty generally, barely notice they are unwell. Children, not at all.

If you are/were a heavy smoker, are elderly or have pre-existing heart &/or lung conditions are most at risk.

[P/T Indie]

Can someone explain to me why schools should be closed if Kids aren't really affected? am I missing something.

Would it not be better to close down large organisations, surely a large office block with a few hundred people of all ages is more dangerous than a primary school.

and wouldn't it be better to stop travel, I think letting the Spanish fans travel to Liverpool last night was crazy since Spain in a hotspot.

[Redalert1970]

It's a dominoe effect at the moment

Seems to be one country is following another one then another one... Seems to be the same in sport

McLaren have now pulled out of Aussie grand Prix

This time next week it will be world wide

[broadwayshrimp]

Can someone explain to me why schools should be closed if Kids aren't really affected? am I missing something.

I think it's because kids are good at picking these viruses up from one another and then passing them on. Fortunately this particular virus doesn't appear to affect kids too much though. It's just us poor old buggers who are at most risk.

[Phil Anderer]

Can someone explain to me why schools should be closed if Kids aren't really affected? am I missing something.

I think it's because kids are good at picking these viruses up from one another and then passing them on. Fortunately this particular virus doesn't appear to affect kids too much though. It's just us poor old buggers who are at most risk.

Yeah, the risk with the kids is not to them, but that they become carriers for the virus and pass it on to parents and, with more potential for serious consequences, grandparents. Both Mrs A & I have elderly parents, Mrs A has asthma, and we're self-employed so if we don't work we don't earn any money - no sick pay for us, although apparently the government has announced some sort of assistance if we are affected, I just hope we don't need it. Due to it being our wedding anniversary and having a prior engagement, we weren't going to be at the game this Saturday anyway, but we are increasingly considering ways to limit our potential exposure. Yes, we work from home, but part of what we do involves going out and meeting people, otherwise there's no work to do when we are at home.

Ho hum, good old British stiff upper lip and we'll get by.

[Joe Oh]

Regardless of the risk to the players themselves, in a few days there'll be teams with multiple players self isolating and the rest of the team running the risk of spreading it to everyone they come into contact with.

I reckon this will be the last weekend of football for a long time.

[Phil Anderer]

Regardless of the risk to the players themselves, in a few days there'll be teams with multiple players self isolating and the rest of the team running the risk of spreading it to everyone they come into contact with.

I reckon this will be the last weekend of football for a long time.

I reckon you could well be right there.

[marky No.1]

https://www.efl.com/news/2020/march/efl ... s-update2/

[KenH]

Can someone explain to me why schools should be closed if Kids aren't really affected? am I missing something.

No way will you ever get kids to practice good personal hygiene, keep apart from others, etc. They'll also be constantly touching things that can't be cleaned between uses, such as toys, computers, text books, door handles, etc etc. Viruses/diseases etc will be passed on very easily and quickly, with the kids then infecting their parents, teachers, carers, and so on.

At least with adults, there's the hope that they would do as they are told, wash their hands frequently, wipe down phones/computers, avoid close personal contact, etc. (I say hope as even today, I saw people make no attempt to wash their hands after using public loos!).

[Andy D]

There’s a meeting with PL today and FL monday, suggesting finishing the season now, so ie. Liverpool Champions, and Morecambe will be safe?

but Cup competitions won’t be as straightforward.

[Gone_Shrimping]

There’s a meeting with PL today and FL monday, suggesting finishing the season now, so ie. Liverpool Champions, and Morecambe will be safe?

but Cup competitions won’t be as straightforward.

They really ought to cancel tomorrows fixtures too.

[black morse]

There’s a meeting with PL today and FL monday, suggesting finishing the season now, so ie. Liverpool Champions, and Morecambe will be safe?

but Cup competitions won’t be as straightforward.

They really ought to cancel tomorrows fixtures too.

Risk is still very slight at this stage. There will be a time to cancel when the risks become greater. Nothing can stop this virus spreading, it can only slow it down over the coming months until the majority of the population have had it and become immune. Cancelling all tomorrows fixtures would make no difference.

Enjoy yourselves whilst you can. The time for boring isolation has not yet arrived!

[marky No.1]

EFL meeting at lunchtime to decide if tomorrows games take place.
Everton are now in lockdown

[paschahound]

If the FA decides to play the games in empty stadiums, with everyone watching on iFollow, Freez and co might be so busy reading and responding to 1000+ people's text messages and ShrimpsVoices forum posts that we'd be lucky to hear the teamsheet details by the final whistle.

According to this...all games will be suspended? https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1238378199215636480