The new variant of Covid

[Boletus Edulis]

Watching the news, after some initial hope with the vaccines, things feel very dystopian at present. I wonder if we will see in the near future professional sports in tier 4 or involving tier 4 teams will be stopped? Morally should we allow games to happen in tier 4 places?

At this stage I have no opinion, but things are moving very quickly.

 

[dannyc5]

I think (and hope) professional sport will carry on through the next inevitable lockdown. The next lockdown I guess will much more closely resemble lockdown 1 than 2, but with a few more exemptions, including pro sport. It’s good for moral (lockdown 1 was horrible) and it can be done safely if protocols are followed. Also remember cases will come down rapidly in a lockdown. Morally I think it’s fine, we’re talking about young fit athletes who statistically are barely even touched by the disease. Although if any of them live in a household with a vulnerable person then clearly they should shield.

 

[Indian Dan]

May be true of Prem and most Championship clubs but more and more L1 and L2 clubs are already regularly calling games off due to Covid. Whether the situation will see just the 2 lower leagues being suspended//terminated I don’t know. Wouldn’t be surprised if the season was binned.

 

[dannyc5]

May be true of Prem and most Championship clubs but more and more L1 and L2 clubs are already regularly calling games off due to Covid. Whether the situation will see just the 2 lower leagues being suspended//terminated I don’t know. Wouldn’t be surprised if the season was binned.

I’m going on the assumption that there will very soon be a national lockdown. If not, then yes, these next few weeks will be very challenging for leagues 1 and 2.

 

[Bobbin']

There isn’t a huge amount of difference between tiers 3 and 4 anyway really. Only difference is you can’t have Christmas or a haircut.

 

[TimeyWimey]

There’s no predicting what this clusterfuck of a government and that c*** Boris will do anymore. Full lockdown or encourage people to go out and mix by paying for their meals in January. Could be either one.

 

[valefan16]

A lot will depend on this strain of Covid and how it develops I think, it’s ran rife in London and the SE so if it spreads across the land and you end up with 50-60000 cases a day (35k yesterday) then i can only see a hard lockdown realistically and I’ve little faith this new strain will be well contained based on the track record of the government so far!

 

[Boletus Edulis]

There isn’t a huge amount of difference between tiers 3 and 4 anyway really. Only difference is you can’t have Christmas or a haircut.

I know what you are saying Bobbin, and I am really struggling here to have a definitive opinion. However, it is a live issue for us. Our players from Tier 2 are tootling up the M5, M4, M25 and A2 to SE7 on Boxing Day. and then back again. There will be voices calling for this game to be postponed. I am not one of them yet, but I can see I am persuadable.

 

[valefan16]

I know what you are saying Bobbin, and I am really struggling here to have a definitive opinion. However, it is a live issue for us. Our players from Tier 2 are tootling up the M5, M4, M25 and A2 to SE7 on Boxing Day. and then back again. There will be voices calling for this game to be postponed. I am not one of them yet, but I can see I am persuadable.

The main issue is most clubs as I understand in L1 and 2 don’t test weekly due to costs so this is where the problem is likely to arise as to if we can carry on.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

The main issue is most clubs as I understand in L1 and 2 don’t test weekly due to costs so this is where the problem is likely to arise as to if we can carry on.

Completely agree. The point Indian Dan makes is I suspect the crux. I have now been to two matches and at the end the only people definitely following social distancing protocols are the officials, there are players and coaches using physical they should not. And without testing we simply won’t know.

On the point about players being fit, yes, but some such as our captain have underlying health issues that make them very vulnerable. Or their families do.

 

[dannyc5]

The game won’t stop unless the Government mandates it. The Government won’t mandate it. We played towards the end of the 1st lockdown and we played through the 2nd lockdown. Football will carry on, but shortly it will be behind closed doors again.

And as stated earlier, if players are at risk then they obv shouldn’t be playing. Same if they live with someone at risk. But that’s gonna be a tiny proportion of footballers.

Also as stated above, spot on about players mixing. They are starting to take the piss a bit with all the hugging and jumping on each other etc (Crewe have been doing this for weeks). EFL need to read the clubs the riot act in that regards. Go back to how they behaved at the start of the season.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

The game won’t stop unless the Government mandates it. The Government won’t mandate it. We played towards the end of the 1st lockdown and we played through the 2nd lockdown. Football will carry on, but shortly it will be behind closed doors again.

And as stated earlier, if players are at risk then they obv shouldn’t be playing. Same if they live with someone at risk. But that’s gonna be a tiny proportion of footballers.

Also as stated above, spot on about players mixing. They are starting to take the piss a bit with all the hugging and jumping on each other etc (Crewe have been doing this for weeks). EFL need to read the clubs the riot act in that regards. Go back to how they behaved at the start of the season.

I completely agree with your paragraphs one and three, but the second is fine if you have no players affected. I‘m alright Jack...

 

[Indian Dan]

We don’t score many so any post goal celebrations are kept to a minimum! I’m sure we’re not scoring on purpose!

Anyhoo, this new virus has 23 different mutations where normally a virus may only have 1 or 2. Wait til we find out this vaccine is no damn good.

Our game away to Pompey on Boxing Day is almost certainly off as they have a number of positives.

 

[PuB]

Down here in Kent it’s a bit shit right now. We’ve had a lockdown, then tier 3 and now tier 4. Our covid numbers went off the scale *during* lockdown and they’re still rising now. Boris and his chums knew about this mutation way back in October and did fuck all to stop the spread. Now it’s everywhere in the UK already but they’ll blame London and the South East for not sticking to rules (rules that have made no difference at all and are now at least two weeks out of date (even in tier 4)) over Christmas.

It’s an absolute utter clusterfuck but I hope, by some miracle, tier 4 works and keeps the rest of your areas safer than I sadly think they will be. Except we now have our ports shut and the supermarkets are now saying they’ll run out of certain fresh produce by Boxing Day.

But I would like to say to each and every one of you, if you’re lucky enough to see family over Christmas, then enjoy it in the best and most sensible way possible. We will get through this and we will come back stronger.

Stay safe everyone, please X

 

[Crewelad87]

Cheshire into tier 3. So glad we got our 2 games in but gutted it’s now back to behind closed doors. Especially as it felt tons safer than doing the weekly shop at the super market or picking the kids up from school for that matter.

 

[Super_horns]

Still loads of deaths - are people not listening or responding to that guidelines?

Are all the people critically vulnerable not shielding as asked to for example?

I read elsewhere people saying well it might be x’s last Christmas anyway so don’t care about the virus .

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Still loads of deaths - are people not listening or responding to that guidelines?

Are all the people critically vulnerable not shielding as asked to for example?

I read elsewhere people saying well it might be x’s last Christmas anyway so don’t care about the virus .

The thing is Boris has appealed for the people to be responsible and use common sense, the same people who ring 999 when KFC run out of chicken. As for the elder generation quite a lot are doing what they want

 

[PuB]

Probably best not to start blaming each other as that’s exactly what the Tories want (and a usual tactic of theirs when times are hard). But yes, it does seem to be the older generation who are doing what they want rather than the young.

 

[TimeyWimey]

You can’t blame people for not listening with these fuckwits in charge offering contradicting and confusing advice for the last 9 months. Government has blood on their hands.

 

[redjed]

You can’t blame people for not listening with these fuckwits in charge offering contradicting and confusing advice for the last 9 months. Government has blood on their hands.

Trouble is what ever any party would have done , would have been wrong...... no one really knew how contagious covid would be . Every country has had problems ..... even the super efficient Germans.... Every one knew that this winter , the virus would come back with vengeance.
We live on a very crowded island, so we were always going to get a high percentage of people getting the virus. Hopefully with the vaccine we will see a downturn in the infection rate and the life returning to normal

 

[dannyc5]

Taiwan has a similar population density to the UK and has had one locally transmitted case since April. They are also about 1 millimetre away from China depending how far you zoom out on google maps.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Trouble is what ever any party would have done , would have been wrong...... no one really knew how contagious covid would be . Every country has had problems ..... even the super efficient Germans.... Every one knew that this winter , the virus would come back with vengeance.
We live on a very crowded island, so we were always going to get a high percentage of people getting the virus. Hopefully with the vaccine we will see a downturn in the infection rate and the life returning to normal

I struggle to believe anyone else would have gone with the absolutely bonkers “eat out to help out” scheme and then buried their heads in the sand knowing what this winter was bringing and do next to no preparation for it.

 

[redjed]

I struggle to believe anyone else would have gone with the absolutely bonkers “eat out to help out” scheme and then buried their heads in the sand knowing what this winter was bringing and do next to no preparation for it.

This is true , but when they did this the infection rate was at its lowest point The government had to stimulate the economy just to save some of these small businesses .
The infection rate started to rise again when schools , colleges and universities returned. I live in a town that was on Sky news as one of the least affected places in England, it's also home to a university with 2000 students from all over the world attending. When they arrived back the infection rate started to soar , with the police having to break up parties, talking to people about wearing masks and meeting in groups larger than the recommended size.
Also I work in a hotel, and I know with the heath problems that I have I will almost certainly die if I catch it ,the amount of times i have to ask guests to wear a face mask in our public areas is unbelievable, the culprits are in the 20 to 40 age range, I've been threatened a number of times for telling them to do this , the trouble is people became blase about covid!
Hopefully the vaccines that are being produced will kill of this virus and as I said we can go back to living normally

 

[PuB]

This is true , but when they did this the infection rate was at its lowest point The government had to stimulate the economy just to save some of these small businesses .
The infection rate started to rise again when schools , colleges and universities returned. I live in a town that was on Sky news as one of the least affected places in England, it's also home to a university with 2000 students from all over the world attending. When they arrived back the infection rate started to soar , with the police having to break up parties, talking to people about wearing masks and meeting in groups larger than the recommended size.
Also I work in a hotel, and I know with the heath problems that I have I will almost certainly die if I catch it ,the amount of times i have to ask guests to wear a face mask in our public areas is unbelievable, the culprits are in the 20 to 40 age range, I've been threatened a number of times for telling them to do this , the trouble is people became blase about covid!
Hopefully the vaccines that are being produced will kill of this virus and as I said we can go back to living normally

You’re going on my idiots list.

But I wish you a safe and merry Christmas none the less

 

[redjed]

You’re going on my idiots list.

But I wish you a safe and merry Christmas none the less

WHY?

 

[Davidimp]

The university in Lincoln had a very low infection rate, much lower than the locals.
The government lost the population when they let the likes of Cummings get away with breaking the rules.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Perhaps we can just cancel the season now.
Nothing to do with the fact we are bottom of course..
Joking aside, it's a fair assumption that it is going to get worse before it gets better. Expect more cancellations and in April there will be teams with 9 games in hand like you see with step 5 and 6 clubs.

 

[Davidimp]

Just extend the season into June, instead of making the players constantly play Saturday Tuesday.
Teams are picking up loads of injuries because of the lack of breaks between games.
Who knows might mean we all get in to see the conclusion of the season

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Won’t happen because of the Euro’s

 

[TimeyWimey]

Won’t happen because of the Euro’s

Probably will have to happen though, perhaps with late / early / weird kick off times to avoid clashes, especially if fans are allowed back in by then. It’s not as if many of us will be losing players to call ups.

My off the cuff theory with little foundation is that the quick fire games is causing covid to spread between teams as players are contagious in matches without time for symptoms to show.