[Albion] Burning of the Clocks cancelled in Brighton - a responsible decision from the organisers?

[brianwade]

For those of you unaware The Burning of the Clocks is a traditional family friendly parade in Brighton on the 21st December . The organisers feel that inviting 10 - 20,000 people out onto the streets to witness it could lead to further infections in the community. Given their whole years work was dedicated to this one night this is a genuine sacrifice on their part . It must have been a tough decision.

Question - Should Brighton and Hove Albion show a similar concern for the community they serve ? Or should we squeeze one last game in before the Premier League shuts down for Christmas and the New Year ?

 

[The Wookiee]

For those of you unaware The Burning of the Clocks is a traditional family friendly parade in Brighton on the 21st December . The organisers feel that inviting 10 - 20,000 people out onto the streets to witness it could lead to further infections in the community. Given their whole years work was dedicated to this one night this is a genuine sacrifice on their part . It must have been a tough decision.

Question - Should Brighton and Hove Albion show a similar concern for the community they serve ? Or should we squeeze one last game in before the Premier League shuts down for Christmas and the New Year ?

Two totally different gatherings!

Football is ticketed with strict rules in place about tests and vaccine status.

The 20k gathering on the streets have no such measures in place

 

[Official Old Man]

Having taken my daughter to the clocks about 15 years back I firstly have to say how surprised I was at the attendance. Thousands line the streets.
I also know how much work and effort goes into the planning of both the event and costumes. The whole group must be heartbroken.
Should they have called it off? Must have been a very hard decision and watching up to 30K cram in to the Amex, most in the concourse without masks, the kids must be in tears.

 

[brianwade]

Two totally different gatherings!

Football is ticketed with strict rules in place about tests and vaccine status.

The 20k gathering on the streets have no such measures in place

Fair comment howver the people at the Burning of The Clocks are moving around usually . At the Amex you can be 2 ft away from 4 people at the same time for 2 hours - they are also not travelling to the event in cramped airless train carriages, buses or cars. They are unlikely to be drunk and they are more likely to be wearing masks .

 

[brianwade]

Having taken my daughter to the clocks about 15 years back I firstly have to say how surprised I was at the attendance. Thousands line the streets.
I also know how much work and effort goes into the planning of both the event and costumes. The whole group must be heartbroken.
Should they have called it off? Must have been a very hard decision and watching up to 30K cram in to the Amex, most in the concourse without masks, the kids must be in tears.

If everyone wore masks on the train and in the concourse it would n't be so worrying . However no one has ever done this . Also the checks going in were very weak to say the least - so the kids will be upset and wonder why Brighton can play but they can't ...

 

[jessiejames]

For those of you unaware The Burning of the Clocks is a traditional family friendly parade in Brighton on the 21st December . The organisers feel that inviting 10 - 20,000 people out onto the streets to witness it could lead to further infections in the community. Given their whole years work was dedicated to this one night this is a genuine sacrifice on their part . It must have been a tough decision.

Question - Should Brighton and Hove Albion show a similar concern for the community they serve ? Or should we squeeze one last game in before the Premier League shuts down for Christmas and the New Year ?

As opposed to Christmas shopping. How much do I trust the people around me, the people I work with, this is the problem anyone can carry it and pass it on without any symptoms.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Fair comment howver the people at the Burning of The Clocks are moving around usually . At the Amex you can be 2 ft away from 4 people at the same time for 2 hours - they are also not travelling to the event in cramped airless train carriages, buses or cars. They are unlikely to be drunk and they are more likely to be wearing masks .

So you come into actual contact with far fewer people at a football stadium then, if you want to be careful. A car trip to Amex with all seats occupied puts you in close contact with 8 people.

 

[brianwade]

So you come into actual contact with far fewer people at a football stadium then, if you want to be careful. A car trip to Amex with all seats occupied puts you in close contact with 8 people.

Lovely thought - and I'm sure thats great for those with a parking space - which is about 5% of the support ? Maybe 10% . Most people travel by train as you know .

Also those 8 people all met at least 10 people in the previous 24 hrs - so it's 80 really .

 

[Guinness Boy]

Lovely thought - and I'm sure thats great for those with a parking space - which is about 5% of the support ? Maybe 10% . Most people travel by train as you know .

Also those 8 people all met at least 10 people in the previous 24 hrs - so it's 80 really .

And if you go to Burning of the Clocks by train or bus and then follow the parade and then go for a drink afterwards? Do you have those numbers?

Nothing stopping active people driving to a couple of miles away, parking and having a nice stroll to the ground, Or cycling by themselves.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

A huge amount of work does go into burning of the clocks, so yes. It's really sad that it has been cancelled. I was going to take the kids down.

They've taken a responsible, but very difficult choice

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Shame, there are far too many cocks in Brighton.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

So this outdoor event is cancelled, yet indoor Concerts at The Dome (very few masks on show) have been going ahead this week?

 

[Springal]

So this outdoor event is cancelled, yet indoor Concerts at The Dome (very few masks on show) have been going ahead this week?

One is ticketed, controlled, covid pass check ins etc - the other is a huge gathering of unknown people.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

One is ticketed, controlled, covid pass check ins etc - the other is a huge gathering of unknown people.

Sure. But a Covid pass doesn't mean you haven't got Covid.

Chances of catching Covid far higher at an indoor concert than on a street, regardless of the number of people.

 

[Springal]

Sure. But a Covid pass doesn't mean you haven't got Covid.

Chances of catching Covid far higher at an indoor concert than on a street, regardless of the number of people.

But then you have transport, how people get there and still if a lot of people are crowded on the streets the risk is high.

Agreed on the COVID pass, but at least you know 'who' is there if there is an outbreak

 

[Bold Seagull]

So this outdoor event is cancelled, yet indoor Concerts at The Dome (very few masks on show) have been going ahead this week?

Can see where you are coming from. 30,000 people will descend on the Amex tonight, on trains and buses, sharing toilets and concourse space etc. whereas Burning the Clocks is entirely outside with a lot of local attendees who will just walk, cycle to watch it etc. However, given many of those taking part in the actual parade are youngsters, and covid is ripping through schools, it might be many of the parade groups are pulling out to protect their Xmas's which may also have influenced the organisers decision.

 

[rippleman]

I thought I saw on another thread that the club would only be checking covid passports for about 20%. Yes, I did. Bozza's thread here:

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?391910-Paul-Barber-on-5live

Given that the club is only carrying out spot checks on 20% (and given how easy it would be to present a fake LFT) it really doesn't offer much confidence that fans with the virus will be prevented from entering the ground.

Bozza made an eminently sensible proposal that the concourses should be closed but we know that isn't ever going to happen. Will stewards be vigourously enforcing the mask rule? I seriously doubt it. Shops and public transport are not enforcing so I can understand why the club wouldn't.

Travelling by train to evening games has always been a pain because everybody is travelling in a far shorter window than for weekend games. One game (I think v Leeds a few years ago) it was standing only from Worthing so you can imagine how packed it was when we hit Brighton. Then the long queues at the station before being crammed onto the totally insufficient trains to Falmer.

I am certainly not suffering from covid paranoia but until I have had my booster, I'm not taking the risk of spending so much time in close (very close) contact with so many people, particularly when mask wearing is not being enforced.

I would have felt far safer at Burning of the Clocks; it's outside and you can just move away if it gets too crowded. Not so easy to avoid close contact on the trains or concorses.

 

[Albion my Albion]