[Albion] Football crowds could return in September, says FA chief executive

[drew]

With 2m distancing, you aren't going to have anyone in the row in front of you or behind and it would be about every fourth seat that could be occupied! Even reducing that to 1m then there would be no one in the two seats either side of you or the rows in front and behind. This would change where people are coming from the same household as you can sit next to each other.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Er- they’re taking about scrapping 2m imminently- within days / weeks- no way it will be in place come September.

As with everything- there are many countries ahead of us in the curve so we have the benefit of watching how they move forward. Some will return to spectator sports before we do.

If the infection numbers keep going down on the established curve, the chances of catching it will be significantly lower by Sept so spectator sports with measures like hand washing etc. may well be feasible. Let’s see if the curve continues over the next 3 months- based on other country’s progress that seems most likely.

 

[Klaas]

Couldn’t make it up.
https://youtu.be/gOnk6BR5dSw

Love it when you, and others post up videos from the dodgy as f Youtube channels you 'educate' yourselves from.

We are so f*cked as a society.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

This is from the original March Arsenal game programme- it’s the sort of measures I guess we will go back to once numbers have dropped if spectators are let back in. Sounds ok - but telling fans not to shake hands, hug, high five etc is being a bit hopeful!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Love it when you, and others post up videos from the dodgy as f Youtube channels you 'educate' yourselves from.

We are so f*cked as a society.

Even by NSC standards that was special. A football thread started by the board admin and yet by post 7 we have far right tin foil hattery posted by someone who normally has to consult his mate first before he says anything.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Plenty to ponder re a reduced crowd scenario.

1) Distancing markers needed outside each turnstile.
2) Frisking not possible. So new security control needs to be introduced.
3) Distance control on concourses.
4) Can kiosk staff carry out their duties whilst still distancing?
5) Entry and exit control at toilets
6) One way system on stairways.( Too narrow for normal passing )
7) Entry to seating area in numbered rotation
8) Only those nearest a one way stairway could leave seat during play
9) Exit from seat at HT/FT would have to be in sequence ( not possible to ' push past ' anyone ) Assume if someone in your row wants to stay seated at HT, then you will have to as well.
10 ) Positioning of stewards? ( Not possible on stairways )
11) All other areas ( Club Shop/Dicks etc would need extra controls in place )
12) Fan control on outside concourse/ station approach/ bridge/ station

I'm sure there are more but I am equally confident that the club will cover all eventualities.

 

[darkwolf666]

Er- they’re taking about scrapping 2m imminently- within days / weeks- no way it will be in place come September.

As with everything- there are many countries ahead of us in the curve so we have the benefit of watching how they move forward. Some will return to spectator sports before we do.

If the infection numbers keep going down on the established curve, the chances of catching it will be significantly lower by Sept so spectator sports with measures like hand washing etc. may well be feasible. Let’s see if the curve continues over the next 3 months- based on other country’s progress that seems most likely.

That worked well for us, we learnt so much from Italy and Spain to help keep our death rates down!

I don't think we are particularly good learners...

 

[Klaas]

Even by NSC standards that was special. A football thread started by the board admin and yet by post 7 we have far right tin foil hattery posted by someone who normally has to consult his mate first before he says anything.

I'll say one thing for those youtubers, they are prolific. You start scrolling down and the videos just go on and on and on....

 

[Klaas]

I think it would make a good maths question.

You have a 30,000 seater stadium. All fans must be socially distanced by one seat vertically, horizontally and diagonally. How many fans will attend your first sell out league game?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Not going anywhere near a crowd for some months to come, let alone you lot of smelly covid breathing football fans

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

This is from the original March Arsenal game programme- it’s the sort of measures I guess we will go back to once numbers have dropped if spectators are let back in. Sounds ok - but telling fans not to shake hands, hug, high five etc is being a bit hopeful!

Much of it is common sense. I had already stopped shaking hands the last time we were allowed in (Palace), as had people around us. Of course that was somewhat undermined by the club employing someone to search fans on the way in.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Er- they’re taking about scrapping 2m imminently- within days / weeks- no way it will be in place come September.

As with everything- there are many countries ahead of us in the curve so we have the benefit of watching how they move forward. Some will return to spectator sports before we do.

If the infection numbers keep going down on the established curve, the chances of catching it will be significantly lower by Sept so spectator sports with measures like hand washing etc. may well be feasible. Let’s see if the curve continues over the next 3 months- based on other country’s progress that seems most likely.

Very difficult to keep comparing other countries and their progress. So much differs from one to another. Key factors are clear and concise messaging from the leadership and discipline within the population. Lets be honest, some of our population got bored and restless very quickly and showed little or no discipline. Our rates are slow coming down because people are behaving totally normally, as if this has passed. Still riding on public transport with no face covering and being allowed to do so by the operators, who are avoiding responsibility by ' encouraging and advising ' passengers to cover up, rather than ' policing ' the situation ( i.e we don't want our drivers involved in confrontation, so we'll just let it go. Never mind public health and safety )
Studies show that 2m distancing carries 10x less risk of infection than 1m of distancing, so we can all make our minds up about that.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I think it would make a good maths question.

You have a 30,000 seater stadium. All fans must be socially distanced by one seat vertically, horizontally and diagonally. How many fans will attend your first sell out league game?

4428

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Very difficult to keep comparing other countries and their progress. So much differs from one to another. Key factors are clear and concise messaging from the leadership and discipline within the population. Lets be honest, some of our population got bored and restless very quickly and showed little or no discipline. Our rates are slow coming down because people are behaving totally normally, as if this has passed. Still riding on public transport with no face covering and being allowed to do so by the operators, who are avoiding responsibility by ' encouraging and advising ' passengers to cover up, rather than ' policing ' the situation ( i.e we don't want our drivers involved in confrontation, so we'll just let it go. Never mind public health and safety )
Studies show that 2m distancing carries 10x less risk of infection than 1m of distancing, so we can all make our minds up about that.

Yes but this is 3 months away in September.

 

[Nitram]

I think most of the problems are solvable once in the seated areas and they have the benefit of being in the open. Might even mean closing of food and drink on the concourse to prevent crowding. What I can’t resolve is the travel to and from the stadium by public transport. Even with reduced numbers attending the pressure on public transport and adhering to safe distancing would be a logistical nightmare. Can extra trains/busses be put on? I would imagine they are close to the capacity at the moment. Then what happens when they get to their destination eg Brighton station? There will need to be extra trains that end otherwise there will be a build up.
I can see this working at other grounds but not ours as we rely heavily on Public transport which takes people in and out the same way and does not disperse people in multiple directions.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Plenty to ponder re a reduced crowd scenario.

1) Distancing markers needed outside each turnstile.
2) Frisking not possible. So new security control needs to be introduced.
3) Distance control on concourses.
4) Can kiosk staff carry out their duties whilst still distancing?
5) Entry and exit control at toilets
6) One way system on stairways.( Too narrow for normal passing )
7) Entry to seating area in numbered rotation
8) Only those nearest a one way stairway could leave seat during play
9) Exit from seat at HT/FT would have to be in sequence ( not possible to ' push past ' anyone ) Assume if someone in your row wants to stay seated at HT, then you will have to as well.
10 ) Positioning of stewards? ( Not possible on stairways )
11) All other areas ( Club Shop/Dicks etc would need extra controls in place )
12) Fan control on outside concourse/ station approach/ bridge/ station

I'm sure there are more but I am equally confident that the club will cover all eventualities.

Number 7 is impossible given that people arrive at different times. Number 8 is also impossible as sometimes people need the toilet and will go whatever the 'rules' are. Number 9 is also impossible as many people will end up wetting themselves.

People also arrive late due to work, traffic or hosts of other reasons, similarly, people leave early for a multitude of reasons. It is not just the East stand leaving early, I see hundreds of people in each stand choosing to go from about ten minutes from the end of most matches.

I don't think those are bad ideas, but they are totally impractical and also unenforceable.

 

[ManOfSussex]

None of those measures in the programme from 3 months ago include social distancing. They're from a different world frankly. So long as social distancing is required I fail to see how the stadium can reopen to a full house. The buses, park and ride buses, Seagulls Travel coaches, trains, concourses before a game, at half time, queues for the toilets, queues for the kiosks - they're packed. The West Upper concourse where I am gets pretty hot and stuffy to put it mildly too, as does a packed train before and after a game. I have to go past 10 people to get to my seat if they're already there and I'm not.........I fail to see how any of that can work with any form of social distancing requirements in place.

 

[Silverhatch]

I think it would make a good maths question.

You have a 30,000 seater stadium. All fans must be socially distanced by one seat vertically, horizontally and diagonally. How many fans will attend your first sell out league game?

If the Amex was a perfect box of 30000 it’d be 12000 (distribution of 5 people in every 20 seats staggered across each row to ensure diagonal spacing). Not sure how stand curvature will reduce that - so, say 10000.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

None of those measures in the programme from 3 months ago include social distancing. They're from a different world frankly. So long as social distancing is required I fail to see how the stadium can reopen to a full house. The buses, park and ride buses, Seagulls Travel coaches, trains, concourses before a game, at half time, queues for the toilets, queues for the kiosks - they're packed. The West Upper concourse where I am gets pretty hot and stuffy to put it mildly too, as does a packed train before and after a game. I have to go past 10 people to get to my seat if they're already there and I'm not.........I fail to see how any of that can work with any form of social distancing requirements in place.

Public transport is active now. I imagine some of it e.g. tubes is v busy. The only measure required by Gov is mask wearing. 3 months from now if figures are lower it will be the same as that or mask requirement will have gone.

2m is likely to be scrapped in days / weeks. Unlikely to be in place in Sept.

Other countries will allow spectators back in before us - so we can just see how that pans out and learn from their experience, adopt their measures etc.

 

[Bozza]

I think it would make a good maths question.

You have a 30,000 seater stadium. All fans must be socially distanced by one seat vertically, horizontally and diagonally. How many fans will attend your first sell out league game?

It's more complicated than that though, due to fans from the same household being able to sit together, and not requiring the gap that will otherwise be required.