[Football] Gareth Southgate says footballers should be offered vaccine soon

[scooter1]

Southgate seems to have reached a point where he only opens his mouth to change his feet

 

[vagabond]

Not his biggest fan but I don’t blame Southgate for this.

FIFA should have stopped all these silly international games at a time when the world is going through a global pandemic. Sheer madness to have players flying around the world in and out of countries for friendlies.

As these games have to go ahead, Southgate is right, they should be vaccinated. It’s not for their benefit, it’s for the populations benefit so less disease is transmitted.

 

[HCxUK]

As they're being made to travel internationally, stay in hotels etc and go to work every day, AND the vast vast majority of the vulnerable have been offered vaccines, I don't think it's the most ridiculous idea.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Get people who work in schools & nurseries vaccinated first.

 

[maffew]

As these games have to go ahead, Southgate is right, they should be vaccinated. It’s not for their benefit, it’s for the populations benefit so less disease is transmitted.

But the games dont have to go ahead its not life or death. International football just shouldnt be happening in this once in a more than a lifetime pandemic, simple.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

As the powers that be have considered them as "key workers" they should be vaccinated after the most vulnerable.

That said, I don't think any European/International football should be taking pace right now.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

His comments won't go down well but I do think he's got a point. Previously I thought it was too soon, but now most of the highly vulnerable groups have been jabbed, I don't think it is unreasonable.

They have been made to carry on playing throughout the pandemic for our enjoyment. I have seen lots of comments on here and social media from people saying they don't know what they would have done without being able to watch football. The players are actually jeopardising their long term careers when it comes to injuries by playing so much football in such a short space of time for our benefit (I fully understand that a large part of this is for financial reasons too). Catching the virus could also have a massively detrimental impact on their careers, their lives and their families lives.

The number of professional footballers is quite tiny within the total population of this country yet millions and millions of people are benefiting from them being able to watch them play. Why shouldn't they then be offered a job now?

I don't agree with international football being played at the moment but that's another matter.

 

[maffew]

I dont understand either, vaccinating our players, how does that stop it being spread to/brought in from other countries. it only stops the players catching it yeah?

 

[SAC]

I dont understand either, vaccinating our players, how does that stop it being spread to/brought in from other countries. it only stops the players catching it yeah?

No, it reduces the chance of you passing it on.

I think if you are going to ask sports people to go abroad then they should be vaccinated. Olympic athletes, footballers, cricketers the lot. If you add them all up you are talking 100s or low 1000s, it really isn't that many. The other option is to stop sports people travelling abroad.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I dont understand either, vaccinating our players, how does that stop it being spread to/brought in from other countries. it only stops the players catching it yeah?

If the players can't catch it how can they then pass it on?

Sent from my GM1913 using Tapatalk

 

[Bodian]

I was surprised the PM hadn't had a jab yet, surely he is more important than any footballer.

Presumably if anyone is full of antibodies from already having had covid it's him. So - probably quite low risk.

 

[beorhthelm]

Not his biggest fan but I don’t blame Southgate for this.

FIFA should have stopped all these silly international games at a time when the world is going through a global pandemic. Sheer madness to have players flying around the world in and out of countries for friendlies.

As these games have to go ahead, Southgate is right, they should be vaccinated. It’s not for their benefit, it’s for the populations benefit so less disease is transmitted.

so Southgate should use his position and media platform to question why the games are going ahead. instead he is meakly accepting FIFA authority and looking for someone else to deal with the implications.

 

[golddene]

Gone for the yes option as it may allay some vaccine hesitant fears and encourage more to have these safe jabs as BJ seems to be doing by having his jab publicly

 

[Giraffe]

His comments won't go down well but I do think he's got a point. Previously I thought it was too soon, but now most of the highly vulnerable groups have been jabbed, I don't think it is unreasonable.

They have been made to carry on playing throughout the pandemic for our enjoyment. I have seen lots of comments on here and social media from people saying they don't know what they would have done without being able to watch football. The players are actually jeopardising their long term careers when it comes to injuries by playing so much football in such a short space of time for our benefit (I fully understand that a large part of this is for financial reasons too). Catching the virus could also have a massively detrimental impact on their careers, their lives and their families lives.

The number of professional footballers is quite tiny within the total population of this country yet millions and millions of people are benefiting from them being able to watch them play. Why shouldn't they then be offered a job now?

I don't agree with international football being played at the moment but that's another matter.

Domestic football is fine, and yes that has kept a lot of people going, me included. The wider mental health benefits are very clear. But international football really is not needed (and I say that as an England Travel member). If you cancel international football and European football as should have happened, we could have done the domestic league more properly, less squashed and therefore less injuries, and the enjoyment for the public would have been the same or even better. That is what should have happened. But money spoke. Therefore suggesting they should now get the vaccination because football chased the dollar, or Euro, or Pound, and therefore put themselves at more risk is frankly insulting to all of us.

 

[RossyG]

I was surprised the PM hadn't had a jab yet, surely he is more important than any footballer.

Probably didn’t want to be seen jumping the queue but now wants to be seen publicly supporting the AstraZeneca vaccine after the blood clot allegation.

(And, as mentioned above, he’s immune anyway)

 

[Seaview Seagull]

He might also have rather missed the point that the vaccines are not for sale privately and there is no surplus available for special interest groups.If a surplus is available at any time we should send it to countries who can't afford to buy it.

Not his finest hour.

 

[Stato]

Before forming an opinion based on the headline it's worth considering what else Southgate said.

"We are asking them to keep playing.

"I was not in any way suggesting they should have been ahead of key workers and teachers who should be ahead but we are getting close to the points where it could be acceptable and actually, football could afford to save the NHS money by buying the vaccines and administering them."

Exemptions have allowed football to continue since its restart in June with players travelling for European fixtures in recent weeks.

Players are set to travel again for international matches later this month and some may have to quarantine on their return.

"They are having to take some risk going back to families and a lot of them have caught the virus because they have been working," Southgate said.

Unbelievable. Listen to yourself you fool. You've pretty much just said that those who can afford to go private could be allowed to buy priority.

Football is still going solely because of economic demand. Other businesses are going under because they have not been allowed the same special exemptions that would allow them to work. If elements of football are considered to be putting employees at risk, perhaps because they involve international travel, then do what every other business has had to and stop doing those things. Continuing international football in the current climate is utterly stupid and presumably only being done to avoid FAs suffering financial penalties. This idiot should be on furlough. He could be of some use volunteering as a steward at a local vaccine clinic, but presumably could only do this if it was based at Villa Park.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Domestic football is fine, and yes that has kept a lot of people going, me included. The wider mental health benefits are very clear. But international football really is not needed (and I say that as an England Travel member). If you cancel international football and European football as should have happened, we could have done the domestic league more properly, less squashed and therefore less injuries, and the enjoyment for the public would have been the same or even better. That is what should have happened. But money spoke. Therefore suggesting they should now get the vaccination because football chased the dollar, or Euro, or Pound, and therefore put themselves at more risk is frankly insulting to all of us.

I totally agree international football shouldn't be happening but that's another debate isn't it? He wasn't just talking about international footballers as far as I can see?

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I think he will come to regret these comments.

Yep, with a Southgate In/Out poll on NSC to kick it off.

I will leave the mega posters to do it, there's a thought, you could do it HT.

 

[vagabond]

But the games dont have to go ahead its not life or death. International football just shouldnt be happening in this once in a more than a lifetime pandemic, simple.

Eh? Please re-read my post. That’s exactly what I said:

Not his biggest fan but I don’t blame Southgate for this.

FIFA should have stopped all these silly international games at a time when the world is going through a global pandemic. Sheer madness to have players flying around the world in and out of countries for friendlies.

As FIFA decreed they have to go ahead Southgate has to do his job, hence he’s rightly suggesting they should be vaccinated. Simples.