[Football] Premier League / Football League attempts to finish the season

[southstandandy]

If pubs, cafes and hairdressers cannot resume until July at the earliest, with social distancing, how can we justify a contact sport like football in June?
Does it take a big named player being hospitalized in intensive care before they take notice?

Footballers look like they are going to be made a 'special case' - as much as I miss all live sport, they shouldn't be. No problem with the season resuming but only at the right time.

 

[drew]

If pubs, cafes and hairdressers cannot resume until July at the earliest, with social distancing, how can we justify a contact sport like football in June?
Does it take a big named player being hospitalized in intensive care before they take notice?

Has anyone specifically said pubs can open in July? I know they have made reference to the hospitality sector but not sure that necessarily includes Pubs!

 

[Palacefinder General]

I have a flawless plan to reduce costs...

A mate turned up for tennis in Eastbourne last summer with these poncey pink monogrammed balls that had cost him £5 each online. A couple of shots into the warm-up two had gone over the perimeter fencing forever lost in dense woodland

 

[Mancgull]

I think this one is going to run and run. If clubs are railroaded into finishing the season then I can see the players themselves rebelling against it, if they think that they are being singled out to play compared with other sports. I doubt the EPL will change their view if the Govt does give them the green light to resume in June. It's a right mess and that's before the neutral venue issue is taken into account.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Has anyone specifically said pubs can open in July? I know they have made reference to the hospitality sector but not sure that necessarily includes Pubs!

It doesn't and will be under very specific criteria

 

[SeagullinExile]

Has anyone specifically said pubs can open in July? I know they have made reference to the hospitality sector but not sure that necessarily includes Pubs!

He said some hospitality may open in July. Restaurants included in that. As most pubs do food these days, that will something we will look at, obviously with number/table restrictions in place.

 

[WilburySeagull]

I’m quietly optimistic that we might get amateur cricket going in July, in theory it’s non-contact, 2m distancing is achievable with tweaks. The only issue is the ball, my idea on that is that each bowler uses a dedicated ball, all fielders wear gloves. The clubhouses/bars will likely have to remain closed but we could get the games going.

wicketkeeping might be an issue and 2m slip fielding could be tricky☠

 

[southstandandy]

He said some hospitality may open in July. Restaurants included in that. As most pubs do food these days, that will something we will look at, obviously with number/table restrictions in place.

One customer per pub?

 

[ewe2]

Can’t see fans at matches next season ,let alone this......

 

[Napper]

Tricky one as under 40s there is minumal risk. Less than 200 deaths age 20 to 39 country wide really is minisuclar figures and when you consider that many have underlying health issues which footballers generally dont have.

Considering much of the UK is going back to work in busy trains etc , they should be able to find a safe very low risk solution really.

We will see

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Club/village cricket matches between teams of adults still seem a long way off. Definitely not in June and very unlikely in July.

Obviously can't rule out August, September and October at this stage though.

Our club will be opening up our net facility from Wednesday to be booked for use by small groups from the same household. Some of the family combos will be able to have quite a decent net session but most common scenario will be Dad + Son/Daughter fun.

I expect the next steps of relaxation to come steadily through June, July & August with gradual progression through allowable forms of practice into matches. It would/will be a nice throwback to be playing village cricket with a full programme in September and early October again.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Tricky one as under 40s there is minumal risk. Less than 200 deaths age 20 to 39 country wide really is minisuclar figures and when you consider that many have underlying health issues which footballers generally dont have.

Considering much of the UK is going back to work in busy trains etc , they should be able to find a safe very low risk solution really.

We will see

I wonder how many of the 30000 deaths have happened because the virus was passed to them by under 40s....

 

[Napper]

I wonder how many of the 30000 deaths have happened because the virus was passed to them by under 40s....

Not sure the risk be so much greater playing on a pitch with 22 players that all been tested numerous times that week.

Average worker on a bus prob encounters 30 people that morning alone

Context for it for me. Happy to not see it come back yet but think the reality is its can be made safe in the scheme of things

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

One customer per pub?

If that was the case my local could open now!!

 

[blue-shifted]

Not sure the risk be so much greater playing on a pitch with 22 players that all been tested numerous times that week.

Average worker on a bus prob encounters 30 people that morning alone

Context for it for me. Happy to not see it come back yet but think the reality is its can be made safe in the scheme of things

Testing is what will make the difference. If all the players on the pitch have been tested, then there is no risk to health, no reason why you can't have walls for free kicks and do all the stuff you would in a normal game.

It doesn't sit easy to me with the lack of testing elsewhere in society and the NHS and care homes should obviously have first dibs. However, I think if some good can come out of it, it's that the general public can see first hand just what can be achieved with widespread testing and start demanding it from their MP's who will hopefully then start to get some pressure on our hapless government to catch up with other nations on this.

 

[Gwylan]

Some of the parks pitches my evening league club use, are such (heavy shrubbery, at both straight boundaries) that we regularly lose 2 or 3 balls during a game. And regularly use 6 bowlers...

That’s a LOT of balls, you’d need!

Yeah, we lose a lot of balls too. I always take two new balls to every game (and a battered old one for when the opposition is bowling )

At junior level it's not unknown to use eight to ten bowlers

 

[Dougie]

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...tage-bottom-six-neutral-grounds-a9505261.html

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...tage-bottom-six-neutral-grounds-a9505261.html

If there was ever a reason to ban this prat permanently it is now.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Testing is what will make the difference. If all the players on the pitch have been tested, then there is no risk to health, no reason why you can't have walls for free kicks and do all the stuff you would in a normal game.

It doesn't sit easy to me with the lack of testing elsewhere in society and the NHS and care homes should obviously have first dibs. However, I think if some good can come out of it, it's that the general public can see first hand just what can be achieved with widespread testing and start demanding it from their MP's who will hopefully then start to get some pressure on our hapless government to catch up with other nations on this.

I disagree. Testing is not 100 % reliable. Some negative testing is unreliable. Also you would need to be testing every day to ensure players did not pick up the virus after their last test. What about the hundreds of back room staff needed to organize a match even if played behind closed doors ? Testing is not the panacea you think.

 

[Springal]

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...tage-bottom-six-neutral-grounds-a9505261.html

8 clubs are against neutral grounds according to the BBC.

Love how Brighton has the Premier League on strings