Covid & Football

So . . . with COVID rates dropping pretty steeply in the UK and vaccines rolling out . . . any news on when fans might be let back in again?
 
So . . . with COVID rates dropping pretty steeply in the UK and vaccines rolling out . . . any news on when fans might be let back in again?
Seems to me the Government's mid to late May estimate for sport was aimed at putting off mass football fan returns until August. Don't think the timing is completely coincidental.

We might be able to manage the Euros, for those lucky enough to get tickets.

Still, it works out well for the tennis toffs. Grrr.
 
Just two opportunities for us; Play off final and fa cup final test event

Kind of feel sorry for the people who have to decide which fans can go to such games.

I me we don't have the biggest of crowds I know but there will still be a lot of interest if let's say 10k can go the Play-off final and a bit like us if you get to the FA Cup final you'll all want to go!

You can see people getting cross and not sure our ticket office could deal with the aggro.

I wonder if the Government will be put off if we see scenes like the Rangers fans in Scotland down here?

Highly predictable.

The local police are probably just glad they didn't win it at Celtic Park.
 
Kind of feel sorry for the people who have to decide which fans can go to such games.

I me we don't have the biggest of crowds I know but there will still be a lot of interest if let's say 10k can go the Play-off final and a bit like us if you get to the FA Cup final you'll all want to go!

You can see people getting cross and not sure our ticket office could deal with the aggro.

I wonder if the Government will be put off if we see scenes like the Rangers fans in Scotland down here?

Highly predictable.

The local police are probably just glad they didn't win it at Celtic Park.

very unfortunate timing that rangers haven’t won the league for 10 years - like Liverpool and leeds last season. So much pent up emotion. However scenes today are madness given the pandemic.

re cup final, i read that it could be up to 10k tickets per club - which is less of a problem for us rather than any other club left!!
 
very unfortunate timing that rangers haven’t won the league for 10 years - like Liverpool and leeds last season. So much pent up emotion. However scenes today are madness given the pandemic.

re cup final, i read that it could be up to 10k tickets per club - which is less of a problem for us rather than any other club left!!
We’ve got a semi final at Wembley first to worry about.
 
We’ve got a semi final at Wembley first to worry about.

plus a quarter final!

my comment followed on from the earlier point re two possible opportunities to play in front of fans this season. That isn’t the same as saying we will play in front of fans in 2 games!
 
plus a quarter final!

my comment followed on from the earlier point re two possible opportunities to play in front of fans this season. That isn’t the same as saying we will play in front of fans in 2 games!
Sorry I messed up. My tongue in cheek reply should have referred to Watford Mark who mentioned 2 Wembley appearances forgetting the semi final.
 
Sky

Seems odd that some fans from both clubs can attend the League Cup Final game, but the FA Cup Semi-final between Leicester C and SaintS has to be local people. I know the Final involves a North London club.

Football fans are set to return to Wembley Stadium for the first time in over a year later this month.

The League Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham on 25 April will see fans of both clubs offered tickets.

People will also be in the north London stadium for the FA Cup semi final between Leicester City and Southampton on 18 April, but only nearby residents, council workers and other designated groups will be eligible for tickets.

Those attending the events will have to test negative for COVID-19 24 hours before the game, and also afterwards.

The last football game to be played under the iconic Wembley arch with the roar of crowds was last year's League Cup final on 1 March, which Man City won 2-1 against Aston Villa.

Stadiums are not expected to let crowds in around the country until May under current plans, when a maximum of 10,000 fans will be able to attend events.
 
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However, as the 72 member clubs wrestle with the £250m financial hit caused by more than a season with almost no fans at matches, EFL chief executive Trevor Birch says Covid passports may be the only way forward.

"We understand one side of the debate in terms of civil liberties," Birch told BBC Sport.

"But on the other side, if it is the only way of releasing fans to attend games, I think probably, it has to be embraced because without Covid certification, we may not be able to get full fans back in stadiums which will have a dramatic financial effect on the clubs.

"It is not ideal for everybody but at least it is giving some kind of greater liberty to a greater number of people."

Birch says the loss of revenue has taken "a significant toll" on clubs.

So desperate is the requirement to get fans back into stadiums as soon as practical that a meeting of clubs on Thursday will discuss whether to push the play-off semi-finals, which would normally be held in the week after the season ends on 8 May, to the 17 May, which is the point at which the government plans to remove most restrictions and supporters will be allowed back to matches.

"It is a very fluid situation," said Birch.

"There are various issues the clubs will need to decide upon, not least of which being that there might be Welsh clubs in those semi-finals, who might have a different strategy at that stage."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56668965
 
To say that the governments approach to this is cautious is putting it politely.But l do not understand how they can allow minimum attendances of home fans back in the autumn when the country was split into tiers and there was no vaccine and now no fans when the virus has virtually been eradicated.
There are test events l hear people saying as they read this post.4000 non fans for the Saints FA Cup semi final.What is that going to achieve?2000 Man City fans and 2000 Spurs for the Caribo cup final.Vague empty promises about the cup final and the playoffs.Woe betide as yet another mutant is found. At this point in time l can not see crowds of any significance at the Euro finals games being held here.It's too dangerous l hear the experts whisper sibilantly into Boris's ear.Keep them locked up for a bit longer! And the Championship playoff final is witnessed by one man and his dog that have stumbled through the non socially distanced security cordon around Wembley.
"Next season will be back to normal"
l sincerely hope it will be once the country has been fully vacinated. Not watching the Cherries play live for the last year has left a huge hole in my life.But unless the mindset of those in charge of the country changes l have huge misgivings that we will never have normal again.Power and control in the wrong hands are a powerful aphrodisiac.
SOMEBODY TELL ME I AM WRONG!
 
To say that the governments approach to this is cautious is putting it politely.But l do not understand how they can allow minimum attendances of home fans back in the autumn when the country was split into tiers and there was no vaccine and now no fans when the virus has virtually been eradicated.
There are test events l hear people saying as they read this post.4000 non fans for the Saints FA Cup semi final.What is that going to achieve?2000 Man City fans and 2000 Spurs for the Caribo cup final.Vague empty promises about the cup final and the playoffs.Woe betide as yet another mutant is found. At this point in time l can not see crowds of any significance at the Euro finals games being held here.It's too dangerous l hear the experts whisper sibilantly into Boris's ear.Keep them locked up for a bit longer! And the Championship playoff final is witnessed by one man and his dog that have stumbled through the non socially distanced security cordon around Wembley.
"Next season will be back to normal"
l sincerely hope it will be once the country has been fully vacinated. Not watching the Cherries play live for the last year has left a huge hole in my life.But unless the mindset of those in charge of the country changes l have huge misgivings that we will never have normal again.Power and control in the wrong hands are a powerful aphrodisiac.
SOMEBODY TELL ME I AM WRONG!
Change some of the names and places and you have summed up Canada very nicely as well. And just wait ..... even if this virus is pretty much under control by the summer, the "medical experts" will be postulating the same fear-mongering next winter .... mask everyone up and keep them at home, and there will be no flu. More lives will be saved!! Everyone gets to live longer .... stuck in their homes.
 

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