covid 19

[dawlishmatt]

I understand that from next wednesday the whole of England is going to go under a national lockdown. Boris is due to address the nation on Monday. The lockdown is expected to last for 4 -6 weeks. This will mean that all football will be suspended during this period.

[Southampton Gull]

But we all know it'll last a lot longer than that..............

What's your source for the dates you mention?

[Plainmoor78]

Its only newspaper talk at the moment, if the government could avoid national lockdown by tweaking the local ones I think they would.
Seeing fans aren't allowed to attend I see no reason why football shouldn't continue behind closed doors.

[dawlishmatt]

This information comes from a relative of mine who works for a local council. Apparently they were told yesterday afternoon to prepare for the lockdown. Schools and universities will remain open as well as food stores but everything else will close.

[MellowYellow]

My understanding is that a Tier 4 level is to introduced for a month up to 1 Dec rather than a full lockdown. This will come with new "stay at home" instruction to the country, although the government still plan for schools, colleges and universities to stay open this time, rather than a total lockdown like in the spring. The usual soft targets for closure will be included pubs, betting shops, car boot sales, auction houses, tattoo parlours, tanning and nail salons, and piercing services etc.

I am expecting the gentry pheasant shooting season to be exempt but whether elite sports will gain exemption is still an unknown although its hard to see how the Eton boys would have the cancellation of Rugbys Six Nations on the top of their agenda. Monday will reveal all.

[Dave_Pougher]

Obviously it’s all pure speculation and management of this is of the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is up too manner right now but given the current three levels are named as medium, high and very high what will level four be addressed as?

Chuffing high ? High as feck ? or something more moderate very high and along a bit?
We’ve already had level one plus invented here in Bristol by our inventive mayor.

[dawlishmatt]

I believe that all the levels of covid restrictions will be scrapped and replaced by a national lockdown. From Wednesday there will be no tier 1,2 3 or 4.The only tiers will be from me because there will be no football !!!!!!

[Southampton Gull]

I believe that all the levels of covid restrictions will be scrapped and replaced by a national lockdown. From Wednesday there will be no tier 1,2 3 or 4.The only tiers will be from me because there will be no football !!!!!!

You've always got me for comfort

[Dave]

Due to the amount of media coverage this story has received this morning, couple with the fact, which I'm sure we all know governments down the years are known for releasing 'briefings' to the media prior to major announcements, of course councils and emergency services are given advanced warnings, it's my view that an announcement potentially as early as Monday of a new national lockdown, is more likely to be true, rather than less likely due to a media hack having a speculate.

How will this effect football ? Who knows it's a wait and see, we've already seen some brazen hypocrisy, only have to look at the 17 day lockdown in Wales, shops couldn't sell non-essential items, sure we've all seen the photo's of barriers up preventing shoppers from buying kids cloths, with stillages full of Vodka in front of the kids cloths you could buy, yes of course the Welsh/UK government collects a shed load of tax of the vodka.

So it would be pretty hypocritical to tell Mr/Mrs X they can't travel 50 miles to visit their parents, but the Torquay Utd team bus can do a 600 mile round trip to play 90 minutes of football, fans or no fans, but then, if there's no sport for a month, there's no betting, so tax receipts would fall through the floor, so maybe hypocrisy will find in footballs favour.

[yellowmonkey]

Thats fine as stated before we can stop the season now and be promoted champions

[pnutgull]

The speculation will be over soon come what may as Boris has a news conference at 1700 today. Doom and gloom followed by hopefully a good performance up at Hartlepool

[DWB]

I think the suggestion is that the Premier League and other elite sports will be able to continue, so am I right in assuming we can continue our march to league football?

[MellowYellow]

So it looks “likely” elite sport is to be allowed to continue behind closed doors according to gov sources - so pro football leagues to continue behind closed doors with no fans. There will be a ban on recreational sport, which will see the likes of grass-roots amateur football suspended for another month.

Elite sport to continue behind closed doors would mirror the action taken by France and Germany, which last week announced their own second national lockdowns.

[slay1373]

Elite football remains on! Great news to keep momentum going.

[MellowYellow]

this will mean that all football will be suspended during this period.

It's Official: Culture secretary Oliver Dowden tweeted that "travel to a place of work will be permitted" for "elite sport played behind closed doors".

BBC have reported on the piece: "Lockdown: Premier League, EFL and elite sport to continue in England"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/54765522