Restart

[norfolk white]

Haven't been on for a while as football obviously has taken a back seat in this unprecedented time, lives being lost has made many things irrelevant. But it seems there is a realistic hope the season may restart in june, albeit behind closed doors, this season has many issues still to be resolved from not only this countries leagues but right across the world, next season hasn't even started, so why not instead of trying to cram the finish in as soon as possible, which is unrealistic, restart the end of this season as the start of next, it wouldn't matter if it didn't start till September, as long as it's safe to do so, next season at the moment has nothing riding on it, this season has, for many clubs. Unfortunately, even in these dark times money is beginning to talk.

[spaldy]

While money is certainly a factor there are other things in play on this issue.

Getting back to a routine and getting back to work are critical to a country/society. The social and economic costs are not minimal in this crisis and domestic abuse, suicide and depression are huge costs that aren't really discussed. Social unrest becomes a factor every bit as much as the virus does. There is a large part of the population that have been exposed and in some case had it (myself included) and many have little or no symptoms. Many health care workers already have the antibodies. Being married to a nurse and having a nurse daughter I was going to get exposed. If a vaccine was developed it sure is hell not making down to my level since I'm not a politician, government worker or healthcare. I'd be last on the list.

The vaccine will be a year away and even testing is spotty at best. The virus mutates so even if a vaccine is developed it's hit or miss if it's going to be 100% effective. The most vulnerable people including elderly and medically frail will still be affected if the vaccine is not 100% effective. Shutting the world down for 6 months is not viable for huge chunks of the planet. Just the reality. Nothing would be better for the psyche of the planet than getting sports going again; even if under controlled circumstances.

This is what happens when you start messing with viruses in bio labs weapons and have an escape (whether planned or not) and then have a "world health organization" that hides the fact from the world since they are beholden to their chinese overlords. You can let them win outright but just shutting down and hiding all the while buying their cheap crap products and drugs at an inflated price or you can get on with life and realizing that some of us will die because others don't play be any set of rules or ethics.

I think the starting up of the season... even if behind closed doors is the best thing for boosting morale of the country and world.

[alfinyalcabo]

Before even thinking about Football starting again,everybody who has anything to do with football will have to be tested for the virus as stated by the medical boffins before the season can even be thought about being finished.. All the games will have to be played behind closed Doors for god knows how long.

Peoples lives are far more important than football at the moment,I would say it will be quite a few months before there are any games played..Hopefully they will carry on and finish the season which is the only fair way,but there will be no Guarentee on that going ahead if it goes on too long..

Stay safe everybody ..

[spaldy]

Curious as to what the testing rate is for the world population? Is it even 10%? Even countries like S Korea that have made it of paramount importance are under 50% and incorrect results are much higher than the testing percentage worldwide. Suspect world testing would be completed sometime in late 2021 if my math is correct.

Herd immunity develops at 40-60%. It's not an option for the elderly and the medically frail but it's an option for a good chunk of the
many countries population. Countries like Italy, Spain and some of the middle east countries will soon be there. Sweden never really fully shut down and Belarus is the most extreme example with no limitations placed at all... including football. Some malaria prone countries have very low rates. Probably not due to world class medicines or quarantining but possible to anti malarial meds they take.

Perhaps there is another agenda here at work rather than what's being presented by journalists and propagandists. Nothing gives up your rights and freedoms faster than a good crises.

[OldWhiteTaff]

Agree with everything you say spaldy, there is absolutely no chance that this virus is going to be eliminated, or the risks from it reduced to zero, for probably 18 months at the absolute earliest, and more likely 2+ years from now. So for spectator sports we're either going to have to accept that and just get on with it, or effectively kiss goodbye to mass spectator attended sport as we know it. There has to be a level playing field so if 'behind closed doors' is adopted it has to be for every team in every competition i.e. every round has to be the same for every team.

And the sad thing about that is that it will most impact those teams that have the most vocal support, whereas teams that routinely play in front of a handful (the Bournemouths of this world) will be least impacted. And never mind the support element, there's the financial impact as well, teams like Leeds, who still rely on crowd numbers for a significant portion of their income, will be most affected. So for me the sooner the turnstiles are re-opened and crowds are back the better (mind you, will people still go in those circumstances even if they can?)

[alfinyalcabo]

Phook me Taff,all these people dying and all you can think about is ihow t might affect Leeds chances if they have to play behind closed doors ,even slagging off other teams..and if Leeds might lose a few quid at the turnstile gates.. FFS get a grip man.. The season shouldn't start until the proof is there that this virus is being destroyed or there is a vaccine available..People's lives come before Leeds Utd or any football team ..

[OldWhiteTaff]

Phook me Taff,all these people dying and all you can think about is ihow t might affect Leeds chances if they have to play behind closed doors ,even slagging off other teams..and if Leeds might lose a few quid at the turnstile gates.. FFS get a grip man.. The season shouldn't start until the proof is there that this virus is being destroyed or there is a vaccine available..People's lives come before Leeds Utd or any football team ..

Yeah, but thats the point - and I'm not just talking about Leeds - if we, like you say, wait "until the proof is there that this virus is being destroyed or there is a vaccine available" then we'll be waiting for at least 12 months, and even then no guarantees. And how many football clubs could survive that long with no games? This isn't just a question for football, it covers anything which involves congregations of people, what are you saying, no concerts, no cinema, no pubs, no theatre, for at least 12 months? there'll be nothing left.........

[WTF11]

Phook me Taff,all these people dying and all you can think about is ihow t might affect Leeds chances if they have to play behind closed doors ,even slagging off other teams..and if Leeds might lose a few quid at the turnstile gates.. FFS get a grip man.. The season shouldn't start until the proof is there that this virus is being destroyed or there is a vaccine available..People's lives come before Leeds Utd or any football team ..

In 2019, over 163,000 people died of cancer in the UK alone, my wife being one of them. Personal experience put to one side, let me ask all those who are rabidly focussed on the "eradication of Covid-19", and ask, how many billions have been spent on combatting a virus that (mainly) kills those who are old, with underlying health issue, or both? In the UK ALONE the bill for that campaign, when all the costs of business support, mental illness brought on or at least exacerbated by self distancing, staff furlough support, new "Nightingale hospitals around the country, etc etc...will exceed £500bn in this year, THIS YEAR!!!! In the year 2018/2019, the UK government committed £546m to cancer research, including projects that will run for many years. In the year itself, £442m was spent on ongoing research activity, including projects started in previous years. so around 10% of what will be spent, to combat a virus that, if the absolute worst case scenario was to be realised, might kill around half those that cancer WILL kill, and that in this year, not year, after year, after year.

There will be no reliable virus for many months, and as we all know, viruses mutate, so a virus that is effective against Covid-19 may be useless against the next mutation. So what would you suggest? We hunker down, pull up the drawbridge, hope against all logic that we wont catch this particular nasty, and watch as the world around us disappears to hell in a handcart?

OWT mentions Leeds and their chances playing behind closed doors as a reference to something that represents what was normal. He could have asked the same question (essentially, what will happen when "normal" returns) about just about any facet of life as we knew it, the answer would be the same, we don't know.

One thing we SHOULD know, is that up to a little while ago, we knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

We as a society were quite prepared to buy anything and everything from China because it was cheap. Nothing wrong with wanting a bargain (I'm a Yorkshireman FFS!), but perhaps now we will question why a little more, instead of diving for the credit card or the "buy it now" button. As for re-starting the season, there will never be proof that Covid-19 is gone (you can't prove a negative) and asking for it is misguided and cannot be afforded (financially or in other terms). We need a health system that is INVESTED IN so it is fit for purpose, we need the general public to start to exercise common sense in what they ask the NHS to do (no more 999 calls for an ingrowing toenail etc), we need the global community to start to adhere to decent standards in their food supply chain (and no, I don't mean tribes in the Amazon basin have to go to Sainsburys, but lets not eat anything with a face just because its there, as appears to be common practice in some highly populous nations), and we need to return to some semblance of normality where buying 10 million toilet rolls is considered unacceptable behaviour.

[alfinyalcabo]

Yeah, but thats the point - and I'm not just talking about Leeds - if we, like you say, wait "until the proof is there that this virus is being destroyed or there is a vaccine available" then we'll be waiting for at least 12 months, and even then no guarantees. And how many football clubs could survive that long with no games? This isn't just a question for football, it covers anything which involves congregations of people, what are you saying, no concerts, no cinema, no pubs, no theatre, for at least 12 months? there'll be nothing left.........

I see where you are coming from Taff,but if things open before they should do the virus will just start to spread again and we would be back to where we started from.. Better to keep the lockdown as long as possible than revert back to normal.. Even now they are talking about another couple of corona virus strains following on.. All in all its a dodgy situation and I would prefer to see us keep this lockdown in place for a few more months at least rather than destroy all the good work by opening things too soon..Its good to have a nice debate and Stay safe mate.. Football rivalry means nothing at the moment..

[alfinyalcabo]

In 2019, over 163,000 people died of cancer in the UK alone, my wife being one of them. Personal experience put to one side, let me ask all those who are rabidly focussed on the "eradication of Covid-19", and ask, how many billions have been spent on combatting a virus that (mainly) kills those who are old, with underlying health issue, or both? In the UK ALONE the bill for that campaign, when all the costs of business support, mental illness brought on or at least exacerbated by self distancing, staff furlough support, new "Nightingale hospitals around the country, etc etc...will exceed £500bn in this year, THIS YEAR!!!! In the year 2018/2019, the UK government committed £546m to cancer research, including projects that will run for many years. In the year itself, £442m was spent on ongoing research activity, including projects started in previous years. so around 10% of what will be spent, to combat a virus that, if the absolute worst case scenario was to be realised, might kill around half those that cancer WILL kill, and that in this year, not year, after year, after year.

There will be no reliable virus for many months, and as we all know, viruses mutate, so a virus that is effective against Covid-19 may be useless against the next mutation. So what would you suggest? We hunker down, pull up the drawbridge, hope against all logic that we wont catch this particular nasty, and watch as the world around us disappears to hell in a handcart?

OWT mentions Leeds and their chances playing behind closed doors as a reference to something that represents what was normal. He could have asked the same question (essentially, what will happen when "normal" returns) about just about any facet of life as we knew it, the answer would be the same, we don't know.

One thing we SHOULD know, is that up to a little while ago, we knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

We as a society were quite prepared to buy anything and everything from China because it was cheap. Nothing wrong with wanting a bargain (I'm a Yorkshireman FFS!), but perhaps now we will question why a little more, instead of diving for the credit card or the "buy it now" button. As for re-starting the season, there will never be proof that Covid-19 is gone (you can't prove a negative) and asking for it is misguided and cannot be afforded (financially or in other terms). We need a health system that is INVESTED IN so it is fit for purpose, we need the general public to start to exercise common sense in what they ask the NHS to do (no more 999 calls for an ingrowing toenail etc), we need the global community to start to adhere to decent standards in their food supply chain (and no, I don't mean tribes in the Amazon basin have to go to Sainsburys, but lets not eat anything with a face just because its there, as appears to be common practice in some highly populous nations), and we need to return to some semblance of normality where buying 10 million toilet rolls is considered unacceptable behaviour.

I can't argue with most of that WTF .Sorry about your wife mate,I lost my mum to that horrible disease Cancer. I just think if things opened up too quickly we would revert back to what things were like at the start.. Hopefully normality will return ,but not until it's safe to do so. Take care mate.