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Return to Stadiums in September


Anniesland Jag
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38 minutes ago, laukat said:

Now that the chancellor has re-started the furlough scheme for industries that are forced to close do you think the SPFL and SFA will be asking the Scottish Government to stop football in Scotland?

Surely has to be a more financially attractive option for clubs than playing without crowds which now looks really unlikely until at least the New Year

If the football authorities ask for football to be stopped, then they are seeking to close.  They will not qualify for this scheme, which is only for businesses told to close.  Presumably the Premier League will need to continue because of the Sky contract,  so you are only looking at lower league clubs.  To have lower league clubs closing and seeking government funding is as artificial as it sounds.

The new scheme is to be reviewed in January.  How is the player and staff budget to be funded for the rest of the season if no more cash is forthcoming? There is the refunds of sponsorship,  season tickets and no prize money.  Also starting from zero for 21/22.  The recent vote by clubs on a league to league basis was that all four SPFL divisions proceed.  We should now get on with the shortened league programme we have.  If things do become unworkable,  then as long as half of league games are played, the league can be called. Let's ensure we are top at the half way stage and stay there.

All clubs have now invested in squads and there will be difficulties ahead, but there will be clubs who release all of their playing staff if we mothball, and when it comes to 21/22 season, will have no cash reserves to start again  and obtain players.

Football has been promised some of the fund held by the SG for the arts football etc. Further funds will come via the Barnet formula for the recent aid to the English National League.  

I understand where you are coming from,  but nobody ever seems to consider the true financial costs in shutting down.

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59 minutes ago, laukat said:

Now that the chancellor has re-started the furlough scheme for industries that are forced to close do you think the SPFL and SFA will be asking the Scottish Government to stop football in Scotland?

Surely has to be a more financially attractive option for clubs than playing without crowds which now looks really unlikely until at least the New Year

Possibly short term, but the longer football doesn’t happen the less chance it has of coming back

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Went to my first game since February today. Crusaders home to the Welders in the Co Antrim Shield. Not a major competion but we don't have "diddy" cups. Every club wants to win every competion. Seaview seats about 3500 with a few standing areas. Seated areas on all four sides. There are turnstiles at three corners of the ground, but in any event gates were opened and as all tickets were electronic it was just a case of scaning each ticket.  Belfast City Council allowed 460 paying supporters, and we probably sold most of those. Funnily enough we had plenty of stewards and more photographers that usual. I even seen two ballboys. Temperatures checked and a lot of masks in evidence. Instructions to remain seated as much as possible, and if you have to get up, please return to same seat.  Lots of seats roped off and a lot of social distancing. The vast majority of fans complied. The game turned out to be like a pre season friendly  but I can't  tell you how good it was to be back at a live game. I'm normally not very animated at games but today I found myself calling the ref a ****er. Oh hang on I do that all the time. I think if we had been playing Linfield it would have been very different.Would it be as straight forward at Firhill?  I'm not sure. Entry points aren't as easily accessed in my opinion. plus greater numbers wouldn't help. Noboby wants to be in the ground too early, and you end up with bottlenecks. I don't expect to be at Firhill at least until this time next year.

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22 hours ago, Norgethistle said:

14 teams have withdrawn from WoS league ahead of its opening day on the 24th of October due to playing behind closed doors 

Common sense at last , not talking about our Club specifically but at our level with no supporters and therefore not a lot of Income coming , football clubs will go the wall.

Doncaster and Co have a lot to answer for 

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1 hour ago, jlsarmy said:

Common sense at last , not talking about our Club specifically but at our level with no supporters and therefore not a lot of Income coming , football clubs will go the wall.

Doncaster and Co have a lot to answer for 

I agree with you that the SPFL Board have forced  SPFL clubs in all four divisions to play this season, with the threat of relegation for non compliance for those clubs seeking not to compete.

Perversely the same board are in all probability the very vehicle for closing down leagues. They have again canvassed clubs to give them executive power to conclude the season,  in another vote, seeking clubs to trust their judgement. It'll be  interesting to see how clubs view this, though no doubt a rejection will lead to the topic disappearing from the public domain, without further comment.

Having so many club chairmen on the board makes it difficult  to get a quorum for change, and the Sky contract will certainly exclude Premier league clubs from any shutdown. 

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2 hours ago, javeajag said:

It’s possible this year and def before Easter 

belfast jag said HE doesn't expect to be at Firhill at least until this time next year.  

As said before the only date that's of real importance is when supporters can pay at the gate (or pre purchase a ticket). The date when a controlled number of ST holders will be allowed to attend is of minor significance in terms of comparison.   

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1 hour ago, Dick Dastardly said:

I suspect this is the same “def” that had a vaccine on the streets by September.

Two vaccines have already been submitted for approval and vaccination centres have already been fixed 

 

https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/07/britain-prepares-to-roll-out-a-covid-19-vaccine

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1 hour ago, javeajag said:

Two vaccines have already been submitted for approval and vaccination centres have already been fixed 

 

https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/07/britain-prepares-to-roll-out-a-covid-19-vaccine

Read the words!  "According to National Health Service (NHS) plans seen by The Economist, it is one of seven venues so far identified as possible “Nightingale Vaccination Centres” for what will be the country’s biggest-ever vaccination programme. Others include Leeds Town Hall, a university sports centre in Hull and the Olympic Copper Box Arena. The plan is to have some ready to go by the end of the year at the latest."

There's also a plan to build a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland!

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7 hours ago, javeajag said:

It’s possible this year and def before Easter 

No chance, families have basically been told there is a high likelihood they won’t be able to meet for Christmas, so football back won’t happen. The only way it will happen (fans back) is when the growing groundswell of opposition to the current restrictions causes a rethink of policy

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14 minutes ago, Norgethistle said:

No chance, families have basically been told there is a high likelihood they won’t be able to meet for Christmas, so football back won’t happen. The only way it will happen (fans back) is when the growing groundswell of opposition to the current restrictions causes a rethink of policy

And by that time the public will be calling for anyone over the age of seventy to be put into a care home and isolated! :shok:

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18 minutes ago, elevenone said:

Several Junior teams including the bigger ones Auchinelk Talbot, Pollok, Perershill and Kilbirnie Laeside release statements today saying they are pulling out from playing this season.

They aren’t junior anymore they are WoS

I have a feeling we may start to see Lowland, and 2nd and 1st division teams doing the same

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3 hours ago, javeajag said:

Two vaccines have already been submitted for approval and vaccination centres have already been fixed 

 

https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/07/britain-prepares-to-roll-out-a-covid-19-vaccine

The WHO have stated today they plan to only have 1/4 of the world vaccinated by end of 2021

https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax

 

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10 hours ago, Norgethistle said:

They aren’t junior anymore they are WoS

I have a feeling we may start to see Lowland, and 2nd and 1st division teams doing the same

I'm inclined to agree,  NT. The difference is though,  the WOSL  have decided that there will be no promotion or relegation in their four leagues this season. 

One club threatening legal action over this,.....watch this space.

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9 hours ago, elevenone said:

Showing my age with Junior but I agree I think several League 1 and 2 teams would happily mothball season given the chance.

I reckon that's been the case for months especially amongst part time clubs. Tho' I would question the relationship between that attitude and the votes been taken over the summer I can still see the logic behind mothballing. Clubs with less realistic footballing ambitions are presumably more about the social aspect of the game. Apart from the costing itself it stands to reason that these clubs will have less desire for the current play at all cost situation. Ironically attended fixtures amongst those very clubs could often easily be more virus safe than at other grounds.

I've possibly not explained my reasoning too clearly as I don't intend to imply the clubs in question are totally ambitionless but they are part time for a reason.

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Yes Fifexile.  Here's an extract from that marvellous new website The Thistle Archive (shameless plug!).  [SPFL policy on all of this may of course have changed since June.]

"On 26th June clubs were asked to vote formally for a 17th October start. Clubs would play each other home and away followed by either 5 home/4 away fixtures or vice versa. League 1 clubs were advised that if they opted to “hibernate” then they would, effectively, be “relegated” to League 2 for season 2021/22 – their places being taken in 2020/21 by League 2 clubs who were prepared to carry on. If too few clubs planned to carry on in either division then an amalgamated league might have to be created for the season."

 

In the event, IIFC,  all League 1 and 2 clubs voted for 17th October to fall into line with the Championship. No club announced they would not start the season. As stated in an earlier post, no mention was made of what would happen to a club that started but failed to finish the season.

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