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Pete Couhig update on letting fans in

edited November 2020 in Football

You'll have to click, 'see Pete's other tweets,' to get the rest of the thread, about a dozen tweets in all.

Comments

  • Pete seems to be a lot more sensible on this than his uncle. A couple of points based on his thread though... We haven't seen excess deaths rise massively in this second wave yet, but that's not just down to better care available, it's also down to a 4-6 week lag between catching covid and dying. And just because people aren't necessarily dying in the same proportions as the peak of the first wave doesn't mean it's an easy ride (I'm not suggesting he's saying it is) - we don't yet know the medium to long term health implications from this virus.

    Secondly, urging people who are clinically vulnerable not to attend, as he does, is not enough. This is a virus that spreads extremely easily. You may not be vulnerable yourself, you may not come into contact with someone vulnerable. But when transmission is rising exponentially, sooner or later in the chain it will be passed on to someone vulnerable, unless they're hermetically sealing themselves away. Which is far less fair on them than preventing the rest of us watching football in the flesh for a few more weeks.

    Do I think spectators being allowed in on Boxing Day is a remote possibility? Nope. Close to zero chance - allowing people to mix in small groups on Xmas day (which probably will happen) will see the R rate increase enough to prevent anything else be loosened for a while.

    Do I think we'll be allowed in when either 1) vaccination is complete among the clinically extremely vulnerable or 2) mass testing has been shown to work and is widely available? Yes I do. When might that be? I'd probably pencil in late Feb or early March, if I were a betting man.

  • It sounds like entry would vary from region to region depending on lockdown tier, so we ought to have more chance than most. We'll see...

  • Up in tier 3 land we are looking down enviously... but fingers crossed for you

  • @chairboyscentral said:
    It sounds like entry would vary from region to region depending on lockdown tier, so we ought to have more chance than most. We'll see...

    I can't see that happening as some clubs would be getting gate money in, whereas others wouldn't. Imagine the outcry from Peterborough if they were not allowed to open the gates and we were!

  • It’s bad enough having matches with home supporters only (here in NI) as i feel it distorts the influence the limited crowd might have on players. Allowing some clubs home supporters whilst denying others could lead to accusations of unfair advantages.

    In my view we can only allow supporters back when ALL clubs can let them in and ideally when the limited attendance should allow a mix of home and away (along current 85:15 ratio) and national travel is allowed.

  • @mooneyman said:

    @chairboyscentral said:
    It sounds like entry would vary from region to region depending on lockdown tier, so we ought to have more chance than most. We'll see...

    I can't see that happening as some clubs would be getting gate money in, whereas others wouldn't. Imagine the outcry from Peterborough if they were not allowed to open the gates and we were!

    That's just what I read in the BBC report yesterday. Presumably there'd be some kind of compensation/bailout if that were the case.

  • Gate money is surely incidental in the first phase of the reopening as it would probably just be season ticket holders going.
    Lessens the chance of big refunds though I guess

  • @mooneyman said:

    I can't see that happening as some clubs would be getting gate money in, whereas others wouldn't. Imagine the outcry from Peterborough if they were not allowed to open the gates and we were!

    If there was ever a reason for doing exactly that then this is it. A certain Mr Swann would most likely explode

  • Can't find the link but spotted something today on the lines that to open up a bit for Xmas (as no government would have the balls to send police in to break up Xmas dinners, even if they wanted to) we would probably need to have further restrictions of 2-5 days per "free" day to balance the increased rate. Wether that is 100% true or would be followed anyway it we'll see.
    There will be big pressure to open up for Xmas shopping immediately at the end of the current lockdown so we can expect the rates to be scrutinized non stop for a bit.
    I don't see Boxing day as particularly feasible or desirable tbh but I won't be too surprised if it happens.

  • I get it is Christmas and all that but I don't get the logic of not seeing all our family and friends for a month now just so we can see them for a day at Christmas. We missed Easter without a protest didn't we?

    Going back to Adams Park brings some odd emotions to me. Would love to get back to cheering on the team but not being able to be near the people I normally go with will take away a good part of a match day.

  • @Guppys_Left_Leg said:

    @mooneyman said:

    I can't see that happening as some clubs would be getting gate money in, whereas others wouldn't. Imagine the outcry from Peterborough if they were not allowed to open the gates and we were!

    If there was ever a reason for doing exactly that then this is it. A certain Mr Swann would most likely explode

    It would also be poetic justice for Peterborough bleating on about how the only fair thing is to play on without fans!

  • @bookertease said:
    Up in tier 3 land we are looking down enviously... but fingers crossed for you

    Have they increased the capacity of the Frank Adams?

  • It’s people like @bookertease sitting on the roof that causes the problem with standing water for us front row people in tier 2. Years ago we had duckboards. Seemed appropriate!

  • I was thinking the other day how sad it will be for us older fans not to be present for the Middlesbrough game, falling as it does on the first Saturday in January, almost 46 years to the day from that epic FA Cup tie.

  • And for the club to show appreciation to the loyal fans by selling beer at the same price as it was on that never to be forgotten date in 1975. !!!!

  • Can I get in on that @ChasHarps. I watched it from a ward in Wycombe General whilst recovering from a motorbike accident?

  • Just too young to buy beer at the club in 75, but I’d guess it was 18-19 pence a pint? Can’t remember how much it was to get in either. Probably got a ticket for the game in the loft somewhere...

  • ... and the kick-off should be moved to 2pm, as it was that day, due to the energy crisis we've all long since forgotten about.

  • @LeedsBlue agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments about that glorious day and everything that went with it. I think though the reason that the kick off was 2pm was due to the floodlights not being good enough for the Big Match cameras that recorded the game to be shown as the main game the day after. The three day week/energy crisis occured in 1973/74

  • Quite Ironic that the number 1 when we played Boro on Jan 4th 1975, was Muds, 'Lonely this Christmas' !!

  • @Wellesbourne75 duh!! That old memory thing again... I was sure it was to do with preserving energy. Am I confusing it with the famous Hereford v Newcastle Ronnie Radford match, which kicked off at a non-standard time (a replay played in daylight?) Mind you, that might be because of postponements... Jeez - how hard is it to remember stuff these days?! Thanks for the correction.

  • Fans in NI prem matches at the moment.

    Until the new lockdown just announced starts in a couple of weeks and no fans allowed again.

    On that basis had a UK experiment on fans failed?

  • Maybe a club t-shirt opportunity?
    ‘I was there when Big Jack drew at Loakes Park’
    as a pastiche of the Beano t?
    Just to claim some bragging rights I was at both.

  • Further reference to the 74/75 season, Bournemouth keeper against us in the cup run Kevin Charlton has sadly died.
    Kevin played against us many times for Telford Utd.

  • @Wendoverman as you say ‘magic’, thanks for sourcing and posting.

  • To use a vintage Gasroom term BOM.
    Thank you Mr Wendover.

  • Yes, that is pure BOM !!

  • No Probs. I am not sure I'm vintage enough though....I shall assume BOM is a good thing.

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