18 Comments

Government declines to ban football

There will be no ban on UK sporting events including football just yet as the government steps up its response to coronavirus.

It comes after the World Health Organisation officially labelled the outbreak a pandemic with Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairing a special COBRA meeting at Downing Street on Thursday afternoon.

Speaking at Downing Street, Boris Johnson said: “We are considering the question of banning major public events, including sporting fixtures. The scientific advice though is this has little effect on the spread – but it does place a burden on other public services.”

“It is very important that we are guided by the science. there is very little epidemiological or medical reason at the moment to ban such (sporting) events.”

The medical expert went on to explain that there is a low probability of people transmitting the viral infection to large groups of people at an open-air sports stadium stating transmission is much more likely indoors and at close quarters in home environments.

 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

18 comments on “Government declines to ban football

  1. Putting ringing cash tills ahead of public health risks ?

    • Nailed it – absolutely hideous – protect the economy at all costs …the rest are left to make sacrifices on their health

      • Is your response based on fact. What evidence is there that playing behind close doors is effective. Everyone has a personal choice, to stay at home if they wish

        • Point One it’s not ours
          Point Two: Ask the government
          Point Three: I know
          Point Four: I blame GBS!!!!!!!!!
          Point 5: It’s Sean’s report not mine.
          Point 6: The response was from Boris Johnson and his medical advisers – not us
          Point 7. Keep up

    • They are right not to ban them at the moment! The virus is not a peak levels yet ……..if you ban crowds of over 500… London transport will have to be cancelled as well as all trains go past that during rush hour.

      Also when you do this before peak levels you cause drops and then spikes of infection. If you isolate people during the peak it is easier to take controls and measures for the virus. This is scientific fact proven in the past with other diseases. I am not here to argue this, I do not want anyone to get sick and you should always act cautious in this times.

      In saying that I believe people who are at risk of the virus aka the old or people with existing conditions should avoid crowded areas as best they can and should be refunded as they are not able to attend!

  2. It’s only a matter of time before a ban is ratified

    • My, My, hasn’t the media Hype and lack of any common sense leadership worldwide, done it’s trick on you lot! Well done Boris, the most sensible decision I’ve heard any politician commit to over this fiasco, in a long, long time.

      • Yep, no problem with people travelling on public transport to the events, no problem mass numbers using toilets, no problem 55k at Cheltenham. I heard of people today who shook hands at West Ham a couple of weeks ago and now have the virus after testing. It maybe difficult for some to realise that this is about keeping the economy going whilst the rest make sacrifices with their health. Sounds like the sort of Government we have become used to over the last few years. Money first people second. Well done indeed!!!! You lot? Do you inhabit some isolated ivory or egotisticcal tower?

      • 80% of UK citizens expected to be infected. This is the advice being given to GP’s and medical professionals. Supposedly in the delay phase yet encouraging 60000 fans to put themselves in contact with each other ? Isn’t that accelerating not delaying ?

  3. No at all Hugh; I live in the real world, and can see mass hysteria for what it is; we have a problem, agreed, but not to the degree that our knee-jerk media would have us believe, and as for all those rich boys making even more money with their manipulation of world markets, I would have thought a true socialist like you would have been up in arms!!!

    • As a true socialist I made the point less hysterically towards the end of my response. Not all lefties need to be aggressive towards the right because we know we are right anyway. As someone who suffers both COPD and asthma I have apprehensions but to continue with football at the same time as claiming a pandemic and accepting the virus goes person to person confirms the Tories have another agenda apart from our health. However, the PM finids lying very easy so we get a lot of moody verbals to cover the truth.Football is an irrelevancy in such circumstances in my view.

      • It just confirms that “the Tories” have listened to the advice of the UK’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, which is what should happen in every responsible government around the world. Sadly, the US being the best example, this isn’t happening elsewhere, and hysteria is being fuelled as a result, which the media is also fanning the flames of.

        • The advice he is saying about this lasting a while makes common sense, the advice to have huge crowds intermingling is stupidity imho and goes against the advice they are giving GP’s so something stinks…

        • You think he had no suggestions and his man Cummings. Please! Actions don’t match the words: “You will lose some family before their time -the most critical health situation in a century” but…err we will carry on as we are despite nations all over the world closing down their league.. It’s economic. Please don’t be naive. Ok Conservative ( with the truth as ever). Tories in quotes ? – your quotes? or aren’t they really called Tories. ??? Doesn’t Brady call herself a Tory??? Every responsible government around the world has and is doing far more than this one. Take a look!!!

          • Agree Hugh, I have no political allegiance can’t stand either of the main parties but looks like a classic Tory ploy of maximising income at the cost of public health, next step when/if it crashes down is make chief medical officer scapegoat. Incidentally in the case for Balance Blair did something similar to a professor who had a scientific outcome funded by Labour about drugs that Blair didn’t like then sacked him after trying to discredit him.

          • I’m a socialist but there is no party that actually represents me in reality 32. So I don’t give a flying one. I’m gonna be my own expert on how I stay safe with COPD and asthma

  4. Don’t think politics should be brought to this site, however you all feel. The simple solution, if you feel strongly enough, is not to attend. Personal choice is always available.

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