With minds constantly focused on an easing of the lock down there has been much discussion on how that could affect the return of football IN FRONT OF CROWDS!
Some weeks ago Terry Westley – our former academy director – told CandH that as technical director of the J-League one idea emerging was for crowds to be limited to the numbers required to maintain social distancing requirements inside stadiums.
Now it seems the UK could be heading in that direction with media reports this morning referring to the possibility as perhaps a realistic way forward.
It would be a very difficult one to operate but – and this is solely our suggestion – could see the turnstiles ‘locked after the first 25k or 30k fans have entered the ground.
There may be more sophisticated ways forward and there’s the tricky problem of perhaps allowing people in who have the disease.
That’s something that could be solved by installing temperature barriers – similar to the airport security measures – where if your temperature is too high you are turned away.
Complicated and confusing maybe but here’s how the Mail reports it having claimed to have spoken to medical and government ‘sources’@ https/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8209347/UK-live-restrictions-coronavirus-vaccine-developed-say-officials.html
‘As Britons look to return to a more normal way of living, restaurants and pubs are expected to be among the first non-essential services to open but could be made to restrict the number of patrons they let in at once.
And football clubs could be forced to maintain low attendances at matches.’
Squashed like sardines on trains to Stratford. That seems silly to me. Where can you park 30,000 cars to maintain social distancing.
The sare nothing more than ideas and suggestions as I see it – no flesh can possibly be put on it yet
That sounds OK in theory, but as a born and bred Sratford lad who chooses to live in Norfolk, but attends 90% plus a season, having to put up with the disruptive train journeys, train, bus underground etc. I would need to be guaranteed a seat after spending the best part of 3 hours travelling.
Too right Fred, I also live in Norfolk nowadays and the journey is a trial as it is with the performances! Also be interesting as to how the club deal with season ticket holders that are not ‘allowed’ to attend to keep numbers at required levels. The idea of restricting numbers sounds healthy but the practicalities will be challenging to say the least and part of me wonders whether the simple and safest solution is ‘behind closed doors’ .
Better idea still is imo to wait till virus has completely gone probably around Sept and then talk about football and all sports to resume with crowds that won’t need temperatures taken and refused entry or seats that have 6ft gaps between each person and football players not able to tackle each other as it’s contact means they can get the virus. What about the players clearing their throats spitting and clearing nose passages as they do on the field. Just forget costs and money lost and kick this virus in to touch before it reappears due to people like trump in USA only interested in money and stock markets not people’s lives . Imo
The virus won’t be gone until there is a vaccine so they are looking at ways to carry on with social distancing in place which is not going away anytime soon
I am a season ticket holder in the Billy Bonds stand, I live in Norfolk and have not missed a single league game at Stratford, you can imagine how ****ed off I will be if I make the journey down, which depending on what way the wind is blowing can cost me between £18 – £60 return and then get told I can’t go in!
Is this story for real ? Not you the media. Time for a wake up call methinks. Who on earth would go ? Crowded trains etc etc and it would probably fall apart in the ground. Going in and coming out as starters ! 2 metres ? Its some kind of joke methinks.
Don’t look at it, if you will excuse the word, in isolation. As quoted, there are other easing of restrictions mentioned and no doubt others planned at the right point. Wait and see