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We will be back in grounds by October at the latest, September even, if the rate of infection continues to drop as it is, vaccine or no vaccine. It will be virtually non existent by then.

Today’s run dedicated to the great man. Thought about running the whole way with a sponge in hand and carrying anyone I saw on the floor but thought better of it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52702075 News from the return of Korean football. FC Seoul have achieved the impossible. They’ve filled their ground with more c***s than you’d find at the Memorial Ground...

Championship clubs will begin testing their players for coronavirus on Thursday and Friday ahead of a potential return to training next Monday. Although recent advice recommended players are tested once a week, it is thought Championship clubs will follow the Premier League's decision to test their players twice a week.

Your job/role should be a two-way relationship, if you have an autocratic boss, then you will never be that happy in your employment. I have a fair idea what the expectations of the company I work for are, and it's a discussion about how I/we achieve them that leads to a successful outcome, if i get asked to do something I'm not comfortable with and there is another method of achieving the same result that allows me to remove an element of doubt, i expect them to be open to it. And they are. If I was refuse to do something reasonable, then they would likely have a different attitude. It's pretty straightforward in the real world. You work in a collaborative way that everyone gets what they want. As for NHS workers, trust me, as well as the appropriate equipment they would like more money! As clearly voice by a mate who recently qualified with over 100k of debt. However, as he acknowledges, he knew what he was signing up for before his studies started.

Maybe I have been spoilt for a few years, as my employer judges me on my output, not how I achieved the goals we've agreed together. Footballers aren't 'normal' people as far as a workplace setting goes, they haven't been hired in the usual way 'wanted, midfielder with leadership qualities' apply within. They have been purchased. And they sit on a balance sheet. And, if you don't pay them, and they walk away, you might have to write off £000000s in value/profit. Add to that a genuine welfare concern, I don't think them wanting a conversation with their leaders is unreasonable. I get consulted about my future working arrangements, and if I am not comfortable with the proposals made, I won't be following them until I decide I'll be safe. NHS workers know that even in times of 'non pandemic' they will be exposed to more germs, more examples of illness, and risk. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Should NHS workers be paid more and given the appropriate workwear to minimise their chances of becoming ill, whilst doing their jobs? ABSOLUTELY. Is it the fault of football that they aren't? Absolutely not.

Feasibility studies have begun in the possibility of urine killing the virus, so instead of hand washing for 20 seconds, you just piss on your hands. They've been doing that at the Mem for years.

You seem to be moaning for the sake of it. Many are working at greater risk, but should footballers be expected to work at risk without consultation, potentially adding to the burden of those who have no choice*? *I say 'no choice' obviously these people have chosen to work with the sick and ill, they haven't been conscripted, so they are likely aware that they risk coming in to contact with germ ridden people. Equally, why shouldn't Rooney have an opinion on 'his' industry?

THE DISAPPEARED Between 2016 and 2020 the majority of senior figures at Bristol Rovers FC vanished without trace leaving families mystified and fans completely unaware. Now, after minutes of painstaking research, former manager B J Tann has pieced together their harrowing tale. In his explosive best seller we learn how these innocent people were awakened by a midnight knock on the tent flap then whisked away to a patch of wasteland near Almondsbury never to be seen again. In the lower league football business asset refinancing activities are considered especially heinous. And when an elite group of dedicated executives attempted to expose such injustices they were made to pay a fearsome price. These are their stories. Michael Cunnah Stadium Expert Successfully implemented Wembley plan but found to be hopeless with a blank canvas Lee Atkins Mergers & Acquisitions Specialist Allegedly merged with a block of cement Will Dubey Football Analyst Analysis of dental records showed his appointment was purely cosmetic Steve Brookfield Finance Director Accused of conspiring to add up Mike Turner Director of Legal Affairs Caught soliciting on Stapleton Road Stephen Hamster Chairman Knew Too Much (Too Much was later discovered shot dead in the Total Produce Ltd car park) Ken Masters Fans Director Found in possession of Head & Shoulders with a street value of £10 000 Martyn Starnes CEO Fell overboard from his gravy boat and drowned in a sea of debt Nominated for the Booker Cash & Carry Prize. Chosen as book of the month by the INLA SUNDAY TIMES “Middle East politics played out in the sleepy suburbs of Bristol” DAILY MAIL ‘A gripping read, but why didn’t we find out how much their houses are worth ?” FILTON AVENUE RESIDENTS NEWSLETTER “They were such nice people, we never thought anything like this could happen on our street” DALTONS WEEKLY “Remit within 7 days or your advertisement will be cancelled” BRISTOL POST ‘ He’s still a lovely bloke”

My worry would be we get a double-whammy of flu and covid-19 this winter. Given that winter 17-18 excess deaths from flu were 50,000, which is similar to what we might end up with from this first wave, it could be double what we've seen so far over a similar period. Hence I think the so far under-utilised nightingale hospitals will be kept ready for the winter, just in case.

Thanks - they look a lot more interesting than running around Bradley Stoke!

Yep. Plenty of quiet country roads up this way. Park up anywhere from Tytherington, Wickwar, Charfield, and there’s plenty of quiet roads to run along. You can easily get a 10-20k in along any of these country roads

Why does earning a lot of money suddenly mean it’s ok to be put at risk? Utter nonsense. He makes a valid point and so do the other players, why should they and their families be put at risk just for entertainment? Lets get all the film and tv productions back on to? Clearly he meant the people going back in the second phase last week

I'd imagine it'll come back on a yearly basis to some extent but nothing like the original wave and nothing that we couldn't cope with going forward.

You are on !

In fairness S he didn't say what year.....

We really won’t. I’ll happily have a £50 wager with you with the winnings going to a charity of the winners choice that we are not back watching football at AG by the end of October. Will be incredibly happy to lose the bet but no chance!

Or even pawns in small, middling companies. Pawns may not be the right word in all cases but as you say toeing the line is required. Without going into detail on a public forum, size of a company is no barrier to questionable or legally right but ethically debatable practices. Toe the line or face the consequences sounds about right. Footballers contracts appear to be uniquely weighted towards the employee, and in this country even more so. They appear to want it all ways as well. Did they want to do their bit for the clubs who had zero income streams and uncertainty about rebates? Pretty slow and by no means universal!! Now they're moaning about playing despite getting deferrals- deferrals not cuts- of say 30% of very good wages. Deferrals they'll surely get back. Wages aside, they'll be amongst the best protected, insulated of workers from the virus. Once the Government say it's fairly safe to do so, I have a simple message. Get on with it!!

She lives in the farmhouse between Yate Rocks and Wickwar, by the closed gate to the quarry. You’ve likely ran past her plenty of times then - she’s the crazy woman who’s often seen taking her cat for a walk ?

Get well soon Rob Key.

That story was “blown up” out of all proportion ?

Like i said in the real world the large majority are pawns in big corporations and have to toe the line or face the consequences your an extremely lucky person to work for what sounds like a fantastic employer , i disagree with your nhs statement as with my experience of nhs staff they want the correct ppe to protect their patients ,themselves and their colleagues ive not heard one say "we want to be paid more" .

Comparing footballers to key workers is the wrong comparison to make. We're not talking about footballers competing now, we're likely talking about a month or two down the line at which point, football will be one of many non-essential industries to have resumed. Footballers will be the most protected of all of them. Just on this consultation bit, surely the clubs are consulting their players, and then club representatives are going to the FA/EFL. So mention it to your manager if you have a problem.

I do get where Rooney is coming from. Yes there is the argument that frontline workers, especially those in the NHS, do not have the environment or possibility to work within the social distancing guidelines and out themselves at risk every day. However, this is because their role is serving a purpose and without them we would be a hell of a lot worse off than what we are. You cannot put into words what these people have done over the last couple of months. Then there is football. What real purpose do they serve in going back to ‘work’? They are not key workers, their jobs are not invaluable to the health and safety of the nation. There is no difference between allowing them to go back to work and reopening every office in the country and scrapping social distancing. I’ve said before on this thread, take the money it will cost to play out the rest of the season and out it towards the NHS or another worthwhile cause. If the Bundesliga games this weekend is anything to go by and games are going to be played at pre season pace then there really is no point.

Bless wayne rooney , if he seriously thinks that the frontline workers have been allowed to do their jobs with 2mtr distancing in place hes even thicker than i first thought.

**** off Rooney- many are working much less lower paid, greater risk. Your moaning is neither helpful nor desirable- if you don't wish to play, fine but you forego pay. Not as bad as his article the other month but still.. Interestingly, I watched some Bundesliga yesterday- some parts of games anyway, dipping in and out and I didn't see a single tackle- dunno if that's due to this, I'm sure there were tackles but it'd be interesting to see data of tackles in games pre lockdown and post. To qualify my comment, stuff he writes about football, insight- that's all an excellent read, and certainly this week (not read much of his other columns) but his moaning about restart or expectation for players to take a bit of a hit- mind you Derby got there in the end- does grate.

100%. They built these new hospitals but have barely used them. massive publicity stunt and waste of money. Should have moved those they thought were recovering to these before being moved back to their homes only when they were confirmed as recovered. If you look here https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/ and compare countries, we don't have any stats for recoveries. So, we don't know how many active cases there are. We are therefore trying to come up with cheaper alternatives to measuring this outbreak which are less reliable than testing and tracing. German football went back because they knew their cases have reduced and where they were and because their game is well run. We don't know where our cases are within the community and our game is 'run' by a load of competing, selfish individuals and organsiations who couldn't lead the game out of a paper bag.

I get it, I do. The idea of football on a Saturday afternoon for some is their escape, a chance to socialise and a reminder of happy times. Football restarting might be a boost to peoples well being BUT it won't be the same and if I was one of those thousands who thought restarting this season is more beneficial to my well being over the risk it poses to those involved (let's face it, it could kill them) then I'm sorry but i'd need to take a serious look at myself. Sorry, but at this current time, with the restrictions still in place, how the hell can they restart football and risk lives for the sake of well being. Personally I don't think it has nothing to do with well being or the nations morale - it's to do with MONEY, end off and it's a disgrace that the football authorities and Governement would suggest otherwise.

That's the great thing about football though, every success is relative, our last minute promotion against Dagenham, or your last minute win against Manchester United, would have meant just as much-if not more- to us than an umpteenth Champions League to a Real Madrid fan.

No way will they test key workers who don't have symptoms. If one tests positive then whole teams of key workers will have to isolate. They won't risk that or else there will be no one left !

I suspect the poster mistakenly thought it was this story: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/13/norwich-want-championship-promotion-scrapped-if-season-does-not-finish Which is pathetic. Norwich quite rightly have a say in how the Premier League season ends and they are perfectly entitled to have a view on the outcome of that and how relegation issues are settled within the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. They quite rightly do not have a say on how the football league is resolved and the decision of how promotion is settled is absolutely none of their business.