PHILINFRANCE

Hmmm.

Atalanta vs Valencia probably didn't help either.... https://www.football-italia.net/151489/atalanta-valencia-worsened-coronavirus

It was a lovely story, but, unfortunately, there were no dolphins.

I can relate to that. I work in insurance and, shortly before leaving the UK for France (late 1990s), I witnessed PFI hospital insurance claims where, following, e.g. water damage, replacement light bulbs were costing circa £100 each. When I tried to protest that such costs were preposterous, I was shown contractual evidence that these sums (labour plus materials) had already been agreed, with a built-in inflationary increment to boot, when the contract was signed. It is fortunate for such PFI establishments that their insurance cover is, effectively, state-sponsored, for the private market would just not wear it.

An unfortunate typo....

As I recall, it happened down in the corner where the East End met the Williams Stand. Am I imagining this, but didn't he try and take out a City player? I want to say Chris Crowe, but I am not quite sure.

It sounds like the sort of thing Alex Munro might have done, but he was long gone by the time Lee Peacock was playing for us. AM was a nasty player, and I recall him breaking his leg in what was then the Gloucestershire Cup Final.

Interestingly, this happened in the 1931/32 season - where City finished 7th. A portent for this season, should it ever recommence?

Many years ago, I played with his brother Kevin (spoiled brat) against Gary (Parkway Juniors, coached by their father, Ray, a hard, tough old bastard, albeit very friendly and, interestingly, very encouraging of us, even we were his team's opponents). I never got to really know Gary, but he was always a fair opponent and very friendly, and I must admit I was pleased it was him of the two brothers who went on to achieve the heights he did, especially given his well-documemeted medical problems.

How unfortunate: Saracens have asked their players and staff to take a 25 per cent wage cut due to the coronavirus pandemic. The five-time Premiership champions have requested their staff members to take the pay cut as the cancellation of social gatherings and events has resulted in the club being in a "critical position". Although, to be fair, they do appear to have look after their 'normal' staff: Our lower paid staff have been protected from this pay cut.

Indeed, and the ABI statement only serves to reinforce what I was trying to explain to, inter alia, @LondonBristolian yesterday. I have worked in the insurance profession for more than 40 years, with the past 20 years or so being involved heavily in the entertainment industry (bars, restaurants, discotheques and the like) and, with certain exceptions, their overbearing requirement relating to insurance cover has been 'price', especially in so far as it concerns tenants. There are charlatans in most fields of business, and insurance is no exception. Hence, the smooth-talking insurance broker (professional advisor ?) who offers the same cover for a premium considerably less than his competitor gains the contract (and its commission). Don't worry mate, if your business suffers a loss due to fire, flood, storm 'whatever', everything is covered and, in addition, so is your loss of turnover. Perhaps, except it all comes home to roost at the time of a claim, when the insured party actually reads his policy for the first time and realises that the premium he saved was due to him skimping on his cover and, in reality, as with many things in life, he had made a false economy. I have no reason to doubt that @LondonBristolian's acquaintances were stating their genuine belief as to their insurance cover, but, unfortunately, as I advised yesterday and as has now been confirmed by the ABI, they appear to have been mislead and their belief was misguided.

I must say I am slightly disappointed at your all-encompassing post (most unlike you) as, in fact, this is a subject about which I know quite a lot: I deal with Business Interruption insurance claims, especially within the 'leisure' industry, on a professional basis and have done so for many years. I tried as best I could to stress that my comments about the lack of BI cover related to the smaller, independendent pubs and restaurants, and I maintain my position. No doubt your contacts within the industry will be able to update you once they have taken professional advice. I shall be very interested to learn how your contacts get on.

Unfortunately, this is often the (erroneous) case. Without wishing to digress from the main point of this thread, Business Interruption insurance, unlike many other insurances, is quite precise in what it does and does not cover. In general, for the cover to attach there must, firstly, be 'direct physical loss of or damage to the insured property' by an insured peril, e.g. fire or storm, as I mentioned earlier: BI cover used to be called Consequential Loss, and this definition probably better explains the cover afforded, i.e. financial losses as a consequence of, e.g. direct physical loss of or damage to the insured property. Clearly, this does not apply in the current context, i.e. there has been no physical loss or damage. There are, however, other insurance covers (Contingent BI, Civil/Military Authority Interruption - both dependent on physical loss of or damage) and, indeed, various policy cover extensions available on the market, although these are expensive, hence the reason I stated 'I doubt that many 'independent' pubs and/or restaurants, if any, hold the appropriate Business Interrupton insurance cover that might apply in these current circumstances': simply put, the cost of such insurance is prohibitive. Nevertheless, to explain the likelihood (in my view) of one of these (extremely expensive, thus probably only available to large chains) extensions applying, here are a few thoughts: BI following closure due to notifiable disease: unlikely to attach as the policy would normally state which specified 'notifiable diseases' are covered - Covid-19 was only discovered/named some weeks ago, so is unlikely to have been included in any insurance policy, although some larger pub/restaurant chains might have wider ranging cover including notifiable diseases in general. BI following closure due to 'Government Closure'. Such cover is available, but, again, prohibitively expensive. In brief, I believe, from many years' experience, that most small, independent pubs/restaurants will be holding the most basic cover, some, unfortunately, with no BI insurance cover whatsoever, and it is only the larger chains (Wetherspoon, Harvester etc.) who may benefit from a Government enforced closure. Don't be so quick to claim Government (Boris Johnson) conspiracy.

All very interesting comments, but I would doubt that many 'independent' pubs and/or restaurants, if any, hold the appropriate Business Interrupton insurance cover that might apply in these current circumstances. Without going in to the semantics, for BI cover to apply, an insured event that affects the insured business itself must have occurred, e.g. a fire, storm etc. To give a local example, should there have been a serious fire in an adjacent street, think Guildhall, with access to your establishment being denied for perhaps weeks, it is unlikely your BI cover would apply.

Zimbabwe have immpressively low figures also....

They were probably confident 100 years earlier, but look how that turned out....?.

Precisely. He was the outspoken 'Star', read boorish oaf, who interrupted incessantly on last week's Question Time. As you say, this paid-up Labour Party member seemed unable to state what should be done, but just constantly criticised what was being done by the current Government. Interestingly, both the Labour and SNP panellists were openly supportive of the Conservative actions thus far.

Was this on Gaschat and, if so, what was the thread? Thanks.

Nor could I really, but I was able to justify it in comparison to the busfares to school coupled with the independence it gave me. I also remember Rodney Thomas in The Arcade, from one of your earlier posts - a regular Saturday morning trip in to town. Do you remember those towelling socks - white, then 'progressing' to fluorescent? And what about those 'silk handkerchiefs' for our Crombie pockets - a bit of cardboard with some cloth stapled on top ?. As Mary Hopkins sang....

Similar, although my Sta-Prest were purple (?) and my shirts were Brutus. Oh, and I also had a 'real' Lambretta, not just a tie pin.

You mean the bloke from Crossroads?

Of course, my mistake. Perhaps he is just negotiating to buy the memorial ground and letting Rovers have FG's old stadium in return. If I understand corectly, the Memorial Ground can't be sold until Rovers have a stadium in which to play, so this would solve Wael's problem. Obviously, pure speculation on my part, but I can't make sense of @bert tann's post if there is no idea of DV purchasing the Memorial Ground.

Not S Glos, but aren't both The New Lawn (Nailsworth) and their planned, all wooden stadium both in Glos? Perhaps @bert tann erred when referring to S Glos - unless there is some truth in the rumour of Lyde Green....

You otibists like a riddle so here is one which must be solved by March 31st. Date for submitting BRFC/Dwane Sports accounts. Caroline Lucas and her party appear to be popular, Green, i.e. Dale Vince/Forest Green especially with the young, but never seem to make any headway in creating a power base small FG crowds. Is this because our rulers, here and worldwide, have successfully outmaneuvered them by using front organisations to implement a "bread and circuses" Tents/Bristol Rovers strategy ? If so, it may explain why her royal exoticness Dale Vince might be planning to buy our tented sideshow Memorial Ground and keep the performances going while a verdant Green Lawn/Forest Green new big top Forest Green's new stadium is constructed in South Gloucestershire. But for Rovers, if this grand scheme falls through, the rare breed chickens will truly be coming home to roost. Dale Vince has plans to purchase Bristol Rovers and/or The Memorial Ground? Rovers to ground share with Forest Green in their new stadium or play in their old stadium once the new one has been completed?