The Coronavirus and its impact on sport/Fans Return (Merged)

[BrizzleRed]

19 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’d argue the lockdowns weren’t that much of a lockdown anyway.  Did it really stop people doing that much?  Not in my eyes.

As for Saturday, bought a ticket for my dad, so I could take him (his 80th last week), but I’m pretty sure by the time Friday comes around, I’ll have decided not to take him, nor go myself.  I don’t care about the £25 for his ticket.  I know not everyone can be that blasé about it.

 

I felt the first lockdown was pretty restrictive, though definitely not so much the second one.

Saturday certainly doesn’t hold much attraction for me now either.  I had no worries this time last week, so just shows how quickly the situation can change.

Given the choice of going to the match on my own and then potentially risking Christmas with the whole of my family, its starting to look like a no-brainer for me.  I can only see that getting an even more clear cut choice by Saturday morning.

Can certainly see your thinking with you and your dad, as there’s more important things in life than a football match.

Looking further ahead, I wonder if this will have an effect on the transfer window, with clubs being even more cautious due to uncertainty.

 

[James54De]

46 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’d argue the lockdowns weren’t that much of a lockdown anyway.  Did it really stop people doing that much?  Not in my eyes.

As for Saturday, bought a ticket for my dad, so I could take him (his 80th last week), but I’m pretty sure by the time Friday comes around, I’ll have decided not to take him, nor go myself.  I don’t care about the £25 for his ticket.  I know not everyone can be that blasé about it.

 

Ay? Literally the only thing you could do was exercise or essential shopping. 

[Davefevs]

11 minutes ago, BrizzleRed said:

Looking further ahead, I wonder if this will have an effect on the transfer window, with clubs being even more cautious due to uncertainty.

 

In many respects the EFL have been pretty good in terms of FFP with the hope that clubs might’ve reined in some spending….so I think they’d have a dim view if clubs went mad in this window.  So I think you’re right.

[MarcusX]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I’d argue the lockdowns weren’t that much of a lockdown anyway.  Did it really stop people doing that much?  Not in my eyes.

As for Saturday, bought a ticket for my dad, so I could take him (his 80th last week), but I’m pretty sure by the time Friday comes around, I’ll have decided not to take him, nor go myself.  I don’t care about the £25 for his ticket.  I know not everyone can be that blasé about it.

 

Everything was shut in the first and third lockdowns, definitely massively restricted movement even if some broke the rules a bit.

Can't see it happening again, then again I said that ahead of the third one at the start of this year so I should stop making predictions! Or stop being so optimistic.

Those saying the crowd may be really low this weekend, what about the thinking that this might be the last chance we get to see a game again in a long time? Many will be attracted to going for that reason too

[exAtyeoMax]

4 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I’d argue the lockdowns weren’t that much of a lockdown anyway.  Did it really stop people doing that much?  Not in my eyes.

I found them really restrictive, especially if you had to consider elderly relatives and those who reside in care homes. First lockdown, you could only go to food shops and go out to exercise. 

[BTRFTG]

14 hours ago, Harry said:

Yes. I wrote “a more dangerous environment for covid”. Meaning that by having more people in close proximity, in an indoor concourse, for longer, would mean a more dangerous environment for people to catch covid. 
You are arguing semantics. I’m sure you knew full well what I meant. How could it be more dangerous for the virus itself?? Weird way to have construed that. 

I just think it’s a very odd dichotomy for the club to have to enforce a covid pass, and yet have to encourage thousands of people to stand closer together indoors for longer. 
Someone will have to help me make sense as to how that’s a safer environment for people? It’s almost as if they believe that because everyone will have had a pass that there is no danger. Quite the opposite in fact. 

Save the club doesn't HAVE to encourage folks into the concourse, yet they are. They could opt use concourses as access only and drive folks straight to seats. As you say, it's stupid and is why despite having tickets we won't be in attendance.

[BTRFTG]

11 hours ago, LoyalRed said:

Bunch of charlatans that will blame the hike in cases because of the unvaccinated but will spread it amongst themselves quite willingly. You are right , negative test or no entry at this point otherwise they are the ones to blame for the spread!  It’s Cheltenham races all over ... wake up folks ! 

Save there no evidence, unlike the Liverpool Vs Athletico fixture, that Cheltenham acted as a super-spreader event. The media, for media reasons, loved the 'Local Landlord Dies' / 'Footy Tipster Charlie Austin Get Covid' headlines though given all else that was going on there's no evidence to suggest the festival was a hotspot. We went 3 days that week and other than those celebs in the paper know of nobody who contracted the virus that week. Folks did, but whether that was at the festival or elsewhere that month, who knows?

There's also nothing charlatan in highlighting the spread of the virus is largely due to unvaccinated infections - they are, hence the recent Delta surge when schools went back. Vaccinated folks can get infected but their viral payload is vastly diminished and thus less likely to spread.

As for testing, it's a useful tool but impractical. LTFs are in short supply, not always accurate and are best reserved for those who've been in close contact with an infected person. I also know if no PCR  facility near AG that could process the volume of tests required, if that's the route you wish to take, not folks would stump up the £100 or so to simply get into the ground.

[Shuffle]

8 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I’d argue the lockdowns weren’t that much of a lockdown anyway.  Did it really stop people doing that much?  Not in my eyes.

As for Saturday, bought a ticket for my dad, so I could take him (his 80th last week), but I’m pretty sure by the time Friday comes around, I’ll have decided not to take him, nor go myself.  I don’t care about the £25 for his ticket.  I know not everyone can be that blasé about it.

 

Was taking my mum 82 but not worth the risk but will still attend.  I’m hoping that I can switch the ticket to a game in March/April rather than a refund but not sure if the club will entertain this ? 

[RedorDead BCFC]

9 hours ago, BrizzleRed said:

I reckon we’d only get another lockdown as an absolute last resort.  The previous ones proved they don’t actually prevent infections and just delay them.  The only benefit would be the possibility of getting more booster jabs done.

Even if we had a lockdown tonight, you can guarantee there are tens of thousands who are already infected, who don’t even know yet and probably won’t test positive for another week, so the numbers would still grow massively anyway.

The tipping pount could be if the infection rate translates into massive numbers of hospital admissions and the NHS really looks like collapsing.

You can see the logic of trying to ride this out if possible, as you just can’t keep locking down. 

I agree with your comment with people already carrying it unaware for another week.
I’ve got it at the moment. I was in London at the weekend on the tubes that were packed and after dark the party goers have a drink or two and forget to wear mask. 
When I went through the track and trace with the NHS yesterday I started with saying it was bad and not surprised I caught it. They went through the date for symptoms started to tell me I became contagious Friday possibly Saturday. So after all my moaning about people out of control it was me being the one that they should be worried about. 
I work from home so struggling to think where I could have caught it as the rest of the house are all negative. 
ironic thing is I was due my booster on Saturday but because I was away I cancelled it. If I had it I would think I was feeling like shite from the jab and could of carried on going about passing it onto more people. 

[Dolman_Stand]

11 hours ago, BCFCGav said:

Needs to go behind closed doors now sadly. We’ve clearly not got a handle on it so allowing 20,000+ to gather and mingle is insanity. Back to Robins TV for a bit. Sadly Boris will pussy foot around it for a month first to make sure we’re really in the shit, then act.

Agree with you, even for the disruption it will cause people rather than then number of hospitalisations which remains to be seen.

It's not just the 15 to 20k at AG on Saturday it's the entire attendance across the football league and other sports that would dwarf the so called super spreaders of Cheltenham 2020 and Liverpool v Atletico match. Must be a couple million people due to attend sporting fixtures this weekend that would only fan the flames of the next wave.

[big p]

But according to people on here the covid pass and mandatory mask wearing will protect everyone. 

[lenred]

1 minute ago, big p said:

But according to people on here the covid pass and mandatory mask wearing will protect everyone. 

Really? Who’s said that then? Can you quote them? 

[Gazred]

Why dont they also setup mobile vaccination stations at grounds this weekend if they are going ahead with it?

 

[TRUEBRIT66]

8 hours ago, James54De said:

Ay? Literally the only thing you could do was exercise or essential shopping. 

If you were sat at home on furlough it probably felt like it but millions in this country still had to work so for some it didn't feel much like a lockdown. 

[redsince1994]

3 minutes ago, Gazred said:

Why dont they also setup mobile vaccination stations at grounds this weekend if they are going ahead with it?

 

Would feel for the groundstaff though, 6 pints of cider mixed with a covid jab could get very messy 

[Gazred]

Just now, redsince1994 said:

Would feel for the groundstaff though, 6 pints of cider mixed with a covid jab could get very messy 

Free pint with every jab! Get a few more jabs done that way.

No doubt some would go back for seconds!

[big p]

13 minutes ago, TRUEBRIT66 said:

If you were sat at home on furlough it probably felt like it but millions in this country still had to work so for some it didn't feel much like a lockdown. 

Exactly, my Wife's a carer and my Son is a front line worker, he was asked to furlough due to previous medical condition in the previous lockdown, He chose to carry on working.

I personally know 3 people who had lost their businesses due to lockdown, one took 10 years to build it up. Alot of people are championing lockdown so they can sit around in their pajamas all day, whilst carers, nurses, postman take all the risks...Selfish people.

Edited December 16, 2021 by big p

[TRUEBRIT66]

5 minutes ago, big p said:

Exactly, my wife's a carer and my Son is a front line worker, he was asked to furlough due to previous medical condition in the previous lockdown, he chose to carry on working.

I personally know 3 people who had lost thier businesses due to lockdown, one took 10 years to build it up. Alot of people are championing lockdown so they can sit around in their pajamas all day, whilst carers, nurses, postman take all the risks...Selfish people.

Yes mate but it wasnt a dig as Im sure a fair few missed work and the interaction but I think people forget how many had to carry on throughout and put there selves at risk whilst still having lockdown restrictions imposed on them. Im sure those pushing for it wouldn't be so keen if they had to do a 12 hour shift mixing with all and sundry and then having their freedoms taken from them in their spare time. 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Shuffle said:

Was taking my mum 82 but not worth the risk but will still attend.  I’m hoping that I can switch the ticket to a game in March/April rather than a refund but not sure if the club will entertain this ? 

Think there’s zero chance of a refund!!!

[BrizzleRed]

47 minutes ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

I agree with your comment with people already carrying it unaware for another week.
I’ve got it at the moment. I was in London at the weekend on the tubes that were packed and after dark the party goers have a drink or two and forget to wear mask. 
When I went through the track and trace with the NHS yesterday I started with saying it was bad and not surprised I caught it. They went through the date for symptoms started to tell me I became contagious Friday possibly Saturday. So after all my moaning about people out of control it was me being the one that they should be worried about. 
I work from home so struggling to think where I could have caught it as the rest of the house are all negative. 
ironic thing is I was due my booster on Saturday but because I was away I cancelled it. If I had it I would think I was feeling like shite from the jab and could of carried on going about passing it onto more people. 

Really sorry to hear you’ve got it and hope you’re on the mend really quickly.

I know there are some right numpties around who clearly don’t care about anyone other than themselves, but your experience is a classic example of how it’s virtually impossible to control the spread of this, even when you do the right things.  

When people call for a lockdown when the case numbers start rising, you can’t help thinking of the stable door analogy.  If the virus was the horse and the stable door was our containment controls, the horse had already bolted from the stable at least a week before we closed the stable door!

It’ll be speading through London like wildfire anyway I reckon.  I was up there on Sunday too and the more touristy areas were absolutely rammed and as you say, the tube was really busy too.

Given how contageous this latest variant is, I think the government is basically at the point of saying, ‘here’s a vaccine if you choose to have it, but otherwise, there isn’t a lot more we can do and it’ll have to run its course’.

Hopefully it’ll just mean a few days off work for most people, but there could be nuge numbers of people isolating in the next few weeks and services could take a massive hit.

[BTRFTG]

41 minutes ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

I’ve got it at the moment. I was in London at the weekend on the tubes that were packed and after dark the party goers have a drink or two and forget to wear mask. 
When I went through the track and trace with the NHS yesterday I started with saying it was bad and not surprised I caught it. They went through the date for symptoms started to tell me I became contagious Friday possibly Saturday. 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery but here in London folks do not 'forget' to wear masks, they simply choose not to. Coverings are mandated on TFL but few wear them as the idiot Khan chooses not to enforce their wearing (he and his entourage opened two new tube stations, replete with signs reinforcing masks MUST be worn, all whilst, er, failing to cover up.) Leadership for you.

As for Track and Trace that's a waste of time. But if you had symptoms one would have to ask why didn't you test yourself before deciding to travel? It's not as though there were no mass campaigns asking folks to do exactly that.

[RedorDead BCFC]

10 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I’d argue the lockdowns weren’t that much of a lockdown anyway.  Did it really stop people doing that much?  Not in my eyes.

As for Saturday, bought a ticket for my dad, so I could take him (his 80th last week), but I’m pretty sure by the time Friday comes around, I’ll have decided not to take him, nor go myself.  I don’t care about the £25 for his ticket.  I know not everyone can be that blasé about it.

 

First lockdown was strict, the second lockdown lots of companies carried on working through. All that got hit then seemed to be hospitality. Seemed that every other companies became front line workers overnight. 
 

[RedorDead BCFC]

9 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Best wishes for a speedy recovery but here in London folks do not 'forget' to wear masks, they simply choose not to. Coverings are mandated on TFL but few wear them as the idiot Khan chooses not to enforce their wearing (he and his entourage opened two new tube stations, replete with signs reinforcing masks MUST be worn, all whilst, er, failing to cover up.) Leadership for you.

As for Track and Trace that's a waste of time. But if you had symptoms one would have to ask why didn't you test yourself before deciding to travel? It's not as though there were no mass campaigns asking folks to do exactly that.

Symptoms started Monday, just felt like a cold. So LFT just to be check was positive, so then went straight for the PCR both on Tuesday.  No signs of anything whilst I was there. You are contagious before the symptoms start by a couple of days. Probably came into contact with it a week before the symptoms start showing. 

Edited December 16, 2021 by RedorDead BCFC

[Harry]

Sounds like lots of people won’t be going on Saturday. 
Does this mean the attendance will be less than 10,000 and so they don’t have to enforce the covid pass? 
If so, then I’ll go. 

[Shuffle]

25 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Think there’s zero chance of a refund!!!

Moved it to the end of February for Cov game. In fairness they were great and said just call them if it needed to be moved again as Cov at moment was last game they were selling tickets for.  

[BTRFTG]

6 minutes ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

Symptoms started Monday, just felt like a cold. So LFT just to be check was positive, so then went straight for the PCR both on Tuesday.  No signs of anything whilst I was there. You are contagious before the symptoms start by a couple of days. Probably came into contact with it a week before the symptoms start showing. 

Probably not. As I flagged in my post Monday when all hell broke loose up here those reporting symptoms and testing positive Monday/Tuesday almost certainly contracted the virus Friday or Saturday, the big outbreaks we know had common events during Saturday. Given the prevalence of Omicron here compared to Bristol I'd suggest you more than likely got it here or on your journey to London. This variant seems to manifest itself within 48 hours (it's more transmissible than Delta not only between hosts but also in entering and spreading through cell membranes, hence you'll get symptoms quicker than Delta, which is likely what T&T were quoting.)

[RedorDead BCFC]

7 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Probably not. As I flagged in my post Monday when all hell broke loose up here those reporting symptoms and testing positive Monday/Tuesday almost certainly contracted the virus Friday or Saturday, the big outbreaks we know had common events during Saturday. Given the prevalence of Omicron here compared to Bristol I'd suggest you more than likely got it here or on your journey to London. This variant seems to manifest itself within 48 hours (it's more transmissible than Delta not only between hosts but also in entering and spreading through cell membranes, hence you'll get symptoms quicker than Delta, which is likely what T&T were quoting.)

That’s the bit that I found confusing, they’ve not said Omicron at all to me. If it that then the isolation rules are a lot stricter. My wife, brother and sister in law had a text saying they’ve been with someone tested positive but only told to get a PCR (which they already have done) if negative no restrictions. 
The test centre said they don’t say which variant it is, so no idea when the find out if it’s Delta or Omicron. 
 

One other thing, the press like to make out that no one can get a test due to demand, but none of us had to queue, it was empty there. 

Edited December 16, 2021 by RedorDead BCFC

[Unan]

5 minutes ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

That’s the bit that I found confusing, they’ve not said Omicron at all to me. If it that then the isolation rules are a lot stricter. My wife, brother and sister in law had a text saying they’ve been with someone tested positive but only told to get a PCR (which they already have done) if negative no restrictions. 
The test centre said they don’t say which variant it is, so no idea when the find out if it’s Delta or Omicron. 
 

One other thing, the press like to make out that no one can get a test due to demand, but none of us had to queue, it was empty there. 

I’m London based and haven’t been able to get a LFT or PCR until about 20 minutes ago.

[daored]

Can see fixtures being cancelled tonight, weekend and next week - Whitty currently addressing select committee. Very different message to the **** last night 

[BTRFTG]

5 minutes ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

That’s the bit that I found confusing, they’ve not said Omicron at all to me. If it that then the isolation rules are a lot stricter. My wife, brother and sister in law had a text saying they’ve been with someone tested positive but only told to get a PCR (which they already have done) if negative no restrictions. 
The test centre said they don’t say which variant it is, so no idea when the find out if it’s Delta or Omicron. 
 

One other thing, the press like to make out that no one can get a test due to demand, but none of us had to queue, it was empty there. 

LFT can't differentiate between variants, PCRs can, in part, but they don't bother half the time given that's not what they're designed for. That's why T&T may ask you to take part in antibody testing such they know who's encountered what, including the vaccines.

Given vaccines are working so well from the numbers I know up here the widely reported Omicron distinguishing symptoms are an itchy/scratchy throat, mild but DRY cough and mild lower back pain. Fatigue is common to both and chesty cough and breathing issues are more prevalent in Delta.

LFTs are in very short supply up here, as are PCR appointments but likely that's because London's ahead of the curve. Ditto ITU units being full here. That's the problem with lots of folks getting sick at once.