Topic: The Impact of COVID 19 on Sport...

[The North Bank]

Think they may go for a PPG approach instead...

 

[Fromola]

Other leagues (yet at least) don't seem to be struggling. There's a full fixture list in the other European leagues despite Omicron hitting.

Reading on the BBC the other big leagues are close to 100% vaccination rates for players and in England we clearly aren't.

The other factor is test frequency being increased in the PL. We've seen that with our vaccinated squad getting 3 positive cases before the last match (all asymptomatic). The more tests you do the more likely it'll either pick up an asymptomatic case, or just a false positive.

[Egyptian36]

in Ontario (a few months back) the provincial government told all employers they had to produce a written Covid policy for their staff .

at the time I thought it was bullshit pass-the-buck political crap, but as it turned out it has worked very well, though a bit bumpy at times.

all employers have said "staff must be fully vaccinated by XX date" to retain their employment.  and they are on solid legal ground as far as terminating those who refuse to comply (very very few cases so far).

maybe that's what the UK should so with the Prem/EFL ... force them to handle it, while at the same time giving them some "cover" (ie the government is making us do this). make players choose what they want - get a fukking needle or lose their career in UK football.

Agree. The country I live in right now you can't go to work or enter stores or banks or any place unless you are fully vaccinated + booster.

[kavah]

I think the league season should be stopped, and ended, now. With final placings as they are. I know it may seem a little unfair but health and safety comes first. We ll come back in August.

just about to say, that is a mad shout la, then saw it was you 

[Ray K]

Was looking at a bit of the darts last night. Looked like it was being held at Covid Grand Central - Omicron Platform from where I was watching.

[MonsLibpool]

The integrity of the league will be affected if it isn't suspended. That Everton team could have been thrashed on another day.

[Pistolero]

You know the situation is increasingly desperate when you have to resort to watching Middlesbrough at home...

[67CherryRed]

You know the situation is increasingly desperate when you have to resort to watching Middlesbrough at home...

Fans have been socially distanced at the Riverside since Juninho left

[TALBERT]

Villa vs Burnley

Now off

This means that

Arsenal vs Leeds is the only PL game still on

[Crosby Nick]

You know the situation is increasingly desperate when you have to resort to watching Middlesbrough at home...

Not even the people of Middlesbrough want to do that.

[Fromola]

You know the situation is increasingly desperate when you have to resort to watching Middlesbrough at home...

I see one point Wilder's ended up there.

[Wabaloolah]

Agree. The country I live in right now you can't go to work or enter stores or banks or any place unless you are fully vaccinated + booster.

forget football, it's what the UK should do in the country as a whole, not a chance that will be entertained though, enough of a backlash for forcing care home staff and NHS staff to get it despite them working with the most vulnerable members of our society

[Wabaloolah]

Was looking at a bit of the darts last night. Looked like it was being held at Covid Grand Central - Omicron Platform from where I was watching.

yeah thought the same, no good is going to come from that I don't think. All unmasked, close contact, pissed up, singing and shouting, I mean what could possibly go wrong!

[kcbworth]

Wonder if the Scottish cup final will be postponed tomorrow - Celtic were already threadbare pre-COVID so they would dearly love their players to get back to health

[Agent99]

If I was a club, ours or another, i'd make a simple rule about vaccinations.

If you get all the jabs and still get Covid, you then isolate as per.

If you refuse to be jabbed or are not current with the jabs, and you get Covid, you isolate as per AND are fined two weeks wages for every instance. 

The players not current with jabs are endangering their team mates and potentially costing the club in points and ultimately money.

Yep. I know we are 99% vaccinated but if we did have players not wanting to be vaccinated I would have no problem with taking them out of the team and selling them at the earliest opportunity.

[Linudden]

Yep. I know we are 99% vaccinated but if we did have players not wanting to be vaccinated I would have no problem with taking them out of the team and selling them at the earliest opportunity.

If it had been a key player you already know that's not how it works. Their asking price would be slashed to pieces if it became clear through leaks that was the reason why and a rival club would scoop them up for peanuts. Then a lot of the fans would be furious at the club for selling said key player. Sports is a business nowadays.

[rob1966]

I think the league season should be stopped, and ended, now. With final placings as they are. I know it may seem a little unfair but health and safety comes first. We ll come back in August.

When did you start following West ham? 😉

[Peabee]

When did you start following West ham? 😉

Arsenal are 4th at the moment aren’t they?

[Machae]

Footballers aren't exactly known to be the brightest so no wonder a fair few of them refuse to get vaccinated. I'm glad Liverpool players have largely seen sense, don't know what the uptake is elsewhere but clubs should absolutely refuse to pay them if they contract it and are unavailable

[Fromola]

Footballers aren't exactly known to be the brightest so no wonder a fair few of them refuse to get vaccinated. I'm glad Liverpool players have largely seen sense, don't know what the uptake is elsewhere but clubs should absolutely refuse to pay them if they contract it and are unavailable

The culture of the dressing room plays a part as well, with the louder voices. They can be easily led.

Pretty much all our lads are double vaccinated but maybe if they were in another dressing room (without the leadership of Jurgen and senior players etc) they wouldn't be if they've got other players spouting shite in their era.

There was a stat a month or two ago that around a third of PL footballers weren't vaccinated (don't know about now) so if all our lads are then there'll be squads were that's really low.

[Crimson]

Null and void. 

[rafathegaffa83]

Seeing Chelsea's attempt to get their match today called-off, once again re-iterates the need for the PL to show more transparency. What is the actual criteria and which players are currently affected?

[killer-heels]

Seeing Chelsea's attempt to get their match today called-off, once again re-iterates the need for the PL to show more transparency. What is the actual criteria and which players are currently affected?

There was rumours the likes of James and Alonso were out but they played. Think Chelsea were trying a fast one.

[Samie]

https://twitter.com/TheAthleticUK/status/1472645380160512001

EXCLUSIVE | Premier League clubs are set to discuss whether to postpone an entire round of festive fixtures at a meeting tomorrow.

Gameweek 20 - the fixtures on Dec 28/29/30 - is the round of matches most likely to be pre-emptively postponed.

[The G in Gerrard]

https://twitter.com/TheAthleticUK/status/1472645380160512001

Whilst it makes sense players won't be asked to isolate (to avoid risk of catching it)  so will it make a massive difference?

[rushyman]

Prem Should be postponed over Christmas

I know we all love our Christmas footy but it makes the most sense and it’s only fair to others

City have 2 teams ffs

[Black Bull Nova]

One obvious action is to turn the LC semi finals into a 1 leg game and postpone this week's games but use the date set for the 1st leg provisionally to play them

As for the league, I think 2 games for everyone 26th-29th is at least one more game than is necessary, especially with a full weekend after that as well.

It all needs looking at with the flexibility required but without letting the TV companies make the decisions

[Nick110581]

There was rumours the likes of James and Alonso were out but they played. Think Chelsea were trying a fast one.

It is also the risk of contact with existing team mates that had it. Other teams have been allowed to call games off cause of this.

[BarryCrocker]

Fans direct their anger at unvaxxed players after matches are called off

Fan leaders in England could today demand crisis talks with the Premier League with anger mounting over the late postponement of matches due to coronavirus.

The chairman of the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), Malcolm Clarke, said calling off games only hours before kick-off had to stop after Aston Villa v Burnley became the second fixture to suffer that fate in four days.

It was the second Burnley match to suffer the same fate, following the late postponement of their home clash with Watford. Their game at Villa on Saturday was called off less than three hours before kick-off, despite the home side having received the results of the positive tests that led to its postponement on the morning of the match.

Clarke branded it “ridiculous”, adding: “I can’t believe there isn’t a better way of doing this.” Confirming the FSA may seek talks with the Premier League, he said the decision-making process on postponements needed to be sped up.

Premier League clubs are scheduled to meet today to discuss the game’s growing Covid-19 crisis. Clarke said: “The clubs can’t be happy with this.” Players who refuse to get vaccinated are also facing a supporter backlash. Clarke said fans were “mystified” why jab rates among Premier League players were so low compared to those in other major European leagues.

The lack of take-up by those in the world’s richest league is widely regarded to have contributed to the number of fixtures falling prey to mass outbreaks of the disease.

“I just can’t get my head round it,” Clarke said. “I can’t understand why athletes playing football should have this level of resistance.”

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/fans-direct-their-anger-at-unvaxxed-players-after-matches-are-called-off-41165928.html

[rafathegaffa83]

Yep.

Number of vaccinated in the Bundesliga: 94%
NBA: 95%
NHL: 99%
NFL: 93%

A few other leagues

Serie A: 98% (7 clubs are 100% vaccinated)
Ligue 1: 92%
Ligue 2: 84%
La Liga: 93%
MLS: 95%

[TepidT2O]

NASCAR 2%.

[newterp]

NASCAR 2%.

trumpers gonna trump

[Linudden]

NASCAR 2%.

Citation? Or was it just a joke? My personal guess is that NASCAR is likely to be at 50-60 %.

[Ghost Town]

Citation? Or was it just a joke?

NASCAR Has always been a joke

[Ray K]

No PL break for now.

[stoopid yank]

No PL break for now.

Official? Announced?

[Rahul21]

Athletic: Premier League set to continue with clubs determined to complete festive fixtures


Does anyone know how the covid restrictions would work for the players? So if Virgil and Fabinho's 10 day isolation period ends early enough this week (depending on when they tested positive), they could in theory train and play on the Sunday?

[red_Mark1980]

Once the isolation ends as long as they have no symptoms they are free to do whatever as I understand.

From what Klopp said I don't think they'll make boxing Day. Even then I doubt he'd put them straight in

[Number 7]

Even the fixtures after Boxing Day are still going ahead after the PL meeting.
Crazy in my opinion.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

So what happens if tighter restrictions come in? Back to empty arena matches?