Can and should football survive tier 4.

[Tippy Tappy Football]

We need to keep out of the bottom two over Christmas and New Year in case the season gets abandoned!!

[Amber Andy]

We need to keep out of the bottom two over Christmas and New Year in case the season gets abandoned!!

You make a good point. However, until at least teams have played each other once, surely they can't promote or relegate teams.

[Dave Wayne]

We need to keep out of the bottom two over Christmas and New Year in case the season gets abandoned!!

Very true. Yesterday's figures were quite shocking with nearly 37,000 new cases. Work that out and that is 1 in every 1,800 people in the UK were confirmed in a single day. That is 2 or 3 of us at an average Stags game. Keep those figures up and it won't be long till we are in a full lockdown again. Football has to consider having a break. It is going to be difficult to justify the amount of movement between tiers for much longer.
Had the Cheats not had some positive cases already which caused them to postpone a few matches, they would have been travelling into Dover last night !!
There is the argument that if we are locked in we need live sports on TV for our mental wellbeing, but that won't wash with the many people who don't enjoy football and are missing out on their hobbies due to the restrictions.

[bellwhiff]

The nightingale hospitals can’t be used as we have no staff to run them, unless you take staff from hospitals that are already under staffed.

Think it all comes down to.. why hasn't there been much increase in NHS funding? Not really seen it mentioned or challenged anywhere. Yet everyone will still vote for these

Most shortsighted policy decision made in the austerity years was the cessation of nursing bursaries...killed the pipeline

My wife has given over 25 years to the nhs. Today she’s received an email saying thanks for everything you’ve done in these hard times but the payrise we were going to give you, we’re not anymore. Probably no money left as the Tories have given it all to their mates again

I can’t find any links to pay rises being cancelled. I see something about a consultation.
Got links to this ?

[Martin Shaw]

[bellwhiff]

City postponed their game at Everton yesterday. They’ve got a Carabao Cup game next week. They’ll probably have to postpone that too. Think they’ll forfeit it if they do, like Orient had to in their game against Spurs in the same competition earlier this year ?

No, me neither.

[Martin Shaw]

[cassellswasmagic]

I wonder what the table would look like with PPG if the season was abandoned now? Would we be bottom 2?

[Sandy Pate Best Stag]

I wonder what the table would look like with PPG if the season was abandoned now? Would we be bottom 2?

No. We currently average a point per game and there are four teams with less than that.

[Parkinsons Perm]

I wonder what the table would look like with PPG if the season was abandoned now? Would we be bottom 2?

Stop worrying. We're about 9th in the xG table

[cassellswasmagic]

I wonder what the table would look like with PPG if the season was abandoned now? Would we be bottom 2?

Stop worrying. We're about 9th in the xG table

Not worrying Parky, just wondering

[Martin Shaw]

[Martin Shaw]

we knew this already, but for anyone who missed it. It is timed to be just ahead of FAC Round 3:

[wayno cordiniho]

See all of Nottinghamshire are in tier 4, except for notts county who are still in tier 5

[chip63]

See all of Nottinghamshire are in tier 4, except for notts county who are still in tier 5

That really made me laugh.

[Amber Andy]

More to the point should we be in tier four ?

Looking at the UK map Sheffield appears to be an oasis in a desert of Covid 19.

[Upper West]

City postponed their game at Everton yesterday. They’ve got a Carabao Cup game next week. They’ll probably have to postpone that too. Think they’ll forfeit it if they do, like Orient had to in their game against Spurs in the same competition earlier this year ?

The rules of the competition do not allow a forfeit in the later rounds.

[bellwhiff]

City postponed their game at Everton yesterday. They’ve got a Carabao Cup game next week. They’ll probably have to postpone that too. Think they’ll forfeit it if they do, like Orient had to in their game against Spurs in the same competition earlier this year ?

The rules of the competition do not allow a forfeit in the later rounds.

Which clearly favours the “bigger sides”. No ?

[MTFCMAD]

City postponed their game at Everton yesterday. They’ve got a Carabao Cup game next week. They’ll probably have to postpone that too. Think they’ll forfeit it if they do, like Orient had to in their game against Spurs in the same competition earlier this year ?

The rules of the competition do not allow a forfeit in the later rounds.

Which clearly favours the “bigger sides”. No ?

Yes it does.

[Dave Wayne]

City postponed their game at Everton yesterday. They’ve got a Carabao Cup game next week. They’ll probably have to postpone that too. Think they’ll forfeit it if they do, like Orient had to in their game against Spurs in the same competition earlier this year ?

The rules of the competition do not allow a forfeit in the later rounds.

Which clearly favours the “bigger sides”. No ?

Yes it does.

To be fair, there wasn't really an option other than to forfeit in the early rounds with the first 4 rounds being in consecutive weeks, whereas now there is a bit more leeway to play catch up without having too much of a knock on effect to other clubs.

[Martin Shaw]

from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... desperate/

EFL instructs clubs to reintroduce 'stringent measures' in desperate attempt to ward off blanket suspension
In a letter circulated on New Year’s Eve, clubs are told to adopt changes immediately and expect them to remain in force for up to six weeks

By Jason Burt, CHIEF FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT
31 December 2020

The EFL has written to clubs telling them to restore the stringent measures that helped them out of the spring lockdown to ward off a possible circuit-break fortnight of postponements

The English Football League has reintroduced “stringent measures” at all of its 72 clubs in a desperate attempt to clamp down on the “more easily transmitted strain of the Covid-19 virus” and head off the threat of a mass suspension of matches.

In a letter circulated to all the clubs on New Year’s Eve, which has been seen by The Telegraph, they are told to adopt the changes “immediately” and expect them to remain in force for up to six weeks. There has already been a flurry of postponements with fears that there will be further call-offs when testing is reintroduced next week. For example, Morecambe have reported positive cases and their next two league games have already been postponed. The League Two club are due to play Chelsea in the FA Cup third round and all staff are scheduled to be tested beforehand.

The EFL is effectively demanding the strict rules that were in place when players returned to training following the lockdown are brought back in. One measure is for changing rooms at training grounds to be closed with players arriving in their kit and then departing without entering the buildings. Players cannot go into canteens.

The changes have been made in consultation with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and with Public Health England and it remains to be seen whether the Premier League – which is reintroducing a regime of players and staff being tested twice a week for Covid-19 and has called off two fixtures this week – follows suit.

The measures are:

Clubs must review their training ground policies to ensure they are as robust as possible, paying particular attention to social distancing and hygiene measures in place at the venue.
Attendance at the training ground should be limited to players and essential staff only. (Note: appropriate drop-off/pick-up arrangements can be made for academy players and the attendance of “player support” (eg parents, guardians, family members) at academy games remains dependent upon the home clubs risk assessment).
The use of indoor areas must be minimised as much as possible. Social areas must be closed and there must be no congregation in communal areas at the training ground including but not limited to medical rooms.
Indoor training pitches and domes are permitted to be used providing these are well ventilated and appropriate risk assessments are undertaken.
Face coverings must be worn at all times in any indoor area.
Changing rooms should be closed (save for the use of the toilet/or hand basin) and where possible players and staff members should arrive at the training ground wearing the clothes in which they are to train. Where this is not possible (for players and staff who live a considerable distance away) usage of the changing room should be single occupancy and limited to 15 minutes maximum. This may require clubs to consider a staggered approach to arrival times and usage.
Manual therapy treatment must be limited to essential only as deemed by the club doctor. Where permitted, it must last no longer than 15 minutes and be conducted in a well-ventilated area. Players must wear a facial covering as a minimum and the practitioner must wear a standard surgical face mask.
Poorly ventilated gym areas where social distancing cannot be maintained must be closed. Clubs must modify their gym set-up to allow appropriate distancing by staggering or moving gym equipment to other areas of the training ground. For example some clubs have utilised outdoor marquees.
Restaurants and cafeterias at the training ground are to be closed. Clubs may open kitchens (adhering to social distancing requirements) to provide takeaway food for players to eat away from the training ground. This food should be left at a designated collection point upon exit from the training ground.
Team meetings in poorly ventilated rooms must be avoided. Alternatives must be considered with a preference for virtual meetings. Any congregation of individuals inside should be avoided, however where this is not possible to mitigate risk they should take place in a suitably ventilated appropriately sized room where social distancing of two metres plus can easily be achieved. All individuals present must wear facial coverings, except those needing to speak during a meeting.
Air conditioning should not be used for indoor areas unless it uses a fresh air supply.
Clubs have also been reminded of the rules with regard to travelling to away matches which includes the EFL “strongly advising” the use of “multiple coaches” to help with social distancing and also the use of a seating plan “that ensures individuals are not [sitting] opposite each other”. All staff must be reminded they have to stay in their “allocated seat throughout the duration of the journey and should not move around the coach”. The letter adds: “Where multiple coaches cannot be provided Clubs should consider encouraging players and staff to travel to the venue individually by car” and continues: “Car sharing should be avoided in any instance.”

It remains to be seen whether the clubs follow the new rules which are a reversion to those in place when players returned to training last summer although this did not, eventually, affect most EFL clubs because Leagues One and Two were abandoned apart from the play-offs. The EFL’s letter, however, shows how seriously it is taking the outbreak in Covid cases and the danger it poses to football continuing amid calls that there may have to be a “circuit-break” of at least two weeks as revealed by The Telegraph.

[chip63]

Strange all that effort through the week and then when we score or win they are hugging in a big group.

[MTFCMusings]

Just seen this, assume it will effect us too?

[Martin Shaw]

Just seen this, assume it will effect us too?

The BBC have implemented a policy where its reporters will not travel to different tiers. Jake told me about it, and I've just been chatting with BBC Cambridge guy about it. The law remains that you can travel for work where you cannot work from home. BBC are going to do commentary of some away games using the iFollow feed. The consequence is that that commentary done from the iFollow feed cannot be used on iFollow itself because of the time lag. This happened in the Stevenage vs Cambridge game on Tuesday, where the BBC Cambridge commentators did commentary from home which went out with a time lag on the radio, but on iFollow only the Stevenage commentary was available.

[Tippy Tappy Football]

but on iFollow only the Stevenage commentary was available.

.....interrupted in the first half by Genesis blasting out "Turn It On Again"

....but that was a lot more entertaining than the game.