One year ago....

[adamstag]

Was the last time we played a home game infront of fans.

With swindon being called off several weeks later (no comment ) because of a waterlogged pitch, this was the last game before COVID kicked in and we live in the world we do today.

Just thought would be worth raising, i don’t think anyone of us would have had a clue what was around the corner .

Hopefully we all get to see one another again soon.

[yorkshire stag]

wow that’s pretty sad int it

[MTFCMusings]

It’s sad and even more sad that I can’t see fans being allowed in anytime soon either.

[Rob]

It’s sad and even more sad that I can’t see fans being allowed in anytime soon either.

At the current rate of vaccination all over 50's and vulnerable will have been offered a jab by the end of March. Once that is done I see no reason not to allow a limited number of fans back to games, maybe mid April. Its then up to each individual whether to go or not. Probably for the first time in my life their are a group of right wing Tories I agree with!

[MTFCMusings]

It’s sad and even more sad that I can’t see fans being allowed in anytime soon either.

At the current rate of vaccination all over 50's and vulnerable will have been offered a jab by the end of March. Once that is done I see no reason not to allow a limited number of fans back to games, maybe mid April. Its then up to each individual whether to go or not. Probably for the first time in my life their are a group of right wing Tories I agree with!

I hope you’re right.

[adamstag]

It makes sense though, once you've vaccinated all those at risk you, yourself as an adult determine at what "risk" you put yourself in.

If you feel that the risk isn't worth taking, then don't go.

[MTFCMusings]

It makes sense though, once you've vaccinated all those at risk you, yourself as an adult determine at what "risk" you put yourself in.

If you feel that the risk isn't worth taking, then don't go.

Yes I agree. But I’m not sure the government will make it that simple.

[pemill]

It makes sense though, once you've vaccinated all those at risk you, yourself as an adult determine at what "risk" you put yourself in.

If you feel that the risk isn't worth taking, then don't go.

That's assuming everyone takes a pragmatic approach - Uhmm, I can see a hole in this plan and that's what the politicians (of any party) have to take into account. This time round we need to keep the restrictions going long enough to see off this virus once and for all, if that means we don't go back until August then so be it.

[James]

It’s sad and even more sad that I can’t see fans being allowed in anytime soon either.

I think we'll be allowed full capacity from next season, can't see why not with the vaccination programme going like it is.

[Dave Wayne]

It’s sad and even more sad that I can’t see fans being allowed in anytime soon either.

At the current rate of vaccination all over 50's and vulnerable will have been offered a jab by the end of March. Once that is done I see no reason not to allow a limited number of fans back to games, maybe mid April. Its then up to each individual whether to go or not. Probably for the first time in my life their are a group of right wing Tories I agree with!

Just for clarity Rob, the scientists who developed and produce the vaccine say that people are not vaccinated until approximately 3 weeks after receiving the 2nd dose. Therefore, working on the government's plan for everyone to have their 2nd jab around 10 weeks after the first, this means that those who got their first jab this week will not be fully protected until the end of April.
Also, unless there is a major increase in the vaccination capacity, there is no way that all over 50s will have their first jab by the end of March, as the majority of the capacity will be taken up by those who got their first jab in January coming back for the second dose.
I totally agree that we need to get life back to normal as soon as possible, but if we do things too soon the vaccine won't have the desired effect and we will be back in lockdown again by the end of the summer.
I genuinely can't seen any crowds, even restricted ones, being allowed at all this season. Let's do it right and we can all be back for the start of 2021-22 and enjoy our promotion season.

[Rob]

It’s sad and even more sad that I can’t see fans being allowed in anytime soon either.

At the current rate of vaccination all over 50's and vulnerable will have been offered a jab by the end of March. Once that is done I see no reason not to allow a limited number of fans back to games, maybe mid April. Its then up to each individual whether to go or not. Probably for the first time in my life their are a group of right wing Tories I agree with!

Just for clarity Rob, the scientists who developed and produce the vaccine say that people are not vaccinated until approximately 3 weeks after receiving the 2nd dose. Therefore, working on the government's plan for everyone to have their 2nd jab around 10 weeks after the first, this means that those who got their first jab this week will not be fully protected until the end of April.
Also, unless there is a major increase in the vaccination capacity, there is no way that all over 50s will have their first jab by the end of March, as the majority of the capacity will be taken up by those who got their first jab in January coming back for the second dose.
I totally agree that we need to get life back to normal as soon as possible, but if we do things too soon the vaccine won't have the desired effect and we will be back in lockdown again by the end of the summer.
I genuinely can't seen any crowds, even restricted ones, being allowed at all this season. Let's do it right and we can all be back for the start of 2021-22 and enjoy our promotion season.

The main priority is to prevent serious illness and death, something having the first vaccination does. I do not think we will be free from Covid for a long time so it is all about appropriate risk. If after having one vaccination you personally do not feel protected enough to sit in an outdoors stadium then fine, don't go, same with pubs, which may also be opening in April and are far more likely to promote the transmission of this disease. I certainly would not go to a pub until having a second vaccination but I would go to a match after the first. I do hear what you are saying but on this I think we will have to disagree, I think once the top 9 have had the first vaccination then things should be relaxed and this should include going to watch football, even if crowds are limited to 20% or 40%.

[Dan]

I don’t understand why places like outdoor stadiums are not open yet but you can go for a free for all in Asda. Surely if wearing a mask is so important to stop the spread etc then open football grounds up and make people wear masks. I’m sure people would rather do that than not see their team live. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then don’t go.

[halifaxstag]

I’m 56 so in Priority group 8 for vaccination. They are currently inviting groups 5 & 6 ( over 65s and at risk/carers) as well as the second “jab” for those in the higher priority groups 1-4. If the take up rate is 80% ( it is currently higher) then I would get the first “jab” sometime between 14th and 28th April and the second in July. Any protection (not necessarily immunity) I get therefore wouldn’t be until sometime in May. The vaccine doesn’t guarantee 100% protection to 100% of those who have it but should prevent the worst effects of the virus.

Absolutely no chance of them allowing fans in this season, even with any mitigation of it being outdoors and masks being worn.
Talk of pubs,gigs etc being open by Easter (start of April) is absolute nonsense even though they are in dire financial need. It is the mixing of large groups of people that has helped keep us in lockdown ( and without football) for so long.

[halifaxstag]

I don’t understand why places like outdoor stadiums are not open yet but you can go for a free for all in Asda. Surely if wearing a mask is so important to stop the spread etc then open football grounds up and make people wear masks. I’m sure people would rather do that than not see their team live. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then don’t go.

The supermarkets are not meant to be a “free for all”. Personally I can live without football but not without food.
It isn’t necessarily what you feel comfortable with. Even if you feel comfortable going to football grounds there is a chance that you could catch the virus and then,if you were a symptomatic, unknowingly pass it on to numerous other people that you contact while doing other things that you are comfortable with.
It is hard for almost everybody but let’s get the incident rate right down and then we can resume an almost normal life.

[Dan]

I don’t understand why places like outdoor stadiums are not open yet but you can go for a free for all in Asda. Surely if wearing a mask is so important to stop the spread etc then open football grounds up and make people wear masks. I’m sure people would rather do that than not see their team live. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then don’t go.

The supermarkets are not meant to be a “free for all”. Personally I can live without football but not without food.
It isn’t necessarily what you feel comfortable with. Even if you feel comfortable going to football grounds there is a chance that you could catch the virus and then,if you were a symptomatic, unknowingly pass it on to numerous other people that you contact while doing other things that you are comfortable with.
It is hard for almost everybody but let’s get the incident rate right down and then we can resume an almost normal life.

You should see some of the sights in our supermarkets. They want you to go in alone if possible yet we’ve got families of four strolling round like they’re on a day out, kids touching everything, people touching stuff then putting it back and they wonder why supermarkets are one of the highest places to catch it.

[Rob]

I’m 56 so in Priority group 8 for vaccination. They are currently inviting groups 5 & 6 ( over 65s and at risk/carers) as well as the second “jab” for those in the higher priority groups 1-4. If the take up rate is 80% ( it is currently higher) then I would get the first “jab” sometime between 14th and 28th April and the second in July. Any protection (not necessarily immunity) I get therefore wouldn’t be until sometime in May. The vaccine doesn’t guarantee 100% protection to 100% of those who have it but should prevent the worst effects of the virus.

Absolutely no chance of them allowing fans in this season, even with any mitigation of it being outdoors and masks being worn.
Talk of pubs,gigs etc being open by Easter (start of April) is absolute nonsense even though they are in dire financial need. It is the mixing of large groups of people that has helped keep us in lockdown ( and without football) for so long.

They will not wait for people to have their second jab before opening up the economy, indeed schools will open on 8 March (they were the main cause of high infection rates pre-lockdown) and I suspect if infection rates and hospitalisation rates continue to fall, non-essential shops will open and probably in Apr/May so will the pubs. I do not agree that their is no chance of fans being allowed in before the end of the season, though I would not be surprised if they weren't, after all you can currently go fishing for exercise so who knows what the rules might be

We might know more next Monday, then again, we might not.

[STAGS FOR LIFE]

Just hope that in one year on from now we back to something like normality

[Spiritater]

And 10 points clear at the top

[Spiritater]

Was the last time we played a home game infront of fans.

With swindon being called off several weeks later (no comment ) because of a waterlogged pitch, this was the last game before COVID kicked in and we live in the world we do today.

Just thought would be worth raising, i don’t think anyone of us would have had a clue what was around the corner .

Hopefully we all get to see one another again soon.

A whole year since I've been in a pub then.

[Rob]

Just hope that in one year on from now we back to something like normality

Amen to that

[Dave Wayne]

I don’t understand why places like outdoor stadiums are not open yet but you can go for a free for all in Asda. Surely if wearing a mask is so important to stop the spread etc then open football grounds up and make people wear masks. I’m sure people would rather do that than not see their team live. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then don’t go.

While I agree with you that social distancing isn't great at times in a supermarket, as others have stated, it is an essential requirement to survive whereas football isn't.
Also, even if you encounter an infected person in a supermarket, the chances are that you are only within each others company for seconds. If you are sitting in a football ground you could be sat next to a person with covid for up to 2 hours. Irrespective of being outdoors, this is much higher risk than a brief encounter indoors.

[Rob]

I don’t understand why places like outdoor stadiums are not open yet but you can go for a free for all in Asda. Surely if wearing a mask is so important to stop the spread etc then open football grounds up and make people wear masks. I’m sure people would rather do that than not see their team live. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then don’t go.

While I agree with you that social distancing isn't great at times in a supermarket, as others have stated, it is an essential requirement to survive whereas football isn't.
Also, even if you encounter an infected person in a supermarket, the chances are that you are only within each others company for seconds. If you are sitting in a football ground you could be sat next to a person with covid for up to 2 hours. Irrespective of being outdoors, this is much higher risk than a brief encounter indoors.

But you can choose not to go to the game, you can also choose not to shop in store by using delivery or click and collect. I do accept that in terms of importance there are other considerations but once other shops open then I believe we should be allowed back to games.

[victor A block]

Very much doubt they will be letting anyone in this season from April with only very few games left by then . Let's get it down for next season when hopefully we can all return .

[Dan]

I don’t understand why places like outdoor stadiums are not open yet but you can go for a free for all in Asda. Surely if wearing a mask is so important to stop the spread etc then open football grounds up and make people wear masks. I’m sure people would rather do that than not see their team live. And if you don’t feel comfortable doing that then don’t go.

While I agree with you that social distancing isn't great at times in a supermarket, as others have stated, it is an essential requirement to survive whereas football isn't.
Also, even if you encounter an infected person in a supermarket, the chances are that you are only within each others company for seconds. If you are sitting in a football ground you could be sat next to a person with covid for up to 2 hours. Irrespective of being outdoors, this is much higher risk than a brief encounter indoors.

Difference is that you won’t be sitting ‘next’ to anyone you don’t know so that restricts the chances and also being outdoors will help. It’s a fact that you get closer to strangers in the local supermarket and that can’t be helped but at a football match there’s plenty of room to sit away from other people if clubs manage it correctly.

[Bradders]

I’m 56 so in Priority group 8 for vaccination. They are currently inviting groups 5 & 6 ( over 65s and at risk/carers) as well as the second “jab” for those in the higher priority groups 1-4. If the take up rate is 80% ( it is currently higher) then I would get the first “jab” sometime between 14th and 28th April and the second in July. Any protection (not necessarily immunity) I get therefore wouldn’t be until sometime in May. The vaccine doesn’t guarantee 100% protection to 100% of those who have it but should prevent the worst effects of the virus.

Absolutely no chance of them allowing fans in this season, even with any mitigation of it being outdoors and masks being worn.
Talk of pubs,gigs etc being open by Easter (start of April) is absolute nonsense even though they are in dire financial need. It is the mixing of large groups of people that has helped keep us in lockdown ( and without football) for so long.

They will not wait for people to have their second jab before opening up the economy, indeed schools will open on 8 March (they were the main cause of high infection rates pre-lockdown) and I suspect if infection rates and hospitalisation rates continue to fall, non-essential shops will open and probably in Apr/May so will the pubs. I do not agree that their is no chance of fans being allowed in before the end of the season, though I would not be surprised if they weren't, after all you can currently go fishing for exercise so who knows what the rules might be

We might know more next Monday, then again, we might not.

I'm entirely with Rob (for a change). The second vaccination is a bit of a luxury, to give you a boost, but you should be almost entirely protected by the first. Particularly if you've already had Covid, when the first vaccination acts as the booster jab. Obviously I'm not advocating skipping the second jab, but it's not essential from the point of view of opening the country with limited precautions.
If we're confident in the science, it soon gets to the stage where being over-cautious is actually quite reckless. So once the over 50s and vulnerable are protected, it becomes hard to justify forcing businesses to stay closed or severely limited.