Are you isolating yourself from your family as well as all of you being in isolation? Is that even possible in an average house with shared bathrooms and toilets etc?

All the best to you and family Darren. Speedy recovery to them and all who is self isolating.

Good to see Haz back again.

Best wishes to Darren and his family.

Indeed it is. Welcome back Haz.

Hope it all goes okay Darren.

I just think it’s wrong to hand out trophies that haven’t been won. The league title is not a mathematical certainty for Liverpool and because of that I don’t see why they should be given it. For me, it isn’t right. I’m comfortable with City adding the 2020 League Cup to their honours list because they won it. Liverpool have not yet won the Premier League, so in my view they shouldn’t. Yeah they can go on about the bad luck they have suffered if the season doesn’t finish. But scousers enjoy that.

Regarding the human tragedy point, yes Hillsborough was a terrible event. But didn’t Liverpool fans kill close to forty Juventus fans at Heysel Stadium? That was also a tragedy for Juventus, generally accepted as caused by Liverpool supporters.

We haven’t heard from Kiwi for a while. I expect he is working on the vaccine. 1 fish head + a spoon of vegemite ( not marmite) + a generous helping of rum for the cook +

Three NBA players tested positive as well and are also asymptiomatic.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51935585
Blaise Matuidi: Juventus midfielder test positive for coronavirus

The Simpsons has called it again. My working theory is that people from our future got into a wormhole or whatever and are communicating to us about what the future entails via the show.

Hi all, just had the chance for a quick catch up tonight. Before I go to sleep just want to wish Darren and family all the best for a speedy recovery. Get well soon and I hope everyone stays safe and well in the next few weeks/months as we go through these terrible times.

Also nice to see Ody and Haz return, would be great to see some of the old faces return.

Keep well, Niall

Mate, I hope you find the right one in the future. Better that you know now than get trapped in a nightmare relationship. Things could always be worse - you could have chosen Spurs when you were younger. Fair wait for a decent trophy over there and Mourinho as your current manager.

Just on a couple of Arsenal issues. With the season in the balance I would engage with Barcelona on Aubameyang sale, if Belerin needs an op I would get it for him now or if he requires just rest now is the time to do it until he recovers. Also I would be inviting players who were looking for a move to try and start sorting it out with where they want to go. Try and sign Saka to a contract. Plenty to do for the club.

I know that some buying clubs may be reluctant to negotiate, because of the uncertainty of football in general, but if you don't ask you will never know.

Hey there.

Firstly much love to all those having problems at the moment.

Well, this is all a bit crazy. I was in the supermarket the other day and this bloke was calmly walking through the store with a trolley rammed with toilet rolls when there were none on the shelf. I had a right go at him for hoarding and that people who couldn't buy in bulk were losing out to his selfishness. Felt a bit silly when he pointed out he was wearing a store uniform and was re-stocking the shelves...

Joking aside this hoarding is bonkers. I was reading an article about the psychology of it the other day which was quite interesting (I'll try and dig the link out). According to this article the hoarding started in Australia when a story went round that they imported most of their toilet rolls and wouldn't get more after the boarders were shut. People started panicking on that and the hoarding began (despite most of Australia's toilet roll being made in Australia!). News shows started showing the empty shelves and people in other countries followed the 'example' in a monkey see monkey do type scenario. The most interesting thing about the article was that the hoarding was originally being limited pretty much to English speaking countries due to the way news flows across boundries. They didn't mention pasta.

Things could be a lot worse here. My main worry has been how Jr would/will react to what is happening but fortunately he's being fine about it. The biggest problem I'm having is looking after him and my elderly mother, who lives on the other side of town. Not to mention a close friend with COPD who I shop for. Normally I rely on the buses but I've been avoiding them and walking where ever I need to go which has been a pain because my leg is completely buggered – I was due an op to sort it out before all this started but (rightly) that's not going to happen until goodness knows when so I just want to say how much I appreciate people with front garden walls that I can sit on every couple of hundred yards!

At the moment I'm not going out where possible, except for essentials. Without transport shopping is hard what with having to carry everything so I was fortunate that a friend was happy and able to give me a lift back from the supermarket so I could get a bigger shop than I tend to (I normally shop for a couple of days). Quite shocked at how empty the shelves are at the moment – and the rationing that's happening. Because I'm shopping for two houses it was difficult and I think at some point soon supermarkets need to find a way to allow for that but I've no idea how they could both do that and avoid it being abused.

One thing that all this has taught me is how often I touch my bloody face during the day! If you'd asked me a few weeks ago I'd have said maybe once or twice a day but when you start thinking about it every time you do it then it's mad how often it happens.

Anyway, stay safe, do what you can to help others, and if you're stuck at home read those books you never get round to.

Hugs to all x

Thanks a lot Gaz.
I'm sure I will.
No chance! Arsenal all the way!

Still living in a bit of a bubble here in beautiful bubbly Barbados, though sadly and inevitably, the first two cases were confirmed yesterday. So it has definitely landed and the not-so-courtly dance has begun.

Sounds like UK is on Defcon 1 - or more (or less - who knows?). Some people here are really freaked, mostly American-based non-nationals who live and work in USA but just can’t get back there. I feel so sorry for this beautiful friendly island because, comfortable, rich and affluent though they are, the whole place is driven by tourism, and that will have disappeared in the next fortnight.

Darren, Brom - sympathies of course but if you can bring yourselves, please give us all the gory details of your illness. You’re the only ones I know who have it and I am desperate for info on the process. Have you been tested?

Morning DHD
Yesterday all the schools were shut, things are ramping up quickly now and it looks like an Italian style lockdown very soon. It feels extremely weird, like some sort of bad apocalyptic b-movie. Talk is London locked down in the next few days, troops being trained to impose curfew etc etc. Things seem to be changing on a daily basis at the moment.

I don't know if anybody in my house has the virus - we haven't been able to be tested! In fact I haven't even been able to see my GP. Testing has been reserved for the hospitals, intensive care of course, people who've come into contact with a confirmed case (I think) - and of course the rich and famous sporting or otherwise.
In our house we have all had a high temperature, cough, feeling low on energy and I have been short of breath too. But nothing too bad, very mild really the sort of thing we all get from time to time We isolated on Govt advice rather than being at death's door.
It seems most people get mild symptoms, but my brothers and I are quite worried about our parents who are in their 80s, especially my dad who was very ill about a year back. If Italy is anything to go by older folk in general are seriously at risk.

It's a potential disaster for many people economically - feel sorry for the locals in places like Barbados- it'll be a long time before tourism returns to any sort of normality anywhere.

Keep yourself as safe as possible. And remember - judging by people over here I'd stick a few extra loo rolls in the cupboard before the rest of the population completely strip the supermarket shelves.

There are far, far worse places to be in than Barbados. When I think of the island, the name Garry Sobers comes to mind. I don't know much about cricket but I knew a guy from there who was named after him. He wasn't too shabby at the sport apparently.

To you and all others on the forum I hope you and yours remain healthy. My son has some symptoms but has only been able to talk to someone on a phone. Told him not to come in unless he is having trouble breathing. There is a lot of other viruses around at the moment so we are hoping that is all it is. He is self isolating at home. Funny how when Tom Hanks and his wife came down with it on the Gold Coast he was placed in hospital for a number of days despite the fact he and his wife had hardly any symptoms. I suppose an American life must be worth more than an Australian life to our health service.

The panic buying and hoarding is just crazy, these people are absolute tools

Someone went into our local Tesco the yesterday and tried to buy 80 tins of Heinz tomato soup that had just been put on the shelf then lost the plot when they were not allowed.

It’s just nonsense and the government and retailers will need a consistent policy on this as this silly behaviour becomes the new norm.

Couldn’t agree more. People are being so selfish with their stockpiling. No forget that, their behaviour is disgustingly immoral. Revolting individuals and there are so many of them. It’s not just tinned food and items like toilet rolls and kitchen towels which will keep. It’s food items that will go off. Half of it will probably end up being thrown away by these vile panic buyers.

I’m hoping that the panic buying will subside. There must be a limit as to how much extra stuff one can store before it becomes even more pointless than it already is. Tossers, the lot of them.

We haven’t altered our weekly shop one iota and will not. If we have to go without stuff so be it, It’s just mind boggling.

I went along to our local Tesco superstore yesterday to get some Paracetamol and walked through the aisles. I couldn’t believe my eyes Bernard. They had sold out of all meat protein etc, all tinned goods, all rice pasta, all paracetamol, all toilet rolls and tissue, All cereal. What I even found remarkable was that they were pretty low on fresh vegetables as well. I mean ffs that won’t keep.

Our local Tesco now has queues outside it at 5.30am. They now can’t afford to open 24 hours as they need to urgently restock. The government need to get together with retailers and work out a plan here.

The fabric of our society is flimsy as hell, don’t do the right thing, act in self interest only and blame everyone else for everything that is wrong in your life.

Stockpiling loo rolls is like chucking money down the toilet.

So, I'm not saying in any way that I agree with the panic buying, but ...

Everyday for the past 2 weeks, I've gone down to the toilet paper aisle - and, nothing. Completely stripped.
Then starting a week ago - Hand sanitizers, pasta, rice, etc. Again down those aisles = nothing.

I heard the rumour that someone at the outset on social media said Australian toilet paper was imported and would soon run out and that apparently kicked it all off. It's not true but everyone loves a good conspiracy theory. What made that gather momentum was people seeing the toilet paper leaving the shops in droves.

So what started off as doomsday preppers are now people not taking any chances of seeing empty shelves for the next month. When they see what they need and it has been deprived from them for weeks on end, they will stock up - more than they would normally. The media highlights these stories and show pictures of the empty shelves which helps fuel all this.

And in the middle of all this, you have the opportunists. Those that bought loads of things at the outset or as much as they could whenever they could, and then are now selling it at stupid prices online.

The stores keep saying there's loads of supply, and even limit people to one of everything of high demand items, but then how is it that the shelves are constantly empty ? (At least when I go there.)

I think now that if given the chance, I would probably stock up moreso on items that I haven't seen for ages.

Not to be selfish and not to sell it online, but just so we don't run out. Also, I'd like to limit the amount of exposure that each trip to the shops amongst all the panic merchants is no doubt risking.

So again, I don't condone the current panic buying, but I do understand it.

Oh, and Anti-Vaxxers are currently getting a demo of a vaccine free world.

Thanks Brom - that’s appreciated. It sounds as though you have it under control.

Slightly selfishly, I have a couple more trips planned this year. I expect to get the virus before then, at least I hope I do, but I can’t see how I’ll be allowed into any other country without some sort of certification of immunity. If there’s no testing, everyone will be assumed to be infectious and will be subject to successive quarantines.

The problem is, if facts and evidence had any effect on them, they wouldn't be anti-vaxxers to begin with.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ZVGc8iGwEo

Good news for most of us.

This is so true.

Remember Farage was having a go at the WHO saying they were bullies for telling people that fags were harmful for them.

One thing this whole thing is teaching us is that stupidity can ABSOLUTELY be weaponised. I do wonder if this will be utilised by the wrong and evil further after this is all over,

I'm with Topgun and American Gooner on this one. Cancel the champions league and even the FA cup by all means (and the Euros--I can't even remember who won the last one), but it would be simply unfair and unsporting to deprive Liverpool when everyone knows they have won the league in all but the formal sense ... and I would say the same thing even if it was Spurs. Being fair and sporting means being fair and sporting to everyone.

I do hope they finish the leagues, even without crowds. A bit of footy would be a great morale boost and one would think that protocols could be developed to make to make it pretty safe.

The universities were all shut down here yesterday. The students' response? To hit the nighclubs and pubs and have a massive party. One despairs.

One of the lessons we will learn from this is that people (enough of them anyway) just don't learn lessons.

The essence of a panic is that once it gets going it becomes irrational not to panic.

Not always though. My vegan niece admits she panic bought organic vegetables in Cape Town yesterday. The 'oh hang on' moment came too late.

Frightening times indeed.

The internet and American media have been reporting on the hoarding of toilet paper. The red state Trumpers have used this an opportunity to buy more guns.

These aren't all first time buyers. These are the ones that already had enough firepower to hold off a small army. And I guarantee you the first time buyers in that area are buying it to protect themselves from the guy with 20, in an ironic circular environment. As I've long noted on here, I don't have a problem with having a firearm in certain circumstances. I once had a glock when I lived in a 'transitional' area that had a couple home invasions and I lived alone. My nephews would visit for the weekend at times and the landlord forbid pets. My preference is a dog over a weapon.

However, even as a one time gun owner, I've been vehemently opposed to assault weapons and the people with a large cache of weapons and bullets. I've always been in favor of the strongest contingencies in background checks, expanding who can't get one. And if the day came where we would go the way Australia and vote for giving it up across the board, I'd be the first one to approve it.

Gun sales have skyrocketing which should scare the 'fudge' out of the government, given the type of situation it is. It's not a stretch to see things work out like the first episode of The Walking Dead on a small scale in some areas with people and their bunker mentality. "You have covid19, you are restricted" ..."My AK 47 says I'm not". That could easily play out.

These people and the groups they belong to will see this as a 'plot' and may liberties defending their notion of civil liberties.

https://www.cbs7.com/templates/2015_Sub ... =568879531

When football eventually gets a re-set and goes back to normalcy as much as one possibly can, it will likely change the football landscape.

Will footballers go to China for that last big contract? (same can be said for basketball who the Chinese love watching). What about Italy? Will the virus play a role in a players decision on whether to go to Juventus or PSG? Even la Liga?

If the league season is completed and Liverpool win it, then fair enough. But in my view what is not on is giving them the title if the season is declared null and void. Sorry, I just don’t think it’s right or even acceptable to give them the title before they were mathematically certain of winning it. And like you are saying you’d argue the point even if it was Tottenham in Liverpool’s position, I’ll say I’d argue my point if it was Arsenal in Liverpool’s position.

Liverpool have not yet won the league and should not be handed the title until they do. At what point would you be making your argument in the Coronavirus had broken out earlier? Two games earlier, four games ago, six matches earlier, eight, or ten, or a dozen? They have not yet won the league and in my view should not be given the title until or unless they do.

They've pushed the resumption of football date back to the end of April. It's difficult to imagine any scenario where the games could be played that soon with supporters. Behind closed doors? You're still talking of a gathering in the hundreds at least with all the TV tech stuff people and what not. I can't see that happening by then.

So when will football come back? Taking a guess from all the stuff I've read I'd say maybe late summer would be as soon as it would be possible to start things up again.

Based on that as I see it you have two realistic choices. Either re-continue this season at that point and in effect not have next season statistically, or abandon this season and start a new one from scratch with the same listings as 2019/20.

If the second happens then there is no title for Liverpool. There can't be. It would be unfair to them but also it would be unfair to a lot of other clubs. To use a local example Wycombe Wanderers well deserve their place in the play-off positions and are in with a shot at automatic promotion which would be a remarkable achievement. There are plenty of other examples, as there are examples of this having season cancelled being about the best thing to ever have happened to a club.

If the first happens then you have a very short season, or a very stretched one. Either way it would make it incredibly difficult for a lot of clubs to survive.

My personal choice based on the above scenarios would be to finish this league season but have the end of this FA Cup played before Christmas and a new one through next season. I'd also seriously consider having at the very least the early rounds on a home/away basis to help the smaller clubs. Lastly I'd have a one-season competition - no idea about the format but to generate more games for all the clubs in a game light season.

In other news we were getting a bit low on soap so I bought some when shopping the other day. The choice was pretty bars in pretty boxes costing 2 quid each or Wright's Coal Tar. I got a couple of bars of Wright's and now opened the first tonight. One hand wash and the whole flat smells of childhood holidays at the Grandparents' house.

The above post of mine was meant to start 'I agree' but I got carried away.

Anyway, the reason I logged on was I found a quiz I did for a supporter thing years ago and thought maybe some might want to play. If context is needed it was done in 2005, and there are no half points and no trick questions (ie q4 where it says 'Arsenal' assume it means in the history of the club regardless of the name at the time).

1. 'After the revolution we must worship the victorious' was a tag for a Le Shark advertising campaign featuring which double winner?

2. We're moving to a new ground soon but what is the current ground called?

3. How does a Primrose stop a goal?

4. How many times (to nearest 10) did Arsenal's first team play in Woolwich?

5. Jennings, Rice, Nelson, O'Leary, Brady, Stapleton. Who is the seventh?

6. Bergkamp. St James'. Who was the keeper?

7. Our record score at Wembley is 7-1. Who were we playing?

8. Who was Pele's favourite Arsenal keeper?

9. Who was told by the ref not to be greedy at Villa Park when he complained his shot had gone over the line?

10. Who managed us to a title in the '30s, but isn't called Chapman or Allison?

11. You're Terry Neill. Five minutes to go in the Cup Final and you're 2-0 up. Who do you bring on?

12. (I can't read this one properly because of a beer stain so you can all have a point here).

13. Who EEGd Rushie's record up?

14. Which 'City' did we score 26 goals against in one game?

15. Name our scorers in all 3 1993 Cup Final matches?

16. Spell Boro's surname.

17. Who was Arsenal's record scorer before Ian Wright?

18. Who did Vieira make his debut against?

19. What is the most dangerous piece of gardening equipment if you're an Arsenal double winner?

20. What was the previous name of Arsenal Station?



As an aside 'gambling debt' will not be accepted as an answer to any question.

I'll stick the answers up tomorrow.