The point is it may have escaped from a lab in which it was being studied, rather than being genetically engineered. This is very much within the realms of possibility.
I agree that the Chinese government is odious - individual freedoms are a long way down their list of priorities.

Well I sure as hell wouldn’t miss them. I’m sure people would start disliking other clubs instead if you think that’s the raisin d’etre of football fandom. If that makes my viewpoint juvenile in your opinion, so be it.

By the way, I did say I realise it won’t happen. Manchester United could well be the least likely club to go under.

Aren't all the great powers odious in one way or the other? Don't they all have their faults?

As far as the Chinese go I cannot see why we cannot take 5g from them when they are the cheapest and fastest and because we need it yesterday for the UK to succeed quicker from the breakup of the EU. There will always be problems with security but looking outside of the box why don't we just make sure nothing critical is transmitted over 5g. Why not make 6g secure from now, if anything can be secure, and we can look forward to the benefits of being one of the most advanced nations in the world.............

Netherlands has banned professional until September. So that’s one league that’s going to be finishing early then, with ramifications for Champions League qualification I suppose.

The Irish government announced this evening that there will be no gatherings exceeding 5000 people before the end of August at the earliest. With all the talk of finishing this season, there's no guarantee that next season will work either.

Just read a thread on twatter saying WHO advised UEFA no European fixtures to, wait for it, end of 2021.

Watching Didier Drogba regularly walk through our so-called defence was enough for me, let alone a killer virus.

I had no idea what the score was prior to watching it and it made it infinitely more exciting to see these highlights. I didn't think we'd even get a result from seeing the early part of the match. By the way, a certain player named Keegan who played for Liverpool wasn't too shabby. But its interesting seeing Kennedy, Ball and others. Wilson stood tall in goal and I've come to appreciate him a bit more. I love the crowds and wish they showed more of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nToZhd3 ... jreload=10

At the time this was played, we had a decent record at Anfield, which I was surprised to hear. Freddy was born on this day.

When Boris had 2 excellent nurses dedicated to saving his life, I understand from the news they were a New Zealander and a Portugese citizen. Post Brexit would he have survived and many others if the Portugese citizen was not allowed in the country. Is there sufficient expertise in the UK to not require either of these workers?

Jeez if you are worried about security - Pine Gap might give you nightmares.

That may not be surprising as one of the major problems for spread in Italy and Spain was believed to be the Atalanta Valencia first leg CL game.

Listening to a few sports podcasts, it may be that a segment of the fanbase may never be back. The over 50 or 60, specifically those who are taking meds for something.
They may never be back and frankly, can't blame them. Young people, at least in America, have stopped attending live sports in the same numbers their fathers and grandfathers did. Live professional sports specifically.
MMA matches, university sports such as American football have sold out 90k or even 100k stadiums literally for decades. I can't see that going away.
But older folks and those anyone living with some malady that affects an organ and needing meds? No, they won't be back in anywhere close to the numbers.
I assume there are a number of forumites on here that fit that exact demographic of fans who are thinking they won't be using their season tickets as much if it all.

I guess I wasn't the only one.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... l-21904710

“Everyone who I’ve spoken to since leaving Arsenal or even when I was at Arsenal would say they wouldn’t mind playing against us because they knew they could get opportunities. Going forward we were always a joke," Wilshere said in an Instagram Live chat with Sam Morgan.

First time I've ever seen that tactic. The whole squad comes out, crazy! Was that a regular practice? Was that only a Man utd thing?

Hi Niall,

Blimey, on one hand you have the clubs who want to get back playing within weeks and on the other hand the WHO recommending suspending competitions until the end of 2021. It must be a legal minefield.

Personally, I don't see how you can get back to spectators at games until there is either a vaccine or a very effective treatment.

They were talking about maybe 1-2% of the population having had it, if that's true that leaves an awful lot of people still to get it, including the elderly and those with underlying health issues or are on immuno suppressant medication.

Morning socrates. To me it just sounds wrong to play games at all, even behind closed doors. Despite the long-term attempts to crack down on violent tackling, football can only be a contact sport.

The six foot rules cannot, and surely should not, be applied to football matches. It would make a mockery of the results. People would be unmarked at corners, walls for free kicks around the area wouldn’t be possible, and nor would tackling be possible. Presumably meaning anyone in possession would have a free run on goal leading to countless one on ones with keepers who wouldn’t be able to challenge the bloke through on goal. Any team using a pressing game wouldn’t be able to.

The whole thing sounds ridiculous but I would still say it’s unfair on the players to allow them to come into contact with each other, who in varying proportions probably will and won’t be infected. Okay, footballers are relatively young men with no underlying health issues, but does that make them safe? The skin of different players will come into contact with each other, without the six foot rule. Doesn’t that mean they’ll exchange each other’s perspiration onto their bodies (maybe not Özil as he doesn’t run around enough to sweat)? How about when they go home to wives and children after games? Players will come into contact with them, and maybe elderly parents.

I just think it’s wrong to say we don’t mind players catching it, so we’ll let them play games and come into contact with each other, but behind closed doors to protect those who actually go to games. In my view the season should be cancelled. Bad luck for some teams including the likes of Liverpool and Leeds, and most fortunate for others like Norwich. I say start football again when the crisis is finished to the extent that crowds can go to games.

The puzzlement/concern for me is just when that might be. It’s not at all clear how we are going to get out of this situation in any time soon. It seems to be either a vaccine or the virus just clears off. It will be no more safe in 6 months than it is now.

Hi Bernard,

I think the plan would be to test all players before the games start and then keep them quarantined in hotels whilst the season is finished (maybe 6 weeks or so). Games would be played as normal.

Obviously this is only a short term solution and could not work long term.

Can’t see that being true for sports stadia. It will be no more safe then than it is now. If it were a possibility (which it isn’t) then the Premier League would be planning to complete the season using those venues.

Hi Soc, I can't see how this is fair on the players and their families.

As Dec mentioned yesterday, large gatherings have been banned in Ireland now until the end of August. The league of Ireland runs from Feb-October so it looks like there's little possibility of that resuming until September at the earliest.

And the Liverpool vs Athletico Madrid game is coming under more scrutiny as well.

Hi Niall

It also means that the entire GAA season is gone. The attendances for those games are similar to PL matches. That decision wasn't taken lightly.

I can't see how contact sports can continue when everyone else is being pleaded with to observe social distancing.

Grassroots football will be devastated too, the kids are going to be absolutely gutted.

But what if we move to a situation where there is much lower risk and most economic activity resumes but large gatherings are still banned?

It seems to me that football involves two elements. 1) the game which involves a slight and highly manageable risk to the players. 2) the crowds which constitutes a massive public health risk. Surely 1) becomes feasible long before 2)?

Honestly can't see even games without fans happening this year, however.

Those packed stadiums must have been insane in those days. I can only imagine. That direct ball to the head, with how heavy those balls were in those days. Had to be like a AG punch to.....lets not go there.

Something tells me they would have scraped up a couple of good British nurses for Boris, Gaz. You are right about the others though.

That happened to me twice when I was at school so I can sympathise, particularly because of the raucous amusement it caused. A football to the back of the head, and a cricket ball to the shin. Utterly polaxed. Both times I was merely walking past the field too.

Do you mean it’s a slight and highly manageable risk because of the fewer numbers of players? Because players come into very close contact with each other, so I’m not sure I’d call it a slight or manageable risk for the players, regardless of how small in number they are. Myself, I am not sure that justifies playing games behind closed doors and my vote still goes for declaring the season null and void.

So in China they found out that 1 person went to a restaurant and infected 9 others out of the 15 in there including people who were sat on tables on the other side of the restaurant.

The press said even a closed doors match with Tv people and medical and club people would involve 250 odd people attending a game and mingling. On that basis I don’t think it comes down to your vote as until a vaccine is developed or the number of new cases reduced to a trickle less than a thousand a day surely then the season will have to be void.

One of my favorite moments ever.
"It's only Ray Parlour" hahahaha

Believe it or not, I do realise it won’t come down to my vote. I ways simply using an expression to emphasise what I think should happen. Judging by the end of your last sentence, it sounds like you agree whether or not you choose to use the same expression I did.

Not that worried but our MPs over here are, well some are, and they kick up a stink whenever Huawei are mentioned.

Brady's goal! Reminds me of Bergkamp. Oh, Sunderland and Stapleton aren't too bad either.

My point is that a football crowd is many orders of magnitude more risky. The there are 10s of 1000s of people in close proximity who cannot be screened and who it would be a nightmare to trace. Without a crowd there are 22 players (28 if all subs are used) all of whom can be screened, tested, and traced. Protocol can be worked out to keep other personnel (refs, security, coaching staff, unused subs, etc.) safe.

If the degree of risk drops gradually, it is inevitable that it will be 'acceptably safe' to play long before it is acceptably safe to have crowds.

And I would say that we have to talk about 'acceptably safe' rather than 'absolutely safe'. There has to be a degree of risk accepted. Firstly, as you note, football is a contact sport and players accept at degree of risk, not just of getting maimed but also of infection (as with HIV). Secondly, workers elsewhere have to accept risk. Essential workers and workers in retail have had to take the risk even when the disease was spreading out of control. As the spread is controlled it will be necessary to open the economy up in stages. Those who go back to work will inevitably be facing somewhat more risk than those who are able to remain at home. Sport may be far down the list of 'essential' items but the economic cost of shutting it down for a couple of years would be very high--as would the deprivation fans would suffer.

It seems we agree about one thing at least, Chris.

Calm down I wasn’t being tetchy or anything. I agree