Suggestions today that all sports events are to be behind closed doors - so that would presumably mean you don't even get the 100 or so spectators to bring you up to the 200 limit. And certainly no sign of it moving up to 500. Things going backwards unfortunately.
All sporting events will take place behind closed doors, under measures being discussed by cabinet this afternoon.
RTÉ News understands that a decision has been made not to allow spectators at sporting fixtures.
A bit further afield, but a second Kosovan side in as many weeks have had to scratch in Europe because of covid tests. Prishtina seem to have had as many as 8 players test positive - though the game was only postponed an hour before kick-off, by which time all those infected had travelled to Gibraltar.
Actually, it seems outdoor training is now down to 15 people (including coaching I guess), which will make things interesting
Yeah, we're pretty much at the bare essentials now. All games behind closed doors too. So any further restrictions and you imagine the league is on hiatus again.
186 cases today, which is a lot
Back to pods then, clubs with their own training facilities & bigger coaching staff will be able to manage but I'd imagine the smaller part time clubs will have to stagger training sessions now for the foreseeable future?
On the new restrictions being brought back in I don't disagree entirely on attendances coming back in to prevent spread of the virus but it's the usual load of absolute political fudge on implementation cross sector. Without going into the specific chat around the complete lack of test and trace/ inspections at processing plants, hot bedding & DP; how a €9 substantial meal or a good auld pray at mass magically makes everything ok to attend; then on the flipside sport at all levels from a sunday league game in the Phoenix park to the elite level and restrictions on the elderly reintroduced, they've made a haimes of it again based purely on political lobbying and self interest, I think people will start getting vocal about it this time compared to in the spring.
I was in town last week as had to pick up a few bits and Penneys & Arnotts were absolute full to the Michael Rafter's with very little sign of social distancing being enforced and mask wearing was about half of everyone in the shops I was in, went for the magic €9 meal a small few times last month and in some places there 100% wasn't proper social distancing enforced with table spacing either.
From our perspective with the league in theory it would be a hell of a lot safer with the FAI protocols followed with a staggered one way in and a seperate way out of the ground, proper social distancing, face coverings, contact tracing, temp checks etc in place than going shopping or for a magic €9 meal or hitting the shops or shopping centres.
At least we have watchloi now which has been great on the whole, I wonder though will there be a club with a bar licence who'll try and do an end run and offer a burger for a tenner and let a number of ST holders in.
Its quite a surprise that the publican lobby hasnt had the impact it would have expected across the board. Gradual drift away from pubs being the be all and end all and toward the off-licence? We simply dont have the capacity that is required to enforce restrictions, implement full track and trace etc. and it is an error not to be continually ramping up capacity on the hail mary of a pre Christmas vaccine. I agree that it is mess as we are doing neither one thing or another - drive toward a covid 19 free island bubble to the full and kick things off from there in full, or spend an indefinite amount of time with a semi open society/economy with backs to the wall fire fighting. It was a missed opportunity circa May in our haste to reopen (particularly tourism) and will have longer term consequences than additional lockdown at the time. It does not make sense to have large numbers of people in indoor shopping malls yet not allow similar numbers of people in a properly managed outdoor sporting event for example. How does having food in a pub for up to 90mins differ from a no food outlet that is better compliant? But then why test at high risk meat production facilities and not every low paid high staffing denesity business on the island - I can think of a lot more areas than meat industry that should be closely monitored (and reformed). There's no quick fix on housing stock but the choke point for these clusters is in the living rather than work conditions - are Local Authorities out en masse checking violations in the rental sector? Covid specifics may not be on the books but I bet many properties that carry risk will fail on multiple existing requirements.We can use what we have too rather than always the attention seeking new flashy directives that have gaping holes.
We do have a lot to answer for as a people also imo. The conduct of some has been appaling, and the 'meh' attitude of many worrying. It's an all in or dont bother kind of thing. If we cant be trusted to police ourselves then government will eventually end up having no choice but to totally nanny us. Boycott businesses that dont comply, speak up if someone isnt keeping their distance, complain and report, shake the head at people not wearing masks in shops. The government need to be honest and not take us for fools but we are being shown up as lax, dont give a sh!te, anti-authority people almost to a stereotype. Honestly how many of us adhere to not going to the local Tesco during times allotted to high risk groups, or even know what those times are....
There is damn all stopping a sufficiently sized club bar(with a general licence) sell food, and a few beers hence, at the same time as there happens to be a game on either on TV or with a view of the pitch which really shows the farcical elements in a lot of this - some GAA bars would hold hundreds . What is a substantial meal? I want to know where ye can get one for a mere €9
Last edited by Nesta99; 20/08/2020 at 9:45 AM.
Does anyone think we’ll see fans in grounds for the rest of the year?
No highly unlikely at this stage. We are weeks away from winter flu season and on top we are lagging on controlling covid-19 now compared to up to May early June. Things could be worse than at the point that sports were suspended by mid October, even a bit earlier. A piece in the Irish Times yesterday I think indicates where things are headed - Sweden had 60% more deaths than Ireland up to Summer months and now we have a higher rate of infection so a worrying trend. Why? Govt change and people bedding in with new portfolios though I dont buy that as civil servants provide continuity. Change in CMO but the message hasnt changed. Lockdown fatigue causing indifference is probably the closest overall reason but this should have been anticipated so track and trace and test turnaround times should still be at max as if we were still in a contain phase.Some sectors like sport are in contain mode, while others are not so as mentioned we have neither one thing or another. Poor fare after now after doing all the hard work!
https://www.independent.ie/sport/gae...-39532813.html
Crowds of 200 in stadia of 5000+ capacity.
You can't spell failure without FAI
The clubs could try this trick.
https://youtu.be/x-Et5VIu2FI
I read the roadmap applies from midnight.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Stated capacity or 'safe' holding capacity....
Im not being smart, I think restricting Tallaght to the same numbers as say Croke Park doesnt make a whole lot of sense if thats whats happening. An open uncovered terrace is safer than an enclosed seated stand assuming distancing is enforced.
Bookmarks