Coronavirus

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/07/texas-doctor-adeline-***an-covid-coronavirus

Adeline ***an tested positive in early July and died in September

Should have gone to the UK where you can't die from covid after 28 days

 

160,000 people have signed a parliamentary petition for some provision for fans to return to sporting events.

I don't think it's about bring full capicity back in football stadiums, but having it organised in such a way that fans can come in with masks and sanitisers, use tracking and tracing and then seating them in a socially distanced way once inside. And probably just home fans only as well.

There's a part of me that wants fans back at football games. Do ppl think it's possible to achieve this without the risk of infections spreading, and would you be in favour of it?

 

Yes. If managed properly it's no more risky than pubs etc.

 

Yes, if managed properly then how can it be safer to sit in an unventilated alehouse or a theatre than outside at the match? I get the shouting thing, so make masks compulsory and have one way entry and exit, with staged arrival times. It must be possible to do it safely with limited numbers.

 

I think it should be done too. One for the sake of the match going fans, two for the sake of clubs that it would benefit financially. and three to improve the atmosphere.

 

One of the benefits of stadiums (at limited capacity) is that they offer a big open space, unlike pubs and theatres like you mention. I'm certain we can get this right with the proper covid secure measures. We've managed to keep supermarkerts open with people coming and going and moving around inside, so in theory is should be easier to manage people inside a stadium where they all stay in the same place once they are in. Obvs you have to manage entry/exit but it's not an insurmountable problem.

 

They other thing with stadia is that people aren't facing each other but all facing in one direction which mitigates the risk somewhat.

 

I think a large part of the problem is how the politicians perceive football fans to be just a bunch of irresponsible louts.

I think that the vast majority will abide by the rules given the circumstances especially STH's and the few that don't can easily be banned and their places given to others

 

How I view letting fans back in stadiums. It may work for bigger grounds, I'm struggling with the practicality for smaller grounds;

Our ground holds 10,500
Of that total our saffolding away stand holds 2,500 but is rarely used
I would imagine we would have capacity of 2,500 fans, across all four areas, within social distancing rules
STH in the main were £300 or £13 per game.
Ifollow the substitute is £10 per game or FREE if an STH
Ifollow requires no crowd control
We sold let's say 3k in STH
Even IF you let in every season ticket holder during the course of the season at EVERY game, you save or 'make' £9k
All our hospitality and toilets are in Enclosed concrete spaces, deep under the stands for the Rainham End, top enclosed Medway Stand.
For us at The Gills, I can't see how it would be financially rewarding to open up under covid conditions, especially when you also weigh in the risk factor.
I can imagine the uproar if 750 STHolders have to sit in the BMS (away stand)
The only way this would be financially viable is to allow NON STHolders paying full match day price in, that won't happen.
I just feel it would cost more than you would gain, whereas clubs such as Hull and Sunderland, could make it more viable, bigger stadiums.

 

I’m not sure I’m getting your logic here mate. If you get 2500 pass holders back in, then the gross revenue @£300 per season ticket is £750k for the season minus stewarding and police costs.

 

I was balancing it against the cost of IFollow, which they get for free, compared say to the outlay of opening up the ground to match day fans, for a profit of £9k per game, by the time you've paid for stewards, policing costs, turnstiles etc. Whereas the real profit would be in allowing in on the day fans, which would pay around £24-25 per game, bascially meaning on the day fans would be the main source of income this time of year.

Edit: I should have said our STH's were sold in February this year, as an early bird offer....before we knew about covid

 

Now if they said, we are letting in pay on the day supporters, then it would be a whole new ball game, but has the Chairman got the balls to do that, I very much doubt it, because STH's would be slung about like confetti.

 

I suppose it depends on how many they sold and whether they’re intending refunding STH’s for games they couldn’t attend or didn’t take the ifollow thing for.

I’ve been paying for mine since Feb as well ffs, they refunded the games from last season while I was still paying monthly for the next one

 

I have to be careful what I say, as I don't fancy gettting sued, but I read the word 'refund' with a smile

 

This is a bit ruthless, but there is a way for the club to make money out of a dire situation.

It would be to withdraw all STH's because most of the sold seats will not be available anyway, because people will have to sit where told. Then make everyone purchase match day tickets at full face value, STH's can use their stub for the appropriate discount but must pay the difference. It will go down like a sack of shhite, but it's something I would seriously consider for any clubs at risk of going under.

 

They’d not be able to do that legally mate, as they sold the ST’s at the price they did, in exchange for the product they offer. They couldn’t bang the price up to essentially more than double.

It’d therefore have to be by consent, so people could be asked to do it, but be able to refuse.

 

Do you know if the club has to legally accept STH's before pay on the day fans?

Just wonder where they stand in unprecedented times.

 

If you let 10,000 Sunderland fans attend the stadium for games imagine the pubs before and after the game. They might be socially distanced at the game but before and after could be an issue in the decision.

Then there is buses and trains etc.

 

Imagine the queues for the bogs at half time

 

Legally they’d be on a sticky wicket there, if they opened the doors to non pass holders, but kept those who’d already paid out. That’d also be an absolute PR disaster mate.

Their best bet would to be honest imo, and open it up to fans for discussion. Maybe have a pass holder ballot for some of the seats and have pay as you go at the higher price for the rest?