Covid and Football, a circuit breaker or not?

PrestonHammer

I don't even think the club fined or punished him.

yoyo

A lot of players do good behind the scenes but alas there are Some players who really don't understand what role models they could/should be

alderz

I mean, the situation isn’t helped by people like Pep saying footballers aren’t role models. There is a culture in football that is not particularly healthy, imo.

ASLEFshrugged

I never thought of footballers as role models, they are a bunch of young men, mostly in their 20s or late teens, and unsurprisingly they behave pretty much as most people that age do.

I remember some of the things I did when I was their age and I cringe. Actually my 30s weren't that much better. Or my 40s, 50s...oh dear

BubblesNeverDies

ASLEFshrugged said:

I never thought of footballers as role models, they are a bunch of young men, mostly in their 20s or late teens, and unsurprisingly they behave pretty much as most people that age do.

I remember some of the things I did when I was their age and I cringe. Actually my 30s weren't that much better. Or my 40s, 50s...oh dear

Ditto

yoyo

Aslef, I totally agree. Maybe the word " role models" was too strong. The point I was trying to make is that much younger children have posters and such on their walls and idolise certain players. I also have some very cringe worthy memories but If I was on premiership money then I like to think I may have acted more responsibly . Players akin to George Best weren't great examples of behaviour but that was self destruction. We have a world wide pandemic and some players should man up. Age is no excuse. There are small kids stuck in flats with no garden to go into and they're behaving better than some of the silver spoon premier players.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

They are role models to younger people, whatever we think. They are in a position that millions of people aspire to be in. So millions of people want to be just like them.

If a footballer gets a special haircut or new boots, swathes of young people will do the same.

So if a footballer goes to parties during a pandemic, a lot of young people will think it's okay to go to parties during a pandemic.

ASLEFshrugged

yoyo - "role model" is the phrase that gets used by the media, etc. so it seems appropriate. Kids look up to all sorts of people whether they are footballers, pop stars, actors, etc. but a lot of those people are not much more than kids themselves.

Maybe part of growing up in realising that our idols have feet of clay

(to get a bit biblical, my name's Ben Elton, goodnight)

IronHerb

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

So if a footballer goes to parties during a pandemic, a lot of young people will think it's okay to go to parties during a pandemic.

But a lot of young people are going to parties during the pandemic who have no interest in football whatsoever. Let's not lay it all at footballers feet.

Barney

Sadly it is people of all ages and backgrounds who are flaunting the rules and helping the spread of the virus. we need a lockdown in my view and more stringent penalties for those who dont comply.

epsom_bubbles

We are in tier 4 in my area and many people have family gatherings before, during and after Christmas. The police can't knock on every door, every day. It is a minority of thoughtless people making it harder for everone else. Whatever rules the government brings in, unfortunately enough people ignore them to keep the whole thing going 😡

OutcastLondoner

I do wonder if people do really understand how the virus spreads and how indoors is so dangerous. It was very confusing early on, when the focus was on washing hands and we were told not to wear masks, and I don't personally feel like we've been given a proper education about how it spreads (though a recent govt/NHS advert I saw is better at this). Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like they should have done so much more on that, which actually could've been more effective than rules that seem to arbitrarily change (like how many people you can meet in or outdoors).

Maybe if football gets a circuit breaker it can also be used to reset how clubs are dealing with the virus after these months when they've got a bit lax.

alderz

IronHerb said:

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

So if a footballer goes to parties during a pandemic, a lot of young people will think it's okay to go to parties during a pandemic.

But a lot of young people are going to parties during the pandemic who have no interest in football whatsoever. Let's not lay it all at footballers feet.

I don't think anyone is suggesting it is entirely the fault of footballers that anyone else would not follow the rules. But seeing celebrities / people in the public eye flouting the rules is going to have an influence, and footballers are a part of that. Same as YouTubers and TikTokkers and Instagram Influencers will all have an impact.

I'm sure that if every celebrity followed the rules really strictly it wouldn't stop everyone else breaking laws, but it definitely has some influence on the behaviour of the wider public.

OutcastLondoner said:

I do wonder if people do really understand how the virus spreads and how indoors is so dangerous. It was very confusing early on, when the focus was on washing hands and we were told not to wear masks, and I don't personally feel like we've been given a proper education about how it spreads (though a recent govt/NHS advert I saw is better at this). Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like they should have done so much more on that, which actually could've been more effective than rules that seem to arbitrarily change (like how many people you can meet in or outdoors).

I think there is an awful lot of misunderstanding, and that comes largely from the constant changing of the rules. Someone at a meeting this morning said that there have apparently been more than 200 changes to rules since they were first announced. It is impossible to keep up, and I think people use that as an excuse.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

IronHerb said:

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

So if a footballer goes to parties during a pandemic, a lot of young people will think it's okay to go to parties during a pandemic.

But a lot of young people are going to parties during the pandemic who have no interest in football whatsoever. Let's not lay it all at footballers feet.

I didn't lay it all at footballers' feet.

Saying that some people will be more inclined to break rules because they see footballers doing it is not the same as saying everybody breaking rules is doing it because they're copying footballers.

ASLEFshrugged

OutcastLondoner said:

Maybe if football gets a circuit breaker it can also be used to reset how clubs are dealing with the virus after these months when they've got a bit lax.

Then we're back to the problem of playing the postponed fixtures in July and having to start 2021-22 season late.

There are still seven English teams in European competition, they got matches at the end of February so either they'd have to withdraw and forfeit (no doubt paying substantial compensation to UEFA) or there would have to be dispensation to allow them to play.

England has three World Cup qualifiers in March, two of which are at home.

OutcastLondoner

Yes, we are. Every problem will have to be dealt with as it's faced. Right now the most important one is health.

If more games get cancelled because of outbreaks, we end up with a similar problem anyway.

jay_in_cpt

ASLEFshrugged said:

OutcastLondoner said:

Maybe if football gets a circuit breaker it can also be used to reset how clubs are dealing with the virus after these months when they've got a bit lax.

Then we're back to the problem of playing the postponed fixtures in July and having to start 2021-22 season late.

There are still seven English teams in European competition, they got matches at the end of February so either they'd have to withdraw and forfeit (no doubt paying substantial compensation to UEFA) or there would have to be dispensation to allow them to play.

England has three World Cup qualifiers in March, two of which are at home.

Or just scrap the lot....

I know that sounds harsh, but really....over 1000 deaths today in UK due to COVID...

Have to look at ourselves and ask the question, is football really that important?

ASLEFshrugged

FIFA, UEFA or the other European FAs aren't going to scrap their competitions just because England did and I doubt if the FA want to withdraw from 2022 World Cup, the Euros or cancel the FA Cup.

The Premier League didn't scrap last season despite it being interrupted by lockdown so unless the government stops them they will carry on.

That might sound harsh but that is the reality of the world we live in

Hammerex

I agree, Lives are much more important than football when it gets

buffybegood

Villa the latest Prem club to have an outbreak

epsom_bubbles

Why have games been called off when Villa had to play with a depleted squad. Oh sorry, I forgot. It was against Liverpool

alderz

The inconsistency of what they do is really weird. Some called off. Some are forfeited. Some they have to play their U9s. I don’t get it

ASLEFshrugged

Villa v Liverpool would have had a lot of overseas viewers while Saints v Shrewsbury would have attracted one man and his dog in Kuala Lumpur

Cuz1

No me neither but in fairness to Liverpool different circumstances I know but they were forced to play youngsters when the first team where in the world club championship game

MrsGrey

It would help if the FA/PL gave reasons.

For example, it may be that Shrewsbury don't have enough players to fulfill the fixture: they only a 1st team squad and a very small U18 Squad. If there has been contact between the players, maybe they all have to isolate?

IronHerb

I thought everyone hated Villa anyway so who cares? 😎

MrsGrey

I'm pushing back against conspiracy theories

alderz

MrsGrey said:

I'm pushing back against conspiracy theories

BUT WHY