Not much point in getting a season ticket.

[Bladesman]

I realise this thread is about season tickets, so I don't want to take it off down the road of something else, but it's related. The decision on whether to fully open up football stadia to all fans, or restrict capacity, is surely down to the risk of catching coronavirus by being in a large crowd. A month ago we saw these kind of scenes in Bournemouth and other places around the country.

View attachment 86506

I posted something at the time, saying it would be interesting to see how the gathering of large crowds like this, who were not social distancing, impacted on the infection rate. A month on, here's the answer...

Did Bournemouth beach crowds spread coronavirus?

One month ago, thousands of people visited a beach in Bournemouth, but did they spread coronavirus?

www.bbc.co.uk

There were NO significant increases in the infection rate as a result. This was monitored in 20 different parts of the country - 13 of them showed no increase at all in the infection rate, 7 showed a slight increase, but still way, way, below that currently seen in some "hot-spots".

To me this is further strong evidence that we do not need to put the nation on hold for fear of spreading a virus that is only affecting a very very small percentage of people and will cause no serious illness to 99% of the population. I fully support the idea that where there are hotspots then more stringent action needs to be taken. But it's time to scrap social distancing altogether for the rest of us, get back to bloody work and enjoy your holidays and your football.

Get us back to the lane! ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔

 

[bromtom]

I'm a big advocate of personal choice. I think you make people aware of the risks and let them decide. If it looks like the system is going to be overwhelmed by that then you have to intervene of course, and that's what happened with the lockdown - no issue with that. But the advice coming out of Westminster has been so inconsistent that people are confused and scared. I'd willingly go to the lane and sit with 30,000 others. I said that weeks ago tbh. I think there's a very small risk of catching it in that situation, unless I decide to deep French kiss someone who's got it when we score a goal. And if I do catch it, I think there's a very small risk it will affect me seriously.

I do understand though that I could catch it, not be aware, and give it to someone else who is vulnerable. To me, that's also a responsibility on the part of those who are vulnerable to take precautions about who they mix with and how.

The big thing on my mind is when do we get to a point where we say, "yes, there's still a risk of catching it and those in high risk groups should be especially careful, but for the rest of us, get on with your lives"?

As long as they provide high risk people/ people with high risk partners or families with the ability to take responsibility/ be especially careful and stay away from high risk areas that'd be fine, but they won't.

They have to go back to work like everyone else, travel on public transport like everyone else, and do their shopping like everyone else.

And if they did let these people stay safe and stay at home for the most part, if they had a long term furlough option they'd be labelled as scroungers and the Daily Mail and Daily Express etc, and certain portions of government would be after them.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

As long as they provide high risk people/ people with high risk partners or families with the ability to take responsibility/ be especially careful and stay away from high risk areas that'd be fine, but they won't.

They have to go back to work like everyone else, travel on public transport like everyone else, and do their shopping like everyone else.

And if they did let these people stay safe and stay at home for the most part, if they had a long term furlough option they'd be labelled as scroungers and the Daily Mail and Daily Express etc, and certain portions of government would be after them.

Fair points. I wasn't suggesting a prolongation of the furlough scheme btw - I think it's unsustainable in the medium to long term.

I suppose where I'm coming from is, at some point we have to come out from hiding under the stairs. Each year we have a seasonal flu epidemic which, depending on what figures you believe, kills on average, 17,000 people a year in the UK, and in some years has been thought to be as high as 28,000. That's despite there being a vaccine available. Worldwide, it's estimated seasonal flu kills 600,000 people a year. That's very similar to the current global figures for COVID-19.

The seasonal flu is a particular problem for the elderly or those with underlying conditions. Similar to COVID-19. No one is suggesting for one moment that COVID-19 is the same as flu. It isn't. It appears to be more deadly, although in fairness there are question marks about how the mortality rate for both these conditions is measured. e.g. did people die because of the flu or COVID-19, or with it, but due to something else? We're probably not going to get to the bottom of that. The point of similarity is that both are viral infections spread mainly by airborne transmission.

With seasonal flu, we have a vaccine. The vaccine is modified each year so that it may be active against most of the strains of flu that are circulating. It isn't just one strain of flu. Again, depending on what figures you believe, about half of all patients who died from flu had been vaccinated. So, we are looking at about 50% protection, even with a vaccine. Seasonal flu then is a very serious risk to those with vulnerable groups. Even despite having a vaccine. What do they do? Do they stop in and not have any social life at all? Do they stay off work and not get paid?

Life has to go on I'm afraid. There are many, many more patients who are going to die of other diseases that are being neglected because of all the focus on this one coronavirus. There are many more people whose lives are going to be ruined by loss of employment and income because the regulations put in place to "protect" less than 1% of the population from COVID-19, means that those people can no longer earn a living.

We have a situation now where people are AFRAID to go to hospital! The paranoia surrounding this thing has got out of hand to destructive levels imo - and we need to start restoring the public's faith and acting in proportion to the risk - and I'm afraid that doesn't appear to be what's happening. The social changes introduced will be very difficult to reverse because we've scared folks now into a situation that many feel afraid to come out of. That's more worrying to me than the prospects of catching this thing or spreading it.

 

[bromtom]

Fair points. I wasn't suggesting a prolongation of the furlough scheme btw - I think it's unsustainable in the medium to long term.

I suppose where I'm coming from is, at some point we have to come out from hiding under the stairs. Each year we have a seasonal flu epidemic which, depending on what figures you believe, kills on average, 17,000 people a year in the UK, and in some years has been thought to be as high as 28,000. That's despite there being a vaccine available. Worldwide, it's estimated seasonal flu kills 600,000 people a year. That's very similar to the current global figures for COVID-19.

The seasonal flu is a particular problem for the elderly or those with underlying conditions. Similar to COVID-19. No one is suggesting for one moment that COVID-19 is the same as flu. It isn't. It appears to be more deadly, although in fairness there are question marks about how the mortality rate for both these conditions is measured. e.g. did people die because of the flu or COVID-19, or with it, but due to something else? We're probably not going to get to the bottom of that. The point of similarity is that both are viral infections spread mainly by airborne transmission.

With seasonal flu, we have a vaccine. The vaccine is modified each year so that it may be active against most of the strains of flu that are circulating. It isn't just one strain of flu. Again, depending on what figures you believe, about half of all patients who died from flu had been vaccinated. So, we are looking at about 50% protection, even with a vaccine. Seasonal flu then is a very serious risk to those with vulnerable groups. Even despite having a vaccine. What do they do? Do they stop in and not have any social life at all? Do they stay off work and not get paid?

Life has to go on I'm afraid. There are many, many more patients who are going to die of other diseases that are being neglected because of all the focus on this one coronavirus. There are many more people whose lives are going to be ruined by loss of employment and income because the regulations put in place to "protect" less than 1% of the population from COVID-19, means that those people can no longer earn a living.

We have a situation now where people are AFRAID to go to hospital! The paranoia surrounding this thing has got out of hand to destructive levels imo - and we need to start restoring the public's faith and acting in proportion to the risk - and I'm afraid that doesn't appear to be what's happening. The social changes introduced will be very difficult to reverse because we've scared folks now into a situation that many feel afraid to come out of. That's more worrying to me than the prospects of catching this thing or spreading it.

I agree with you, but the wishy washy nature of the government response and the catastrophising from the media has ballsed everything up currently. The headlines when this first started were appalling in terms of fear mongering, if you're even slightly prone to anxiety, a few papers from March and a couple of Boris speeches would have had you eyeing up subterranean bunkers.

 

[BanderSerge]

Dr just been on BBC breakfast, no capacity crowds allowed till spring 2021

 

[Weasel]

Dr just been on BBC breakfast, no capacity crowds allowed till spring 2021

No doubt, at the earliest....

 

[Whiston Blade]

Dr just been on BBC breakfast, no capacity crowds allowed till spring 2021

Good, we need to do what it takes to get back to normality.

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Dr just been on BBC breakfast, no capacity crowds allowed till spring 2021

Is he connected to SY police ?

Not had them at the Lane in years

 

[Blade56]

Good, we need to do what it takes to get back to normality.

I agree. Look what’s happening with people dashing off to Spain to early, we need to do it right now or we will never gat back to capacity crowds and live spctating.

 

[Deadbat]

Also seemed to suggest that of evidence showed chanting spread the virus then even smaller crowds could be pulled too.

What's worrying is he said full capacity crowds/normality could not be till a vaccine is found and available?

That means even 2021-22 season might not even be guaranteed for full crowds.

If what he says comes to fruition it's really sad news as sports and football in particular may not be the same for a long time. Crap news but not surprising. I always said football/concerts would be the last thing to get back to normal whenever that comes.

The thought of 10,000 Blades scrambling round for tickets or us being told we can only do 1 in 2/3 games and being escorted in/lut of the ground and prob not even able to sit in normal seat or even with all family/friends...sat in 2-3s max with no-one within 7 or 8 seats for say the final 10-14 home games next season....is quite depressing. Suppose it's better than nothing but some might get to see a handful of games in a third empty ground where even chanting may be prohibited. A lot arent going to see live football for a long time yet...maybe at least a year. Not the news we wanted. I think some thought we'd all be back attending by like Jan-Feb but this seems to suggest otherwise.

I would love to say all back or not at all but the reality us that could be years away.

Even with smaller crowds due to size of grounds at lower level then this news could be the death knell for several clubs.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Remember the Premier league shut down by its own doing before the government stepped in. Astonishing.

New Zealand have crowds back as they have closed borders and no local transmissions. That could be the best way for us to go about it.

 

[hidesbehindapseudonym]

Just going through the turnstiles makes live crowds impossible.

 

[Mojo]

I've got an amazing seat on the south stand a bit behind the dug outs, id renew even if I wasn't planning on going just to keep my seat

 

[YES Blade]

Remember the Premier league shut down by its own doing before the government stepped in. Astonishing.

New Zealand have crowds back as they have closed borders and no local transmissions. That could be the best way for us to go about it.

With the 7 day average at 677 for new cases and 64 for deaths, closing the borders would be way over the top.

We just need to look at this on a club by club basis. For July, Sheffield is around 10-20 new cases a day, surely that should make it safe enough to allow crowds in an open air venue right now. But if the number of new cases increases to warrant a local lockdown then it’s back to behind closed doors.

Why should Sheffield be judged on what’s happening in Leicester for example?

 

[Berkshire Blade]

With the 7 day average at 677 for new cases and 64 for deaths, closing the borders would be way over the top.

We just need to look at this on a club by club basis. For July, Sheffield is around 10-20 new cases a day, surely that should make it safe enough to allow crowds in an open air venue right now. But if the number of new cases increases to warrant a local lockdown then it’s back to behind closed doors.

Why should Sheffield be judged on what’s happening in Leicester for example?

You just don't get it do you? It grows and spreads. Zero cases. Let zero in. Life otherwise normal just like in new Zealand.

 

[YES Blade]

You just don't get it do you? It grows and spreads. Zero cases. Let zero in. Life otherwise normal just like in new Zealand.

We‘ll never get to zero! Unless we absolutely destroy the economy. Companies are making redundancies on a regular basis at the moment, we don’t want to add those working in the tourist industry to the list of job casualties.

 

[TJ blade]

Also seemed to suggest that of evidence showed chanting spread the virus then even smaller crowds could be pulled too.

What's worrying is he said full capacity crowds/normality could not be till a vaccine is found and available?

That means even 2021-22 season might not even be guaranteed for full crowds.

If what he says comes to fruition it's really sad news as sports and football in particular may not be the same for a long time. Crap news but not surprising. I always said football/concerts would be the last thing to get back to normal whenever that comes.

The thought of 10,000 Blades scrambling round for tickets or us being told we can only do 1 in 2/3 games and being escorted in/lut of the ground and prob not even able to sit in normal seat or even with all family/friends...sat in 2-3s max with no-one within 7 or 8 seats for say the final 10-14 home games next season....is quite depressing. Suppose it's better than nothing but some might get to see a handful of games in a third empty ground where even chanting may be prohibited. A lot arent going to see live football for a long time yet...maybe at least a year. Not the news we wanted. I think some thought we'd all be back attending by like Jan-Feb but this seems to suggest otherwise.

I would love to say all back or not at all but the reality us that could be years away.

Even with smaller crowds due to size of grounds at lower level then this news could be the death knell for several clubs.

91 clubs now if no fans till next season or beyond I would say 15 left if we're lucky!!

 

[Shoreham_Bhoys]

Joke how long it's taking, I regularly take in non-league games and clubs won't survive without gates. The leagues simply won't be played.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

We‘ll never get to zero! Unless we absolutely destroy the economy. Companies are making redundancies on a regular basis at the moment, we don’t want to add those working in the tourist industry to the list of job casualties.

Why won't we? If you had a working track and chase it wouldn't be Impossible. Not saying it would happen this year but say we have a smaller second wave a chance by next summer.

 

[jt64]

You just don't get it do you? It grows and spreads. Zero cases. Let zero in. Life otherwise normal just like in new Zealand.

Sadly we don't live on an island with nothing but sea for thousands of miles in all directions, which when they go bust following their entire tourism industry failing will be a fun place to live. Still, at least they're the third best team in the world at egg chasing

 

[Bartleby]

Remember the Premier league shut down by its own doing before the government stepped in. Astonishing.

New Zealand have crowds back as they have closed borders and no local transmissions. That could be the best way for us to go about it.

It could but won't happen here, we have many desperate people that can't wait to go to sunny Spain etc and not willing to put it off for a year.