Joint FA, Premier League & EFL Statement

[Jules]

"The Football Association, Premier League, EFL and Barclays Women’s Super League have this week introduced enhanced COVID-19 measures and stressed their importance to everyone in the game.

Safety is a collective effort and football requires the ongoing support of clubs, managers, players and all those involved in staging matches to continue to manage the spread of infection and set the right example to the public on and off the pitch. We will offer guidance, education and support as well as reviewing our practices to ensure they remain of the highest standard."

https://www.weareimps.com/news/2021/january/210114-efl/

 

[LA_Imp]

I read the article twice and couldn't determine what the "enhanced COVID-19" measures that were introduced this week are. Can anyone shed any light?

 

[plumbob]

I read the article twice and couldn't determine what the "enhanced COVID-19" measures that were introduced this week are. Can anyone shed any light?

I'd like to think they centred around keeping social distance whenever possible. Quite rightly, there are growing complaints about continued cuddles and kisses for goal celebrations, and sports people flouting the rules by having parties in their own time. They really aren't helping themselves by having MPs needing to talk about such things.
It has clearly not sunk in though. Right at the start of last night's game, Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington both sat themselves down in seats right next to each other. Stupid is, as stupid does, there's little point trying to educate some people. No goal in the game, but you can bet your life they would have been licking each other if there were!
I will be amazed if the season is not stopped at some point. In honesty, its probably the right thing to do.

 

[simes69]

It might seem morally right to stop the season, but from a morale point of view it would be devastating to a lot of people. In any case the horse has bolted - the obvious time to stop the season would have been December, as with the rest of the country, when the new variant was identified. Now we are into a fairly tight lockdown and cases have just started to drop what would be the point? Stick measures to get players and officials using their noggins is the way forward (bookings and fines).

 

[plumbob]

It might seem morally right to stop the season, but from a morale point of view it would be devastating to a lot of people. In any case the horse has bolted - the obvious time to stop the season would have been December, as with the rest of the country, when the new variant was identified. Now we are into a fairly tight lockdown and cases have just started to drop what would be the point? Stick measures to get players and officials using their noggins is the way forward (bookings and fines).

Unless you fine a top flight footballer figures with lots of zeros on the end, you might as well tell him you're taking away his playstation. Fines don't work with people that have more money than they need, especially young people that have been told how great they are for most of their "adult" life.

 

[simes69]

Unless you fine a top flight footballer figures with lots of zeros on the end, you might as well tell him you're taking away his playstation. Fines don't work with people that have more money than they need, especially young people that have been told how great they are for most of their "adult" life.

Absolutely. I was thinking more in terms of matchday behaviour rather than off field activities, where players should be subject to the same clamp downs as the rest of us (and yes the fines probably wouldn't make much difference but perhaps sponsorships etc. could be withdrawn...)

 

[The Electric Banana]

from a morale point of view it would be devastating to a lot of people. In any case the horse has bolted - the obvious time to stop the season would have been December

Absolutely!

 

[Chesterimp]

Unless you fine a top flight footballer figures with lots of zeros on the end, you might as well tell him you're taking away his playstation. Fines don't work with people that have more money than they need, especially young people that have been told how great they are for most of their "adult" life.

For team transgressions like tema hugs, the authorities need to get tough. The protocols are clear, in the Premiership in particular these are highly privileged, very well paid young men. Guardiola whingeing in The Times yesterday that it's difficult to stop them celebrating really misses the point and given his family experience of Covid, frankly baffling.

Never mind fines, it should be point deductions. Also, after allowing a set time for the current infections to work their way through - say from the start of February - any club postponing a game due to covid forfeits that match as a 3-0 loss.

 

[GreenNeedle]

Unless you fine a top flight footballer figures with lots of zeros on the end, you might as well tell him you're taking away his playstation. Fines don't work with people that have more money than they need, especially young people that have been told how great they are for most of their "adult" life.

Fines don't make much difference to footballers nor do yellow cards (they still take their shirts off when they score.)

Top manager Pep says he doesn't think he can stop them. Similar excuse with diving I suppose so the only viable option left is points deductions. Hurrah you won 4-0 but you ignored the Covid rules so you lose the points.