Football and the Coronavirus

Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2019
Posts
3,307
BREAKING NEWS: The FA and Premier League have both agreed that PL clubs will play at venues far from their fan bases to stop gathering outside the ground. Therefore, Man Utd will be playing at Old Trafford, and Liverpool will be playing at Anfield.
Man U fair enough but Liverpool do hold a good amount of home support. Chelsea however - now their "home supporters" seem to be 50% of Surrey judging by the trains that get rammed full on match days!
 
Don
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Posts
46,290
Pretty much in line with the Bundesliga then. Iirc they had 11 positives from their first round of testing approx 1400 players and staff.

edit: it was 10, not 11.

Given how much harder we've been hit than Germany, it's surprising how few positive tests have been returned.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
27 Dec 2003
Posts
16,407
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52721397

Watford captain Troy Deeney says he will not return to training because he fears for his family's health amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Premier League teams are starting non-contact training from Tuesday.

Deeney does not want to put his baby, who has had breathing difficulties, "in more danger" and has raised concerns over the increased risk to black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) players.

In an interview with the Times at the weekend, manager Nigel Pearson expressed his own concerns about the situation and said he would not insist on players reporting for training.
 
Don
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Posts
46,290
well what a surprise
You make it sounds like people expected no positive tests. Of course there will be positive tests but the key is those 6 players/staff have now been detected and will be kept away from the training ground until they're clear. These 6 people didn't get infected playing or training and have now been made aware that they're carrying and by isolating they will stop spreading the virus, both through football and their everyday lives.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
16,987
Location
Cambridge
The tests aren't 100% accurate though, the wife has been working in Covid wards and some people display all symptoms and fail the test only to show as positive a day or 2 later. All we need is one of them on the football pitch and chances of spreading it are pretty high i'd have thought.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Dec 2003
Posts
16,407
You make it sounds like people expected no positive tests. Of course there will be positive tests but the key is those 6 players/staff have now been detected and will be kept away from the training ground until they're clear. These 6 people didn't get infected playing or training and have now been made aware that they're carrying and by isolating they will stop spreading the virus, both through football and their everyday lives.


in the meantime how many other players/staff have they possibly infected who then went home to other people
 
Don
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Posts
46,290
The tests aren't 100% accurate though, the wife has been working in Covid wards and some people display all symptoms and fail the test only to show as positive a day or 2 later. All we need is one of them on the football pitch and chances of spreading it are pretty high i'd have thought.
The testing company were interviewed on Sky this morning - they said the accuracy is in the high 90s so it's certainly possible that somebody will have slipped through the net.

On the risk of spreading the virus during playing - that's the big question but there's been a couple of studies done that show just how infrequently players come into close contact with each other. The findings were very surprising.
in the meantime how many other players/staff have they possibly infected who then went home to other people
They've not been doing any group training yet so I assume none :confused: That's the whole point of carrying out the testing before they return to training.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Dec 2003
Posts
16,407
well its very coincidental how they are at the same club

it was only a matter of weeks ago that idiot Mourinho was photographed taking training sessions over the local park with players
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
16,987
Location
Cambridge
The testing company were interviewed on Sky this morning - they said the accuracy is in the high 90s so it's certainly possible that somebody will have slipped through the net.

On the risk of spreading the virus during playing - that's the big question but there's been a couple of studies done that show just how infrequently players come into close contact with each other. The findings were very surprising.

Ah so they are probably the same tests then, i was wondering if they'd developed a more effective one.

I did read on here i think about the times they come into close contact but i'm just thinking of corners and heavy breathing and jostling not even taking into account players spitting on the floor. It just seems quite likely to me that it'll spread (no medical basis for that though!).
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Dec 2003
Posts
16,407
the Belgium research showed people running/cycling basically exercising leave a long trail of droplets behind them

So its not just when they physically come close together its general running around chasing balls and each other

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020...-exercisers-should-keep-greater-distance.html

“It’s possible,” he said. “Anyone who exercises, runs or bikes, (knows) that you are breathing heavier. And if you’re running right behind someone, and that person coughs hard or sneezes, you might be in contact with those droplets. And to avoid that you just need to keep a longer distance.”
 
Don
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Posts
46,290
Ah so they are probably the same tests then, i was wondering if they'd developed a more effective one.

I did read on here i think about the times they come into close contact but i'm just thinking of corners and heavy breathing and jostling not even taking into account players spitting on the floor. It just seems quite likely to me that it'll spread (no medical basis for that though!).

Like you I'd have thought that if an infected player made it onto the pitch then the chances of spreading are high - it's the PL's job, with their medical experts, to find out how likely it is to spread though. I think the key will be testing and making sure as close to 0 players that are infected take part in contact training or matches. Although these tests aren't 100% accurate, we have to remember that players will be getting tested twice a week for the next few weeks before even contact training begins, let alone matches. The chances of that 1-2% slipping through the net 6+ times in a row (before contact training begins) will be very very small.
well its very coincidental how they are at the same club

it was only a matter of weeks ago that idiot Mourinho was photographed taking training sessions over the local park with players
None of that has anything to do with clubs returning to training though :confused: None of these positive results are a consequence of the PL returining to training.

In fact you're actually making a very good case for clubs to return in this way rather than "that idiot Mourinho" carrying out unofficial training sessions.
 
Don
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Posts
46,290
The chances of Serie A completing have just been boosted. The sports minister had initially told the Italian FA that any positive test will result in entire squads having to quarantine for 14 days however it has now been agreed that, like in the Bundesliga, only the infected player must quarantine.

This will also be key for the PL when clubs begin contact training and matches. If the government insist on entire squads having to quarantine then it will make completing the season incredibly difficult, at least if they want it completed by the end of July.
 
Caporegime
Joined
26 Dec 2003
Posts
25,666
It still seems to me they're trying to complete the season at any cost, it started out with talk of behind closed doors and now there's a list of changes on and off the pitch longer than Peter Crouch's legs. So if Norwich lose Pukki to a positive test (or any other team lose any other key player) then they just have to suck it up because hosting a season during a pandemic is not a terrible idea? how are all of these changes maintaining the integrity of the competition? players aren't getting a full pre-season and can't even train properly.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2019
Posts
3,307
how are all of these changes maintaining the integrity of the competition? players aren't getting a full pre-season and can't even train properly.

This^. It's so pointless. Just have penalties to settle the missing 2 match No 30s and end the season there. Easy. then everone can prep for next season. Sad thing is it means bournemouth probably go down but hey ho. They've not had the results this year sadly. If they do want to introduce extra rules I'd say any club owned by Mike Asleigh has a 15 point deduction and has to return Ritchie to Bournemouth. Not a Cherries fan, but they seem a decent team, and I've got a lot of time for Eddie Howe. Plus it's usually sunny when we head to Bournemouth. Much more pleasant than rainy trips to St James!
 
Don
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Posts
46,290
It still seems to me they're trying to complete the season at any cost, it started out with talk of behind closed doors and now there's a list of changes on and off the pitch longer than Peter Crouch's legs. So if Norwich lose Pukki to a positive test (or any other team lose any other key player) then they just have to suck it up because hosting a season during a pandemic is not a terrible idea? how are all of these changes maintaining the integrity of the competition? players aren't getting a full pre-season and can't even train properly.
What are the extra changes? All I can think of, and I'm not sure it's even been approved by the PL yet, is having 5 subs.

A player testing positive and being unavailable isn't a change - it's fundementally no different to a player getting injured and will be the same next season too. Unless you're proposing not playing again until there's a vaccine and corona is no longer a thing then I'm not sure what your objections are. Before games restart teams will be training properly - this is just the first phase of training and clubs and the League are currently working to find an agreeable pre-season length so players are up to speed.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Dec 2008
Posts
17,428
I don't get why people are so against this restarting.

With the testing there getting its gonna be safer for the players than going out to super markets, parks etc.

This starting again will also help some people get back to work who aren't players.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2012
Posts
18,623
I don't get why people are so against this restarting.

With the testing there getting its gonna be safer for the players than going out to super markets, parks etc.

This starting again will also help some people get back to work who aren't players.

Liverpool are going to win the league mate. It isnt about the health of the players...it never has been.
 
Back
Top Bottom