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Weekend Games to Go Ahead as Planned But Government Considering Banning Sporting Events
Thursday, 12th Mar 2020 17:57

Football fixtures, including Town’s game at Bristol Rovers on Saturday, are set to go ahead as planned in front of fans this weekend but the Government is “considering” whether to ban big public events, including sport.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke at a press conference this afternoon following an earlier meeting of the emergency COBRA committee.

Despite the Government having moved to the ‘delay’ phase of its coronavirus plan there is no suggestion that football fixtures and other sporting events will immediately be affected.

"We are considering the question of banning major public events, including sporting fixtures,” Johnson said.

"The scientific advice is this has little effect on the spread - but it does place a burden on other public services."

He added: "We are guided by the science, there is no medical reason at the moment to ban such events.

"We are not saying no to that sort of measure, we are keeping it up our sleeves. But it is very, very important in order to maximise our interventions that we get the timing right."

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance explained the thinking further: "Of course there is a risk, but on average one person infects two or three others," he said.

"You therefore have a very low probability of infecting a large number of people in a stadium, or a rather higher probability of infecting people very close to you, and that means most of the transmission tends to takes place with friends and colleagues in close environments, not in the big environments.

"It is true that any cancellations of things can have some effect [but] if you then get a displacement activity, when everyone congregates somewhere else, you may have perversely an increased risk, particularly in an indoors environment.

"So it doesn't mean you should at some point make the decision for the resilience point that has been discussed, but this is not a major way to tackle this epidemic.

"The major ways are to try and reduce and delay the transmission across households and people who have become infected and that why that is the concentration of the first actions."

Earlier today, it was reported that Premier League and EFL games would be played behind closed doors, however, those claims were premature.

Town are being guided by the EFL with their message continuing to be one of business as usual. Yesterday, club secretary Stuart Hayton outlined Town’s position and what may happen should the situation change and games are played behind closed doors.

“We’re taking guidance from the EFL and their instruction at the moment is that it should be business as usual," he told the club site.

“The club has held an internal meeting to discuss the way forward if the situation changes.

"We have discussed the potential to bring in a mobile sanitiser unit, as was used at Twickenham for the rugby last weekend, for the game against Portsmouth at Portman Road on 21st March.

“We've also looked at the possibility of streaming matches free of charge to supporters should we be instructed to play behind closed doors like they have been in Italy and Europe.

“Like all businesses, an internal email has been sent around with guidelines about best practice regarding hygiene and what the remote working procedure would be for each department if required."


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Doctor_Earman added 18:19 - Mar 12
Lucky us.
3

BlueandTruesince82 added 18:50 - Mar 12
Playing in front of an empty stadium could be exactly whst we need
0

algarvefan added 19:11 - Mar 12
Dreadful Government.
In order to prevent the spread, all fixtures and other public events should be cancelled, once it's out of control it's too late and then you have a lock down as they have in Italy. Too little too late again.
1

Wooly74 added 20:24 - Mar 12
🙄🤦‍♂️
0

Tractorboy1985 added 20:54 - Mar 12
I decided to stop going weeks ago attending games with you lot!!! Total embarrassment since mick left!! Utter gentleman and proper manager yet the numbskulls forced him out for ‘better football' haha haha... what a load of total w@nkers!!! Oooopps sorry ‘language again'
-7

OwainG1992 added 20:57 - Mar 12
This seems extremely short sighted.
Nice for the fans to see some football but it's only gonna get worse.
1

blueboy1981 added 21:25 - Mar 12
Tractorboy1985 ...... I think you have a serious problem ! - if you ‘stopped going' several weeks back, why so animated ?
Obviously you're better off without the Club, and the Club better off without you.
No brainer hey ?
3

blueboy1981 added 21:38 - Mar 12
Isn't this just another of those multitude of Winter Virus's that almost every Country suffers every Winter ? - people succumb every Winter to Virus's that lead to Pneumonia. The aged, and the people with low immunity being most vulnerable.
A Pandemic now - fanned world wide by the Media ?? - never - the media wouldn't do such a thing, now would they ........ ???
Panic stations now - but is it all necessary ..... ???? - who has confidence anymore in what people are told, or goes on in this Country, or the World anymore ... ??
4

Tractorboy1985 added 21:52 - Mar 12
I certainly won't miss your pathetic posts bluebore!! RIP Ipswich... I called for a protest 2 years ago but you pathetic numbskulls carry on clapping inept owner management and players!! I was once proud to call myself an Ipswich fan but like many now feel embarrassed to call myself one 1. Being how it's run 2. The football on show but 3. And mainly the retards that can't open there eyes and see what's happening!! F the lot of ya
-1

blueboy1981 added 22:03 - Mar 12
I'd take a bit more water with it - after which read my posts CORRECTLY and you'll find I'm no more satisfied than you.
I just have a different, logical way of showing it, by asking for relevant alternatives, instead of ranting, and name calling.
I was there in 78 and 81 so how do you think I, and many others, feel about the last decade plus of demise, including under your Messiah McCarthy ... ???
Don't tell me he didn't ‘bore' you - when most around you either fell asleep, or left well before the end, game after game. If he didn't ‘bore' you, you were one of very few he didn't.
2

blueboy1981 added 22:04 - Mar 12
Adios Amigos - sleep well.
0

bobble added 22:15 - Mar 12
pretty reckless thing to do to continue to allow mass meetings of people, other countries are right now stopping this from happening to save lives.
meanwhile the clueless british government continues to allow more people to get infected and more to die.
the season is probably going to be cancelled soon hopefully which is good for public health and good for town...
-1

blueboy1981 added 22:31 - Mar 12
Quite amazing when Football fans seem to know more about Health Issues and Precautions that Scientists ...... !! - but then again, nothing surprises me anymore.
1

marco5113 added 03:33 - Mar 13
was hoping my weekend would be free of disapointment...... now the game is going ahead, i am not that confident that my saturday might turn sour.

hopefully not..... please win, score some goals, show some quality and just get it done!!!!
0

bobble added 05:56 - Mar 13
blueboy.......you are clearly listening to the wrong health scientists, and what makes you think that a person cannot be educated enough to make intelligent decisions and comments on health and be a football fan ?
if you trust the tory government in preventing 1000s of deaths in your nation by keeping open borders and allowing citizens to spread the virus at football matches and schools and universities then you must have rocks in your head..the football league will be cancelled this year and the british government will enact all i have mentioned too late to prevent a massive amount of deaths in britain.
stick to commenting on football if you want to keep your head in the sand...
1

blueboy1981 added 08:23 - Mar 13
..... extremely low % of deaths is the actual fact - not thousands !
People are ‘self isolating ' now with signs of an extremely ‘mild Cold' ?????
What's that all about ..... ???
If everyone does that, the whole system capitulates anyway - and there will certainly be deaths on a larger scale . Give that some thought .... !!!
0

bobble added 08:56 - Mar 13
1000s or more in a population the size of britain ( the same population as the chinese province which had over 3000 deaths but prevented more by closing down and isolating the whole 60m residents )....do some proper research before you come on here spouting trumpist nonsense..the FA should immediately cancel the rest of the season if only it only saves one person from dying, though the evidence suggests doing so would prevent so many more deaths.there is plenty of real world evidence out there to follow, rather than rely on ignorant fools and self appointed experts like yourself..
1

blueboy1981 added 09:02 - Mar 13
..... instead of panic buying - and filling the Garden Shed with Toilet Rolls ....... !!!
0

blueboy1981 added 10:22 - Mar 13
Bobble - who's the self opinionated expert ? - YOU it seems.
Don't forget to go shopping today, and strip the shelves, so there's nothing left for anyone else - although you've probably already done that, depriving elderly people of essential needs.
Does that make sense ...... ?????
0

blueboy1981 added 10:31 - Mar 13
..... so what should we do in the future ? - close everything down every Winter from November til' April to save people from dying from Flu (this occurs every year with Flu & Pneumonia) - just check the facts Bobble before spouting off ... !! You may just be surprised at the mortality rate ... !!! - yes, EVERY year.
0

Northstandveteran added 11:02 - Mar 13
The difference between the two is that vulnerable people can get a flu jab.
There is no known cure or vaccine for Coronovirus.
What we are experiencing now is only the tip of the iceberg.
It really is only a matter of time before schools and colleges are closed and mass gatherings of people are stopped.
On a footballing note ( I thought that this site was about that ) the Arsenal squad are now self isolating as their manager has been infected.
0

Northstandveteran added 11:06 - Mar 13
And just as I switch to the news, all elite matches cancelled until the 3rd of April.
0

Northstandveteran added 11:07 - Mar 13
Which I assume means Ipswich games are not affected 😂
0

blueboy1981 added 13:46 - Mar 13
..... the difference there again with the flu jab is - it covers ONLY the most likely and expected strain of Flu for that particular Winter - and not the other various strains that appear every Winter, these of which are not covered by the vaccine.
0

Northstandveteran added 14:27 - Mar 13
The 2020 jab covers the four most common types of flu.

I know because I have to have it every year due to my kidney anti rejection drugs giving me a low immune system.

I was fairly blaze about Coronovirus a few days ago but I fear we are only at the beginning of something very serious.
0


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