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Lambert: Morally I Think Us Playing Football is Wrong
Thursday, 14th Jan 2021 10:44

Town boss Paul Lambert says there’s a strong case for football to be stopped given the current prevalence of Covid-19 and believes continuing to play is “morally wrong”.

Lambert was among 11 players and staff, along with general manager of football operations Lee O’Neill and academy head of coaching and player development Bryan Klug, to test positive for the virus just before Christmas with the Blues having four games postponed due to that outbreak and those at other clubs.

Asked on BBC 5 Live Breakfast (2hrs 44mins 2secs) whether football should be stopped, Lambert said: “I think there’s a strong case for it. I’ve had it and I’m going by the symptoms, the way I felt. It was the worst ever, it really was.

“The NHS people and the care workers are doing an incredible job of putting themselves on the line, and footballers are asked to go and play a game. I just don’t get it. It’s not entertainment, it’s not the same game without fans. It’s not the same game.”

Do other people in football hold a similar view? “A lot of them I’ve spoken to because footballers are human beings as well, they’re human and morally, I think us playing football is wrong.

“I get it why people want us [to continue] as it keeps everybody right, but who’s protecting the players and the staff at every other club because they’re going to get it, and they have been getting it, as you’ve seen.

“It doesn’t matter how stringent the protocols are, the virus seeps in somewhere and it’s opening everything out.

“Now the new rules on whether we can celebrate or not celebrate, can we shake hands, can we not shake hands, everything’s coming on top of football at the minute and I think it’s a heavy weight to carry.”


Players are being called on not to celebrate goals due to the risks of spreading the virus but Lambert says that’s a natural aspect of the game.

“I’ve had it, I’m still recovering. I’ve never felt as bad as this for years and years, I can’t remember the last time I felt as bad as this, so it’s certainly real, that’s for sure,” he said.

“I just don’t get it, we’re asked to play football and celebrations are part of the game, it is an instinct thing, you run to your team-mate.

“If that’s the Government rules or what they’re laying down is that if someone scores a goal don’t go near them then everybody has to try and get that in their head. But it’s a difficult thing.

“The thing for me is that there are too many questions being asked about what’s right and what’s wrong.

“If the players do something wrong they get criticised, but they’re asked to play, which I don’t get because you’re stopping tennis, you’re stopping golf. They’re metres apart but you’re asking footballers to play when they’re inches apart, so I don’t get it. But this Covid thing is really, really incredible, what’s happened to the world.”

Is it possible to have more muted, socially-distanced celebrations? “You’re going to have to find it from somewhere. I’m pretty sure if you played football as a kid in the park and you scored a goal or your mate scored a goal, you’d run up to them and say ‘well done’. You’d have to get that instinct when your team-mate’s scored a goal you leave him be.

“As I said before, I was unfortunate, I had it and it was horrendous, it’s a horrendous virus.

“We’re making so many rules for football so it can get finished, we’re asking players to go into different tiers.

“I know they’re getting tested negative but you never know when this thing can get you. It can get you in the blink of an eye really and I think that’s the big thing - football still has to go and play and try and put entertainment on.

“It’s not entertainment any more, and this is my opinion, it’s not entertainment this is just trying to get a season finished and try and move on.”

Asked how he contracted the virus, Lambert explained: “It was a really strange one because one of the lads at the club got tested and it came back negative, [but] his flu test came back positive.

“We had a goal celebration and we thought he had it and he it turned out he never had it, it turned out one of the other lads had it.

“So we all got tested and all of a sudden I think about eight of us got it, including another member of staff, and I was nowhere near them. I was two metres apart from them in the dressing room.

“But you never know where you get it from. I don’t know, I really don’t. But what I do know is that I’ve never felt as bad as that in my life.

“When you’re in the shower, your hair is sore, your head’s sore, the headaches and pneumonia, everything was breaking down. So I’ve got a strong opinion on it, I just don’t see how football should be exempt.”

He added: “You’re asking players to go and play a game when everybody else can’t move [into] different tiers. For example, how can Ipswich go and travel to play Sunderland or Fleetwood or wherever?

“Everybody’s in the same boat where we are with this virus, nobody’s immune to getting it. How can you stop tennis and how can you stop other tiers of football playing and keep the bigger ones going?”


Photo: Matchday Images



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LWNR2013 added 15:02 - Jan 14
@Stiff...

It's a bigger picture than kicking a ball around ✅
1

brendenward35 added 15:16 - Jan 14
Looking at some of the stupid comments on this site just about shows why this country is in such a bad way at the minute. Have any of you considered who these players go home to? They get it their family is likely to get it and what's saying none of those are in the at risk category? Like he said it's clear that the rules are to stay local how is travelling 300 miles each way on a coach local. There's a lot of footballers in the BAME category as well so at even more risk. Wake up everyone this is not a joke its serious people are dying at there not all old what does it take a professional footballer to die before someone wakes up and takes notice I hope not. Wouldn't surprise me if some players are not happy walking out on the pitch to play just like some of us don't like to travel to work or be in a workplace with possible carriers no different for them. I totally agree with PL if you don't then your not considering the players or staff of the team your supposed to support.
10

ThaiBlue added 15:23 - Jan 14
Just go lambert and stop trying to hold on to your job sick of your crap like most of us just go too much now full of s-it.
0

BildestonBlue added 15:31 - Jan 14
Lets not talk about morals Mr Lambert..... If you had any, you'd have walked by now!

#LamberkOut
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BlueBadger added 15:34 - Jan 14
Don't worry Paul, the football you've got us playing doesn't count as entertainment.
0

airliner added 15:36 - Jan 14
He should know, we aren't playing football. It's a crazy boring way his system. It's morally wrong you are playing your style of football , ripping off the fans.
0

Westy added 15:44 - Jan 14
Anyone with half a brain cell (that governing authorities of football in this Country don't have) knew that this Covid thing could be with us for a long time and interfere with this season too. With only 8 games remaining for most teams last season - two games a week for four weeks, it could and should have been concluded with a full schedule of fixtures. To have two successive aborted seasons would be difficult for football to bear. I take Lambert's point, but football, albeit without crowds, gives people an interest and something to focus on during lockdown. I think it should continue.
1

dirtydingusmagee added 16:15 - Jan 14
first time ive agreed with Lambert in a long while, Football should be stopped in present circumstances. ANYTHING that could put unneccessary burden on NHS should be looked at seriously. The statement has predictably brought some stupid comments on here ,i am no fan of Lambert at all, but he is right on this one .
3

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:39 - Jan 14
PL obviously had a bad dose and I can fully understand his reaction. Much as I'd like the season to continue, I think he's absolutely right on this. Ultimately, the spreading of the virus means people's lives are at stake and hospitals are struggling to cope. (Same in Sweden now, by the way, but it's not the football season here at the moment, so that question doesn't arise.)
2

casanovacrow added 16:55 - Jan 14
He's right, but I think the astronomical wages in football are morally wrong also and I never hear those involved complain about that. There's so much money wrapped up in football its impossible to shut down without risking the future of the EFL as we know it. Sooner or later they might have to pull the plug though, and if those footballers/managers/owners want to have anything left after they'll have to take a hit themselves.
4

SpiritOfJohn added 17:18 - Jan 14
I wonder if footballers would be less likely to get covid if the season was abandoned? At least they are being monitored and tested regularly so they should be grateful for that. Have to agree that football without fans is anaemic - I'm still watching on iFollow tho!
2

armchaircritic59 added 17:40 - Jan 14
Whatever you may think of PL as a manager, in my opinion, he's absolutely spot on this time. There have been and still are thousands of people dying, football is a comparitive irrelevence at this time.
0

Ipswichbusiness added 17:42 - Jan 14
For those who disagree with me, let me summarise the numbers;
From The Sunday Telegraph (I think it was 13 December) quoting the Office for National Statistics
Those aged 0-49 account for 62.3% of the population and 1.9% of the deaths
50-59 are 13.6 % of the population and 4.4% of the deaths
60-69 are 10.7% of the population and 9.7% of the deaths
70-79 are 8.4% of the population and 23.1% of the deaths
80+ are 5% of the population and 60.9% of the deaths

This is a disease which is massively correlated with age.

The Daily Telegraph on 29 December ran an article headlined, “ Healthy under 60s account for less than 1% of Covid deaths.” It went on, “More than twice as many under 60s died in road crashes last year as those without health conditions killed by coronavirus, NHS data show ... In the same time 45,770 had died with underlying health conditions while 1,979 were regarded as healthy. Of those, only 388 were between 40 and 59, 44 were between the ages of 20 and 39 and only six were younger than 19. In comparison, during all of 2019, 955 under 60s died on England's roads.”

There is a reason why the Government is concentrating the vaccine roll-out on the over 70s and the vulnerable. If everyone was equally likely to die of it you could have a lottery instead.
-1

aas1010 added 17:53 - Jan 14
Some two faced people around
-2

madmouse1959 added 18:23 - Jan 14
So,this football club stopped taking part in cup competitions and now Lambert advocates the football season being cancelled. Ha ha ha. What a joker. SOME PEOPLE would just love a 80% of their wage being paid out on the "furlough scheme" .

4

eddiespearitt03 added 18:37 - Jan 14
Ok. Cancel the season. Fine !!! It won,t make much difference to the way our football club is operating though. We will continue playing poor football in a poor league. We will still miss out on promotion and an exciting run in the FA Cup. We will only return to suffer the same misery under the Marcus Evans regime. .

The damage has already been done to this club so cancelling this season will only hasten or prolong the inevitable.
0

Saxonblue74 added 18:45 - Jan 14
Ipswichbusiness, I've heard so many self centred arguments such as yours, all of them equally infuriating. When are you going to realise this is about transmission to the vulnerable? Surely you've heard of the "R" rate being the master statistician that you are? Do you know anybody that has suffered at the hands of this killer virus? That doesn't have to mean fatally, some young fit people suffer terrible symptoms prior to their eventual recovery. I hope and pray you and yours stay safe but would guess you're the guy in the supermarket without a mask as it's not going to affect you?
0

Ipswichbusiness added 19:11 - Jan 14
Saxonblue74; I try to deal in the numbers, you respond with personal attacks.

First, I have never claimed to be a “master statistician”.

Second, yes I have heard of the reproduction rate.

Third, no I am not personally acquainted with anyone who has suffered at the hands of the “killer virus” (is that a qualification?)

Fourth, yes I do wear a mask in the supermarket despite the very dubious science behind them (masks were made compulsory in late July, since when the infection rate has risen).

Why are you “infuriated” by the statistics? Have you read The Great Barrington Declaration? If not, I suggest that you do. The truth is that this, in its severe form is primarily a disease of older people and/or those with a pre-existing health condition. You can attack me as much as you like, that will change nothing.
0

Saxonblue74 added 19:23 - Jan 14
Ipswichbusiness, those on this forum familiar with my comments will know it's not my style to deal in "personal attacks". It has simply infuriated me that the statistics you post are supposed to make us feel this is all ok, and that the relatively low number of fatalities in certain age brackets justify your arguement? Personally, I think that if the suspension of football resulted in just 1 life saved (whatever age) it would be more than justified.
2

cornishblu added 19:26 - Jan 14
The headline misses out words between football and is
....insert ....the way we play it
0

dirtydingusmagee added 19:44 - Jan 14
Ipswichbusiness , it took a few minutes to put that lot together, your time would have been better spent thinking a bit further into the matter. Its NOT about who is more likely to die, its not just about the horrendous figures, its about the poor sods that are working bloody hard [an understatement] in the NHS dealing with it all ,PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY UNDER TREMEDOUS STRAIN, AND AT RISK . anyone arguing that football means more are selfish, ,ignorant whilst the virus is being dealt with millions of people cant get treatment for other issues. I suppose the same idiots on here would be slagging the NHS off if a player suffered a serious injury and was sent miles to a hospital then kept waiting for treatment .OR HEAVEN FORBID IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO THEM PERSONALLY.
3

Saxonblue74 added 19:45 - Jan 14
...and yes, I have read the Great Barrington Declaration from the USA who have dealt with Covid so succesfully! 12,000 signatures on a ridiculous spin on herd immunity.
1

istanblue added 20:11 - Jan 14
No way would he be saying this if we were top of the league.
1

Ipswichbusiness added 20:12 - Jan 14
Saxonblue74; all professional football players are aged much under 60 and few have pre-existing medical conditions. Therefore they are at very low risk. As they are at low risk there is little to be gained by stopping matches from taking place behind closed doors.

You say that if one life is saved that would make it all worth it. Consider if that philosophy was applied to other things in life. For a start, all road traffic would be banned as people are killed in road accidents.

You criticise the Great Barrington Declaration, apparently on the basis that it is American and that they have a poor record of dealing with the virus. I would remind you that one of the original signatories is Dr Gupta would is a distinguished Oxford Professor. Also, from memory, our per capita death rate is pretty much as bad, if not worse, than the Americans.

Dirtydingusmagee; I agree that the NHS is under very considerable pressure and that many of its staff are working hard and long hours. I would make two points. The first is that that is AFTER a series of tiered restrictions and lockdowns. They don't seem to have worked very well. Also, there is no evidence of which I am aware that anyone has been hospitalised, let alone died, as a result of playing in a professional football match or of being in the same family as a footballer. Therefore, banning it would not benefit the NHS at all.
2

bluewark added 20:18 - Jan 14
lambert out
1


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