Celtic & Coronavirus and competitions!

Lot a noise tonight in regards to 30% in stadiums can’t see it myself but here’s hoping.

 

Any idea if this is off the back of yesterday’s meeting between Scottish Premiership clubs, or is it people getting the wrong impression from UEFA announcing today that they’re happy letting fans into games?

Edit: Sorry, just seen your screenshot of the UEFA tweet. Unfortunately the government would need to give us the go-ahead, which doesn’t seem likely anytime soon (although in my opinion, it should be).

 

Sounds exciting but probably won’t happen here.




The UEFA Executive Committee today decided, following the successful pilot match that was held at the UEFA Super Cup in Budapest on 24 September, to allow the partial return of spectators for UEFA matches where local laws permit, starting from next week’s national team matches.

The number of spectators will be capped at a maximum of 30 percent of the respective stadium capacity and away supporters will not be allowed into the games until further notice.

Both the admission of fans and the capacity limit are subject to decision of local authorities. UEFA matches cannot be played with spectators where local authorities do not allow it and the limit of 30% may be reached only where the limit set by local authorities is not lower, in which case such limit would apply.

Social distancing will be mandatory for spectators and additional precautionary measures, such as the wearing of masks must be implemented in accordance with local regulations.

These measures form part of the ‘UEFA Minimum Health and Hygiene Requirements for the Return of Spectators‘ which were approved by the UEFA Executive Committee and which match organisers will have to respect. However, the exact health and safety measures that must be adopted must be based on the local situation and on specific laws and regulations imposed by competent local authorities.

The UEFA Super Cup demonstrated that it is possible for fans to attend football matches in the right circumstances by putting their health and safety first with comprehensive mitigating measures in place. The match also demonstrated the acceptance of fans for precautionary sanitary measures and their readiness to follow them and behave accordingly.

Commenting on the decision, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, said:

“Today’s decision is a sensible first step which puts fans’ health first and respects the laws in each country. While we all face a common enemy in COVID, different countries have different approaches and different challenges at any given moment. This decision allows much more local flexibility to deal with admitting fans than was previously the case, always respecting the assessment of local authorities.

“27 countries on the continent already allow fans to some extent. This decision will allow for a coherent approach on a country-by-country basis and not on a competition-by-competition basis which was sometimes difficult to understand for fans.

“In these difficult times, it is important to bring more hope and passion back into the lives of football fans and we urge them to behave appropriately and respect sanitary measures in place for their own health and for the health of their fellow club or national team supporters.”

 

It was after a Trial match mate. They are beginning the initial 30% to attend the upcoming internationals then it will continue throughout the EL & CL. Can’t see it happening in this country though tbh but here’s hoping

 

If it was a clinical one we wouldn’t be aloud in pubs etc.

 

We're not aloud in pubs, singing and shouting isn't permitted Mick

 

SFA and SPFL bosses have joined forces to insist the decision to lock fans out of Scottish football grounds is a "political one and not a clinical one".

Association vice president Mike Mulraney was backed up by SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster on the claim - with the latter insisting that Celtic and Rangers shouldn't be disadvantaged compared to the rest of Europe by having no fans in grounds.


Uefa recently announced that fans could be allowed into grounds for international and European matches of up to 30% of stadium capacity - assuming that falls into line with local government rules.

That isn't the case in Scotland - where a phased return of fans was put on hold by first minister Nicola Sturgeon and prime minister Boris Johnson.


Doncaster said that he couldn't allow clubs to be at a "competitive disadvantage" to the rest of the continent.

He said: "That is one of the concerns we have.

"With Rangers and Celtic back in the Europa League group playing against teams in Portugal, France, Poland and Belgium.

There will be fans in those stadiums, fans cheering on their teams.



"So our clubs Celtic and Rangers will clearly be at a big disadvantage not having fans in our stadiums and that can't be right.

"We have got to be doing whatever we can to support our teams in Europe and support the Scotland team in what could be a historic few weeks.

"We need to be doing whatever we can to get fans back in as soon as possible.

"Let me give you an example - The UK government does not allow fans into the English Premier League or into English football league grounds in the fresh air.


But the Royal Albert Hall is now allowed to admit 57% of its capacity in an indoor venue. Anyone who tells me that is not a political choice, I am sorry but I don't accept that.

"We know other countries are able to accommodate fans in stadium. Belgium, 1,000. France, 5000. Poland, 50% of stadium capacity. Uefa, 30% of stadium capacity. It is clearly being done well across Europe at the moment. The UK at the moment is clearly the outlier."

Alloa chairman Mulraney responded to an interview from clinical director Jason Letich to insist that the government decision was "science driven" but a "political decision rather than a clinical one".

He reckons the risk is far higher when it comes to welcoming people back to hosptiality and aeroplanes.


I heard Jason Leitch saying this was about choices. Well, this is clearly a political choice and not a clinical one that we have had our fans restricted from accessing the game.

"The government has a very, very difficult path. Six hundred fans in a stadium that takes 60000, outside, all facing the same way, is probably far less risk than allowing people into a restaurant and an aeroplane.

"We've got to accept that is the current government position but I think it is fair that we ask them if that is in line with the current position on clubs in Europe."

 

The impending Scottish League Cup group stages will raise the risk of spreading Covid-19, national clinical director Jason Leitch has conceded.

Clubs outside the Scottish Premiership have not yet started their league programmes but join top-fight sides in cup action from Tuesday.

They do not need to test for the virus unless playing Premiership teams.

"It does raise a risk. But we decided contact sport outdoors is low enough risk to allow," Prof Leitch said.


He was speaking the day after the Premiership game between Kilmarnock and Motherwell at Rugby Park was postponed in the wake of six home players testing positive.

Players or staff at six of the 12 top-flight clubs have been forced to self-isolate since their season started on 1 August.

And eight sides are due to face lower-league opposition over the next week or so, many of whom are part-time so cannot operate in a 'football bubble'.

Prof Leitch insisted "there haven't been a load of transmissions" during matches themselves and stressed that the social distancing exemption only applied on the field of play.

"The transmissions have happened in the social areas, or the changing rooms, or the buses," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Off The Ball.

"Often indoors, poorly ventilated, people drop their guard, people are asymptomatic, they don't know they've got the virus and they are too close to people and they spread it."

Prof Leitch said the latest global Covid-19 death figures were sobering but said suggestions that big crowds were unlikely for two years were "probably quite pessimistic".

"I am not sure we're going to have big crowds until we get a vaccine, or a fancy new treatment, or a prevention, or if the virus changes," he said. "But I think that will be back by next summer."

 

Actually think he's been pretty straight up all the way through. Certainly wouldn't want to have his job at the present moment - or at any point this year.

 

His voice has annoyed me from the start. Didn't mind the content so much.

Whenever I do hear him on Radio Scotland he always seems to give out a wee condescending laugh before answering.

 

It’s clearly political. Risk of transmission is greatly reduced in an outdoor setting. If the risk is the transport to and from stadiums then do something to minimise the use of public transport.

Remove parking restrictions on match days in and around the stadium to encourage travel individually by car in the household bubbles and reduce those on public transport.

There are so many things that can be done. Doesn’t even have to be 30% capacity 10/20% initially would not cause overcrowding.

 

Lots of rumours going about in regards to the Glasgow Derby. Folk seem to think it may not go ahead as planned.

 

What would the political motivation be?

 

The same political motivation in introducing the offensive football bill. It’s popular at the moment to blame football supporters as second class citizens who can’t control themselves.

Those who vote for the SNP won’t change their vote to any other party because their end goal is independence and this isn’t enough to justify switching.

It’s an easy win for the government and also shows them as doing something with regards to controlling the spread of the virus even if the clinical data shows transmission outdoors is greatly reduced.

Before people then go well it’s not about at the football it’s before and after well the same point can be made to the opening of schools pubs restaurants cinemas etc... the list goes on.