Celtic have apparently asked the Scottish Government to take a common sense look at their Covid restrictions for football players, but I don’t know if I have ever imagined a greater waste of energy than to appeal to this Government’s common sense.
Yesterday they shuttered the hospitality sector for most of the country, while locking down rural areas after 6pm, claiming this sector was prevalent in the rise of Covid’s second wave. You don’t say, Sherlock. Since August they permitted football fans to gather in enclosed pubs to watch games, while prohibiting games at open air stadiums, contrary to all scientific evidence. We have repeatedly discussed this folly here.
Encourage people into pubs, then blame pubs for the second wave, if only they were prepared to deviate from the policies of a Westminster government, scientific evidence would have had a chance to influence political policy.
Thousands of fans attend games across Europe, all outdoors, all socially distanced, all with strict travel, entry and egress protocols, mandated by governments who are not following Boris Johnson’s cabal. There has been no related increase in contagion – because, as we all know, this is not how contagion happens. It happens indoors, where there is no monitoring.
The hospitality sector needed to be thoroughly monitored (just as the football sector would have been) when it opened. Spot checks should have taken place many times each week, with licences pulled immediately for those who allowed unsafe practices. If it was monitored, social distancing practices would be sufficient to keep people safe.
I saw plenty of venues that had clearly spent a small fortune on partitions, with staff permanently wiping and cleaning handles, and others which looked little changed from the pre-Covid era. There was no consistency, which means there was no enforced monitoring, which means responsibility for the rise in contagion from the hospitality sector lies largely with the government.
If you do not monitor compliance and close offending venues, you know you are contributing to the problem. Despite this, you can continue watch afternoon games in a Dunfermline pub, with as much alcohol as you can consume, without any change in government monitoring policy.
Unusually, this wave of restrictions came several days ahead of Westminster’s planned move. Don’t get me started on it grabbing the headlines on ‘Oh, I forgot Day’. We are bereft of competent leadership in Edinburgh and London. The former can do what they like because their opposition is even less competent than they are, and the latter can do what they like because they have another four years before they need to care about you.
It is thoroughly depressing; our government co-joined twins care nothing of the game, do not expect any amount of evidence to bring about change. As long as they keep their legions of cognitively dissonanced fan boys (CDFBs) on side, competency will not improve. I buy none of their bull, self-promoting careerists to the last. Green and white are my only colours.
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Podium?
Whaurs ra Bhoys ?
H.H. Mick
There you are Heb, how are you ?
H.H. Mick
I said previously that this covid situation would be used to advantage sevco.
Likewise with thevhandball rule.
‘Oh I forgot day’ – glad you spotted that.
New restrictions, cancellation of exams, 3 high profile footballers out due to Covid, a most excellent day to bury bad news.
Politics at its most cynical.
People never get the politicians they want, they get the politicians they deserve.
Stick to the football Paul,
An article on what football attendance looks like in areas that have it might be useful.
I think in Germany cases for the region must be below a certain level, and those that attend need to be from within a short distance of the ground but I’m not totally clear.
When I check a few days ago Swedish games were behind closed doors.
So some clarity on restrictions in various places and whether if adopted here what kind of crowds we might get would help.
Not a fan of the SNP but what is the big deal about Sturgeon knowing about Salmond allegations 2-3 days before he told her?
In Ireland, the country has ground to a halt due to Garda checks on cars this week (not allowed out of your County) and they were doing a lot of pub checks when they were open for food (wet pubs hardly had shutters up before they shut again).
Garda budgets are not huge and must be similar to Police Scotland or less.
In Scotland, reduce the Police effort on speed checks(not as prevalent here by a mile) and add some of the un-used free bus pass budget (no pensioners travelling for last 6 months) and the pubs could have been checked properly
Doing fine Mick apart from the obvious distractions,celebratng 38 years of marriage with Mrs Hebcelt today. Where has that gone?? Hoping to fit a trip to Tahiti, New Zealand and Mornington when all this clears up Hope all is well with you and yours. H H Hebcelt
Try posting on a political site Paul. What’s happening to our players in the various International squads?
Now that’s a valid subject for CQN. IMHO.
What a pathetic CQN headline that is.
Honestly Paul, more and more you sound like party political broadcast.
Stick to football, seriously.
Not being a pub goer I was under the impression they weren’t allowed to show games or play music…guess I was wrong.Im afraid when governments in the UK decided to “trust the British people” they were making a big mistake.
TURKEYBHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2020 11:40 AM
Some talk of Eddy being able to play next week if he has no symptoms. Not sure about that.Dont think he will meet the 14 day rule.
=======================
Hi pal – the 14 day rule is, I think, for ‘contacts’ of known positive cases, rather than the cases themselves.
The logic behind that is that by the time you are testing positive, you have had the disease for a period of time (so Eddie may have effectively been 5 days into a 14-day cycle). The new contacts, however, may just be infected from the positive case – so are at day 1 if you like. They then need to isolate to see whether the develop the disease over that period.
Not saying I agree with what’s happened – just the thinking behind why Eddie (a known positive for a period of time) might be available and Ryan (only recently exposed to a positive) might not.
In terms of how a close contact is decided (human reporting versus app-to-app contact) I don’t know an awful lot about it to be completely definitive – I’ve only spoken briefly to some involved in Test & Protect.
I think, though, that a lot of it does come down to personal reporting (by SA in this case) and then how that is interpreted by the T&P team, who will be working to definitions of ‘close contact’.
I suspect Ryan’s argument would be that his actual experience would not meet the definition of a ‘close contact’. Probably goes back to SFA protocols.
Basically, I can see only four potential scenarios here:
1. Ryan has not followed the SFA protocols to the letter
—- he said he has, so it is now incumbent on the SFA to explain where his actions fell short of those protocols, or…
2. there was an inaccurate representation by SA to Test & Protect about the level and nature of his contacts
—- the laddie isn’t a daftie, so I expect he can clearly explain the circumstance of any interactions he had with people in the Scotland party, including with Ryan and KT, or…
3. there is a misinterpretation by Test & Protect of what SA has reported to them
—- I wouldn’t be pointing any fingers at a very hard-pressed group of people doing an increasingly-busy job, or…
4. following the SFA Protocols does not guarantee that players do not fall-foul of the Test & Protect definition of ‘close contact’
—- again, it is incumbent on the SFA to explain whether their Protocols fall short of the direction it should give to everyone in the party to ensure they do breach the T&P rules that would have them categorised as a ‘close contact’ of an infected individual
I can’t think of any other potential explanation, although I accept there may be one or two.
The SFA need to give a clear explanation related to scenarios 1. and 4. – Celtic should be privately requiring this then, if not forthcoming, doing so publicly.
HH
BGFC
if given the choice of pubs opening or grounds opening ; i think pubs would win a referendum
You can have a pint in the pub and watch the game on TV but you can’t go to the game and watch yourself having a pint
Here’s a thought.
Maybe the government is right not to allow fans to attend football games and wrong to have allowed pubs to open.
There’s two aspects to consider
1. the actual risk of transfer of the virus while engaging in a particular activity
2. the extent to which allowing or compelling a particular activity affects the public’s perception of the overall risk and consequently changes how cautious they are generally. Opening pubs sent a message that the risk was being over stated. Opening football stadiums to fans would do the same.
I think this season all international competition should have been cancelled
Paul 67,
A very poignant article. How can anybody seriously dispute what you state.
Some even have tha audacity to think they can tell you what to write on your own blog.
HH.
I emphatically agree with every word- as someone with close professional contact with these jokers.
How about they play international games on their playstations or x boxes or whatever it is they are called?
Cheaper, safer, and just as much fun.
Paul 67
Yep agreed they haven’t a clue , keep it lit .
Ryan and Kieran can sit and talk about their “non” celebrations when their respective teams broke the deadlock in recent matches.
Ask if a fist clench is not deemed worthy enough as spoken about on Arsenal & Celtic Quick News.
38 seconds in……..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0LRQA3F0b4
HEBCELT
Well done on the podium and congrats to you and the good
lady on the anniversary.
Hope to see you back in the Dubliner, with the peninsula Rebs
and if you’re in NZ you might meet up with TUARANGA BHOY.
Celtic supporters world wide eh?
H.H. Mick
CONEYBHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2020 12:30 PM
‘Not a fan of the SNP but what is the big deal about Sturgeon knowing about Salmond allegations 2-3 days before he told her?’
###
Because it suggests she has been somewhat less than totally honest and candid?
Which might undermine the public’s view of her integrity.
Jason Leitch stated that footballers are to be treated like everyone else but were footballers not considered to be in a sporting bubble or something and were not required to self isolate when returning from countries that were on the “list” unlike mere mortals.
What a depressing and thoroughly cynical article. An awful new low for this increasingly difficult to navigate site. I guess simplicity is not so profitable.
It is a no brainer that the opportunity to get a few supporters into stadiums should have been in place ages ago with a plan for stepped increases over time. It remains a mystery why it never happened.
However the gratuitous commentary about hospitality and the enforcement of protection policies is simply ridiculous, taken outwith an overall context and almost wholly idealisitic. The author is fully entitled to hold and express his political views and level of bias but perhaps each posting on this subject should declare such.
HH
JIMBOB71 & LITTLE MISS JIMBOB on 8TH OCTOBER 2020 12:51 PM
Christie’s reaction in isolation would have gone unremarked. It is because it is being seen in the context of his behaviour on the pitch over the last few weeks that it has been highlighted and inferences drawn.
Technical point – I thought you could only consume alcohol outside of pubs in Dunfermline (and other non central areas)
I dont believe alcohol can be consumed indoors at any pub
HiErnie,
I know that and I understand it, the KT reference was just a bit of mischief making.
We’ve seen many players over the years with understated celebrations, for whatever reasons.
In Ryan’s case, I’m prepared to cut him some slack as I think he deserves it, he has been excellent for us in his time here.
If things change, so be it but I like the lad and I’m happy to defend him just now.
Eleven thousand spectators will be allowed to watch Belgium play Sierra Leone in a friendly in Brussels tonight….Tomorrow bars and cafes will be closed until November 8 in er Brussels.
Your kind of town Paul?
Also, do these new rules herald a return of the bona fide traveller from the Central Belt seeking alcoholic beverages in the the more far flung parts?
Between that and the 10 oclock dash it’s like going back in time.
Jumpers For Goalposts CSC.
A quite brilliant leader Pablo.
One of your best (among many good ones).
Hail hail
Keep The Faith
So Paul67 is told to stick to football but on the blog that he runs many of the contributors talk more about politics than football. Honest to God!!
JIMBOB71 & LITTLE MISS JIMBOB on 8TH OCTOBER 2020 1:05 PM
Rightly or wrongly the impression has grown that he thinks he’s too good to be playing for Celtic. I think that’s what rankles with fans.
Turkeybhoy 11:40
The rules state,you cannot be in the company of someone with Covid more than 15 minutes.Even with social distancing.Thats why pubs are closed for deep cleans,and anyone in the pub at that time an infection was reported,are contacted to isolate for 14 days.Very straightforward.
—-
I thought the rules stated that you weren’t to be in the company of someone with Covid at all – I wasn’t aware of timescales for positive tests.
Is it very straightforward? 🤷🏽♂️
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BORGO67
Lovely post!
Hope you are busy and well!
Ernie,
Yes, I’ve spoken to a few folk who say that too.
Again, we’ve seen players who have had that thought in the past, some have left and been very successful, some have left and landed on their ar$e.
Ryan classes himself as a Celtic fan so I’d have thought the chance to be a 10 in a row hero would be at the forefront of his thoughts. Maybe it is but also maybe he’s thinking that would be the pinnacle of his Celtic career and needs to leave after that, maybe his mind is wandering.
Maybe my mind is wandering!!!
lol