We will find out later today if the Scottish Government will cancel major events from Boxing Day. Under consideration are street parties, including Hogmanay celebrations, concerts and football games. Yesterday, the Welsh Government stumped up millions of pounds of public money to compensate for forcing major events behind closed doors from the same date.
As always, we should be led by the science. As usual, the politicians seldom are. Current infection rates in Scotland and Wales show no increase from recent months. Of the UK regions, only London has seen an uptick, dramatically so. Things may get worse, but the indicators are not there yet, either for infections, hospitalisations or worse.
In the second half of 2020 we saw the ridiculous consequences of playing games behind closed doors, with fans watching in crowded pubs and each other’s homes. Massive open-air, policed, stadiums were forgone for unsupervised indoor venues.
Scotland saw an uptick in infections when we gathered indoors to watch the Euros, there was no parallel impact from the return to open-air stadiums. “Follow the science,” tells us how dangerous unventilated spaces are compared to the open air.
The Welsh Government are not following science. They are spending money they did not raise because they feel the need to act.
Football fans in Scotland attend after showing a passport. This incentivised them to do the right thing, thousands of us signed up for the passport for only this purpose. The Scottish Government have other steps to mitigate risk, specifically inhibiting public transport, where the science is clear and understood.
What will the Scottish Government choose, unsupervised indoor gatherings, or well-policed open-air events? If only they were actually led by the science.
Other priorities today, but Sports Direct continued to ragdoll Newco in the courts yesterday, winning a judgement Castore sales figures should be revealed to them as part of their claim against the Ibrox club for failing to fulfil their rights to match a subsequent kit deal.
It is quite ironic that the commercial benefit from the splurge in tatty shirt sales following the Castore deal will be assessed by a court and due to be paid by the club to Sports Direct. Is it really that difficult to get this stuff right?
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Largely I agree with Paul’s lead article today.
I have just deleted a long list of reasons why.
It comes down to facts and unlike last year, the facts do not justify this course of action.
If time proves me wrong then I’ll admit to it.
Does the Government expect Scotrail to be running the Ghost trains again as people are told to avoid mixing and restrictions of 3 households for socialising , this policy is a mess, if you put public transport on, keep pubs restaurants nightclubs open folk will use it
Just wait till Megatron comes ☺
Are the huns still sending there covid tests to the Shankhill road? HH 🍀
It’s like a madhouse on here today.
Bleak stuff on a bleak day for us all
Closing open air stadia while leaving pubs and nightclubs open is exactly the type of nonsense that leaves administrations open to the charge of playing politics.
Political cover has been achieved today should anyone later accuse government of doing nothing.
Never mind the actual outcomes are at best minimal without a wider shut down. It’s utter nonsense.
Football is low hanging fruit.
Getting the news second hand here. As I understand it, our games with St. Johnstone, Hibs and the Zombie Club will all go on, with a limit of 500 fans, and the season will re-commence on January 22, with no crowd restrictions, unless there is further Government action.
Is that the sum of it?
Thank you, and a Merry Christmas to all.
IniquitousIV
RobertTressell on 21st December 2021 4:14 pm
For us Tims whether you agree or disagree with the decisions currently being taken is not the issue. I think the issue, in this environment, is that some would have you believe that these decisions are solely about damaging Celtic. Which is obviously as logical as the anti vaxxer crap.
C’mon Celtic start lobbying now!! Start the shutdown now.
Realigning the football winter break, to tie in with the covid timelines, would appear to be the most efficient solution.
IniquitousIV on 21st December 2021 4:21 pm
Thats my understanding, for now.
TIMMY7_NOTED
Thank you. Seems nuts to have Englandshire and Scoddland with diametrically opposite policies on fitba matches.
lets talk celtic for a wee distraction.
did anybody answer my question from yesterday ? and a second one –
1) What was unusual about our league flag presented at the scotland v england international in 1894 ?
2) who or what was “Maddens Shipyard ” ?
UNCLE JIMMY on 21ST DECEMBER 2021 4:24 PM
Realigning the football winter break, to tie in with the covid timelines, would appear to be the most efficient solution.
Only if Sky allow.
I agree with you.
IniquitousIV on 21st December 2021 4:27 pm
If Johnson thought he could garner support he would be taking the same decisions, his cabinet meeting yesterday had a majority against any further action. He will not risk losing further backbench support so he’ll obfuscate and lie and delay any further decision until he has better data.
Sky aren’t going to agree to shelving Aberdeen vs them and two derbies. The new year derbies play too big a part in their schedules.
Neither will the Sevvies agree to it, games at Aberdeen and Parkhead in front of 500 fans? Yes please
We have a game tomorrow night and it should go ahead.
COYBIG
Get the 3 points and put some pressure on Der Zombie.
D :)
more english managers coming out on sky and saying we need a winter break and quickly please.
F..k Sky TV
So lockdown comes into effect before our two remaining home games prior to scheduled Winter break.
Quelle surprise 🤦
Just wondering anyone should listen to a single word that comes out of wee frying pan faces mouth up here or the tied sack of rice with a princess di halloween wig on down south. What have they actually done that has been successful in fighting this pandemic – when did this success occur ? question – just how many jags/jabs will folk take before they decide feck this ? 3 and counting (or 4 if you got the flu jag with the 3rd (formerly known as the booster))
Thanks everyone for your kind comments the other day re the Mrs, very much appreciated.
I said at the start of the month that the game against the huns would be postponed or played behind closed doors, not a single reply.
Intelligent people watching things unfold before their eyes and still they can’t see what is happening in front of them, amazing how it’s the exact same world wide, the lockdowns don’t work, FACT, so you really need to ask WTF is happening, but they know you won’t and you will just believe the lies, and they have lied and lied through their teeth that they have spouted from day one.
It’s easier to fool a man than convince him he has been fooled.
Come on guys we knew this was on the cards.
That is why Beautiful Sunday was extra special . A special atmosphere, special goals, special manager and very special post match celebrations.
Live for the moment and savour the memories.
HH.
Club statement
By Celtic Football Club
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Everyone at Celtic recognises the difficulties presented to society by the current pandemic, and the health and safety of all must always be our priority.
In light of today’s announcement regarding supporters attending matches, Celtic can confirm that it has today requested that the SPFL bring forward the scheduled winter break and reschedule the fixtures affected by the regulations announced.
The game owes it to supporters to explore all opportunities to maximise the prospect of all supporters being able to attend matches and support the game they love.
Sevco will never, ever, agree to any postponement. Us and Aberdeen away with no fans ; they have won a watch. If Sky do have influence, neither will they. Alot at stake this season what with automatic entry to the CL group stages and today will go along way to deciding the destination of the flag.
Celtic ask to bring the Winter Shutdown forward and reschedule the fixtures.
Just saw the club statement on the web site, sounds like someone has looked out the big boy pants.
I’m quite surprised and very happy that they are making this public, credit where its due.
Good early and public move from Celtic…..
If the huns object, then they need to come up with a public reason for doing so.
Here’s hoping.
Hammys fixed up, new players bedded in and a we go again in 2022 !!!
HH
The fact is that clubs playing home matches with no crowds are competitively disadvantaged against those who played at home with crowds earlier in the season in the corresponding fixtures.
Being cynical, these games being postponed would be a bonus for us as opposed to playing in front of 500. We have key players injured and could bring in quality in the January window to bolster the squad.
Has Aberdeen or any other club issued a statement ?
An mean surely statement fc will be issuing one about how much they want games to go ahead
Who from our club made the statement on H&S grounds, whilst I appreciate the sentiment by goodness our players have been kicked from pillar to post with no ones H&S in mind or any sort of statement from our spineless corrupt board.
Plus 500 in a stadium of 60k whilst 1 metre social distancing in pubs goes ahead. Come on.
D :)
Celtic get our retaliation in first, for a change.
Aberdeen are with us for sure reckon its a formality now financial disaster for SPL clubs without match day revenue.
Only surprise is they haven’t pulled the plug on Feegie Park tomorrow (yet).
The argument for bringing forward the winter shutdown should be about the potential benefit to public health, nothing else, otherwise it’s just special pleading.
EL
As per the Celtic statement.
Being cynical, these games being postponed would be a bonus for us as opposed to playing in front of 500. We have key players injured and could bring in quality in the January window to bolster the squad.
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Spot on mate.
But those are advantages open to every other club. Our opponents can clear up their injuries and bolster their squads as well.
What is the thinking for 500 across the board irrespective of the size of the hosting stadium, I would like to see the reasoning behind this?
I might add I have had 2 jags plus a booster and take care outdoors mixing with otheres eg supermarkets, sounds very much like a one size fits all rule
Scottish representation at the Convention was impressive. Delegations from Broxburn, Dumbarton, Dundee, Greenock and Hamilton were joined by ten separate branches of the INL from Glasgow. The most remarkable delegation was the only sporting organisation of the Irish diaspora represented in Dublin – Celtic Football Club. This delegation was made up of President Glass, Treasurer James McKay and former player and new Secretary, Willie Maley. The decision to attend the Convention was a bold declaration by the club, still in its first decade, that it supported the cause of Irish freedom. This striking move reflected the fact that the club stemmed from, and was supported by, the expatriate Irish community in Glasgow. It is hard to imagine the hysteria such a move would provoke in the Scottish media today.
The decision to have the club officially represented at the Irish Race Convention was clearly political and had the full support of club members. This is confirmed by the other founding fathers, committeemen and former players who also made the trip to Dublin in various delegations including captain James Kelly, Mick Dunbar, club lawyer Joseph Shaughnessy, Dr. Joseph Scanlon, Thomas Colgan (also associated with Belfast Celtic) William McKillop, Joseph McGroary and John McGuire.
https://the-shamrock.net/2013/12/20/pf01-home-rule/
A football club issuing a statement demanding that football fans are locked out of grounds will make for an interesting read. I can’t wait for Sevco’s press release.
By mentioning health and safety grounds it gives purchase. Yes sky have a contract, but it doesn’t supercede health and safety of individuals and legislation.
If it’s not safe for crowds to be oudoors then it’s not safe for people/staff to go to work there….
Event can’t