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SPFL actions ahead of Government probably saved lives

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

The Commons report released today only looked at actions in England, noting that a failure to lockdown even a week earlier in March 2020 probably doubled the number of first wave fatalities.  Mirror actions took place in Scotland.

While politicians in London and Edinburgh pondered what to do, football acted.  With the most valuable game on the roster two days away, the SPFL went ahead of the Government and suspended its season on 13 March 2020.  By then, we had all seen what was happening in Lombardy and had an ominous feeling of what lay ahead.  Permitting football games, where tens of thousands of people mingled, was reckless, we all knew it, fans, administrators and statuesque Government ministers.

The decision to stop the season was brave and had consequences for the League’s board, who came under intense personal pressure, some of which remains to this day.   It possibly saved lives, so huge credit is due.  A less self-absorbed political class would have acted ahead of them.

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  5. quadrophenian on

    Watching Rogic v Kyogo.

     

    Aussies look sluggish and unimaginative so far. Tommy trying hard but not well-supported in mids.

     

    Mooy with a McCarthy-paced comeback.

     

    Technical and energetic qualities of Japan bode well if we’re shopping there (tho 7 of their squad play in Germany).

     

    Mibby Oz can sneak a draw, but midfield is sloppy.

     

    HH

  11. Chavez on

    Is this the same Paul Brennan who was bleating about fans not being allowed in stadia before we had a vaccine rollout? What a brass neck.

     

     

    Secondly, until March 2020 all the devolved administrations had to follow SAGE advice as science is devolved. Seeing the UK shambles, Scotland set up its own team of Covid advisors independent of SAGE so that it could have better decision-making independent of Westminster.

  15. Coneybhoy on

    We have been quite smug in Ireland as we locked down 2 weeks before the UK in March 2020. If you look closer though, we had St Patrick’s Day looming on 17 March so the decision to lockdown on 12 March was easier to make. We definitely have been more conservative over the 18 months since though.

     

    10 more days until we lose all restrictions (other than masks). I have a gig booked on 23 Oct so hopefully there is no last minute change

  18. Bhoy From The Boyne on

    Kyogo nearly through on goal after Tam gives the ball away. Japanese commentator mentions Celtic!

  25. hairlikespaghetti on

    Just more selective partisan nonsense from the political pygmy, PB. No mention of the devolved split fom SAGE guidance.

     

    No argument from me that the Scottish Parliament handled it badly, but the suggestion that it mirrored WM is a lie, a small point that p67 hopes goes unchallenged…

  27. fieldofdrams on

    “…statuesque Government ministers…”? Who she? Not sure that’s what you meant, Paul.

  30. JIMDOM on

    In February 2020 an emergency field hospital was constructed in Wuhan over a 10 day period, accommodating around 1,000 beds. We watched this on the telly and went about our daily business as normal.

     

    At the end of that same month we could see that something really bad was happening in northern Italy. We carried on as normal, airports and borders stayed open. In mid March the Cheltenham Festival went ahead as usual.

     

    On 24th March we were told to go home, and stay home. Lockdown UK began.

     

     

    There had never before been a global pandemic in what we might call modern times. There was no playbook for our rulers and legislators to refer to, either in Westminster or Holyrood. Scientists aplently voiced their (often contradictory) opinions. But it wasn’t their call.

     

     

    To suggest that the SPFL hierarchy were, somehow, ahead of the curve, is in my opinion a false narrative. I would speculate that it was Dougie Park that wanted the derby at Ibrox, on March 15, called off.

  31. Matt Stewart on

    Just thinking that with the season of goodwill to all men approaching, I need to trigger my social conscience and see what I can do for those most in need.

     

     

    Fortunately in mid ‘slouch on the couch’ my phone buzzed with a groupon offer that offered a training course for those in straightened circumstances who can’t afford to employ an outside contractor.

     

     

    Now all I need to do is to identify someone or an organisation who would fit with the curriculum..

     

     

    https://enematic.wordpress.com/2021/10/12/if-ye-cannae-afford-a-man-who-can/

     

     

    Hail hail

     

     

    Matt

  32. Wishaw tim on

    The haggis government never went early because they waited on westminster to pay furlough!! as usual with nat vermin, blaming everything on westminster, Ha Ha you will never get independence, and you mugs know it 😂😂😂👍

  36. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    As a general rule, I don’t have a soft spot for administrators.

     

     

    But credit where it is due.

     

     

    It WAS a brave thing to call a halt to the league on 13 March 2020.

     

     

    I don’t believe we’ll ever know the cost of lives impact of a capacity crowd in Glasgow the day before.

     

     

    I suspect the host club that night were more concerned at the time about the prospect of refunding ticket money than the safety of THEIR OWN FANS or the safety of the wider public.

     

     

    Perhaps, at some future point, they’ll “express regret” and heap praise on the SPFL board for their (ultimately) correct course of action.

     

     

    Then again, perhaps they won’t.

     

    🤔

  38. ernie lynch on

    Sorry to read that Colin Bell (journalist etc) has died. A clever and erudite nationalist ( mind you he was educated in England) who was always worth listening to.

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