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Sturgeon, Johnson and the lack of evidenced-based policy

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

When spread of Covid in the UK was at its peak in March, two days before Celtic were due to play in front of 50,000 at Ibrox, the SFA took a decision that should have come from Government – football at all levels would stop until they knew how to resume, without endangering the health of players and spectators.

During this period, government ministers and their public health advisors were still happy to send untested patients from hospitals with Covid infections to care homes, pubs and clubs were open, and trains were packed with commuters.  These were fatal errors, literally fatal.  When the next history of the SFA is written, the Association should get enormous credit that they took the painful steps necessary while governments in both Edinburgh and London froze.

Indoor social and entertainment venues, like pubs, are again open.  Outdoor venues, like football stadiums, with their easy to enforce social distancing measures and far lower risk of virus infection, remain closed. The same government ministers who were caught in the headlights in March, again appear incapable of acting in a coherent and evidence-led manner.

Opening pubs while keeping football stadiums closed has nothing to do with public health.  No evidence is offered to support this position because none exists.  It is a random and incongruous act from a government that knows it sat on its hands while football took painful but responsible steps in March, and which has transformed its stadiums in the subsequent months to make them fully compliant with government safety advice.

Only the Holyrood cabal know why they allow you to watch football at an indoor pub but not an outdoor stadium.  It is a terrible policy and shows that their Covid public health strategy remains an evidence-free lottery.

I can’t help but think we are in this mess because Boris Johnson is a disaster of a human being and Nicola Sturgeon’s personal best interests are served if she adopts close to, but not exactly the same as, his policies.

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  3. lets all do the huddle on

    i think P67 has called this wrong – as much as i am all for positivity in getting us back into football stadiums, and stadia 😀

     

     

    it isnt as easy as he suggests to social distance inside the ground.

     

     

    when we are in our seats then yes

     

     

    but we all arrive at the same time, leave at the same time and go to the bog and pie stall at the same time

     

     

    its places like horse racing tracks that i cant understand why the public arent allowed in

     

     

    it has wide open outside spaces so as long as they dont let too many folk in then that shuldnt be a problem

  5. ernie lynch on

    FRITZSONG on 20TH JULY 2020 4:54 PM

     

    ‘I can’t understand the howls of outrage at the leader article. The howlers fail to identify a single untruth in any paragraph or sentence.’

     

     

     

    ###

     

     

     

    It is an untruth to say that football stadiums are outdoor venues.

  8. !!Bada Bing!! on

    I spoke to a pal who works at Celtic at a pretty high level 2 months ago, he said the Club were looking at management for Lennoxtown and for CP on a match day (not sure of the SD which it was based on),and it was priced at 12k a week, so the Club have been very proactive for a while.

  9. petec on

    We need to make sure Mum or Dad can be there for EVERY childs formative years.

     

     

    I know I’m a bit of a rocket. I know what is Good for every child though.

     

     

    F Materialism.

     

     

    The attack frae the Bad Wan is on the small Family unit.

  13. corkcelt on

    If Stadia are reopened, there will be very strict conditions on the numbers allowed in & the safety precautions ie spacing, masks, sanitising, entering & leaving Stadium etc, Possibly Temperature checks etc.

     

    Football is an Industry, it generates jobs, Tourism & revenue.

     

    Like all Industries it needs to be allowed to reopen subject to stringent conditions.

     

    I feel it would be reasonable to allow say 1,000 fans attend a game at Celtic Park as a dry run, with safety consultants monitoring the event to ensure every precaution is taken,

     

    If all goes well then the crowds could gradually be increased,

     

    Everything of course depends on the National Covid figures.

     

    If there is a fresh spike then last to open should be first to close.

  14. petec on

    The Small Family units of Believers……..

     

     

     

    Wowowo

     

     

    Impossible 2 stop.

     

     

    Logical and Incredible.

     

     

    Love is the Law.

  16. Philbhoy on

    PRESTONPANS BHOY

     

     

    Best wishes to you both!

     

     

    Hope you are having a great day!

  18. corkcelt on

    Remiss of me not to congratulate PrestonPans Bhoy on his 30th Wedding Anniversary. Was lurking earlier & saw his post but by the time I got around to post it had slipped my mind,

     

    So best of luck Preston, hope ye both have a great day.

  19. prestonpans bhoys on

    Thanks for all the congratulations, should have been in Bowness on Windermere this week, in the Porto restaurant for my 30th at this time. However decided to cancel until next year, their R rate ain’t good, so my static caravan outside Aberfoyle will do the trick, been a bit wet but hayho 😂

  20. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Fair play to Panorama (just finished).

     

     

    Few punches pulled.

     

     

    No testing strategy (then and still)

     

     

    Herd immunity nonsense during that crucial two week period in early March

     

     

    Sending people back to care homes from hospitals WITHOUT testing

     

     

    …. led to 20,000 unnecessary deaths

     

     

    Shameful

  24. ernie lynch on

    HEBCELT on 20TH JULY 2020 8:10 PM

     

    ‘EL looks like nobody is biting H H Hebcelt’

     

     

    ###

     

     

    But facts are chiels that winna ding, An’ downa be disputed

  25. Fritzsong on

    ERNIE LYNCH on 20TH JULY 2020 7:12 PM

     

    FRITZSONG on 20TH JULY 2020 4:54 PM

     

     

    It is an untruth to say that football stadiums are outdoor venues.

     

    ____________________________

     

    As Mandy Rice-Davies said, ‘You would say that. Wouldn’t you?’ Ernie, you must be into medieval theology to come up with that and imagine it’s a slam-dunk.

  26. emusanorphan on

    I’m not so convinced the SFA would’ve been so quick to act if we were decimated by injuries, 13 points behind and had just completed an exhausting Europa tie on a porrage patch. They cancelled games less than 22 hours before we were due at the Bigotdome.

  32. ernie lynch on

    FRITZSONG on 20TH JULY 2020 8:29 PM

     

     

    It’s classed legally as an indoor venue for reasons that are not totally unconnected with the potential transmission of an airborne virus.

     

     

    So not a trivial or irrelevant point.

     

     

    But an indication of how weak the argument is if it is necessary to lie about it.

  33. petec on

    2 spies blog is Good.

     

     

    Amazing the tube with the 2 part that is beyond Belief.

     

     

    Mike Bennett shut down Future Quake after 7 years.

     

     

    Magical hearing the hermit.

     

     

    He, just talking makes my Heart soar.

  34. Hot Smoked on

    ernie lynch

     

    If you sat where I sit when the rain is transported by a Northerly wind you would not call Celtic Park an Indoor Venue.

  35. Parkheadcumsalford on

    Who classifies Celtic Park as an indoor venue? I sit directly in front of the soft seats at the back of the North Stand lower tier and regularly have to dry my seat before I can sit on it.

  36. papajoe55 on

    Just got a WhatsApp from my best pal, he got a message from his Man City cousin saying Joe Hart has agreed to sign for us. It was on a Man City site announcement later on this week or early next week. LENNYBHOY any news from your connections.HH

  41. Greenpinata on

    Ernie,

     

     

    Although smoking is banned, Parkhead is definitely an outdoor venue. There would be an argument if there was a retractable roof.

     

    You know any outdoor fan zones or footie activity have smoking bans also.

     

     

    I think you are still smarting about being dramatically wrong about football being successfully played behind closed doors. 😀

     

     

    PS : I think the water breaks may be here to stay.

     

     

    HH.

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