So, What Happens . . .

[Panda Paws]

Entirely understand that and the principle, but to revert back to my original point I am not sure what cross over snooker has with the majority of other sports crowds to warrant being a pilot, its getting large groups in and out of a seated auditorium and thus seems exactly the same as cinema's etc which already have guidelines and methodologies in place.

Cricket and possibly racing  is going to be the real steer for football I suggest, I assume they won't be selling booze in the grounds initially?

Agreed. Snooker has zero in common with outdoor team sports. God know why pre-season friendlies aren't being used.

Also, why would they ban booze? Makes no sense? Same with away fans. Pointless restrictions.

I just wish they'd open it all, dependant on local lockdowns, and allow individuals to do their own risk analysis. Everone has different tolerances for risk. Standing in the Town End is no different to a beer garden, and better than a train or tube or a packed beach. Just get on with it and let people decide what risk they're comfortable with.

[theakston2k]

Entirely understand that and the principle, but to revert back to my original point I am not sure what cross over snooker has with the majority of other sports crowds to warrant being a pilot, its getting large groups in and out of a seated auditorium and thus seems exactly the same as cinema's etc which already have guidelines and methodologies in place.

Cricket and possibly racing  is going to be the real steer for football I suggest, I assume they won't be selling booze in the grounds initially?

The snooker arena is a bowl like football stadiums, so not really like cinemas. So you are going to have people entering and exiting from multiple access points, people will go in and out between frames, intervals so there are plenty of comparisons with football to be honest.

[theakston2k]

Also, why would they ban booze? Makes no sense? Same with away fans. Pointless restrictions.

Banning booze and away fans in the near term makes a lot of sense, reduces the chances of fans acting like fuckwits and thus spoiling it for everyone else especially at local derbies and what not. If away fans are banned until we are back to normal I'd have no problem with that to be honest.

[Reg Smeeton]

Also given cinema is a "known risk", the fact that snooker is more closely comparable to it than say cricket makes it easier to spot differences and make corrections if needed. Still have a lot of sympathy for non-league clubs as to why they can't allow at least some fans back in when they're looking at packed beaches (probably not today!), pubs etc and wondering why having 50-odd people paying a couple of quid to watch Nether Wallop play Outer Wallop spread out in the outdoors is going to pose such a huge risk. I know they've got to start somewhere but can't some of these things  be done in parallel? e.g. continue the large-scale events pilot but also allow non-league sides to have some paying fans back (maybe with a max limit imposed in case there's a sudden rush of football-starved fans turning up to the Nether/Outer Wallop derby)

The Wallops are generally considered to be Nether, Over and Middle.

[pauld]

Agreed. Snooker has zero in common with outdoor team sports. God know why pre-season friendlies aren't being used.

Also, why would they ban booze? Makes no sense? Same with away fans. Pointless restrictions.

I just wish they'd open it all, dependant on local lockdowns, and allow individuals to do their own risk analysis. Everone has different tolerances for risk. Standing in the Town End is no different to a beer garden, and better than a train or tube or a packed beach. Just get on with it and let people decide what risk they're comfortable with.

That would be fine if it was about people taking their own risk and solely about them, but they're not. They're risking spreading it to others, it's all about reducing the likelihood of community transmission. If ever there was a case of "no man is an island", this is very much it.

[Panda Paws]

That would be fine if it was about people taking their own risk and solely about them, but they're not. They're risking spreading it to others, it's all about reducing the likelihood of community transmission. If ever there was a case of "no man is an island", this is very much it.

At what point is the risk low enough, in your mind? The transmission rate outside is much lower, and if whatever you reason you feel ill, with anything, after doing anything (not just football), isolate for 14 days. Why is football different to everything else that takes place outside that is allowed to continue without capacity restrictions?

Banning booze and away fans in the near term makes a lot of sense, reduces the chances of fans acting like fuckwits and thus spoiling it for everyone else especially at local derbies and what not. If away fans are banned until we are back to normal I'd have no problem with that to be honest.

Legally, there's nothing stopping me from travelling anywhere I want for a day, getting pissed and being a dick (without breaching any guidelines) - I'm just not allowed to stand and look at a football pitch for 2 hours in the middle of that day.

At some point we've got to accept there is a risk in doing pretty much anything, and how to deal with that if we get symptoms to stop the community spread.

To me, football (well, sport in general I guess) is being disproportionately held back, because of it's reputation.

[theakston2k]

But
At what point is the risk low enough, in your mind? The transmission rate outside is much lower, and if whatever you reason you feel ill, with anything, after doing anything (not just football), isolate for 14 days. Why is football different to everything else that takes place outside that is allowed to continue without capacity restrictions?

Legally, there's nothing stopping me from travelling anywhere I want for a day, getting pissed and being a dick (without breaching any guidelines) - I'm just not allowed to stand and look at a football pitch for 2 hours in the middle of that day.

At some point we've got to accept there is a risk in doing pretty much anything, and how to deal with that if we get symptoms to stop the community spread.

To me, football (well, sport in general I guess) is being disproportionately held back, because of it's reputation.

Whilst there's still nationwide restrictions the idea of 1000+ away fans descending on an area just isn't realistic especially when you factor in social distancing on buses, public transport etc it's all about small steps. 
Get home fans back in at a reduced capacity, then at full capacity and then get away fans back in. If people can't go to the match they are less likely to travel, I'm all in favour of things getting back to normal but first and foremost I'd like to get back to the CG so reducing the risk and not jeopardising that should be first priority.

[Audrey]

As recent events have shown, outbreaks are virtually confined to working environments and overcrowded living arr@ngements.

I know it’s probably difficult to monitor, but how many people contracted it after ramming the beaches cheek by jowl?

[pauld]

But
At what point is the risk low enough, in your mind? The transmission rate outside is much lower, and if whatever you reason you feel ill, with anything, after doing anything (not just football), isolate for 14 days. Why is football different to everything else that takes place outside that is allowed to continue without capacity restrictions?

I agree, and have made precisely that point in relation to non-league games not being allowed (limited) paying crowds. I was just responding to the more general idea that it's all down to an individual assessing their own risk, when public health is a text book case of collective responsibility. The same point would, and should, apply to beaches - look what happens there when each individual takes a calculated assessment of their own comfort level with risk.

[horlock07]

Also, why would they ban booze? Makes no sense? Same with away fans. Pointless restrictions.

a) Because people have a habit of not/ or being twats about following instructions nicely with ale inside them;
b) Majority of supporters can do 90 mins without a piss sober, bring ber in and its normally at least 3 visits.

Its not worth the ballache.

As for snooker on reflection I get it now, crowds cough a lot at the snooker, that will be it.

[pauld]

The Wallops are generally considered to be Nether, Over and Middle.

Thanks for the clarification, hate to get my Wallops mixed up

[Bogus Dave]

The Wallops are generally considered to be Nether, Over and Middle.

And the one nearer the sea, cods

[pauld]

And the one nearer the sea, cods

Not to mention the ancient settlement of Old Wallop

[Audrey]

Plus most of Bamboo’s posts

Cods Wallop!

[pauld]

Plus most of Bamboo’s posts

Cods Wallop!

two posts above you