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A Miracle If Next Season Even Happens


Crazy Feet

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Whilst social distancing measures are in place, there's simply no way the amateur game will get back up and running again. There are a few issues here:

1) Leisure centres are going to be the last places to open. Whilst social distancing measures are still in place, you simply won't be allowed to cram 20 bodies into a small changing room. Social distancing measures are impossible to implement.

2) Following on from point 1, if you have no facilities then you have no game.

3) Another aspect a lot of people are not factoring in - Pubs. Again, pubs will be among the last places to open. You will be lucky to see a pub again this year. This is going to have a massive financial impact on the amateur game in terms of sponsorship. It will eliminate the single biggest revenue stream for an amateur club going into the new season and without this income, many clubs simply won't be able to meet their liabilities. Would also mean clubs can't provide the compulsory option of hospitality etc.

All of the messages coming from the Scottish Government (and UK for that matter) is that social distancing is going to be here in one shape or form until a vaccine is found. This could take us well into next year. 

The issues I have mentioned aren't really specific to amateur either. It will have massive implications for the Semi Pro game as well. They might have their own private parks (the majority of them) but they won't be able to open their social clubs with social distancing in place which kills their main revenue stream. Which in turn means they won't be able to honour player contracts. There's many more issues you could add to what I feel are the main problems.

I think there's a huge amount of denial at just how serious the situation is for the football community. I don't see any situation that doesn't see mass folding of clubs and possibly even league associations as well.

Worrying times for our game.

Edited by Crazy Feet
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Whilst social distancing measures are in place, there's simply no way the amateur game will get back up and running again. There are a few issues here:
1) Leisure centres are going to be the last places to open. Whilst social distancing measures are still in place, you simply won't be allowed to cram 20 bodies into a small changing room. Social distancing measures are impossible to implement.
2) Following on from point 1, if you have no facilities then you have no game.
3) Another aspect a lot of people are not factoring in - Pubs. Again, pubs will be among the last places to open. You will be lucky to see a pub again this year. This is going to have a massive financial impact on the amateur game in terms of sponsorship. It will eliminate the single biggest revenue stream for an amateur club going into the new season and without this income, many clubs simply won't be able to meet their liabilities. Would also mean clubs can't provide the compulsory option of hospitality etc.
All of the messages coming from the Scottish Government (and UK for that matter) is that social distancing is going to be here in one shape or form until a vaccine is found. This could take us well into next year. 
The issues I have mentioned aren't really specific to amateur either. It will have massive implications for the Semi Pro game as well. They might have their own private parks (the majority of them) but they won't be able to open their social clubs with social distancing in place which kills their main revenue stream. Which in turn means they won't be able to honour player contracts. There's many more issues you could add to what I feel are the main problems.
I think there's a huge amount of denial at just how serious the situation is for the football community. I don't see any situation that doesn't see mass folding of clubs and possibly even league associations as well.
Worrying times for our game.

I didn't know that but if the Govts are saying social distancing remains until a vaccine then you cant play football and still have 2m social distancing rules. That means no football until at least 2021?? Horrendous. That said why would loads of teams fold. They've nothing to pay for if no football on. Why would leagues fold?
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I think a lot of teams will possibly struggle with getting squads together. Some players who perhaps don’t look after themselves very well might not come back playing after this is over. I’ve got kids who need out for a walk or a cycle most days so I’m not guaranteed to get a run in myself as much as I’d like. I think a lot of players could fall away. Some other players just might not fancy it after such a long time off. 

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On ‎28‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 14:37, Crazy Feet said:

Whilst social distancing measures are in place, there's simply no way the amateur game will get back up and running again. There are a few issues here:

1) Leisure centres are going to be the last places to open. Whilst social distancing measures are still in place, you simply won't be allowed to cram 20 bodies into a small changing room. Social distancing measures are impossible to implement.

2) Following on from point 1, if you have no facilities then you have no game.

3) Another aspect a lot of people are not factoring in - Pubs. Again, pubs will be among the last places to open. You will be lucky to see a pub again this year. This is going to have a massive financial impact on the amateur game in terms of sponsorship. It will eliminate the single biggest revenue stream for an amateur club going into the new season and without this income, many clubs simply won't be able to meet their liabilities. Would also mean clubs can't provide the compulsory option of hospitality etc.

All of the messages coming from the Scottish Government (and UK for that matter) is that social distancing is going to be here in one shape or form until a vaccine is found. This could take us well into next year. 

The issues I have mentioned aren't really specific to amateur either. It will have massive implications for the Semi Pro game as well. They might have their own private parks (the majority of them) but they won't be able to open their social clubs with social distancing in place which kills their main revenue stream. Which in turn means they won't be able to honour player contracts. There's many more issues you could add to what I feel are the main problems.

I think there's a huge amount of denial at just how serious the situation is for the football community. I don't see any situation that doesn't see mass folding of clubs and possibly even league associations as well.

Worrying times for our game.

gid post chum.few teems will be done

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Keeping guys interested and in the loop with your club is the biggest challenge coz like you said with having so big a break lads will undoubtedly look to fill their time with something else if possible. End of the day when it does get back up and running it will come down to how high up their list of priorities playing amateur football comes as to wether guys get back playing or not. Ur love for what u do is measured by how much u miss it when ur not able too, let’s hope lads miss it enough to get back on the wagon.

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I think people shall want to get back into football more than ever just now with everyone been stuck in with nothing to do.... The main concern for me is the financial side to keep clubs running sponsorship shall be very difficult to get who's really going to want to hand out cash to amateur teams with not much or nothing in return 

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18 hours ago, Kickbaw said:

I think people shall want to get back into football more than ever just now with everyone been stuck in with nothing to do.... The main concern for me is the financial side to keep clubs running sponsorship shall be very difficult to get who's really going to want to hand out cash to amateur teams with not much or nothing in return 

Ties in with one of my points in the OP about pubs and how much clubs depend on their funding. But you're right, lots of small businesses who donate to clubs a couple of hundred quid here and there will be having to cut their cloth when this is all over and won't be handing money out willy nilly. 

There's huge issues on the horizon for the game.

I agree with the keeping people interested aspect as well and the fact that the longer it goes on players might just not come back. Particularly older, experienced players. The thought of getting fit again etc could be a turn off and there will also be a lot of issues for people getting away from the wife/family 2/3 times a week again now that the woman have been used to them being there all the time for months! :D

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Ties in with one of my points in the OP about pubs and how much clubs depend on their funding. But you're right, lots of small businesses who donate to clubs a couple of hundred quid here and there will be having to cut their cloth when this is all over and won't be handing money out willy nilly. 
There's huge issues on the horizon for the game.
I agree with the keeping people interested aspect as well and the fact that the longer it goes on players might just not come back. Particularly older, experienced players. The thought of getting fit again etc could be a turn off and there will also be a lot of issues for people getting away from the wife/family 2/3 times a week again now that the woman have been used to them being there all the time for months! [emoji3]

Or......the wives/girlfriends came to a realisation that guys being home more often is not the utopia they thought it would be [emoji2]
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  • 5 weeks later...

https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/irish-fa-issue-updated-covid-19-guidelines

This looks interesting. Northern Ireland FA is ahead of others about Covid-19 recovery plans. Their latest plan:

Saturday 06 Jun 2020

Irish FA: Covid-19 recovery plan update

The Irish FA has issued an updated document looking ahead to measures to help an incremental return of grassroots football to Northern Ireland.  

The measures will be introduced from Monday 8 June. 

Some subjects that the document will include are as follows: 

  • Playing football individually.
  • Playing football with your family or people living in your household.
  • Football training or fitness activities in groups of no more than six keeping two metres apart at all times.
  • Training for two or more groups of six (including coach).

The document will also cover suggested safety instructions and hygiene protocols. You can download the full Covid-19 recovery plan below (i.e. go to their web site). 

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The Irish FA plan appears sensible regarding a return to training,all the hygiene stuff in place etc - still have the unknown of who may be infected though. Guess you let them  give it a go, and see if anything crops up after a  month or so. Be helpful if there was an affordable and reliable test everyone could buy, of course.

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https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/irish-fa-issue-updated-covid-19-guidelines
This looks interesting. Northern Ireland FA is ahead of others about Covid-19 recovery plans. Their latest plan:
Saturday 06 Jun 2020 Irish FA: Covid-19 recovery plan update

The Irish FA has issued an updated document looking ahead to measures to help an incremental return of grassroots football to Northern Ireland.  

The measures will be introduced from Monday 8 June. 

Some subjects that the document will include are as follows: 

  • Playing football individually.
  • Playing football with your family or people living in your household.
  • Football training or fitness activities in groups of no more than six keeping two metres apart at all times.
  • Training for two or more groups of six (including coach).

The document will also cover suggested safety instructions and hygiene protocols. You can download the full Covid-19 recovery plan below (i.e. go to their web site). 




That’s just a copy of the English Fa. They have been at it from June 1st
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Promising signs but until there's any sign of leisure centres opening and allowing 20 bodies to get changed in a changing room how do we get a game on? Maybe they'll open up the pitches for games but not open up the changing rooms which means players will need to travel alone and turn up already changed? Could see that possibly working, but you then come back to the issues around not meeting up at the pubs before / after the games and the revenue that brings in for clubs with regards to sponsorship which is crucial to meeting their running costs during the season.

Still so many unanswered questions. 

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Think we are a good while away from competitive games tbh but do think they could allow training session's to take place. Even if it was just once a week the now it would be better than nothing. 

Thats been 3 months now and with every week that passes there is a serious risk of losing alot of people young & old to the grassroots game.

Atleast if teams were allowed to put on a session you would be getting ur players in and getting some kind of interaction with them. Boys have been out running/cycling etc but its not the same and eventually they will get fed up doing that aswell. 

Then after a month it could be looked at again and maybe increase the number of sessions allowed. 

 

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Be interesting to see what happens when the pub's re-open, if the distancing is still in place,whether teams would bother. Yeah players could turn up in their kit, how about those who don't drive ? The costs will be very important to every club, it's around £75 a game down in Bristol, once you start asking £5+ just to play, gets difficult. Hoping every club survives and that the players stick around,even if it's next year.

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Hearing there is somewhat of a standoff between the 4/5 " hard done" by clubsin ayrshire and the league. They are demanding reconstruction for the season ahead. Are the league taking the easy way out?

I think it's the fairest way personally but can see the frustration from some and the reasons why.

What are other associations doing in the amatuer game?

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