Restart

[Jerry Macguire]

As many have mentioned on here already. The biggest issue clubs face is over changing facilities. Unless the ground is fully COVID compliant, which very few are, then changing & shower facilities will remain closed and players will be expected to turn up with their playing kit on and depart after the game without showering. Unless social distancing measures are relaxed or Hub stadiums can be used it’s very difficult to see how any league below the Premiership can start. Even premiership clubs are struggling with this. Hamilton Accies have had to convert hospitality suites into away changing rooms and Dundee United cannot provide shower facilities. 

[LongTimeLurker]

12 hours ago, Shanner said:

oh dear, I'm getting creepy private messages from this oddity.

That's what an ignore list is for. Clearly not playing with a full deck, so more to be pitied than scorned, in my opinion. Will take a while for some people to adjust to the new reality that clubs can be junior (an SJFA member entering the Junior Cup) and senior (part of the pyramid) at the same time.

[The Ilford Drummer]

The blatant disregarding of some of the guidelines for training at the moment by some teams makes you wonder if they actually give a toss.

[Andy groundhopper]

43 minutes ago, The Ilford Drummer said:

The blatant disregarding of some of the guidelines for training at the moment by some teams makes you wonder if they actually give a toss.

Think some clubs/players just want to play and think they're not gonna catch anything - we go to pubs so who gives a F is the attitude , not every club though. Unless something happens to your family , guess some folk are blinkered and don't see the risks. Every fan wants to return to watching asap but it's not our decision to make. Hopefully nothing happens down in England with the non league restart next week. Shall be trying an FA Cup game on Tuesday, see how things work.

[TheLad]

As many have mentioned on here already. The biggest issue clubs face is over changing facilities. Unless the ground is fully COVID compliant, which very few are, then changing & shower facilities will remain closed and players will be expected to turn up with their playing kit on and depart after the game without showering. Unless social distancing measures are relaxed or Hub stadiums can be used it’s very difficult to see how any league below the Premiership can start. Even premiership clubs are struggling with this. Hamilton Accies have had to convert hospitality suites into away changing rooms and Dundee United cannot provide shower facilities. 

This is pretty much it.
Matchday protocols will be issued this week and clubs will either be able to meet the criteria and confirm this to the SFA via email by wednesday 9th September or they won't be able to and will not host games.

It's not a case of 'aw we cant do that, so you will have to make new rules for us'.

The games initially will have no supporters, perhaps no committee folks and strict limitations on changing facilities.

Some clubs might decide they cant operate under those circumstances and maybe will just no longer operate.

As much as we all like non league football, it probably doesnt matter to the decision makers if small clubs fold or not.

[FairWeatherFan]

Plenty of clubs have gone into a form of abeyance/non playing membership over the years. For some that's potentially what this time period will be.

[Lobby Dossar]

8 hours ago, Darvel legend said:

if anything i can see the premiership starting albeit dont know what they are going to do re changing rooms , but im no so sure the other 3 leagues will start this side of the new year 

Can you name the Premiership clubs who will come anywhere meeting the guidelines that are in place at the moment ??? 

Unless these guidelines are significantly changed very few of them will come anywhere near to meeting them 

Oh and I include Darrel’s super dooper new dressing rooms in that !!! 
 

[andy25]

What are the guidelines?
I didn't think the SFA had released them yet..

Can you name the Premiership clubs who will come anywhere meeting the guidelines that are in place at the moment ??? 
Unless these guidelines are significantly changed very few of them will come anywhere near to meeting them 
Oh and I include Darrel’s super dooper new dressing rooms in that !!! 
 

[Lobby Dossar]

13 minutes ago, andy25 said:

What are the guidelines?
I didn't think the SFA had released them yet..

Until they change what’s in place for the SPFL … … they are the guidelines 

[Cowden Cowboy]

But clubs could use board rooms, hospitality suites, club lounges, offices, portacabins, etc as overspill changing rooms 

 

[Andy groundhopper]

Plenty of fixtures down here in England, the FA covid19 risk assessment form can be seen/downloaded showing what clubs have to do. Not clever enough to put a link on here ! Some bits are interesting, others just ridiculous. Worth looking at though.

[Arthurlie1981]

But clubs could use board rooms, hospitality suites, club lounges, offices, portacabins, etc as overspill changing rooms 
 

All good suggestions and I would guess for some clubs (my own being one) that could be an option but there are others who don’t have that it might not be possible for social distancing but there are other alternatives that can be looked at.

There is no 100% safe option but there are mitigation’s that can be put in place (face coverings, cleaning the area where you sit after you’ve changed, no music etc) that can make it safer. The Scottish government have recommended that when you go to the gym you don’t shower unless it is necessary and maybe there will be something like that in there. The main thing they recommend is that you limit the amount of time you are inside and if you can do that then there is no reason why we can’t restart in October.

[GNU_Linux]

From EOS website:

RESTART UPDATE - 30 August

"The Return to Playing process is on -going. We expect to get the agreed Scottish FA protocols next midweek. These are hopefully now being signed off with the Scottish Government. This is all a matter of timing between giving clubs the detail and time to implement, and using the most up to date versions. If we had been asked to use the version before those now being negotiated, they would have been prohibitive at our level of the game. There will still be challenges to face, particularly around changing rooms/spaces.

As we did with Return to Training, we will send you a Checklist to sign off that you have put the necessary protocols in place. We will get this to you as soon as we know the detail of what is required. Permissions for any friendly games will be given only on completion and return of the Checklist. That is for everybody's benefit, including the Leagues who need to be confident they are giving permission safely.

We have been told by Scottish FA to use a common-sense approach to what constitutes "local friendlies". This will differ from area to area so we are advising ;

ANY GAMES WITH UP TO 25 MILES ONE WAY TRAVEL FINE, BETWEEN 25 AND 50 BASED ON BRIEF EXPLANATION AND OVER 50 ONLY IF JUSTIFIED

The various Zoom meetings organised over next few days will only be able to give high level information, however this will be invaluable in getting you ready to put in place what you will need. Most likely further Zoom meetings will be needed once detail of protocols known.

Pyramid Restart Group."

[Hillonearth]

11 hours ago, Burmah Oil said:

Our chairman said the ladies leagues, Highland League and South of Scotland League have had their SFA meetings and are restart in October. Dont think any of the teams are going into abeyance. Lowland League, East of Scotland League and West of Scotland League meetings must be this week. Hurling, rugby and rugby league are restarting and all. It looks like heaps of teams have restarted down in Englandshire and the FA Cup is up tomorrow. Fans are getting iin SPL next week. Why do some of you think West of Scotland League clubs should chuck in the towel and shutdown? Chances are rules in October are not going to be better in January? If you are going to wait for full changing rooms again, you could be shutdown for one or two years. Players, commitee and supporters will drop out or watch other teams and teams will go under.

First minister, the sport minister and the sport assocations put down a time line for training, friendlies and competitive games. Why do that if they knew the guide lines would be impossible for teams not in SPL? Just be playing a big trick on rest of football and other sports.

This hits the nail on the head. We've had quite a few posts previously along the lines of "Why should we have to do X?", or "They can't seriously expect us to do Y..."

Yeah. They do seriously expect you do X and Y....and anything else that proves necessary in order to get the game back up and running.

It's a stark binary choice at the moment...we either make accommodations and adaptations - some major, some minor - in order to start up again, or we shut the gates of our clubs indefinitely until we can go back to Just The Way Everything Was Before which could be well into next year or maybe even 2022.

Can't have both...I'll choose the one that gets some football played any day of the week though.

 

[Crazy Feet]

Is it today we get the guidelines?

[Dev]

4 hours ago, Hillonearth said:

This hits the nail on the head. We've had quite a few posts previously along the lines of "Why should we have to do X?", or "They can't seriously expect us to do Y..."

Yeah. They do seriously expect you do X and Y....and anything else that proves necessary in order to get the game back up and running.

It's a stark binary choice at the moment...we either make accommodations and adaptations - some major, some minor - in order to start up again, or we shut the gates of our clubs indefinitely until we can go back to Just The Way Everything Was Before which could be well into next year or maybe even 2022.

Can't have both...I'll choose the one that gets some football played any day of the week though.

 

If necessary Leagues should identify those grounds which have the required facilities and organise the first few rounds of games so that clubs can transfer home games to other "safe" venues. Let's hope that there are enough of these "safe" venues to get games played. 

[rncaa]

The above is typical of on here where they play football on a internet webpage.  To suggest identify grounds suitable then try play multiple games at these grounds for 'first few round of games ' what kind of fantasy nononsense is this totally underestimating the size of this problem and totally not getting what non league football is all about. 

Dozens and dozens of non league clubs have no chance of starting this season in turn making it totally pointless for any team that can which will be lucky to be in double figures to play this season. 

Anyone with any common sense knows this we don't need to see goverment guidlines to know this. 

With cases rising as lockdown is easing football at this level has no chance this season as in the grand scheme of things its a minor issue. 

[LongTimeLurker]

Check out what has happened on daily deaths for a clear picture of the real trend on COVID infections:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/

New case numbers are a misleading measure of what's happening because you had to have severe symptoms to get tested back when the main peak was happening. Now a far larger percentage of new infections are being diagnosed.

Unless Nicola S goes completely mental there should be a season.

[santheman]

The thing I find a bit strange is that you have all this social distancing /wearing masks when inside a changing room yet when the players go out onto a park that goes oot the window.

How do you man mark, set up a wall at a free kick, defend a corner etc without coming into close proximity with other players.

You’re  just as likely to catch the virus on the field as off it.

Its a crap shoot.

[Juniorfootball123]

I think its more about the length of time you have these interactions on the park.... very short.

 

Marking shouldnt be much of an issue in junior football!!