The Hypothetical Roadmap to Getting Fans Back in the SPFL Grounds Discussion

[AJF]

53 minutes ago, Mr Heliums said:

Any return strategy will be based on risk. So football fans will be allowed back in decent numbers to stadiums around the same time as large gigs/big outdoor gatherings etc.

This idea that government has it in for football is a bit weird, given the special treatment it's been given. Dave Cormack has been getting way too much air time.

I'm not talking about treatment the sport in general receives, I'm meaning more the way fans are viewed. Rightly or wrongly, football fans are held to a different standard than those attending other sports or events which is why I believe there might be a bit of a twist when it comes to opening the turnstiles without restriction.

[johnnydun]

McPake is putting up road blocks, toll booths and traffic jams on his road map to keep the fans away from Dens as long as possible.

[frankthetank22]

On 22/02/2021 at 22:31, AJF said:

I’ll buy a season ticket and I roughly expect a restricted number of fans to get in by the start of next season.

However I think the SG will err on the side of caution and will not allow full stadiums until after next winter. They’ll claim they want to protect the NHS and it’s too risky during winter so I suspect it will be Spring 2022 before stadiums can open their doors unrestricted.

This is what I fully expect, we'll get a handful of fans into some stadiums as we had before Christmas, this'll be based on regional covid numbers, the SG will be (quite rightly) cautious through the winter but hopefully open up again in the spring.

The thing this year with the season tickets has been the added TV streaming services. I've been really impressed with what my club, Ross County have served us, it has been well produced and well put together, it's nowhere near the same as actually meeting up with the guys, attending the match and having a couple pints but in the world we're in just now I'm content with what they're giving me and ultimately I just want my team to survive this.

Edited February 24, 2021 by frankthetank22

[kingjoey]

We all saw the crowds back in English grounds at the back end of last year, and that highlighted the difference between north and south of the border. The Government in England want to get fans back into sports stadiums as soon as possible, but the Scottish Government obviously want to keep us out for as long as possible. I have no idea why this is the mindset of the SG, but it is there for all to see. For that reason I have absolutely no hope that any crowds will be back before August. Like everyone else I know that it is all about keeping people healthy and safeguarding our hospitals, but it is the case that the SG want to frustrate the hell out of football people up here.

[Junior_Arab]

Is this not covered by the fact that we’re going back into tiers? If you’re in a low enough tier then fans are back in prescribed numbers. According to a poster on another United forum Dundee for example would be in about tier 1 on the numbers as they presently stand, which would mean fans back. Did she give a date for the return of the tier system or am I imagining it? End of April?   

[AJF]

3 minutes ago, Junior_Arab said:

Is this not covered by the fact that we’re going back into tiers? If you’re in a low enough tier then fans are back in prescribed numbers. According to a poster on another United forum Dundee for example would be in about tier 1 on the numbers as they presently stand, which would mean fans back. Did she give a date for the return of the tier system or am I imagining it? End of April?   

That may be correct but as you say, many of the current areas are posting numbers that would have them in Tier 1 but everyone is arbitrarily being placed in tier 3. They seem to be ignoring their own guidance regarding the criteria for which tier should be applicable. This is obviously a wider impacting issue than just football but it seems to indicate they will be managing the tiers rather than allow the prevalence of cases dictate them.

[Leith Green]

28 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

We all saw the crowds back in English grounds at the back end of last year, and that highlighted the difference between north and south of the border. The Government in England want to get fans back into sports stadiums as soon as possible, but the Scottish Government obviously want to keep us out for as long as possible. I have no idea why this is the mindset of the SG, but it is there for all to see. For that reason I have absolutely no hope that any crowds will be back before August. Like everyone else I know that it is all about keeping people healthy and safeguarding our hospitals, but it is the case that the SG want to frustrate the hell out of football people up here.

Westminster also thought it was a jolly wheeze to allow the Cheltenham festival to go ahead against all advice - leading to what is now recognised as a major outbreak from that source and ultimately the cause of many thousands of deaths.

I think the Scot Gov are being ultra cautious and its pretty frustrating - but set against the alternative its a tricky balance to be had.

Should also be remembered that none of the English dates are in stone - they are very likely to let people down if the data demonstrates that their tests have not been met.

[starryfish]

Is this not covered by the fact that we’re going back into tiers? If you’re in a low enough tier then fans are back in prescribed numbers. According to a poster on another United forum Dundee for example would be in about tier 1 on the numbers as they presently stand, which would mean fans back. Did she give a date for the return of the tier system or am I imagining it? End of April?   

Think you’ll see a shake up of the tier system and what can be done in each tier and when.

[kingjoey]

1 hour ago, Leith Green said:

Westminster also thought it was a jolly wheeze to allow the Cheltenham festival to go ahead against all advice - leading to what is now recognised as a major outbreak from that source and ultimately the cause of many thousands of deaths.

I think the Scot Gov are being ultra cautious and its pretty frustrating - but set against the alternative its a tricky balance to be had.

Should also be remembered that none of the English dates are in stone - they are very likely to let people down if the data demonstrates that their tests have not been met.

Even leaving what England is doing/has done, the SG have shown that they really do have a problem with football and seem to want to teach it a lesson.  This has not been helped by some of the stuff said by the football rulers and Dave Cormack last Autumn/Winter.

[buchan30]

You might well be right - but I wonder what constitutes an "away fan"
Scotland is full of fans of teams who live spread all over the country (I'm thinking of myself here!- Dundee United fan (season ticket holder) based in Central Scotland)

Might be a pain in thee hoop from an admin point of view. But do you think clubs might look at season ticket databases and have folk from the closest postcodes attending 1st?
Obviously it’s a bit trickier with fans paying at the gate. But it might be in the 1st instance that season ticket holders are the 1st back in small numbers.
Like you, that might effect me because although i am a raith fan, i do live 10 miles from kirkcaldy. So there is that travel issue that they may take into account.

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, Leith Green said:

Westminster also thought it was a jolly wheeze to allow the Cheltenham festival to go ahead against all advice - leading to what is now recognised as a major outbreak from that source and ultimately the cause of many thousands of deaths.

I think the Scot Gov are being ultra cautious and its pretty frustrating - but set against the alternative its a tricky balance to be had.

Erm the Scottish Government and it's clownshoe chief advisor gave the green light for a fucking Old Firm game to go ahead with a full crowd at the same time, until the SFA stepped in and canned the fixtures for the weekend because the Arsenal manager caught the 'rona. 

[DukDukGoose]

15 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

Even leaving what England is doing/has done, the SG have shown that they really do have a problem with football and seem to want to teach it a lesson.  This has not been helped by some of the stuff said by the football rulers and Dave Cormack last Autumn/Winter.

the same Dave Cormack who's made a c**t of himself for months on the subject?

[Gorgie greatness]

We’ll need let in as a necessity, as proven this season without the Gorgie boo boys hearts can’t play!

[AJF]

1 hour ago, buchan30 said:

 

Might be a pain in thee hoop from an admin point of view. But do you think clubs might look at season ticket databases and have folk from the closest postcodes attending 1st?
Obviously it’s a bit trickier with fans paying at the gate. But it might be in the 1st instance that season ticket holders are the 1st back in small numbers.
Like you, that might effect me because although i am a raith fan, i do live 10 miles from kirkcaldy. So there is that travel issue that they may take into account.

 

I've seen that point raised before and while I think clubs may go down that route, I don't think it would minimise any risk.

In the example you provide, lets say someone drives to watch their team from 10 miles away. Why would they be considered a higher risk than someone living any closer but they use public transport to attend?

[Leith Green]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

Erm the Scottish Government and it's clownshoe chief advisor gave the green light for a fucking Old Firm game to go ahead with a full crowd at the same time, until the SFA stepped in and canned the fixtures for the weekend because the Arsenal manager caught the 'rona. 

You may well be right, I don't have an axe to grind either way. Was just commenting that opening up "because England are doing it" might not be the best idea.

 

[well fan for life]

48 minutes ago, Gorgie greatness said:

We’ll need let in as a necessity, as proven this season without the Gorgie boo boys hearts can’t play!

One of the most annoying bits of all this is that there hasn't even been the satisfaction of booing the gormless set of c***s we've signed for this season. 

[Swello]

It will be interesting to see how they handle the return when it happens. There are quite a few grounds (eg, Ruby Park, Fir Park, McDiarmid, NDP) that could easily swallow a normal home support with a fair degree of distancing allowed versus grounds with a much lower ratio of seats:supporters like Tynecastle or Ibrox. If they put it in terms of % of capacity, then some teams will be able to return to (close to) normal trading.

From a personal point of view, I'm not interested in the "test" games where a few hundred are allowed in - someone else can have my ticket for that sort of thing if it starts up (I also don't live in Lanarkshire, so it probably won't be my choice anyway)

[kingjoey]

1 hour ago, Merkland Red said:

the same Dave Cormack who's made a c**t of himself for months on the subject?

Without the expletive, that’s what I said.

[Steven W]

1 hour ago, buchan30 said:

 

Might be a pain in thee hoop from an admin point of view. But do you think clubs might look at season ticket databases and have folk from the closest postcodes attending 1st?
Obviously it’s a bit trickier with fans paying at the gate. But it might be in the 1st instance that season ticket holders are the 1st back in small numbers.
Like you, that might effect me because although i am a raith fan, i do live 10 miles from kirkcaldy. So there is that travel issue that they may take into account.

 

I think there is every probability that when the time comes, certainly initially, it'll be local fans only. I'm pretty sure thats what the Highland League teams were doing when they had fans for a wee while. 

[realmadrid]

9 minutes ago, Swello said:

It will be interesting to see how they handle the return when it happens. There are quite a few grounds (eg, Ruby Park, Fir Park, McDiarmid, NDP) that could easily swallow a normal home support with a fair degree of distancing allowed versus grounds with a much lower ratio of seats:supporters like Tynecastle or Ibrox. If they put it in terms of % of capacity, then some teams will be able to return to (close to) normal trading.

From a personal point of view, I'm not interested in the "test" games where a few hundred are allowed in - someone else can have my ticket for that sort of thing if it starts up (I also don't live in Lanarkshire, so it probably won't be my choice anyway)

Sundays cup final , while I appreciate due to travel it was never going to happen could have been an ideal example of that.

They could have offered each season ticket holder of both clubs a seat at Hampden and still had 48,000 empty seats, but the date is just too early to do that when everyone is being told to stay at home.