When will sports fixtures resume?

[peppersneezes000]

Dh misses the footie like crazy. My DC are very anxious to get back to their respective activities & competions. Had booked a trip abroad for one of my dc to compete in a meet but I'd say it's highly unlikely any amateur events will go ahead this year due to social distancing?

[AuntieStella]

I think there will be a staggered start.

Clubs and small events which attract a small number of people (especially outdoors) might be allowed before medium, then large ones. Outdoor before indoor, and perhaps only one pitch (or alternating pitches) per playing field, so that spectators (and parent) are well spaced.

They might be able to have some gatherings from the autumn - and I don't see why children's sports clubs shouldn't restart once schools do.

Big fixtures and mass participation events might not be able to resume for some time. Stadium events could happen with no spectators.

Small (club type) running events could restart fairly early, but parkrun only when outdoor gatherings of >1000 are permitted and distancing relaxed. The autumn running event calendar might see cancellations of the big (road closed) events. The London Marathon is currently postponed until early October, but I think that might have to change again (not least as the venue for pre-event admin base and running show is currently a hospital)

[woodencoffeetable]

next year probably.

professional football possibly without spectators at first.

[cologne4711]

Not sure. England Athletics decided to set its own guidelines and banned everything, even meeting up with one other person to train, even before the government set the lockdown restrictions.

A regional athletics meet is due to take place in August, it's possible that it could take place and I would guess it will be the first one to happen if it does. One problem is that most officials are quite elderly, although you don't generally need to come that close to the athletes.

I am also wondering about the London marathon, they could do away with the expo and send out the running numbers. I know you might get a few people passing on their numbers but in the scheme of things that's no big deal.

parkrun I don't know - didn't they say that it had to be all territories at once? In which case it could be next year. And some venues won't allow any events at the moment, (one country park near Reading has said nothing until the end of June at the earliest, regardless of government guidance) so even if the general rule was parkrun can restart, if one venue says no, that means no parkruns can start. I think they may have to rethink the all or nothing stance despite their concern that if some parkruns restart and not others, some would be swamped.

[Sirzy]

I’m booked to go and watch a rugby game in France in June - I doubt things will be up and running by then!

I think mid June we might get to a point where games can be played behind closed doors with restrictions gradually being lifted.

I think for a lot of youth sports and the likes it will probably be new academic year before they start again with competitions off for this year starting again next

[peppersneezes000]

Probably, my DD is a dancer so she can work a bit at home but I feel her stamina is very poor😟

[AuntieStella]

IIRC, parkrun is on the basis that if there is a parkrun anywhere in a country that breaches pandemic restrictions, then all parkruns in that country stop (until,all,are compliant) - eg it's a ban because the largest parkrun exceeds the size of permitted outdoor public gathering.

I expect they can re-open if some landowners temporarily withhold permission. Because some had shut before the closure in response tolandowners concerns about encouraging crowds and making the space unsafe, and some being called off for those reasons did not precipitate the shut down. Though i agree if a lot of landowners withheld consent, it might force a delay in order to avoid bumper numbers at others nearby

I suspect that distancing rules might keep UK parkruns closed for quite a long time to come

London Marathon would have to post numbers, cancel the expo and hire somewhere different for the event week admin base. But the amount of police resources to close that number of roads, and health support (even though much of it is from orgs as St Johns, not directly NHS) would still be difficult if not impossible to arrange

[peppersneezes000]

I think with the social distancing restrictions still going to be in place it will probably be next year😟

[Pennywort]

DH works for a major sports club and the team are supposed (at the moment) to come back into training in five weeks to start getting back to match fitness. They are working on the supposition that they will try to finish the missed season fixtures in July and August without spectators and start the 2021 season around the right time, possibly still without spectators for some considerable period.

But this is entirely dependent on government guidelines, the sectors of the economy that reopen, and the fact that there's a Covid hospital at their training ground...

So, entirely up in the air, but they're trying to plan for all eventualities, and have match-fit teams ready to go if and when it becomes possible to play again.

(And everyone, including the players and directors, has gone on part-deferred salary to keep everyone employed.)

[ViciousJackdaw]

My team are on the verge of winning the Premiership and DH's team are an inch away from promotion to the PL - the footy can't start soon enough for us!