Football restarting. Why?

[HMSSophie]

If premiere league football - famously a sport played by people from the same household - restarts, WHY?

I am angered by this unreasonably. Football? Is that what we've come to? That the (primarily but not only) male masses need their dummy? That the footballers themselves can't lose a season in which to shine? That restarting will "justify" their obscene salaries?

Or are you saying football is work?
Of course football is work. For the players, the physios, the admin staff, the groundskeepers, the TV crew, etc etc. Thousands of people are directly or indirectly employed because of it. Sport and media are huge employers. Just because it is leisure or entertainment to some doesn’t mean it’s not work for others.

I would just like to point out to the people who are saying it's low risk because they are regularly testing footballers, they aren't proposing to test all of the media staff. I have some knowledge of what goes into televising a Premier League match and there are multitude of people involved that aren't employed by the clubs, and who can't work anywhere close to being 2m apart - those in the broadcasting trucks on the compound for a start.

Oh and a lot of those media staff will also be working on all of the other televised sport once it restarts - lots of mixing and travelling all around the country...

Daisy pond

Kicking a bladder of air round a field being chased by men in shorts is work?

People have a very warped view of what to value.

Will fans attend the match?

That's why so many talks of only when safe to do so. Clubs have spoken about, players have spoken out about it , fans who wont be there have spoken out about it. League Two have voted to cancel the season.

It's not a case of yayyy arent we amazing we have to do this so people can see it. Premier League, UEFA etc are pushing this and pushing for answers which no one has

Daisy, you're Vicky B, aren't you?

@managedmis nope behind closed doors. Where who knows. One minute was neutral grounds now that idea has been scrapped. There is the worry with fans turning up outside though

Daisy, you're Vicky B, aren't you?
Who is Vicky B? I don’t follow any sport at all, and loathe football.

@Iknitknickknacks Do you have any idea how much work goes in to being a successful sports person?

there are multitude of people involved that aren't employed by the clubs, and who can't work anywhere close to being 2m apart - those in the broadcasting trucks on the compound for a start

Every week I see my binmen arrive 3 or 4 to a cab of the bin lorry, I assume the councils have systems that are acceptable to the union of the binmen so I'm sure the broadcasters will be able to find a low risk solution.

Simonjt

Do you have any idea how much work goes into any other career?

Like the OP states - obscene amounts of money wasted .....

Once had an audience with a famous swimmer who was in receipt of national lottery money and sponsorship many times my salary. Her typical day sounded infinitely less stressful than my typical day.

Yes I do, I have both, my sport takes far more work, dedication and time, it’s also far more stressful as if I’m not at the top of my game I’m dropped and can’t get another contract.

I have no interest in football but it will bring a little bit of joy to a lot of people so I'm glad of that. It will cheer my mum up

Simonjt

In terms of the hours I worked compared to this professional swimmer - what a joke.

Once a professional sports person has trained once/twice a day (which is what this swimmer did) what is there to do? Eat properly? - yeah stressful and oh so time consuming.

Sounds like a walk in the park compared with 'true' professionals who actually achieve something for the good of society/the community. A professional work life which makes a difference towards society is immensely stressful. Think doctors, scientists, armed forces, Carers, educators. More stressful than winning a game for yourself. Stressful also because of the pittance paid, and having to make ends meet every month compared to footballers. Don't even get on about tax contributions - high earners have ways and means of avoiding it.

I'm talking about professional sports people who receive sole income from sport.

Maybe think about valuing people who save lives, help people, educate people because that's of greater importance than sport.

Sport should be the last on the list of 'getting back to normal' because of it's need for 'crowds'.

When I was in a higher league I was training four hours a day Monday to Saturday, I then had training three times a week and class twice a week. The pay is crap even at championship level with some players on as little as £16k, so all holiday in my other profession was used for midweek games in season.

Can't bloody wait!! Been without my football for far too long!

@Iknitknickknacks I didn’t say visiting people was any different to standing in a queue in a supermarket. I said it was different to getting people back into work, which whether you like it or not is what footballers are doing, getting back to work.

Your distaste for football or footballers doesn’t mean they aren’t an industry in the U.K. contributing to the U.K. economy!

Sport should be the last on the list of 'getting back to normal' because of it's need for 'crowds'

Crowds are not needed though. Have you never heard the phrase 'behind closed doors'?

It's not as if they are pretending to employ their relatives in exchange for a salary of 'coffee and biscuits' so they've got an excuse to contravene the lockdown guidelines now is it? Seems to me like you are simply picking and choosing what to get offended about.

I'm hoping the F1 will start in the not too distant future. They've said July but who knows - that'll be behind closed doors too, no crowds, just skeleton staff.

I don't really see the problem. They'll probably be more on the ball with testing and safety measures than a lot of other workplaces that went back this week.

Or are you saying football is work? Which is the most ridiculous thing ever.

Refer to the second part of the above re ridiculous

I really didn't think anyone could be quite so stupid.

So pleased, thank God,

There's already been wrestling and UFC events held in the US (without crowds) and they have to get right up close to each other. Haven't heard of any of them getting infected. There's too much money at stake for them to sit at home. I can see quite a few sporting events, and possibly entertainment events, starting up again.

Some of the players seem to be against this with some of the comments coming out. League 2 cancelled for the season today. I can see it not going ahead to be honest.

Pep also lost his mum to cornavirus so cant see him shouting to restart it. So many factors

@Tc83 RL and RFU are trying for force players to play three games a week, zero concern for player welfare.