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Original poster

Can someone explain to me why Wales has cancelled spectators st sporting events?

62 replies

RJnomore1 · 21/12/2021 07:47

Ok big crowds but mostly outside; as far as I can see things like gigs inside are still going on where people are more likely to be close up and personal too?

I’m just not understanding the logic, we are told outside is safer. Anyone able to help?

And for full disclosure I’m in Scotland so no personal impact just baffled.

OP posts:
AnguaResurgam · 21/12/2021 07:59

Big events being cancelled forthwith in Wales - preventing mixing in large, yelling crowds.

Nightclub etc closed from 27/12 (so gigs off)

It's a small discrepancy in timing, which seems to be linked to size of crowd - as its stadium events, not all fixtures - not a different approach.

Original poster
RJnomore1 · 21/12/2021 08:32

Ah I had missed about nightclubs. So does that include music venues that sent in nightclubs? That makes more sense thanks.

BBC news this morning were reporting that it wasn’t just big sporting events it was spectators at any sporting event, I was but confused.

OP posts:
IsThisIt2021 · 21/12/2021 08:35

Some of my family are in Wales and aren’t impressed at the moment judging by the SM posts. All sounds very confusing but Wales & Scotland do seem to be bringing in measures which make more sense than Englands.

BrideofAberdeen · 21/12/2021 08:35

I don’t think it’s necessarily the risk at the ground, but think of all these people squashed into stairwells and exits then all travelling on trains or buses together

Original poster
RJnomore1 · 21/12/2021 08:39

That also makes sense. TBH I’m surprised they let the league cup final go ahead up here as it is abd I’ll be very surprised if the new year old firm game has a full crowd.

OP posts:
AlecTrevelyan006 · 21/12/2021 08:50

@IsThisIt2021

Some of my family are in Wales and aren’t impressed at the moment judging by the SM posts. All sounds very confusing but Wales & Scotland do seem to be bringing in measures which make more sense than Englands.
No, it’s just that Drakeford and Sturgeon always want to be seen doing something different to Johnson
Theunamedcat · 21/12/2021 08:51

Because they have to go one better than boris

Curioushorse · 21/12/2021 08:52

Hospitals are under far more pressure in Wales than England too. There are fewer beds, I think?

Suranjeep · 21/12/2021 08:52

@AlecTrevelyan006yes, it’s another good example of why the devolved nations powers should have been removed under emergency legislation back in March 2020, everything should be led from the UK government during such an emergency.

SLH2003 · 21/12/2021 08:53

Because they always want to be seen to be doing something different.

GreenClock · 21/12/2021 08:55

So it’s possible to crowd unto a Welsh pub to watch televised sport in late December but not to go to the match in person? That sounds odd but Drakeford has always struck me as a sensible sort so maybe I’m missing something.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 21/12/2021 08:56

The devolved nations have been running their healthcare for years now - I don't think it would have been right to grab it away. There are some differences in approach, but they're not that big, and if you look at the sorts of measure that are being deployed across Europe, none are outliers.

Though of course you will always get weirdnesses at borders, for example in places like Hay on Wye where a trip across town could be called international travel!

CottonSock · 21/12/2021 08:59

I'm I Wales and an quite happy to see large gatherings cancelled.
The hospitals near me are on their knees.
But yes, Drakeford wants to be a step ahead of Boris on a weekly basis.

BingBongToTheMoon · 21/12/2021 09:04

It’s going to happen up here too.
I virtually guarantee it.

amillionmenonmars · 21/12/2021 09:05

Because the Welsh Gov is trying to keep us as safe as they can?

Large sporting events mean that people will be close together. Even worse, as many are held in Cardiff and other cities, they will mean people traveling down in packed trains and buses. If we want to keep the schools open and the NHS running it makes perfect sense to limit non essential mixing when faced with a highly infectious variant. Even if people do not become seriously ill with it they will be off work. We need to do all we can to keep essential workers in work.

n any case large sporting events are at risk anyway. How many Premium football players and staff are currently off sick with covid?

Why on earth should the devolved, democratically elected governments have their powers removed. they are not trying to to be 'different'. they are trying to govern.

Boris should give it a go.

Mark Drakeford has not embarrassed us all by breaking his own rules and holding cheese and wine meetings.

AllThatGlistensIs · 21/12/2021 09:05

Are those commenting about taking power back to Westminster actually resident in Wales? We have far fewer hospital beds and considerably less funding. Power over healthcare yes, but hamstrung when it comes to financial aid. I’m just as fed up of the restrictions as everyone else, and of course there’s a bit of grandstanding, but really, Sturgeon and Drakeford are just playing games to outdo Johnson? 🙄

JuergenSchwarzwald · 21/12/2021 09:13

@GreenClock

So it’s possible to crowd unto a Welsh pub to watch televised sport in late December but not to go to the match in person? That sounds odd but Drakeford has always struck me as a sensible sort so maybe I’m missing something.
Erm, Drakeford, sensible? He who tried to ban supermarkets selling "non-essential" items? We clearly have different definitions of "sensible" Grin

Anyway I assume this means no parkrun in Wales Sad

Original poster
RJnomore1 · 21/12/2021 09:13

Sorry i didn’t mean to turn it into a political thread! I was just wondering the logic of what on the surface seems a safer, outdoors event bring blanket bans. Not sure any government has got this right - not sure there is a right, just the best you can do at that moment really.

OP posts:
DdraigGoch · 21/12/2021 09:26

@Theunamedcat

Because they have to go one better than boris
Or one worse, depending upon your point of view.
thevassal · 21/12/2021 09:30

[quote Suranjeep]@AlecTrevelyan006yes, it’s another good example of why the devolved nations powers should have been removed under emergency legislation back in March 2020, everything should be led from the UK government during such an emergency.[/quote]
Wtf? Our democratic rights to govern ourselves aren't just a nice gesture that can be removed on a whim...fuck me. I'm going to screen shot this post and copy it whenever the "why does everyone hate the english" posts come up.

EvilPea · 21/12/2021 09:32

I saw the vaccine announcement on the news from the welsh ministers.
They just kept saying that the English one was chaotic and wales would prioritise with need instead of having frail people queuing for hours.

I was thinking that’s the walk ins not the bookings, if you’ve got an appointment your not queuing. She just kept saying it. I was thinking is this the time for point scoring??
Just get the vaccines out as quickly as possible.

Kokeshi123 · 21/12/2021 09:53

I am old enough to remember when the big promise behind devolution was that it would help to bring in an exciting new age of out-of-the-box thinking on policy and governance, with Scottish and Welsh and English authorities boldly trying out all kinds of innovative stuff, and the regions all comparing results with each other and then using this a basis for deciding which policies they should try out next.

In fact, the main result of devolution seems to be a sort of ploddingly grim-faced contrarianism, with the Scottish and Welsh governments basically looking at what Westminster does and then loudly choosing to do the opposite. OK then.

The stats from Wales and Scotland have been as bad as or even worse than England's for the most part during this pandemic, despite the extra dose of state-sponsored misery.

Kokeshi123 · 21/12/2021 09:55

(No, not trying to argue for taking back powers from W and S. These are democratic rights and people have a right to exercise them. I am just making the point that it mostly doesn't seem to have resulted in better governance for any of the regions, including England, which is what was initially promised)

Deadcanary1 · 21/12/2021 10:02

Drakeford is an arse and loves imposing restrictions! He'll be rubbing his hands in anticipation of which pointless rules he can dictate to the Welsh population next! I have friends who live on the border with England, and whenever restrictions in Wales were tougher then England they crossed the border to do their socialising and shopping. Health is devolved in Wales, and the Welsh nhs is in a shocking state!. I know people who have had to go to England for treatment/drugs that they can't access from Welsh health services!

Deadcanary1 · 21/12/2021 10:09

@amillionmenonmars

Because the Welsh Gov is trying to keep us as safe as they can?

Large sporting events mean that people will be close together. Even worse, as many are held in Cardiff and other cities, they will mean people traveling down in packed trains and buses. If we want to keep the schools open and the NHS running it makes perfect sense to limit non essential mixing when faced with a highly infectious variant. Even if people do not become seriously ill with it they will be off work. We need to do all we can to keep essential workers in work.

n any case large sporting events are at risk anyway. How many Premium football players and staff are currently off sick with covid?

Why on earth should the devolved, democratically elected governments have their powers removed. they are not trying to to be 'different'. they are trying to govern.

Boris should give it a go.

Mark Drakeford has not embarrassed us all by breaking his own rules and holding cheese and wine meetings.

Did you not see Drakeford dancing .maskless with no social distancing in a packed venue at a Divali celebration recently?