Going Forward

[Mallard]

If, as expected Boris Johnson pushes back the final release from lockdown.  What effect will this have on the National League?

After the cock up of last season when Clubs thought they were going to receive support for the full season, only to find out it was for the opening 3 months.  Will Clubs be prepared to go ahead with the risk of restrictive gates being in place ?

[KES80]

Nothing is guaranteed going forward, as far as I can see....... hopefully in 4 weeks what comes next will be alittle clearer.

[Blue_and_Gold]

Not looking too good again.   

Sky News

COVID-19 cases are "rising exponentially" across England, with the latest estimates putting the R number at 1.44.

Infections increased by 50% between 3 May and 7 June coinciding with the rise of the Delta variant, which has become dominant in the UK since first being detected in India.

Delta has overtaken the Alpha (Kent) variant, and now accounts for up to 90% of coronavirus cases.

The number of COVID-19 cases is doubling every 11 days, according to data from the REACT-1 study by scientists at Imperial College London, who said their findings showed a "rapid switch" from the Alpha variant to Delta.

The figures also show that one in 670 people was infected, with the highest prevalence in the North West.

Stephen Riley, professor of infectious disease dynamics at Imperial and one of the study authors, said the exponential increase in prevalence is being driven by infections among younger people.



IMHO, dealing with the very nature of a Pandemic and the gradual easing of the restrictions, it's no real surprise that this is happening. It maybe also goes someway in explaining why some segments of the entertainment/hospitality industry are seeing their restrictions being lifted quicker than others. 

[KES80]

No surprise to anyone I would have thought.

IMHO each country needs to do it's bit re stringent border controls, excellent test and trace and decent roll out of vaccines. England has done well on the latter, but failed miserably on the first two.
Sadly one out of 3 won't do. Once you let a  dangerous variant in through poor border control and then don't have the test and trace in place to nullify it, it will breed and breed....high levels of the virus then enables other mutations to surface and before long the original vaccines are not effective and you are back to square one.
If you have been reasonably astute as a government (Denmark, New Zealand, Australia etc) and got the virus down to low levels then you can maintain strict border controls and offer vaccines in the huge numbers that are required to the rest of the globe.

Boris seems determined to keep trying to meet this virus head on.......all he is achieving is making England a breeding ground for nasty mutations which he then exports to the rest of Europe...as happened with the Kent mutation and will likely happen with the Indian/Delta one.

I am not of any staunch political persuasion, but England's path on this seems inept to the point of almost being childish....please someone at the top get a grip......can the country really afford much more of this on any level ?

[Mallard]

I think at some point we have to learn to live with Covid.  Is that time now?   I don’t think so.

I see these so called ‘test’ events taking place.  Some I kind of get, some I don’t.   Wimbledon is worth going with as people are mainly seated and unlikely to start jumping around hugging each other.

Football wise at Lynn I can see no reason why fans cannot sit in the stand with decent numbers.  Standing part of the ground would seem more of a challenge.

The big question is come July 19th will we move forwards, will we go backwards or will we stand still.?  If we don’t move forward, in terms of restrictions can Football at National League even start ?

The richer clubs in the National League will be desperate to get going and many seem to have the financial backing to make this happen.   However where will this leave the likes of Kings Lynn, Weymouth etc ?

[Blue_and_Gold]

However where will this leave the likes of Kings Lynn, Weymouth etc ?

One is on the East Coast, one is on the South Coast..............................that's the only thing that is certain at the moment.

Is there a (fluid) Plan B this time, both locally and as far as the NL are concerned?

[Mallard]

If there was one thing that last season taught us, it was the great void between the have’s and have nots.   

Money talked last season and the powerful clubs pushed through for the League to continue.  So it has to follow the same clubs will flex their muscle and the season will start.   

Begs the same question where will it leave the less stronger clubs ?

[Gordon Chilvers]

from seeing the news tonight it is said that although infections are up it is more the 20-29s who have not been vaccinated that are the problem. They then interviewed some cocky prat who thought he was super fit and if he caught it it would be alike to having a cold. If that is the general opinion of that age group then god help us. Some are worried if the vaccinbe will affect their fertility. If they get Covid they will have far more to worry about than whether they are fertile or not!
I also have no political persuasion but i am sorry to say that none of the leaders or there mps especially the shadow ones have a clue. Boris resembles a baboon in his swagger and on occassions acts like one to. Someone really needs to get a grip!
But hang on it will soon be holiday time for Parliament, perhaps covid will take a break also?