I think there has been a post on this already but for the life of me, I can't get anything to show via search terms. Probably lack of morning caffeine!

What is the current situation with us getting back into the ground?

I seem to recall there was progress and suggestions that there may be limited spectators at some point.

I also recall reading that this may not happen until 2021.

I think there was also some talk about being able to decide not to go but protect your seat for the season?

Can't see it being before Xmas at this rate.

The R rate is possibly around 1, local lockdowns are becoming regular and winter could potentially see another Covid spike

2030

There were some test events planned in August, but they were cancelled a few weeks or ago when cases started to rise. As far as I understand, nobody knows now. I don’t think it will be until 2021 earliest.

There is no current situation other than the Premier League discussing the potential for getting spectators back inside the grounds - that's about it.

I’m hoping that they’ll focus more on working with the TV companies to ensure that fans can see at least all of the games involving their teams.

At the current time, that should the the priority, not rushing to get people into the grounds.

Doubt it will be soon given our inability to follow guidance and what will happen come Autumn. Although it hasn't hit the headlines some ITU units are seeing more cases again and as they are the minority of cases it tells you what must be occurring. More games behind closed doors until spring would be my ill informed guess-unless we get an effective vaccine this winter which seems unlikely

I think you can forget this coming season, the way things are panning out.
Hope I'm wrong, but not for a long time.

I predicted August 2021 a couple of months ago and I still stand by that prediction.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if Leeds got relegated without their scumbag fans even seeing a ball kicked live . Joking apart i have to agree, think it will be a long long time before we are in a football ground again..

DCWat wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:13 am

I’m hoping that they’ll focus more on working with the TV companies to ensure that fans can see at least all of the games involving their teams.

At the current time, that should the the priority, not rushing to get people into the grounds.

Deal already done though with TV companies for the next two seasons. End of last season was a one off which might not be repeated.

Thanks all.

I was of a similar opinion in terms of expecting not to be anywhere near a live game for a long period of time and until there is a vaccine, or we understand this virus better, I am not sure if even if we were allowed back in the stadium, I would want to go.

I too hope we can continue to watch all games like we did with project restart if we can't get back in.

Hopefully towards the end of October, although with 80% of people ( being generous ) unable to follow the current guidelines, it will go on much longer than it ever needed too.

Worrying times for football I think, even at our level. The longer it goes on behind closed doors I think more and more people will get out of the habit of going, or realise they don't actually miss it that much, or start going to watch their local non league team instead.

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:02 am

Worrying times for I think, even at our level. The longer it goes on behind closed doors I think more and more people will get out of the habit of going, or realise they don't actually miss it that much, or start going to watch their local non league team instead.

I think you have hit the nail on the head with that post jrgbfc

Just imagine if we don’t get back in the stadiums this coming season but the TV companies stick with the original deal and don’t broadcast all or most games. What on earth would be the point? That’d be the final straw for me in terms of how ridiculously money-oriented football has become.

The TV companies will show the games, don’t worry about that.

I don't think we really still know what the full ramifications are of this pandemic is going to have on everyday life never mind football.

I wouldn't go and watch anybody else even locally - I don't need a football fix in that way.

If they only show the agreed games that have been paid for, then perhaps there needs to be some kind of ifollow type set up where season tickets can be bought to see all home games for your club.

claptrappers_union wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:21 am

The TV companies will show the games, don’t worry about that.

So you clearly know more on this than the Premier League and the club owners do

ksrclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:08 am

Just imagine if we don’t get back in the stadiums this coming season but the TV companies stick with the original deal and don’t broadcast all or most games. What on earth would be the point? That’d be the final straw for me in terms of how ridiculously money-oriented football has become.

It's a spectator sport. It was clearly the right thing to do to try and finish the 2019/20 season which was done successfully in the top two divisions, but how long do you continue like that? There isn't really a point to it if there are no supporters.

I thought we were at the beginning of things looking up when the Snooker World Championships had a third of the crowd in for Day 1, but then the plug was pulled on that one.

Snooker is being used as one of the testing phases, so it might be the end of November when they test it again with the UK Championships. If everything goes well, then we may see the same rules apply in January, where there's a stadium maximum of a third capacity. Of course, it's guess work, but just a possible theory.

I can't speak for the English leagues, but there was talk of limited numbers of fans being allowed into Scottish grounds possibly in September, however the Aberdeen fiasco might have set that back some while now.

It wouldn't surprise me if the whole 20-21 season was played behind closed doors, this virus is still circulating in the community, and the theory is it's likely to increase it's spread in the Autumn/Winter months, so if that proves to be the case then i think we can forget about any mass gatherings for at least a year or so.

How the lower leagues cope in the interim i have no idea, and a worst case scenario is that several clubs go under, hopefully not but it must be a strong possibility if they aren't generating any income.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:45 am

It's a spectator sport. It was clearly the right thing to do to try and finish the 2019/20 season which was done successfully in the top two divisions, but how long do you continue like that? There isn't really a point to it if there are no supporters.

I would say that Football is now an entertainment business and like any good business, it will need to adapt to survive.

Its a business that exist on selling rights to open up access for people to watch the game. With a global audience of 3.2bn then this is still a viable business when you probably see circa 0.5m fans in the stadium in the PL each week.

I accept that its a spectator sport and that football outside the premier league is important to have fans present in the ground but we all know that the people in the ground pay very little in terms of the overall wealth of club in the PL.

The question is whether the value of the product is reduced by not having supporters and fans in the ground and if smaller clubs can't operate as a result. However there is opportunity where it could open up TV rights in a different way which still allow fans to see games and for clubs to get the finances to operate.

Its bizarre to think about this and one that seems very unthinkable but given the way the world is, it wouldn't at all surprise me at all if clubs and leagues are looking at how to protect their investments with and without fans

I think it will be next Easter.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:35 am

So you clearly know more on this than the Premier League and the club owners do

All I’m saying is that I’m pretty confident that they will show the Premier League games. Not sure what the deal will be but I don’t think any games that are played behind closed doors won’t be covered in some way.

Tony, you’re turning into your old pedantic self again. Picking apart everyone’s opinions and comments, no one likes it.

I heard it I heard it will be announced next Thursday, along with our first summer signing and the new pricing for Twixes

claptrappers_union wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 12:04 pm

All I’m saying is that I’m pretty confident that they will show the Premier League games. Not sure what the deal will be but I don’t think any games that are played behind closed doors won’t be covered in some way.

Tony, you’re turning into your old pedantic self again. Picking apart everyone’s opinions and comments, no one likes it.

I’ve been in enough meetings recently both nationally and locally to have some understanding of what’s happening. I’m not being pedantic at all but you didn’t say you were pretty confident, you said the games WILL be shown.

The TV companies are certainly not happy at forking out the same sort of money for games with no spectators. The product they paid for us with fans inside the ground. I’ve no idea what will happen but I do know we are currently some way away from all games being shown.

I went to watch my kids play grassroots football yesterday, the local non-league side expect to let us watch in September. The more you do stuff like that, the less you care about paying hundreds of pounds for the privilege of seeing a financially rigged league of millionaires owned by billionaires. Paying to watch that on telly, with no fans there, fake crowd noise and endless VAR breaks.. well, it won't be happening in our house.

Still, I'd love to get back on the Turf. I'd probably buy a dodgy Russian vaccine off the internet next month if it meant I could.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 12:11 pm

I’ve been in enough meetings recently both nationally and locally to have some understanding of what’s happening. I’m not being pedantic at all but you didn’t say you were pretty confident, you said the games WILL be shown.

The TV companies are certainly not happy at forking out the same sort of money for games with no spectators. The product they paid for us with fans inside the ground. I’ve no idea what will happen but I do know we are currently some way away from all games being shown.

So why didn’t you reply with that, rather than your belittling original comment.

Your slipping back to the times you used to reply with “I think you’ll find it’s isn’t” phase

We’re having a discussion, this isn’t a platform for you talk to people like ****.

claptrappers_union wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 12:20 pm

So why didn’t you reply with that, rather than your belittling original comment.

Your slipping back to the times you used to reply with “I think you’ll find it’s isn’t” phase

We’re having a discussion, this isn’t a platform for you talk to people like ****.

And it isn’t a platform for you to claim your opinion to be fact. It needed picking up on. Whether I did that in the right way is open to debate but your responses since have suggested I did. Stop claiming things a fact that aren’t and stop insulting people who pick you on it whether that’s fine in the right way or not.

Fair enough, but you should correct people with what you know rather than just your ‘computer says no’ replies.

You do it everyone. It’s insufferable

NottsClaret wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 12:13 pm

I went to watch my kids play grassroots football yesterday, the local non-league side expect to let us watch in September. The more you do stuff like that, the less you care about paying hundreds of pounds for the privilege of seeing a financially rigged league of millionaires owned by billionaires. Paying to watch that on telly, with no fans there, fake crowd noise and endless VAR breaks.. well, it won't be happening in our house.

Still, I'd love to get back on the Turf. I'd probably buy a dodgy Russian vaccine off the internet next month if it meant I could.

When we were first stopped from going I thought there would be a huge response when we were finally allowed to return but now I’m not so sure and I tend to agree with your thoughts.

I have missed it like hell, I love going so much, but even I’ve got used to the new normal. I don’t know how I’ll feel if they allow reduced numbers in and I can’t go and more so if it is not televised.

Right now that’s not a problem because I don’t go out and haven’t done for six weeks since some inconsiderate runner decided to push me over because I hadn’t heard him while walking. Still, have to go out tomorrow, emergency dental appointment.

Most probably will start to let spectators back in age groups,us oldies will be kept out for quite a while until everybody has been vaccinated.

I think common sense has to prevail in the long run - even if we are not close to a deal/solution yet.

If fans cannot go into a ground then the professional leagues will have to maintain some availability for supporters to access. I can't for one minute accept there will not be access.

What I can guess may happen is that they only make it available to paid subscribers - so not free to air. That to me would make sense, especially with an option of season ticket holders being able to access their team home games on a platform such as iFollow.

These payments could be made to the club as ST payments still. I know this may seem inconcievable but Im seeing things in my line of work where people are talking about things that simply went against most operating models because the way the world has changed.

I can't see how they can start the season without some sort of solution to fans being able to access games - however, I can see CT's view and understanding that this may not be free to air in the same way we have seen of late.

Yes the contracts the tv companies signed were based on fans being in the grounds - but just like most of the people across the world they will be looking to adapt and change things I’m sure.
Based on last season it seems likely that the contracts they have allow them to reduce payments for games behind closed doors - so that’s an obvious financial risk to all clubs.
But personally I can’t imagine a situation where the TV companies will not want to show as many games as possible to as many people - why would they not want to show games ? They will not do it for free but I can see some kind of bespoke / reduced offering deal which is tailored to individual clubs possibly.
They could still do this and at the same time reduce the money they hand over to the Premier League - simply because again why wouldn’t they ? The Premier League are not in an especially strong bargaining position either - with no fans the product is definitely worse.

In terms of fans being let by in - at the moment it feels like with the recent outbreaks and far too many idiots adamant that they will now do what they want that there is no chance of fans returning this year. The priority will be to get schools open and that sounds like it could happen at the cost of some lockdown measures being brought back in which again suggests no chance we will relax guidelines elsewhere.

I can see the one person we have at the club who is employed to look after direct debits brushing up his CV as we speak !!

To put the risk into some perspective, the current rate of infection in England is 9 per 100000 and 21.5 per 100000 in Burnley. This would mean that with a full house of 20000 at Turf Moor there would likely be between 2 and 4 people infected. If we closed all the outlets in the concourse to stop people congregating there and made the wearing of masks compulsory in football grounds then it would probably be as safe as going to the supermarket. I'd certainly be prepared to attend on that basis.

Closed outlets in the concourse - would you close toilets too?

What about the turnstiles where there is a high frequency contact point amongst all fans too?

There is a lot to consider when you think about it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It is absolutely ludicrous to start a new season without fans in the ground.

No it wouldn't be as safe as you will be next to people at the ground for longer than the 15 minutes where your risk is assessed as rising of catching the virus from one of the four in the ground who have the virus and maybe within 2 metres of you.At the Supermarket you will only have a brief encounter with the 0.02 of a person in the supermarket who may have it assuming they let 100 customers and staff in at any time.

I’m at a loss to understand why having a completely captive audience with no option of attending the games is an hindrance to tv companies. It makes no logical sense.

Games will be shown, it would be lunacy not to show them.

Just as an aside, assume we are allowed spectators in. How would Burnley fans access the cricket field stand? That entrance is now blocked off with the new away team dressing room. Are all the concourses satisfactory for social distancing? So would some stands have to remain closed?

Apart from anything else, it's just not a simple operation to implement at the Turf and presumably a lot of other grounds, particularly the older grounds.

BL would be empty as none of us would be young enough to attend.

groove wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 1:35 pm

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It is absolutely ludicrous to start a new season without fans in the ground.

On what basis would it be ludicrous?

Leisure wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:11 pm

On what basis would it be ludicrous?

Because it's a spectator sport. Watching games in empty stadiums with fake crowd noise just doesn't cut it for me. It's only going ahead for the TV money. You don't see rock concerts or music festivals continuing behind closed doors. If it was upto me the season wouldn't start.

groove wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:30 pm

Because it's a spectator sport. Watching games in empty stadiums with fake crowd noise just doesn't cut it for me. It's only going ahead for the TV money. You don't see rock concerts or music festivals continuing behind closed doors. If it was upto me the season wouldn't start.

Do players still get paid?

Quick Q

If a lower attendance is allowed. Who would be first on the list?

Wellsy1882 wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:46 pm

Quick Q

If a lower attendance is allowed. Who would be first on the list?

Aaron Aardvark

Wellsy1882 wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:46 pm

Quick Q

If a lower attendance is allowed. Who would be first on the list?

Nothing said by our club as yet but I've seen a couple of other clubs who have said they will ballot season ticket holders match by match and that no one will get tickets for two games until everyone has at least had the offer of a ticket for one game.

groove wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:30 pm

Because it's a spectator sport. Watching games in empty stadiums with fake crowd noise just doesn't cut it for me. It's only going ahead for the TV money. You don't see rock concerts or music festivals continuing behind closed doors. If it was upto me the season wouldn't start.

They now record music for you to enjoy in your own home, crazy isn’t it!

Bertiebeehead wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 09, 2020 2:52 pm

They now record music for you to enjoy in your own home, crazy isn’t it!

Really? Wish I'd known that. I've been going to gigs and festivals for 30 years. What a pillock I am.