Return to the happy place

[cricketfieldclarets]

It’s certainly been a funny old year. Plenty of good memories. And definitely lots of highs both pre, during and post lockdowns. It’s not been all bad. But I think we are all looking forward to next year.

Roll on 2021 and returning to family time, to holidays, to mass gatherings and to stadiums... to coin a phrase - our happy places!

With new owners. Positive news in the fight against you know what. Good results. And light at the end of the tunnel. I expect this time next year will be vastly different and in a positive way than today.

A couple of tough months ahead. But with patience hopefully won’t be long before we all get to thank the old reigime and support the new.

Have a safe, healthy and happy one all. If you area still here able to read this 2020 hasn’t been all that bad.

UTC

[bfcjg]

Cheers CC great post, same to you and yours. I have never been as happy to enter a year as this one, might be older but so what. Can't wait for a pub crawl then the Turf. UTC. Happy new year one and all.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Cheers CC great post, same to you and yours. I have never been as happy to enter a year as this one, might be older but so what. Can't wait for a pub crawl then the Turf. UTC. Happy new year one and all.

Absolutely. Hopefuly before this season is out, but I am sure before this year is out!

All the best.

[Chester Perry]

pretty sure fans won't be back until the start of next season in significant numbers - but would not argue with the sentiment

[cricketfieldclarets]

pretty sure fans won't be back until the start of next season in significant numbers - but would not argue with the sentiment

Next season I agree on capacity but i would be optimistic that come April May we may see some crowds around 25%

[FactualFrank]

Next season I agree on capacity but i would be optimistic that come April May we may see some crowds around 25%

The fact of the matter is, at this moment in time, the vaccination process is absolutely nowhere near where it should be. At this rate, we're talking about a year before enough people are vaccinated, so we'll be in Tiers for some time yet. I'd be very pleasantly surprised if we manage to get 25% crowds on by May.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Clubs have managed it without vaccines so I am optimistic.

Time will tell. Either way we will be in a much better place I expect come spring.

[FactualFrank]

Clubs have managed it without vaccines so I am optimistic.

That was before the new variant. It seems clear now, that the current Tiers are nowhere near tight enough, which is why they're due to become stricter.

[Dyched]

The vast majority of people in the country were naive when this began last March. It’ll be more or less over by summer, back to normal by Christmas.

Now it’s roll on 2021 like it’s gonna disappear. This year is gonna be a lot, lot tougher than last. No doubt about that. We might have testing, we might have vaccines starting to be rolled out, but we are a long, long way from being back to any kind of normal. Nobody will be sat in their seat on the Turf until at least the 2022/23 season, or at least going consistently.

[FactualFrank]

The vast majority of people in the country were naive when this began last March. It’ll be more or less over by summer, back to normal by Christmas.

Depends on this new South African variant, which you'll no doubt have seen/heard on the news. It appears there's a very real possibility that the current vaccines won't work, which would put us back 12 months.

[ClaretAndJew]

Depends on this new South African variant, which you'll no doubt have seen/heard on the news. It appears there's a very real possibility that the current vaccines won't work, which would put us back 12 months.

Saw something that suggests they would be able to create a new vaccine within 6 weeks https://www.ft.com/content/26f396c2-3df ... 6784a2abd9

Which is a good thing, the current vaccines SHOULD give some resistance to the new strain but time will tell on that one. They were confident at first but now looking like they are unsure.

There's no chance anything will be done this year. No mass gatherings in 2021 I don't believe.

[FactualFrank]

Saw something that suggests they would be able to create a new vaccine within 6 weeks https://www.ft.com/content/26f396c2-3df ... 6784a2abd9

Which is a good thing, the current vaccines SHOULD give some resistance to the new strain but time will tell on that one. They were confident at first but now looking like they are unsure.

There's no chance anything will be done this year. No mass gatherings in 2021 I don't believe.

Yes mate, I've just gone and read a bit about this. I first heard about it on the news this morning, and my first thoughts were, "F**k's sake!"

But after reading more about it, as you say, they think it's unlikely to be completely useless and can be tweaked in 6 weeks, which is more reassuring.

[Dyched]

Depends on this new South African variant, which you'll no doubt have seen/heard on the news. It appears there's a very real possibility that the current vaccines won't work, which would put us back 12 months.

Sorry Frank, I meant that’s what the majority thought about Covid last year.

I haven’t heard about that yet, to be honest I try and not watch the news so much nowadays.

[cricketfieldclarets]

That was before the new variant. It seems clear now, that the current Tiers are nowhere near tight enough, which is why they're due to become stricter.

Of course. Things change every day in a pandemic so important to bare that in mind. But as I say i am confident.

[Dyched]

Nobody knows how long these vaccines actually last. The thought of vaccinating almost 70 million people yearly is laughable. New variants popping up now and again, new vaccines needed. It’s something we need to get used to living along side.

[FactualFrank]

Nobody knows how long these vaccines actually last. The thought of vaccinating almost 70 million people yearly is laughable. New variants popping up now and again, new vaccines needed. It’s something we need to get used to living along side.

They need to tweak the vaccine for the Flu every year, so imagine it will be similar to this. But in time, it won't affect the public - many won't even be aware the vaccine has been tweaked since the last time they had it.

[cricketfieldclarets]

anyway. Back on track before thread closures. Its intended to be a positive, optimistic thread and there is plenty of reason for both!

[Dyched]

They need to tweak the vaccine for the Flu every year, so imagine it will be similar to this. But in time, it won't affect the public - many won't even be aware the vaccine has been tweaked since the last time they had it.

Ahh okay, that makes more sense and reassuring.

[elwaclaret]

Agree with the sentiment, but I am less optimistic that we will have seen an end to this by next season. Two new variants already and with people unable to follow rules a rising pandemic.... which will only lead to faster, harder mutations and eventually one resistant to the new vaccines.... God knows I hope I’m wrong, but I put us just over halfway through this and at the moment and sadly rolling backwards.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Agree with the sentiment, but I am less optimistic that we will have seen an end to this by next season. Two new variants already and with people unable to follow rules a rising pandemic.... which will only lead to faster, harder mutations and eventually one resistant to the new vaccines.... God knows I hope I’m wrong, but I put us just over halfway through this and at the moment and sadly rolling backwards.

The one benefit to it spreading quicker is that that could mean it hits a brick wall quicker.