Is Sean Dyche for real?

[Red-n-Blue]

Also, some might argue it's "immoral" to keep schools open, particularly as teachers and school staff have no say in the matter (and no testing or PPE). And yet, many parents still want to send their kids to school because they're understandably worried about their education. Some parents can't work if their kids are off school, and face financial hardship as a consequence. Tell me: who's right and who's wrong? Teaching unions or parents?

I spoke with an educator who said that schools were Covid secure and that a lot of effort has been expended in making them so. I assume that he wasn't making it up and schools are thus quite safe environments. We agreed that the issue is not the school environment that is promoting spread, but the lack of adherence to the rules by kids once they are beyond the school gate, with particular reference the 11-16 age group.

Well, I live with an educator (my wife), and she has a differing view. It's impossible to make schools covid secure because the kids don't wear masks and there's no mass testing procedure in place. She goes to work every day, knowing there's a real and genuine risk to her and her colleagues. We all know the kids themselves aren't at risk but the staff are. The term 'covid secure' is frankly ridiculous, as is the notion schools are closed - attendance is running close to 50%.

[ShotOnTarget]

Also, some might argue it's "immoral" to keep schools open, particularly as teachers and school staff have no say in the matter (and no testing or PPE). And yet, many parents still want to send their kids to school because they're understandably worried about their education. Some parents can't work if their kids are off school, and face financial hardship as a consequence. Tell me: who's right and who's wrong? Teaching unions or parents?

I spoke with an educator who said that schools were Covid secure and that a lot of effort has been expended in making them so. I assume that he wasn't making it up and schools are thus quite safe environments. We agreed that the issue is not the school environment that is promoting spread, but the lack of adherence to the rules by kids once they are beyond the school gate, with particular reference the 11-16 age group.

Well, I live with an educator (my wife), and she has a differing view. It's impossible to make schools covid secure because the kids don't wear masks and there's no mass testing procedure in place. She goes to work every day, knowing there's a real and genuine risk to her and her colleagues. We all know the kids themselves aren't at risk but the staff are. The term 'covid secure' is frankly ridiculous, as is the notion schools are closed - attendance is running close to 50%.

It sounds desperate. How many teachers at her school have been infected since last March?

[Lightwater Shot]

There is a whole undertone here that the Government must be aware of, but understandably are keeping low key.

It's the danger of creating a 2-tier society of those who are vaccinated/immune (and may think they can do as they please) and those who aren't.
My view is that western society has become quite "me first" in culture and a lot of premier league footballers are exemplars of that.

People are bombarding their local surgeries with queries and complaints about when they will be vaccinated, despite being asked to wait until they have been contacted.

We all have to follow the same set of rules, whether vaccinated or not, or it could quite easily descend into anarchy. Allowing a special category for elite footballers would be a dangerous precedent.

[Somerset Shot]

Football authorities should seriously rethink allowing games to continue and players to exist in their own detached bubble while so many ordinary hard working people are on an enforced shutdown for the greater good of society. Meanwhile, prima donna footballers bleat about testing and vaccines so they can continue their overpaid hobby. If football had any remnants of morality they would announce that all competitions will fall into line with the national lockdown with players ordered to stay home. The people’s game?

It could be argued that the continuation of football is for the greater good.

Whatever your views on the money PL players are paid, there is no denying that sport is one of the few 'norms' people can cling to in these desperately depressing times. For some, it's all they have.

My younger brother is a Fulham fan (long story) and he's also our elderly dad's primary carer. The poor sod has barely left the house in nine months and he's going out of his mind. All he has to look forward to is football.

Also, some might argue it's "immoral" to keep schools open, particularly as teachers and school staff have no say in the matter (and no testing or PPE). And yet, many parents still want to send their kids to school because they're understandably worried about their education. Some parents can't work if their kids are off school, and face financial hardship as a consequence. Tell me: who's right and who's wrong? Teaching unions or parents?

One thing we should all learn from this is that sometimes in life there are no clear-cut right or wrong answers. Every decision that's made has consequences - for us as individuals, sometimes those consequences are positive and sometimes they're negative. It's easy to get enraged when we don't agree with a view or policy but maybe we should take a breath and try to at least understand the opposing view.

There are no winners in this, so the best we can do is try to be conscientious losers.

The continuation of football can only be for the greater good of a minority in society. The argument that sport is “all some people have” can be made for virtually every activity which is now on hold in an effort to get control of the virus. Some people live for work and interaction with colleagues. Some people live for their annual Mediterranean cruise. Some people live for their daily gym workout. Some people live for shopping. Some people live for seeing live performance arts. Some people live for just spending time with family. Some people live for dominoes with mates in the pub. Why are armchair football fans more important than all those people who have (or had) other interests in their life?

I do understand the opposing view. All I’m arguing is that for the duration of a hard lockdown football (and the handful of other elite team sports) should make sacrifices just like millions of others.

Does football want to say “we’re in this together and we’ll all stay home until we can be together again in a stadium” or “we deserve special treatment because we don’t want to temporarily stop doing what we want to do”?

[redblueuptoyou]

“Why are armchair football fans more important than all those people who have (or had) other interests in their life?”

Because the betting companies can make money off it?

[Old Bob]

My view is that western society has become quite "me first" in culture ...

Certainly true in this country. We have Margaret Thatcher to thank for it ... along with the post-Thatcherites (e.g., Tony Blair).

[ians]

My view is that western society has become quite "me first" in culture ...

Certainly true in this country. We have Margaret Thatcher to thank for it ... along with the post-Thatcherites (e.g., Tony Blair).

Very true about the UK.
Not sure it’s true about the likes of Germany and France though so it’s not all western society, we as a country decided to go a certain route and you reap what you sow.

[Crowthorne]

UK vacations over 1.3 million, EU hardly any, too busy acting as a united front (Im not saying the vaccine is good or bad).
Trouble with this country is so many of its own people love to put it down.

[Birdman]

UK vacations over 1.3 million, EU hardly any, too busy acting as a united front (Im not saying the vaccine is good or bad).
Trouble with this country is so many of its own people love to put it down.

I’m not sure that there’s been that many UK vacations recently what wiv this virusey fing goin’ around.

[Crowthorne]

Sorry vaccinations, bloody pre-emptive text.

[Old Bob]

Trouble with this country is so many of its own people love to put it down.

Do you think so, Crowthorne? I can't say I've seen too much of that.

Any country will have good and bad aspects. Any country will have a proportion of people (one hopes a small proportion) that are blind either to the good or to the bad aspects. The former would be called malcontents (or miserable bar stewards); the latter would be called extreme nationalists. Fortunately we are refreshingly free of ultra-nationalism (unlike swathes of the USA) and I don't come across too many without a good word to say for the UK.

The vast majority of sensible people appreciate the good (our social order, good standards of food supply, housing, public health, relatively low crime rate, temperate climate, pleasant countryside, a well-established democracy) while recognising that it's not perfect and some things could be improved.

[ShotOnTarget]

I spoke with an educator who said that schools were Covid secure and that a lot of effort has been expended in making them so. I assume that he wasn't making it up and schools are thus quite safe environments. We agreed that the issue is not the school environment that is promoting spread, but the lack of adherence to the rules by kids once they are beyond the school gate, with particular reference the 11-16 age group.

Well, I live with an educator (my wife), and she has a differing view. It's impossible to make schools covid secure because the kids don't wear masks and there's no mass testing procedure in place. She goes to work every day, knowing there's a real and genuine risk to her and her colleagues. We all know the kids themselves aren't at risk but the staff are. The term 'covid secure' is frankly ridiculous, as is the notion schools are closed - attendance is running close to 50%.

It sounds desperate. How many teachers at her school have been infected since last March?

Still counting after 6 1/2 hours? Must be a hell of a lot.

[ians]

UK vacations over 1.3 million, EU hardly any, too busy acting as a united front (Im not saying the vaccine is good or bad).
Trouble with this country is so many of its own people love to put it down.

I think you are arguing against yourself a little there! If people put the country down so much isn’t that a sign that there is no community cohesion because everyone is just looking after “me”

I actually agree that people do and that people didn’t back in my youth, the seventies

[Aldershot_Rob]

Davie Moyes has now piped up saying footballers should not be singled out for their mistakes. I disagree entirely. Given that they know full well they are in the spot light and live a very fortunate lifestyle, they should grow up instead of biting the hands that feed them. They blatant flouting has been nothing short of a disgrace and shows how much compassion they have for the whole situation.

[Crowthorne]

The likes of Grealish are just arrogant, nothing that is said to them has any effect. They are insulated from reality by having large amounts of money. If football fans stopped paying to watch them, it may have some effect but I doubt it.