A concert for a three hundred socially distanced audience is taking place tonight at the Sage in Gateshead. How can this be ok when football can't do the same, surely we could allow 3000 fans into our stadium and maintain the current regulations. Like lots of things in these chaotic times it just doesn't make any sense.
Because our Tory government are all about the arts and those things rich people enjoy. Us "common" (as they see us) football fans aren't even on their agenda. Had this on FB the other day. You can fill an aeroplane with 200+ people less than a foot apart sharing the toilet etc. as long as they have masks on. Government want to open the Royal Albert hall with 3000 people in as it can be "safely done" (holds just over 5000 so more than half full) As many as you want can walk around shopping centres and local shops as long as they have their masks on. Yet a football stadium, which is outdoor and holds almost 50000, can't be opened to 20% of it's capacity.
I think their argument is that football fans cant be trusted to get a taxi to the pub, have more than a few drinks, get to the ground, get a half time pie, use the bog, celebrate a goal or two, have a punch up, leave the ground, back to the pub, crawl out of pub and get a taxi home without putting lives at risk.
That's absolute dogshit. The arts have taken an utter ****ing hammering. Just last week the government put out an ad campaign telling people to retrain from the arts into cyber. The Chancellor has been incredibly clear that he thinks struggling artists and support staff ought to retrain. This from a country that's given the world Shakespeare, Dickens, Britten and Elgar. Make no mistake. The arts are absolutely on their knees and require far more help than the football industry which is already disgustingly profit driven.
The fact that there seems to be regular outbreaks within football clubs at the minute, you could argue that the question is not whether supporters should be allowed in the ground or not but whether the players should be. I mean the players are spitting, coughing, snorting, sweating and sliding all over the place in eachothers bodily fluids. A football pitch would be like a Covid-19 heaven. The supporters would be sitting in relative safety compared to the players on the pitch.
Mate I'm a pro singer - lost thousands down to this and had zero help as my duo has not been going long enough - even though I have self employed earning declaration from the last 20 years from doing it. Because I no longer use an agent and the duo is less than 2 years in, I got nothing so I know about the artsI know there no help but it just feels that football (in the lower league )it needs supporters - Premier league need nothing as they get a large pot of gold every season. I'm just lucky I have other strings to my bow outside of the band!! it was a flippant comment about the government (just feels like they'll push more for the "upper class" events than things like football!)
There is plenty of money in both the industries. But the grass roots are both ****ed because of the greed at the top. Difference is, I feel football should be being saved by the top clubs as they need those small clubs to make it the bottom of the pyramid they sit atop of. The government needs to do something about the arts though, because no one else will. People like you, dancers, writers, actors etc need support from outside the industry. If they don't get it we will lose a generation of artists.
But it isnt the supporters taking the hit, its the rich owners of the clubs who are taking the hit. Which I would guess make the majority of them Tory supporters. The working class will be saving money. Instead of going to the match, pints, greasy food, taxi fares, their money will be being spent at home. Its probably true in saying that, financially, the closing of grounds is helping the working class football supporter. Which makes me wonder, when Covid-19 is gone, and the grounds are fully open, will attendances get back to normal? How many would not be able to afford to go? I bet clubs will still be suffering financially for a few more years yet.
No arguments at all mate - my point is more to do with the complete double standards of the government in that it's safe for one but not the other. Just put in legal requirements for football stadia and away you go. As you say, the top brass in the industries need to help the smaller grass roots people. I hear radio ads saying "James Arthur is gigging again in wherever" and suchlike. His net worth is around £4m. Will he redistribute the extra million he'll make from gigging to bands and singers from the pub circuit? Of course not! My net worth is 2 and 6 and I am not allowed to gig!! The premier league, in a very similar vein, will not help out the lower leagues unless there is something big in it for them. they don't see your "top of the pyramid" as an argument as, from a financial standpoint (as far as I can tell) they don't make money from that. This "big picture" and the Liverpool and Utd playing in this Euro super league which has recently been mooted say everything you need to "We'll help the little clubs as long as we have all the say in what happens to clubs at our level" Just feels like the government will try to help the people in their circles but ask the rich in the football circles to help the poor. Ask Justin Bieber (NW £250m), Ed Sheeran (£120m), Gary Barlow (£50m) to part with their wealth to help the music industry at my level. Chances are they won't! It's very similar to asking the Premier league clubs to help the lower leagues
300 people in a confined space ( an aeroplane) nobody at a footy stadium. Utter utter f*cking b*llocks.
you can watch a match in a cinema or club bar ! the royal albert hall is letting people in as well, why not supporters in grounds ?. Another thing is is Stewart donald watching in his directors box at the SOL ?
