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Once again, the world of football seems to operate in a parallel universe.
While the rest of the world struggles through a pandemic most of whom have not witnessed before (unless you’re in your 11th decade and can remember the Spanish flu), football seems to carry on as if nothing has changed.
Only in the first few months of the first English lockdown, did football stop. Sky Sports even stopped charging for its channels.
Then, as everyone got fidgety, football decided to start playing again. Only as players and staff were tested weekly, you understand.
Football was being played in empty stadia, and every match was screened live by Sky, BT; even the BBC and Amazon Prime got some games. Free of charge to the viewer. Until Sky and BT tried to charge fans £14.95 to watch games, which those holding season tickets had already paid to watch.
Sunderland fans were only belatedly offered refunds on their season tickets. Not before being invited to pay for a streaming service that would have allowed them to watch online for an additional fee to their season ticket.
Thankfully, fans protested at Sky’s money raking plans and the satellite broadcaster backed down.
Only football could use the pandemic as a money-making exercise.
I’m also puzzled why games are being played in empty stadia.
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Why go to all the expense of opening a stadium, when surely a training pitch would suffice?
I’m sure the technical bods at the TV companies can organise to televise from these venues. Then needless costs on stadium opening and maintenance would be saved.
Then there was the distinct lack of social distancing witnessed as the Tottenham coach arrived at the Arriva Stadium, Crosby, Merseyside for eighth tier, AFC Marine’s FA Cup tie with Spurs.
The crowds engulfing the coach were not observing much social distance.
Though the watching from the gardens did seem like a rather executive box-like scenario.
Maybe stands should be pulled down to allow fans to watch from their private gardens again.
And I haven’t even mentioned the almost daily apologies managers are forced to make on behalf of their players who have breached COVID restrictions.
Football should stop. Everybody is making sacrifices, so should football.