Antrim Football Thread

[saffman]

Is there a copy of said email??

[imtommygunn]

Ulster GAA/Antrim GAA Directive to all club committees

Social Clubs
Advice from Ulster Council is that 99% of our social clubs should not be open as they operate as effective wet houses and not restaurant style operations, I have heard numerous stories of how clubs think they can circumvent guidelines and legislation , so things to consider if wishing to open a bar.

Does your club have adequate facilities with hygiene clearance to adhere to legislation if providing food?


If providing an outdoor beer garden , do you have table service in place, has outdoor beer garden been passed for insurance and meeting council legislation?


Is your social club operating a members only policy and are you logging time and date members enter and exit social club?


Financial viability of opening a social club in this climate, ,(without functions that are not allowed) is very limited , margins are low in social clubs added to this additional staff costs due to waitering service and extra hygiene costs , ask yourself would your social club actually make money in this current climate or is opening your social club actually costing your club money to stay open, I have heard stories of the bar gives us cash flow, Turnover is a lot difference than profit, running a social club to get turnover while it is loosing money is economic madness and no committee should allow this to happen.

Club Shops

Shops can open if you can implement safe guards,
If opening club shop to sell club gear, this can be organised for collection in a timely manner.


If wanting to open shop to sell tea/coffee etc at matches, the reality is you are attracting up to 400 people to one point at a pressure period of time, rush hour is half time, realistically social distancing at our club tea shops is unrealistic as most of them work out of a small container with a hatch or door, I seen one club trying their best , where a person buys cup of tea and then goes to a separate table to put in milk and sugar, but remember all people who bought a cup of tea went to that table and lifted the milk etc , so unless you are 100% sure that you can implement hygiene controls , I would ask you to keep shop shut during matches as precautionary measure .



Changing Rooms/Hall

All indoor facilities are closed except toilets if you have no other toilet options , so no changing in halls , no letting your hall out to five a side , no using hall as it was raining on a training day.

If a club uses indoor facilitates and they have a Covid issue , if a player etc tests positive and has been found to have been indoors in one of our clubs , .i.e. at video analyses or team meeting, this will be judged as close contact by public health authorities and club is a risk of being shut down and being removed from participation in all games and training, per Croke Park advice , Covid is 19 times more likely to spread if indoor usage of clubs, that is why they have closed indoor facilities.


Conclusion

Ask yourself do you or another club executive member want to explain to the press and local community or maybe even a judge , why due to flouting guidance your club is the centre of a Covid outbreak in your community, even worse do you want to have to attend a wake to apologise on behalf of club for being the source of a Covid outbreak that caused someone to die ?



During the eye of the storm when the country was in the Bhearna Bhaoil , CLG stood up and was counted, we seen all that is good about our association, so while we lobbied hard to get our youth back playing games with limited supporters, we agreed to act in a responsible manner, we are not a business , we are not a social club confederation , we are the GAA, who are held in high esteem within our communities , so please remember who you are and what you represent and help keep your community safe, keep up the good work and enjoy your games.

County chair

Is that it?

[saffman]

No real threats there from what I can read??
Very much highlighting potential issues more so than anything else

[Milltown Row2]

When this was first posted, I said there was nothing wrong in what was said...

The only problem I foresee will be... not finishing The championship this season ! One outbreak could spell trouble

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

id agree with that as well. theres nothing threatening there at all, more so its reminding people of the common sense that needs to be adhered to at this time.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

When this was first posted, I said there was nothing wrong in what was said...

The only problem I foresee will be... not finishing The championship this season ! One outbreak could spell trouble

do you think the inter county scene will end up getting scrubbed at this rate?

[Milltown Row2]

When this was first posted, I said there was nothing wrong in what was said...

The only problem I foresee will be... not finishing The championship this season ! One outbreak could spell trouble

do you think the inter county scene will end up getting scrubbed at this rate?

Just looking at the likes of Kildare for instance.... something like that could hit any county, creating a local lockdown which would last 2 weeks or more.

Fingers crossed it doesn't as the atmosphere and energy at the weekends games and last week was good.

[imtommygunn]

The intercounty season should be scrapped then if club needs more time it needs more time.

As you said before DR it's money but this year is a write off for it.

We've been lucky in antrim thus far that there has been less in the way of cases than there has been in some other counties. Like MR says the localised lockdowns could happen anywhere.

[Belfast GAA man]

Is it not posted in another thread? Doesn't look overly threatening.

several clubs disgusted to have put time and effort into reopening within government guidelines, do nothing wrong, have no cases and then to be told to shut and not confuse turnover with profit ! That coherent enough?

[imtommygunn]

Is it not posted in another thread? Doesn't look overly threatening.

several clubs disgusted to have put time and effort into reopening within government guidelines, do nothing wrong, have no cases and then to be told to shut and not confuse turnover with profit ! That coherent enough?

It's more coherent than your last post

[Belfast GAA man]

Is it not posted in another thread? Doesn't look overly threatening.

several clubs disgusted to have put time and effort into reopening within government guidelines, do nothing wrong, have no cases and then to be told to shut and not confuse turnover with profit ! That coherent enough?

It's more coherent than your last post

Agreed - Lockdown fatigue and fat thumbs

[paddyjohn]

What clubs have social clubs open?

What's the aim of the GAA? To promote happy hour? If they can't do what they are told then fine the said clubs. 

[Milltown Row2]

What clubs have social clubs open?

What's the aim of the GAA? To promote happy hour? If they can't do what they are told then fine the said clubs.

Obviously things were not out like that (said email) at the start, and clubs that could open due to having kitchen facilities waiting staff and outside areas, probably felt they they were working within the law... and they were

I completely agree with the chairs view on things and hard to argue against.

The social club is exactly that,  a social hub were members/friends can meet after games to have a pint or two and head home, there's no real money making going on anymore, not since the ceasefire!

Some exceptions of course, that the club does generate much needed funds.

[BigBallWeeBall]

Can't argue against county email but found it a little condescending in 'tone'

Does anyone know how many clubs have a social club attached to the club? If they are loss making why would they be operating

[paddyjohn]

What clubs have social clubs open?

What's the aim of the GAA? To promote happy hour? If they can't do what they are told then fine the said clubs.

Obviously things were not out like that (said email) at the start, and clubs that could open due to having kitchen facilities waiting staff and outside areas, probably felt they they were working within the law... and they were

I completely agree with the chairs view on things and hard to argue against.

The social club is exactly that,  a social hub were members/friends can meet after games to have a pint or two and head home, there's no real money making going on anymore, not since the ceasefire!

Some exceptions of course, that the club does generate much needed funds.

Any sane thinking person would agree with the chair.