GAA Response to Coronavirus

[Baile Brigín 2]

There have been no cases tracked from outdoor sports events. None.

Ok, so the Armagh SFC semis are next week. Do you suggest they allow up to 18,000 spectators in, and just forget about social distancing?

Is there a middle ground allowed or are you not allowed to choose anything bar all or nothing?

I don't think there is anybody unwilling to listen to the logic behind some middle ground option. I assume the GAA will want to put forward some option themselves but don't imagine it will be easy. People think of the spectator area being big enough for moderate crowds but you also have to address whether fans actually avail of the space, how they get in and out of the ground, how they get to the stadium etc. Then we have consider toilets and indeed whether patrons wash their hands

Yet shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, churches and now schools can open. All of them with deliberately small entrances/exits, and limited toilet space, and with people often arriving via public transport, rather than in a car with a couple of people from their bubble.

——

When you go looking for fault in anything, some can be found. But when you're concerned about open air venues hosting crowds at a tiny percentage of their capacity, it looks like your nitpicking.

—-/

Benny you come from a GAA background. Is it really inconceivable that when you see 20 people clustered together, that they're all extended family or neighbours and oftentimes both?

Not relevant. The GAA haven't been enforcing the rules as evident from tv and photos.

This is a mental decision that literally bans team sport, but its harder to argue when the rules were flouted.

See my immediate following response to Benny.

The rules have not been flouted in Down. Championship crowds have been restricted to 300 spectators. Strictly. That people then choose prefer to sit beside each other than in the wide open expanse, is not on the GAA. Those people can claim to be in the same bubble. That you have no more evidence that they're not from the same bubble, than i have that they are, is also important.

You're hanging people because you like hanging. Not because hanging is needed.

It is absolutely on the GAA if social distancing rules are not obeyed in grounds. Bubbles be damned. Seats have to be marked, you can sit here and here only. If people disregard that, out they go. End of.

While I understand and agree sport is being unfairly targetted, the GAA gave the government ammunition.

https://twitter.com/DrVaradkar/status/1295822274382254080?s=19

https://twitter.com/DrVaradkar/status/1295824288696750080?s=19

https://twitter.com/DrVaradkar/status/1295825034683060226?s=19

https://twitter.com/DrVaradkar/status/1295827054622060552?s=19

[thewobbler]

it is absolutely on the GAA if social distancing rules are not obeyed in grounds. Bubbles be damned. Seats have to be marked, you can sit here and here only. If people disregard that, out they go. End of.

Show me workings here please. No theories or hopeful punts. Just some  regulations from government that I've missed. Thanks in advance.

[sid waddell]

I think a lot of the problem as regards people being angry at particular restrictions is down to a lack of understanding that in any regime of restrictions, there will be contradictions which don't appear to make sense, in which some people feel they are treated unfairly

And that's probably down to lack of communication, it's also enabled by people's access to social media

Lines have to be drawn somewhere though

I guess it depends on what the overall aim of the restrictions is

If the aim is to have "an acceptable level" of cases without overwhelming the health system, which it seems to be, what you're looking for is the maximum possible liberalisation which at the same time keeps cases on an even keel, always focussing on keeping going with the necessary or important things from a wider societal point of view

The lines of this maximum possible liberalisation are subject to constant change and possible reverse at any moment

It's like tinkering with a mixer tap to get the correct temperature, you adjust a bit here and another bit there looking for the right mixture, hoping it'll work

In this situation, you cannot have any real clarity, you take each day as it comes

As I was saying earlier, you can't say that having 50 people at a match is more dangerous than 100 people in a shop, say Penney's or Eason's

But keeping the shop open is more important than having 50 people at a match

You can't say that letting people play contact sports is less dangerous in terms of transmission than spectating - it has to be more dangerous, or at least as dangerous

So again it's contradictory that people should be allowed play yet not spectate

But you have to draw a line somewhere - the line currently is that people should be allowed play, basically for their own well being as people, physically, socially and mentally

It's contradictory that you should require a mask to go into a petrol station and not require one in a cafe or pub that serves food

But you can't eat through a mask in a cafe

Is it contradictory that so called "wet pubs" remain closed while pubs that serve food are open? Yes, it is

But food pubs are open because cafes and restaurants are open - they straddle both the restaurant and pub sector

Should we open "wet pubs" because cafes and restaurants are open?

Should we close cafes and restaurants because "wet pubs" are closed?

Cafes and restaurants can more effectively implement physical distancing than "wet pubs" I think

Lines have to be drawn somewhere, and these lines will always appear unfair to some - and they may well be and probably are somewhat unfair

But a pandemic itself is unfair -  we can't wish away a pandemic

The two other options are i) to let the virus rip and ii) to go for a zero Covid island stategy

I don't think letting the virus rip is a tenable strategy at all, not just for reasons of basic humanity but because it will have a terrible economic impact - you'd get the worst of both worlds

The zero Covid island strategy seems the best strategy if it were possible - if it were successful it would bring some clarity and certainty - but it appears impossible to implement because the North is the proverbial leaking hole in the bucket

So we're left with this uneasy halfway house where the lines drawn will appear unfair and contradictory to a lot of people, wherever they are drawn

And I don't really see any alternative, which is a bit shit, but that's the way it is, we have to wait for a vaccine

If no vaccine comes along, well, let's cross that bridge if we come to it, hopefully we won't have to

In principle I don't really see why inter-county matches can't go ahead behind closed doors given that club matches are already being played

[smort]

Well said Sid

[Baile Brigín 2]

it is absolutely on the GAA if social distancing rules are not obeyed in grounds. Bubbles be damned. Seats have to be marked, you can sit here and here only. If people disregard that, out they go. End of.

Show me workings here please. No theories or hopeful punts. Just some  regulations from government that I've missed. Thanks in advance.

You mean like the GAA's own regulations?

*There is an onus on both the spectator and the organisers to ensure that all social distancing requirements are adhered to. This is currently 2 metres. In line with GAA protocols, supporters are strongly advised to wear face coverings at games. Patrons are also encouraged to bring their own hand sanitiser.

https://www.gaa.ie/news/nhsc-guidelines-on-return-of-spectators-to-gaa-club-games/

Some matches did not obey the GAA's rules. End of.

[Captain Obvious]

In principle I don't really see why inter-county matches can't go ahead behind closed doors given that club matches are already being played

One reason why is it would cost more to run than whatever TV money is received. County boards already cash strapped with tiny and now no crowds at their club games and to prepare a county team for the inter County championship doesn't come cheap.  If any Inter County games are to be played it should be the remaining NFL games the championship will have to cancelled now.

[Baile Brigín 2]

In principle I don't really see why inter-county matches can't go ahead behind closed doors given that club matches are already being played

One reason why is it would cost more to run than whatever TV money is received. County boards already cash strapped with tiny and now no crowds at their club games and to prepare a county team for the inter County championship doesn't come cheap.  If any Inter County games are to be played it should be the remaining NFL games the championship will have to cancelled now.

If the league of Ireland can be played hemorrhaging money I don't see why the championships can't. If the GAA has to make a loss this year, so be it. There are plenty of ways to make some back, virtual tickets, post out match programmes, push merchandise and so on.

[sid waddell]

In principle I don't really see why inter-county matches can't go ahead behind closed doors given that club matches are already being played

One reason why is it would cost more to run than whatever TV money is received. County boards already cash strapped with tiny and now no crowds at their club games and to prepare a county team for inter County championship doesn't come cheap.

Counties don't have to spend the money they usually would on preparation, in fact they don't have to spend very much at all, the players just play

Amazingly enough this has happened in the past

If managers are not happy, well, tough

For the GAA to sacrifice its biggest competitions would be a very big blow in terms of lost publicity

Other sports are not going to stop, and the GAA competes against other sports for publicity and thus for young people participating, young people want to play because of what they see on d'telly or on viral clips or whatever it is they look at these days

If there's no crowds at the matches, well, so be it

I think a winter All-Ireland championship on d'telly would fill a big gap in the lives of a lot of people at a very difficult time, a need to connect, if not in physical terms, in emotional terms, it would help provide much needed communality

People need a distraction

Sport without crowds is better than nothing, it really is

There's your ironic marketing slogan - "The 2020 All-Ireland Championships - Better Than Nothing"

[Baile Brigín 2]

In principle I don't really see why inter-county matches can't go ahead behind closed doors given that club matches are already being played

One reason why is it would cost more to run than whatever TV money is received. County boards already cash strapped with tiny and now no crowds at their club games and to prepare a county team for inter County championship doesn't come cheap.

Counties don't have to spend the money they usually would on preparation, in fact they don't have to spend very much at all, the players just play

Amazingly enough this has happened in the past

If managers are not happy, well, tough

For the GAA to sacrifice its biggest competitions would be a very big blow in terms of lost publicity

Other sports are not going to stop, and the GAA competes against other sports for publicity and thus for young people participating, young people want to play because of what they see on d'telly or on viral clips or whatever it is they look at these days

If there's no crowds at the matches, well, so be it

I think a winter All-Ireland championship on d'telly would fill a big gap in the lives of a lot of people at a very difficult time, a need to connect, if not in physical terms, in emotional terms, it would help provide much needed communality

People need a distraction

Sport without crowds is better than nothing, it really is

There's your ironic marketing slogan - "The 2020 All-Ireland Championships - Better Than Nothing"

Its quite bizarre that this is even a thing. Nix the championship if tv money doesn't cover costs. What? Play the damn thing now. Soccer is back, rugby starts at the weekend. If they can do it and pay players, we have zero excuses.

[armaghniac]

Counties don't have to spend the money they usually would on preparation, in fact they don't have to spend very much at all, the players just play

Amazingly enough this has happened in the past

Then you have one county with donor with loads of training and another with none. The championship is enough of a joke as it is.

If this is to go ahead then the likes of us have to pay something in somehow. We have to buy the new jersey,  get a streaming package, pay in advance for season tickets, support sponsors, or whatever. There are people here who would complain about the lack of an AI, but then come on here looking for free streams to avoid paying GAAgo.

[sid waddell]

Counties don't have to spend the money they usually would on preparation, in fact they don't have to spend very much at all, the players just play

Amazingly enough this has happened in the past

Then you have one county with donor with loads of training and another with none. The championship is enough of a joke as it is.

If this is to go ahead then the likes of us have to pay something in somehow. We have to buy the new jersey,  get a streaming package, pay in advance for season tickets, support sponsors, or whatever. There are people here who would complain about the lack of an AI, but then come on here looking for free streams to avoid paying GAAgo.

There have always been fitness differentials between teams, always will be

You don't have to pay anything in, nobody is forcing you to buy a jersey or subscribe to Sky or GAAGo

I imagine there's scope for 5 or 6 live matches each weekend in November, it would be a publicity bonanza for the GAA and RTE would certainly lap it up, TV viewers would too

People who are citing financial reasons as to why this can't go ahead remind me of the old saying about people knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing

[RedHand88]

What state would the organisation be in by now if they were paying players??

[Taylor]

On one hand you've got members of a close knit community sitting together for an hour and a half, and it disturbs you.

Close knit or not,  each household should be sitting apart and in some of these games people did not do this. A small number were let in and they couldn't manage to behave responsibly so we are where we are.

So every sport in the land has had spectators stopped from attending because a small number at GAA games didnt behave responsibly 

[imtommygunn]

If that was the case why have they not said it and also if that was the case why haven't they just punished one sport too. I don't think it is what is happening here. I just think it's a poor decision. You can't discipline every sport but no other aspect of life when they misbehave too.

Though I do see the gardai now have more powers with regard to house parties.

[Taylor]

it is absolutely on the GAA if social distancing rules are not obeyed in grounds. Bubbles be damned. Seats have to be marked, you can sit here and here only. If people disregard that, out they go. End of.

Show me workings here please. No theories or hopeful punts. Just some  regulations from government that I've missed. Thanks in advance.

You mean like the GAA's own regulations?

*There is an onus on both the spectator and the organisers to ensure that all social distancing requirements are adhered to. This is currently 2 metres. In line with GAA protocols, supporters are strongly advised to wear face coverings at games. Patrons are also encouraged to bring their own hand sanitiser.

https://www.gaa.ie/news/nhsc-guidelines-on-return-of-spectators-to-gaa-club-games/

Some matches did not obey the GAA's rules. End of.

So by that logic all restaurants/pubs should be closed after the incident at the Berlin bar at the weekend?