While there’s much more to life than football, it’s fair to say the coronavirus crisis has affected a huge number of fans up and down the country, leaving many of us to realise just how much our weekends relied on that precious 90 minutes.
One man who’s been left to rue the timing of this global pandemic is Saleh Ali – a Sydney-based Newcastle fan who’s dream of attending this month’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United was taken away from him after 3 years of saving.
After contacting the blog to reveal his story, here’s what he’s had to say:
“We booked a Europe trip in June last year for March 2020 and have been saving up for 3 years, not knowing a virus will hit the entire globe.
“I came all the way from Sydney Australia with the wife to live the dream and walk through the doors of St. James’s Park – but in the end I couldn’t even get a look from the inside.
“We traveled to Norway, then Switzerland with no troubles, we had Italy booked and cancelled it since the virus got really bad there, so we went to Spain.
“We then landed in Newcastle on the Thursday thinking the game was still on.
“We were ready for a match day tour and to watch our beloved Toon against Sheffield United, then on the Friday my dreams were shattered, with the announcement that all Premier League matches were suspended.
“We also had a match day tour of the stadium which was also cancelled due to the virus. As a result, I didn’t even get the chance to see St. James’s Park from the inside.
“I did the stadium tour of the Camp Nou in Barcelona, the tour of Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Wembley but not Newcastle. I was able to visit other stadiums – but not the one I really wanted to see.
“I just don’t understand why they didn’t allow me to do the stadium tour when I was able to do others.
“I’ve been a faithful Newcastle fan for 15 years and stay up to the early hours to watch every match of ours.
“The only reason we booked this trip was for this game and I didn’t even get to see how the stadium looks on the inside.
“Honestly, I can’t put in words how devastating this situation is as we’ve come a long way to only have it shattered 24 hours before the game.”
Absolutely devastating for Saleh, showing how this virus can crush dreams and ruin plans when it’s not taking lives.
It’s fair to say absolutely EVERYBODY has been affected by this crisis in one way or another, but Saleh’s story is gutting in more ways than one.
We sincerely hope to have him back at St James’ Park in the not too distant future!
UEFA and the Leagues have said voiding is off the table.
Meanwhile, The Independent are saying there was a big move to play a WC style tournament in June or July, not least to lift the Countries spirits and get some movement in the economy. It is suggested that it really would be like the WC where games are played and broadcast each day.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Not much movement in the economy if there aren’t any fans allowed and pubs are still closed.
Stuart79(Quote)
Wouldn’t it be soooo NUFC to get bought by the Saudi’s and then see them getting skint due to low oil prices…
Stuart79(Quote)
I am sure you know this but one of the purposes of these wealth funds is to diversify out of oil. This PIF has supposedly 300 billion and I bet not much of it is oil related.
I don’t think the purpose of buying NUFC is for absolute returns it is more for Sportwashing.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That said. Gas in US hit a 4 year low of $2 today. That will not affect the Sovereign Wealth fund much although the general downturn will. BUT the price of NUFC is a drop in the bucket to them
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yes but every time oil drops below something like $65 the Saudi’s lose money so have to use their reserves…
Stuart79(Quote)
We still have planes flying in from Madrid, Rome and NY.
What is the point in us self isolating if we let people from such badly infected places fly in willy nilly?
I don’t care if they seem fit and well on landing they could be asymptomatic or incubating the **** thing.
We will never get shot of it carrying on like that .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Eric, there is some **** on tv at the moment, it will be really dire a few weeks from now i suspect.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Ryder is doing a Q and A on the takeover today. Can’t wait 🙂 Mark Douglas said Wor Lee has been “hitting the phones”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: I have got Netflix and Prime but I can never really find much to watch even then. Binge watched Medici this weekend because I Iike historical drama and have been to Tuscany 5 or 6 times. They actually shot it there. A lot of times they will substitute places like Croatia.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Chronicle and in particulate Ryder and Douglas saying no agreement has been reached. Maybe they have a different definition of agreement to me but I find it impossible to believe that Ashley would allow it to get this far, especially with the amount of money he would have to have spent on legal fees without some sort of broad outline of an agreeement. It might not be signed but there must be some sort of outline of agreement other wise everyone would be wasting their time and hundreds of thousands of pounds…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: as long as this lockdown doesn’t go on for more than another month I think the US economy will recover quite quickly. It is all tech and services based now which can get up and running again fast. Plus the Democrats are pushing for infrastructure spending (Keynesian) and I am sure Trump will want another tax cut because he has been badly bruised by this in an election year. This time he will give money to regular folks to buy their votes.
I don’t mean that Covid-19 will be gone in a month I mean the lockdown cannot continue indefinitely.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, i am binge watching Game of thrones box set i loaned from a mates sister. I don’t have sky Atlantic so never got to watch it. It’s not bad but i prefer Vikings and the last Kingdom .
Stu, I don’t see a takeover happening at all. Jabba has no tv exposure for his tat shop ads at present , just a heap of bad publicity. It’s a good distraction the takeover talk, just like in the summer and winter transfer window.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Why the hell have they laid off the chief scout? How much can he possibly cost? Charnley supposedly on 150k a year so what must Nickson be on? Madness. You want to be ready for when this ends.
There’s all sorts of things he could be doing like getting familiar with all of this new statistical information that is out there. Rewatching prem games and getting feeds of other leagues such as Portugal.
Even at home he could use his time productively. It makes no sense.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
well my girl seems to just have it mild body sore no smell since Sunday her two paramedics she works with are bad they are in real bad way might not make it they are a married couple been on for 12 yrs,why are they not protected more with the right gear ffs they both from Fishburn Co,Durham
icedog(Quote)
i just cannot see this fakeover happening,storey is they have bid 300 mil jabba wants 340 mil to consider it,the greedy fat,he one person i wish would get this virus see how people feel
icedog(Quote)
I know Piers Morgan is an Arsenal fan but he is now calling for player wage cuts. Does he have to stick his neb into everything?
Will player wage cuts really make a difference for PL clubs. If the games are played and the TV money paid then would they make it up? The clubs gave them the contracts. It is like Man U complaining about Alexis when they gave him all of that money in the first place.
There is obviously a double standard in that clubs are laying off lower level staff. But they don’t have iron-clad contracts drawn up by expensive lawyers so they were the low hanging fruit in the cost cutting.
I don’t even know where I stand on this I am just annoyed that rent-a-gob Morgan thinks he knows everything.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice,glad your lass isn’t too bad but very sad about her work colleagues, lets hope they pull through.
Our Hazel is still rough but we still have no idea if it’s covid or not. She’s had a bit of breathlessness and awful cough but not enough to call 999. She thinks it’s just normal flu as her cough is productive now, it sounds like what i had back in February .
Over 2,000 dead now, let’s hope we don’t reach Italy figures.
KIMTOON(Quote)
I see the French tv channel Canal + has said it’s not paying the tv money and using Force Majeure. Will the PL do the same? Football could be about to get a massive rebalancing. Only clubs with a wealthy owner will be able to prosper. Jabba must surely know that now. He will know that TV revenue will be on a downward slope now, so too will sponsorship and that will seriously effect his asset. He’d be actually really stupid not to sell.
Stuart79(Quote)
Kimtoon: I believe that most of the people dying with Covid-19 in their system were sick anyway and this pushed them over the edge. Doesn’t make it any less tragic as they probably would have pressed on for a bit longer without this awful virus. Somebody needs to come out and say what % of deaths is due entirely to Covid-19. I read the Italians think it is 12% but I am not sure how reliable that is. Something to calm the panic just a bit, but I still agree with this stay at home order but not beyond what is in place now.
As I said earlier, in 2018 there were 550,000 deaths in the UK and almost 3 million in the US so some context is needed when looking a Covid fatalities.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: I don’t see how football will change forever for the top tier clubs. Maybe for lower league teams who will be put out of business.
If the PL finish the season they will get the broadcast money. They will have lost gate receipts and the money spent to keep the club going when nothing was coming in, but that isn’t much in the scheme of things.
They then have the TV deal next year as usual. The overseas rights have even gone up.
Then enter the US tech giants such as Amazon, Netflix and Facebook. They need content and sports is guaranteed viewers. Amazon is already dipping their toe into it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Bezos at Amazon has always been willing to take short-term losses in order to get a foothold. A bit like Murdoch. I wouldn’t be surprised if he overbids for slices of the PL packages just to keep the other streaming companies out of it.
In short, I don’t agree with your thesis that this will be a game changer for top tier clubs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, it’s not possible for business’ to continue as normal after this crisis has passed. Billions have been wiped off companies values, billions of revenue has been lost and will continue to be lost for a while yet, millions around the world will be left unemployed, tv companies will then see a reduction in their income to add to their already reduced income from people cancelling or taking a holiday on their subscriptions and generally the world will be poorer.
Why will football be immune to this? Why will companies still decide to invest millions in sponsorship with football clubs even when they’ve lost millions in income? It defies logic.
Stuart79(Quote)
I’m not saying it will never recover but I do believe it will be halted in its tracks for a while. That might be enough time for clubs with benefactors to catch up a bit.
Stuart79(Quote)
Watched Sunderland ’til I Die. The Mackems truly are cursed. More so than us. I almost felt sorry for them. Worth watching.
Their owner was definitely taking a chance with a potential massive reward but the documentary changed my opinion of him and I don’t think he is a Chancer anymore. He is a genuine football fan and he grew to love the club very quickly. He also seems like a nice guy. You cant hide your true personality with a documentary crew following you around.
The problem is that him and his partner bought a club that were in a much bigger mess than they could have imagined. They got very unlucky as well. Things could have easily gone their way. I really don’t want him to lose all of his money but fear he will.
As I said, definitely worth a watch. It may even change your mind about some of the Mackem fans.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Hope we get a benefactor then Stuart coz it wont be the Fat Man. I doubt he will plough any more money in if we get relegated, mainly because he doesn’t have it. Not sure if we can buy anybody in the next transfer window with Covid-19 draining the coffers. Bottom line is that if we stand pat with Bruce in charge we are likely to be relegated next season.
Fatty should be aware of all this. Time to sell. Take what you can get and get out of our club!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I agree, Eric. It’s now or never for Ashley. He might even realise that…
Stuart79(Quote)
I actually watched the second season of Sunderland til I Die when they were looking for promotion from the 3rd Division. It is actually compelling television full of human emotion and drama. So much so that I am going to watch the first season when they got relegated from The Championship. Not to laugh or gloat but because if it is anything like the second season it will transcend football and be more about people, adversity and life.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Remember the first relegation when we sold anybody we could get a fee for and Fatty basically gave up. He gave the job to Hughton by default who had never been a Manager before and got very, very lucky. If the fat man remains that is what we have to look forward to except he wont find another Chris Hughton.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Mike Ashley’s soon machine is in full flow. Chronicle and Daily Fail both reporting that Ashley is still waiting for a bid. Asking why they can’t just pay the money if they have so much of it. It’s hilarious. How many billionaires buy business’ on terms that negatively effect the running of said business? Does untold wealth make you thick as ****?
Stuart79(Quote)
It’s not happening, AGAIN .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimtoon: I think it is Ryder who has put the damper on the chance of a takeover with his constant repetition that the parties have not discussed a price. This may be so, but other respected journalists have come out and said there is something there this time. Ryder did a Q&A yesterday and had a bit of a dig at the other journalists.
My view is that I don’t listen to Ryder on anything else so why would I listen to him on this even though I don’t blame him for being skeptical.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If anybody does watch Sunderland til I Die on Netflix the second season is much better than the first.
It was quite funny, I was watching the Championship relegation clips, and they showed loads. Their goalkeepers made a ton of errors and their strikers couldn’t score. Made me think of where we would be without Dubravka.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Absolutely fckn dead outside. I live at a busy intersection on the North side of Chicago, it is rush hour and there is hardly a car on the street.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So Belgium cancelled their season and I am sure we will see calls for the PL to do the same. But it is different isn’t it! Belgium don’t have a billion pounds of TV revenue to lose. Things are changing every day and why be hasty? There is absolutely nothing to gain by cancelling the PL season now.
Same with Ashley and the sale of NUFC. Things change every day and depending on which journalist you listen to. I read a few blogs and it seems whoever wrote the last piece on the subject is who they believe.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It’s quite shocking that the PFA are having to get involved with trying to get players to take a pay cut to help.
The fact that the players themselves haven’t come together and made the offer when non-playing staff are getting laid off and loosing 20% of their wages.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stuart: Canal+ have cancelled their TV contract with French football (I think just for the next payment). They are saying there is no product so they don’t have to pay. They also don’t have the money to pay as their advertising revenue is way down due to Covid-19. Makes sense since companies will be loath to advertise if their is nobody to buy their product.
Of course, this has implications for the PL and in the meeting tomorrow they should be doing all they can to figure out a plan to finish he season. If they don’t it would seem almost certain the TV companies would try to do the same as Canal+. They might anyway. It all depends on when the money is due in my opinion.
Stuart’s scenario of a major downturn in PL club TV revenue that will have an impact for years may yet come true.
I still think if the TV money is paid that the PL will be OK but this is a major new development.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Going back to that Sunderland ’til I Die documentary. It really has changed my mind about Mackem fans. I have gloated and laughed at their current predicament on here and whilst I didn’t want them to go bust I have thought it a genuine possibility for a while. I think Stewart Donald will lose the club and hope the new owners can take them forward.
The away fans reminded me of NUFC away fans in their passion. They don’t deserve what they are being served up. They deserve top end Championship where they can get a decent level of football and wins pretty often. They went 364 days without a home win.
Even though I was brought up to hate Mackems you can see the similarity between them and Geordies. Their passion for football runs just as deep and it might even be more ingrained in their daily lives because there is nothing else to do there.
I am not sorry about making fun of the Mackems, but I do have a deeper understanding of what SAFC means to them and I would hate it to go into administration which is quite possible if the Yank Hedgefunders who made the loan to Donald walk away.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I can’t believe what I have been reading on Twitter. Journalists and some ex footballers all piling in on Matt Hancock For having the audacity to say PL footballer should play their part and take a wage cut. They reckon he was singling footballers out and it wasn’t fair. He was asked a fucking question about footballers and he answered. Hardly singling them out.
Our media have been a disgrace during this episode. Negative and nonsense that’s all that’s come from them.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – it shouldn’t even be a question needing to be asked imo mate.
There are restaurant owners out there who’s businesses could go down the pan. Who’s staff are surviving on 80% of their usual basic wage.
But some of these people are turning in daily to make hot meals to deliver to old, vulnerable people and delivering to their homes. They are making meals for NHS staff who are working round the clock.
Our footballing heroes are making **** Instagram videos doing keep ups with a toilet roll – and coining their FULL wage and doing very little from what I see – Mount, Rice and Grealish breaching the stay in rule – can’t even do that.
Maybe it’s time to reconsider who we encourage our kids to aspire to be?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
The governments offer of paying 80% of workers wages was to help all the small to medium businesses who would go under otherwise imo. As always big companies and big earners are using this to avoid paying staff on gardening leave and i think it’s disgusting.
The PL is awash with money and PL players are more than capable of helping out as are the clubs themselves.
PL clubs should club together and place money into a pot which could be divided out according to need to lower league clubs to prevent them going under as well.
If you are a player on £65m a week like say Shelvey, you can afford a cut of 10 – 20% and still live the life of luxury.
There are no political points to be scored in all this, only justified criticism and indeed acknowledgement when things go right or wrong.
I believe there is much work going on behind the scenes by the government and the financial help is good but they have also gotten things wrong, too slow and not enough PPE and testing.
Seems to me people from all walks of life are stepping up to help, so should football clubs and footballers in the PL.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim – watching the news last night and there are people like Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and Daniel Levy (who has taken a lot of criticism in the past) who have all taken pay cuts – all of whom though will be paid a lot less than most of the players.
I’m sure they said that Barca players have gone down to 30% of their wages. It can be done.
The fact we have done so little in the richest league in the World is quite disgusting really.
Sharpy17(Quote)
For a football post – I feel a bit sorry for Bruce.
He was managing his boyhood club in the first season and was on course to keep us up against maybe not all the odds – but it was certainly an up hill battle – especially the way his season started.
It hasn’t been pretty this season – ugly in large parts really. But survival would have been an achievement if we are being honest – and I think he would have done it with games to spare.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kim – the other thing with this is that a football club is still a business – one that has had to close its doors to the regular revenue of match days.
If you look at the break down of most PL clubs – half, if not more of their turnover is spent on wages and the largest portion of those wages will go to playing staff who aren’t at present taking that pay cut.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think the pay cut for footballers is inevitable. Probably 25%. Maybe it will mean their money is deferred and they will get it back, if football resumes in that WC type tournament.
I am in 2 minds about them getting any deferred money back as they should be sharing in the burden and the TV companies are not making any money on advertising when football is on hold. Even if they finish the season the TV companies will not recoup their money, so share the burden and share the pain of the rest of us.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy mate: as soon as I saw that toilet roll keepy uppy a couple of weeks ago it made me think that a lot of footballers were not taking this seriously and are a bunch of overgrown kids. Same with Pogba and his – dabbing against Covid-19 Instagram post. I still have no idea what that means.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Don’t know about anyone else but I’m really really missing my football. It’s a long term addiction and I’m on cold turkey!
georgio(Quote)
Olly: I don’t think Luke Edwards understands economics. There has been a 25% drop in the stock market since the corona virus hit. This is because there is a high possibility it will cause a worldwide recession because of all of the business closures, temporary and permanent and the loss of income to businesses and people. Does he thinks Ashley’s business is immune to this? Obviously not if you look at Frasers share price.
So, Ashley might have wanted 340 mil 2 months ago but times have changed since then. There may well be a rebound in the general stock market in 6 months, a year or 2 years but I bet Frasers will take a lot longer to recover because they were under pressure to start with.
A 10% discount on 340 gets us to 300 million. A 20% discount to 260 mil. I think Ashley should bite their hand off for somewhere in between and use the money to buy discounted Frasers shares.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – grown up kids is the perfect term mate. They are handed so much money from such a young age, that it takes them out of what real life is and the problems that come with it.
The vast majority of non-football staff who are now on 80% of wages though are their to make their pampered life’s even easier. The staff round the training ground, the staff there on match days – people they see on a regular basis.
I couldn’t receive tens of thousands of pounds a week knowing that people I work alongside are now getting 80% of far less than that.
The talk is that they are to have a meeting to discuss and agree an approach from all clubs. But whatever is deducted could be refunded if the season is completed in front of attending fans – and part refunded if season completed behind closed doors. So they’d still get money back – unlike the non playing staff.
I also saw that Leeds Utd players have deferred their wages so the non playing staff can get paid. Good on them – if they can do it in the Championship – shame on PL players.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Georgio – don’t know if you saw it mate but they showed the Man Utd 5-0 game in full on YouTube the other day. What a team that was man!!! 1 to 11 unreal. Not one of our current players would get close to that first team.
But watching it just reminded me how long it’s been since I last really enjoyed watching NUFC.
There was a short period under Pardew with his 4-3-3. Before that was back to Sir Bobby.
I miss football because I don’t enjoy any other spectator sport as much as football – and I’m too old to start getting into another now. But I can’t say I miss NUFC all that much – and I certainly don’t have a great deal of time over indulgent, greed footballers.
Actually, I took the boy to a few Newcastle Eagle basketball games before the shut down, and I’d probably choice that over a trip to SJP if given the option.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Man U players have donated 30% of a months wages to the NHS. THis was on the Chairman Ed Woodwards suggestion.
My question is if there is a blanket deferral of 25% what happens to the money? Does it just stay in the club because they are getting less income? Is it like charity for the club? Or will the money be used to help out more generally as the Man U players have done?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When they are talking about wage deferrals that makes me think the money stays in the club, which is totally different to what the Man U players are doing.
Not sure if I would agree with that arrangement as the PL clubs will weather this better than almost any other business. Much better to just do what the Man U players did and give up the money for good, for a good cause- NHS, Red Cross, the Homeless, whatever. I think it is a total cop out if the clubs just trouser the wage savings.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ed Harrison has a headline just now saying “Peoples lives are more important than restarting the football season”. Another one who cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. How would having a tournament behind closed doors cause even a single extra death? He is another of these that think the focus should be on Covid-19 24/7 and anything less is uncaring.
They are allowing people to walk their dogs FFS. What does planning to restart the football season have to do with saving lives?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – my understanding is that it would be used to cover the wages of the non-playing staff so the clubs are using government money to pay those 80% wages are they have this month.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I know that the main reason the PL want to restart the season is for the TV money but being selfish I would like a bit of escapism in these tumultuous times and a WC type tournament would help. It wouldn’t be difficult to test the players and basically quarantine them. Of course we have to monitor the situation but deaths from covid-19 and restarting football are 2 separate issues. It is not as if you are channeling resources AWAY from the NHS and TO football if you start up season in whatever format is safe.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy mate, if there is a 25% deferral that will cover non-playing staff with millions and millions left over. Deferral also means they will get it back. I think it is a bit of sleight of hand and the clubs get to keep the bulk of it as insurance for have to repay/no get the TV money due to the contacts saying the games must all be played for them to get the full amount.
If this is true, I think there will be a further outcry when people realise where the wage savings are going – to the clubs.
I could be wrong.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is the word “DEFERRAL” that makes me think that most of the wage cut will stay in the club. That is the term that the PFA head (whathisname? Gordon Taylor) has used and I don’t think it is by accident.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yep: here’s an article from the Guardian saying that any wage cuts will stay in the clubs. This is totally different to what the Man U players are doing in DONATING 30% of their wages.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/03/premier-league-clubs-may-be-forced-to-sell-players-says-analyst
Messi and Co have given up their wages to make sure Barca can compete because they realise the club would be in trouble with no revenue and massive expenses on player wages.
My guess, and it is only a guess, is that the public think the wage savings will be a sacrifice for the greater good (not just for the rich PL clubs). At least that is the way the health secretary is making it sound.
BTW I don’t think the Govt will allow any restart to the season before the middle of July whatever the format and behind closed doors or not.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I urge everybody to read this. It shows what all 20 PL clubs are doing to pay regular staff. Most are paying them as usual and not going to the Government for assistance. NUFC are totally out of step here and are taking advantage. There is only so much money to go around and there is no need for NUFC to require a Govt handout for their staff. Fckn typical though isn’t it!!!!
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/02/pay-cuts-furlough-or-deferrals-what-are-the-premier-league-clubs-doing
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is this an overreaction? Perhaps, but I see the reasoning of not wanting to flood the health services. But here are a couple of facts.
GLOBAL Covid-19 deaths so far – 50,000
Total Deaths in US alone in 2018 – 3 Million
Eric Sykes(Quote)
RIP Bill Withers
KIMTOON(Quote)
Why are we still letting in planes from Madrid, Rome and NY is what i wanna know. Why are we bothering to self isolate if we are letting in yet more potential carriers of covid 19 ?
Madness
KIMTOON(Quote)
Just had small amount of PPE delivered by one of the nursing team from the agency that pays lews evening carers. Had a short conversation with her. She asked if we had had a phone call from GP, I said no and asked why.
She said Bristol GP’s don’t seem to be checking on their S.NEEDS or Disabled patients, but S. Gloucs are. She has spoken to several of their clients who have been informed by GP’s that in the event they need ventilation they won’t be given it, especially if they have underlying health issues.
I also asked the nurse assessor from CHC who rang me today to check in if Lew was likely to be refused a ventilator if he was very poorly with it. She said, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that .
This is the s hittiest of ***** situations.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Reporter just asked about disabled people getting calls from GP’s now saying they will be DNR or not ventilated at press conference .
KIMTOON(Quote)
https://www.redpepper.org.uk/covid-19-disabled-peoples-rights/
Interesting read.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Looks to me that this 25% wage reduction for senior players will go through. There are 3 ways the clubs are treating this:
1. A normal club like Arsenal are keeping on their non-playing staff and paying them as usual whether they are self-isolating or not. I would guess that if there is a 25% wage reduction that they would use this to pay these costs and any excess to make up the revenue shortfall.
2. Man U have gone ahead and done something proactively and their plyers have donated 30% of the wages for a month to an NHS Trust. Their staff have been kept on and I would guess if there is a 25% agreement they would revert to doing something along the lines of what Arsenal are.
3. NUFC and Spurs. Lay off all non-playing staff and have the Govt pay them. If there is a player wage deduction that ALL stays in NUFC whilst other teams are using some of it to pay their staff and not take handouts that could be used for workers in harder hit industries.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Am I reading that right? That if a disabled person at very high risk gets the virus they will be refused the most essential part of the care to keep them alive? Are they prioritizing prior healthy people because they are more likely to survive?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What annoys me is people like Levy and Ashley act like Uber-Capitalists saying it is a dog eat dog world where it is every man for himself then as soon as something goes against them they go running to the Government and take advantage of every loophole there is (tax, and now benefits).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Conference call to be held Saturday between club captains and managers to discuss a 30% wage reduction across the board. In my opinion, this can only be done as a reduction and not deferral because once the money is allocated it will be gone. The allocation will probably be split into 3 (again this is my guess only):
1. A chartable contribution to those most in need and to health facilities.
2. Money to pay regular staff who the clubs have kept on.
3. Money to tide the clubs over because they have no revenue. Not sure if this is needed as it looks like a TV del can be structured where there will be more televised games next year in return for keeping all this years TV money.
Players could opt out but I doubt any will as they will become social pariahs and the tabloids would have a field day naming and shaming.
I also think it will be set up on a monthly review system.
This is only my opinion, but I think it is a workable solution. I agree with some of the footballers who say that players are being scapegoated by a media frenzy and don’t really see what this has to do with the Health Secretary. Is he asking owners and Directors of clubs, some of whom are infinitely more wealthy than the players, to dip into their pockets?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yes you are reading that right. I have spoken to senior nurse at continuing health and another health pro from an carers agency. South Gloucs GP’s are phoning people at risk to say they won’t be ventilated. It’s all perfectly legal under new directives in the Coronavirus bill that was passed a week or so back. The bill is in place for just 6 months, other MP’s got it down from 2 years to 6 months i believe. It will be reviewed in 6 months time and could be extended.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Eric, all high earners should be contributing, not just footballers.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimtoon: so the Govt is playing God then! Not that I believe in God, but you know what I mean.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What if it was Stephen Hawking? Would they make an exception?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
How much does Karren Brady make a year – 2 million? Why should Jonjo Shevey give up 30% of his pay and she give up nothing? The footballers are definitely being scapegoated by the media. I think they are doing the right thing but they are being bullied into it. If they chose to stick to the terms of their contract and not give a penny that would be their prerogative but as I have said they have no choice now as they would be named and shamed.
How about MPs give up 30% of their salary?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, well yeah, but it’s the poor medics that have to face families with the awful news their loved one won’t get a ventilator.
As always, easy to make these decisions when you aren’t the one at the sticky end.
The Nurse from continuing health asked me what i would want for Lew if he gets it, to be at home or in hospital !
Lew’s main underlying health condition is Epilepsy. He does not have a feeding tube or anything like that. He is fed by me with blended food and thickened drinks as has risk of aspiration if food lumpy or drinks too thin.
He is at risk of chest infections due to colds and coughs going to his chest, mainly because he is unable to blow his nose. But the same could be said of a baby or child under 12 months yet i’m sure they would get treatment.
What makes one life worth more than another is the question i guess. But i know if he gets it at the peak when there are not enough ventilators and the medics have 2 lads his age to treat that Lew will be the one to lose out .
Come to that, if it’s between me and a youngster i will lose out, that’s our reality now.
KIMTOON(Quote)