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I don't care whether it's Delia or Webber but I would be so proud if either of them just came out and said, "We are not prepared to put our players at risk so will not be taking part. Have the points. We will take relegation."

Jesus Bill. How have you made this about you yet again being a victim and everyone else being 'assorted numpties'? Take a look at yourself. Then, for the good of everyone including yourself, close the bloody forum.

Have you ever considered that Internet forums may just not be for you? Do give it some serious thought.

Anything could happen in six months - a whole new outbreak of something completely different. We can’t have perpetual lockdown “just in case”. As for the current coronavirus, I don’t think anyone expects us to be back to complete normality this year, or probably even for most of next. What is normal will probably change - even in a few years time I expect restaurants will have more space between tables, there’ll be glass protective screens in front of cashiers etc. It’s not about being prepared to let older people die to satisfy their financial worries. The average age of people dying is 80 (or 82, I still haven’t checked and can’t remember). People aged 82 do die - see previous discussion on excess deaths. Of course we should try to avoid/minimise deaths and extend life. But at the same time, if we don’t sort out the economy there are going to be many more deaths caused by poverty and lack of funding of essential public sector bodies and charities. Nearly half the working population is currently on the furlough scheme or benefits. Others have no income and arent/can’t claim benefits whilst many of those in employment are on reduced salaries. The government has said it can’t keep the furlough scheme going indefinitely. So what are those people going to do after that? Starve to death? Or we would have to pay them all benefits - reducing amounts available to go the NHS and other infrastructure which again will lead to further deaths. On the basis lockdown for extended period of time will lead to more deaths anyway (In younger and older generations when public sector health funding collapses at the expense of just paying people enough for them to actually afford food), why is it okay for us to continue a lockdown which will lead to more deaths across the board when the main risk of death currently is to people aged on average 80? There is no simple answer but this idea that it’s “disgusting” to focus on the economy is extremely short sighted. Many many more will die if we don’t get the economy sorted - which involves some loosening of restrictions.

True. On the older relatives point, I know of a few people in their seventies/eighties (family and others) who are getting fed up of the lockdown too - they have stuck to the lockdown / guidance so they can see the birth of their great grandkids, weddings of the grandchildren, or even just so they can spend more time with their families etc. All worth it for a couple of months if it means you survive to see all those things, but when you’re in your eighties, you’re at risk of dying soon from something anyway - spending a year/18 months of what time you have left locked up in doors not seeing any of your family isn’t ideal for anyone. It isn’t just youngsters being selfish who don’t want perpetual lockdown as some would suggest.

That's a very understandable and humane position, Jim. I think most people would like to think our main aim is to keep the number of fatalities down to an absolute minimum, but I suspect that isn't the number one priority if we look at the actions that the government have taken - or failed to take for that matter. So many examples to choose from, but to select a couple - if one suspects one has the virus then current advice is just to stay at home. A policy that put lives saved as first policy would have a system whereby suspect cases are immediately tested and some medical care given. The reality is that one is statistically unlikely to be tested and be offered no medical care other than to be told to sit it out in isolation and see what happens. Secondly, one is very unlikely to be admitted to hospital until one is in a critical condition, and then only admitted if there is a statistical likelihood that you could survive. Then there is the appalling situation in care homes where very limited protection is given to the most vulnerable people and then allowed to die in solitary confinement. I can't help but feel this is deliberate policy to leave the most vulnerable to take their chances and we'll now see a relaxation in lockdown measures even though deaths are still at high levels, because fatalities are occurring mainly in the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. We have a high rate of deaths in the UK not so much because we're doing the wrong things but because those making the decisions are allowing it to happen. Remember the slogan from the outset - 'Protect the NHS', in my opinion, that's still the driving factor and I think that's coming from the medical experts on the Sage committee.

Can't agree Indy. It's a total lie that there are too many people on the planet. There's more than enough air, water, food and land for all the 7.5 billion people in this world. The problem is the ludicrous and thoughtless over consumption that a proportion of those people indulge in. We need an attitude shift to place sustainability at the heart of everything we do.

Before becoming PM he'd only had one serious job, where what you did and said really mattered, and that was as foreign secretary, and by common consent he was the worst since the war, and that could well have been the Boer War. He either did nothing, or made matters worse. One of his ex-mistresses was asked about his lying and dissembling, and said this: ‘Boris never sets out to lie. It is just that he will do anything to avoid an argument, which leads to a degree of duplicity.' And is hardly a recipe for trustworthiness and coherent and decisve leadership, especially in a country in the grip of a pandemic.

Does anyone, @SwindonCanary apart, still believe this guff? In case you haven't noticed Swindo, despite what you were told, the EU has steadfastly held to its red lines for over three years. Even to the point that Johnson folded on the WA and accepted a border down the Irish Sea. They have drafted their legal text, but the UK hasn't (in part because there is no deal that satisfies what you were promised). Also, in case you haven't noticed the UK's economy is on its knees-the last thing it needs is to threaten trade with its largest trade partner. The UK now has a choice, we ask for an extension to the transition period or we right off another chunk of our economy.

They aren't doing it for the money Jim. They are doing it to raise the spirits of the country. Honest🤭

As long as there are people who think that human beings are the most important things on the planet, we will have problems as a species. The evidence is as clear as it could be - everything is interconnected and if we think that we are somehow "special" compared to other living things, be it animals, insects or plants, we are not going to get out of the mess we have made of the world any time soon. Take care of the planet, it's environment and other living things and we might actually get somewhere - but it needs the people in power to take responsibility for it. The downtime the earth has had recently in terms of the huge reduction in pollution of industry and people driving around everywhere has shown the way - better air and water quality - and it is clear it only takes us to stop what we are doing and the earth will recover - but will it make much difference to our behaviour? I doubt it, but we can hope...... Curiously - at least for democratic countries - the power is in the hands of people because they can vote for parties that recognise all this and then things could then change - but will they ever do it in sufficient numbers to cause a green revolution? I doubt it - selfishness, greed, the pursuit of power and money are difficult to eradicate in governments/business and industry - and indeed in anyone who only thinks of themselves. Will people ever vote to curtail their freedoms in the interests of the earth so it can be a better place for every living thing and which in turn would benefit the human race as well? Maybe, but we need a huge revolution across the world to change our ways - and it might take something like the situation we are in with covid 19 to do it. If it isn't clear now that we need to change, then maybe it never will be, but unless we change, the result of mistreating animals, the blatant and ignorant exploitation of the living world generally will probably and eventually cause the exctinction of the human race. The suffering of animals is considered by some to be less important than the suffering of humans - well that is all well and good, we need to look after ourselves a a species.....but here's the thing....looking after ourselves at the expense of animals and the planet is not sensible.........it is stupid.

It's a bit late to realise the country needs manufacturing. It has been weakened or moved abroad for decades and it is only going to get worse under the Minford plan.

And if they have already spread it to other players/staff?

@ricardo ...I expected to see the letter R by our name in the table about this time of the season. But not a R reproduction number.

That's cos she wanted to live in thomerthet.

That's a bit harsh, I always liked building their model planes.😀 Apples

Make no mistake as soon as that lot have the title in the bag (i.e. after 2 or 3 games) then having been part of the group forcing a resumption they will be wrapping their stars up in cotton wool on safety grounds and playing their U23 team in the remaining games. Guaranteed. As will any other club that has nothing to play for. I know this happens for the last couple of games in most seasons but it will be greatly exaggerated due to the current circumstances. I guess this could either help or hinder us but it will make it something of a farce.

Nope. No mention of a downside.

Also I think the message has got out that although most people with Covid are older, there are still plenty of younger people getting seriously ill with it. And most of us have older relatives or people with health conditions that put them into the high-risk category. Yes, there are some selfish and stupid people who are not taking it as seriously as they should, but mostly I'm impressed with how well people are following the social distancing rules.

There is a clue in his name. 😀

By the way if, as is claimed in some media fed stories today putting pressure on the bottom 6, the only club doctors who have raised queries/issues over player safety are from the bottom 6 clubs then you have to say it rather brings into question the integrity of the club doctors from the other 14 clubs.

Bill, you have managed to turn a post about a young man nearly dying into a petty slanging match. How on earth did it come to this?

Yeah, it's funny to hear the righties complaining about the loss of manufacturing and local supply chains... pot meet kettle methinks.

But wasn't it stated at the beginning of the lockdown that the reason for lockdown was to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed. If this is still the main criterion, and I'm not aware of any change, then it will be still preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed that will decide the levels of relaxation of isolation rules? Since hospitals are now in a much more favourable state of coping it could be that number of deaths are allowed to rise so long as hospitals can manage the workload.

And that seems to be a fairly libellous and insulting comment. Accusing someone of racism and misogyny isn't nice, but accusing them of voting for Boris!?

They're also no longer associated to the binners. Not since they sold the debt ridiculously cheaply to the boy Mucus. With hindsight that was a masterstroke 👏👏👏👏👏

Agree Playing at neutral grounds makes ALL the previous non neutral games null and void . It's simply a different competition.

Agree sonyc. There seem some aholes who , just because they are bored/entitled/arrogant/selfish think they can/should go about their business pretty much as they did 2 months ago. Unfortunately some people are in financial hardship, and some businesses will not survive this period, BUT the alternative is potential death. But doesn't mean that people cannot wait another couple of weeks or so, for a fookin Costa or a KFC. The lockdown is still on. Who the **** do people think they are in going about these movements now, and yet a fortnight ago, when we were still on lockdown, they didn't? Everyone's an expert all of a sudden. Ffs, the rules are there, and people are that bloody thick, that they pass the buck of responsibility to others, and cannot think for themselves

Wasnt expecting to see R go up even before we started to relax lockdown, long long way to go

Been using it for many weeks at the request of one of our posters, I think a member of his family was involved in the research project. Have been reporting in every day, you can share the app to increase the data base.

I haven’t read anywhere that has focused so much on protecting the vulnerable in the community outside of care homes as the UK and I’m hardly a government apologist that can’t see the abysmal failure of the UK government generally.

This is all starting to remind me of when you pick teams as a kid, invariably one team ends up much stronger than the other. Half way through the second half you're 15-2 down, some bright sparks says swap harry for fred, that would even things up a bit, to which the team with the upper hand says no ! We want to win 22-2. Just hand liverpool the title , if top 6 are so determined to play for european places let em play a round robin Tuorno to sort it out, I just dont care about it anymore. I'd rather go Angling. I wouldn't be bothered if they left the table as is. Either postpone until we can play properly , null and void , or as is. Makey uppy footy is as appealing as Love Island.

Oh for the gift if clairvoyance 😉

Downloaded the app this morning - couldn’t see the maths behind the prediction but presumably it is taking a percentage of users signed up and projecting that on to a national scale. Not sure if it’s just a simple percentage or if they go deeper into whether you live in urban/rural areas etc. Only an estimate but interesting - all we hear about in the news is tests on frontline workers and people in hospital etc., so we don’t see what’s happening more generally.

Anything she says against restarting would be dismissed as being 'self interest' as the owner of a club who is likely to go down. For it to mean anything you really need a senior figure from one of the top clubs who aren't in danger of relegation to come out against restarting.

This is a screenshot of the chart from that website, but it’s much better to look at the original itself 😀

All power to you Yellowrider. But there's no doubt in my mind if she does she will get slaughtered. And if she doesn't she will get slaughtered. I'd love it if she did. I'd love it if the upshot of this is that English football re-claimed it's soul that was sold in 1992. But if this message board is a barometer I'm in the minority. Except since the first week in March where morals about this seem to have changed. Do you think it will be a permanent change YR? Or do you think we'll soon return to thirsting for more and more money to go out of the game into the pockets of players and their agents.

As an ordinary shareholder i was not expecting a promotion bonus as there is no entitlement for that and i suspect you were the only one however bondholders were entitled as outlined in the terms and conditions before purchase.

It was absolutely obvious that Ricardo was being sarcastic and has not changed his mind or stance on the subject, why does Bill not understand this?, I really do not understand why he does not understand this..........

Personally I think shes laughing behind her hand at anyone who bought shares years ago without any chance of dividend. 👍😉. Thought I'd save you the bother.

I wouldn’t be particularly worried about extending for another three weeks if the lifting is then gradually bought in. I’m not sure anybody would be particularly bothered. The government’s furlough scheme currently runs to the end of June - another three weeks takes us to early/mid June. I expect there’ll be some gradual lifting of lockdown by the start of June, with more to follow throughout June into early July, at which point the furlough scheme will likely be tweaked (various different suggestions - dropping to sixty per cent or allowing the furloughing of hours rather than whole members of staff). Guidance to keep social distancing in a less prescriptive manner likely to be in place much longer. People dying from poverty is entirely proven.

Thanks Plastico, I saw that,half their mixed ashes are being spread at eccles beach this morning , the other half being spread on the anniversary of his passing at the end of September at a beauty spot near to where we live. The Norfolk flag flies in W Cork in honour of a great lady

Not even 10am when that happened so we can only hope he goes for another bike ride today dylan. 😂

I'm still using this (and family) and it's getting towards 5% of the population so it must be a useful, statistically robust app to provide data for research / designing targeted approaches in tackling the virus.

The democrats aren’t exactly amazing though. Look at what they did to Bernie with Hillary getting the nomination. You have to ask yourself what’s going on there. I just look at all their politicians and they just look... off. We have some weirdos in the UK but look at Nancy Pelosi, she looks like a burns victim. I mean, you have to take a step back sometimes and say “they elected Donald Trump as president” it does begged belief but the alternative was Hillary Clinton, not exactly a great alternative. Why can’t the democrats just put someone forward that people like and are likely to vote for like they did with Obama? Biden has so much baggage and in a live debate he’ll get creamed by Trump, he can’t remember what he had for breakfast.

the government briefings have number of positives by date reported but this figure will include tests taken days ago. You can see stats for english regions at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/?_ga=2.188118575.629863727.1588109361-498089359.1579339886 and you can sort by specimen date. Much more reassuring!

And yet still the EFL are allowed to pop up in public demanding promotion for its clubs regardless of whether they actually finish their own season. They need to be put under some pressure on that point.

Not forgetting that Klose got crocked for the season.

I would suggest that Covid testing is far more important to our NHS staff, police, fire, ambulance, the education system, care homes and care staff, and many other groups, well before footballers are added to the list!

No skin in this game as I don't have a season ticket anymore. However, if the club wanted me to turn down the money to help them out I'd expect to see the executives/players also giving some up to help the club.