National Forum

The Corona Virus And Possible Effects To GAA Matches

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Replying To Leftpeg1:  "Ye hard to make sense of it. There are several other things that are causing the spread of covid way more than playing football and hurling outdoors. GAA is one of the few things left at present in rural Ireland lifting the spirits of both young and old. Are the posters on here calling for gaa activity to cease from urban area where theres loads of other thingst o do or maybe there clubs are struggling in championship and it would save them from relegation if it was all called off? Genuinely not sure why they're pushing to stop gaa."
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there to be no relegation/promotion in the club championships?

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2313 - 18/08/2020 16:24:30    2288088

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Replying To Tod:  "Havent been on in a while, but just looking at the home page and seeing all the clubs that have suspended activity due to covid makes me think it is time the GAA top dogs made a decision for the good of all members especially vulnerable members and suspend all activity straight away, there is no doubt no matter what people say that GAA activity is helping the spread of covid in the communities, it is not critical that this activity continues, hopefully the government will make the decision for them as the GAA top brass will never do it as there is still the chance of a few quid being made, hospitals are starting to be over ran with cases again, i see it first hand where i am, all none critical hobbies need to be stopped"
How is the GAA to blame for the increased Covid numbers in any way. When was the last time there was a match in a mushroom factory, a training session in a meat plant or an underage match at a house party. This is only window dressing and won't solve anything - it's individuals own behaviour which needs to be addressed. I wear a mask 8 hours a day at work in a factory and then I see fellow workers take off their mask outside the factory and walk side by side to the shop or go for a stroll as if it was 12 months ago. I see employees and shoppers in shops with no mask on. I hear a story off 4 leaving cert students gettin5 off a plane in Shannon from Spain and going to a beach party and infecting Limerick and Clare.This is where the big wins here are not in stopping fans goin5to a match.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 899 - 18/08/2020 16:26:00    2288089

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I think whats happening is that they are doing a very poor job on explaining why they act in a certain way. Glynn tried a couple of weeks back but didn't really articulate it very well. I stand corrected on this but I believe their line of thinking is as follows. The largest number of clusters are now coming from households therefore the greatest risk is friends or family getting together. When you go to a GAA game you see you friends family if they are lucky to get a ticket and you sit together and chat about the game, roar and shout etc. this is the ideal place to pass it on. When you go to Tayto park you are going with only your immediate family, the likelihood of you stopping and chatting etc with someone else in that 200 is very small i.e. the way to think of it is that in going to a GAA game you are acting in concert with other people as opposed to Tayto park its random. Anyone doubting that logic - all they need to do is look at the games televised and see groups gathered together despite the size of the place. I don't know if there is any proof that the place of transmission was at a GAA game - they could tell if everyone had the tracker app as to where someone is most likely getting it but I don't think there is still enough uptake on it.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1961 - 18/08/2020 16:38:44    2288091

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I dont think anyone is saying that the GAA and the club training and games is having a direct result in the increased cases or is more harmful than the Meat Factory debacle we have seen recently but I for one believe it to be the right call.

Each week more and more clubs are suspending activity be that having a positive case from a player or member or having played against a team that fell under that scope. in small counties like my own it wouldnt take too many of those scenarios to shut a whole intermediate championship down.

The top brass had an opportunity to do the right thing months ago which i believed at the time to be the right thing, while many will disagree, to scrap all competitions until 2021. This would have given the opportunity to lead the way in the prevention of the virus spreading and reflected quite well on the organisation taking the health and well being of all its members and families as paramount.

I know lots will disagree and thats fair enough, i can see both sides too and sure i too would love to see my Club and County compete in the summer months but surely the positives outweigh the negatives of playing the remainder of club games behind closed doors? Surely county boards wouldnt be making enough to cover most of the expenses of a game with only 200 people there (Take out players, management and officials and youre not left with much).

I always believed that if competitions were scrapped at the start of all this the time could have been used to really address the issues at hand with Club V COunty, Player Welfare, the Fixtures Calendar and aim to come back stronger than ever in 2021. Im no expert and wouldnt want to be perceived to be but if things do indeed get worse and cases keep increasing I find it very hard to see how a club championship will be allowed reach their finales never mind start an Intercounty, and if there is any hope for that then surely behind closed doors is our best shot?

LongfordSham (Longford) - Posts: 122 - 18/08/2020 16:47:44    2288093

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Replying To updwell:  "How is the GAA to blame for the increased Covid numbers in any way. When was the last time there was a match in a mushroom factory, a training session in a meat plant or an underage match at a house party. This is only window dressing and won't solve anything - it's individuals own behaviour which needs to be addressed. I wear a mask 8 hours a day at work in a factory and then I see fellow workers take off their mask outside the factory and walk side by side to the shop or go for a stroll as if it was 12 months ago. I see employees and shoppers in shops with no mask on. I hear a story off 4 leaving cert students gettin5 off a plane in Shannon from Spain and going to a beach party and infecting Limerick and Clare.This is where the big wins here are not in stopping fans goin5to a match."
In fairness, though I agree with the jist of your post, the big wins would have been abolishing Direct Provision, and giving workers the right to sick pay so that they wouldn't be left with no option but to come into work in these affected factories and plants whilst sick or awaiting test results.

Those are the primary points we needed to get right in tandem with changing our individual behaviours, and there was no effort made from our two conservative parties to resolve or even address them. Parties, travel, pubs, lack of facemasks on public transport etc is tertiary in comparison with the number of cases directly linked to DP and exploited workers.

SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 452 - 18/08/2020 16:59:01    2288097

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I'm just reading the latest advice from Npten although not confirmed. It sounds like an announcement is imminent that all sporting events in the 26 will have no fans allowed. That is a reduction from 200 to zero and only the essential personnel will be allowed to be in the stadium! Surely as we head towards the end of August the GAA will come under increasing pressure from a number of counties to review this season?

The question now requiring an answer is can the GAA play a championship behind closed doors at inter county level! Does the various sponsorships; media deals and inevitable good marketing time of the year make it viable?

I think the GAA will proceed as a championship will attract huge viewing figures during a cold autumn however todays news likely confirms fans attending in any capacity will not happen.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 18/08/2020 17:23:35    2288099

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Absolutely the correct decision today in fact they should really have went further, in my opinion that will happen in a few weeks , I for one would love all sport to continue as is but the reality is that it is not safe

Tod (Kerry) - Posts: 31 - 18/08/2020 18:53:27    2288111

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Replying To Tod:  "Absolutely the correct decision today in fact they should really have went further, in my opinion that will happen in a few weeks , I for one would love all sport to continue as is but the reality is that it is not safe"
So it's not safe to watch a club game outdoors but it's safer to go to a pub? Good man

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8378 - 18/08/2020 19:07:28    2288113

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Sports might have to shut down until a vaccine is developed but for the players sake I hope they can continue behind closed gates.

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1226 - 18/08/2020 19:15:39    2288115

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The rest of Europe is living with Covid and not cancelling Sport. If we go by the 'safety over everything' people then we should have no sport ever. The flu kills more people than Covid...We are going to look like clowns after all this. Covid is with us for good..start adjusting and living, not running scared 24/7 . Are we looking for a special medal to be struck again like the embarrassing one for the best soccer fans at Euro whatever it was. Ireland is the Best Covid boy in the class. He doesn't even go outside his house...Heres a badge made of tinfoil..

bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 18/08/2020 19:28:07    2288116

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Replying To bloodyban:  "The rest of Europe is living with Covid and not cancelling Sport. If we go by the 'safety over everything' people then we should have no sport ever. The flu kills more people than Covid...We are going to look like clowns after all this. Covid is with us for good..start adjusting and living, not running scared 24/7 . Are we looking for a special medal to be struck again like the embarrassing one for the best soccer fans at Euro whatever it was. Ireland is the Best Covid boy in the class. He doesn't even go outside his house...Heres a badge made of tinfoil.."
The flu doesnt kill more than Covid

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 18/08/2020 19:47:23    2288117

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How about we petition health care workers and other front line staff for their thoughts on the matter ? Actually, let's not. I imagine their kinda busy at the momen

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1066 - 18/08/2020 19:57:19    2288118

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Replying To bloodyban:  "The rest of Europe is living with Covid and not cancelling Sport. If we go by the 'safety over everything' people then we should have no sport ever. The flu kills more people than Covid...We are going to look like clowns after all this. Covid is with us for good..start adjusting and living, not running scared 24/7 . Are we looking for a special medal to be struck again like the embarrassing one for the best soccer fans at Euro whatever it was. Ireland is the Best Covid boy in the class. He doesn't even go outside his house...Heres a badge made of tinfoil.."
We have the most underfunded health service in the EU, and the fewest hospital beds, and ICU beds, per capita in the EU. Our health service is under severe pressure, and at present it is stretched thin in trying to manage the upcoming flu season without the added demand that COVID-19 is threatening. Spare us your drivel.

SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 452 - 18/08/2020 19:57:22    2288119

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Replying To bloodyban:  "The rest of Europe is living with Covid and not cancelling Sport. If we go by the 'safety over everything' people then we should have no sport ever. The flu kills more people than Covid...We are going to look like clowns after all this. Covid is with us for good..start adjusting and living, not running scared 24/7 . Are we looking for a special medal to be struck again like the embarrassing one for the best soccer fans at Euro whatever it was. Ireland is the Best Covid boy in the class. He doesn't even go outside his house...Heres a badge made of tinfoil.."
You can have an opinion but please don't post nonsense. Covid is far more lethal than the flu.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8378 - 18/08/2020 20:15:46    2288120

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Replying To Breezy:  "The flu doesnt kill more than Covid"
This is a total over reaction in relation to outdoor sports, the majority of GAA club pitches have grass banks where at least the family members of players could sit in their cars watching games. Take away one of the few joys in life for parents to see their kids playing football without any evidence that it was contributing to the spread. People with just lose faith in the messengers.
In any case there is not one shred of evidence that anyone has caught COVID at a GAA match or training outdoors. Charlie Bird was right this morning stating the government are deliberately attacking all the wrong areas to tackle this epidemic in order to cause distractIon from the lack of leadership and proper policy to tackle Covid.
So it's ok to leave all the pubs open and it's dangerous to have people outside at a GAA match.
They make it as they go along.

Meathball (Meath) - Posts: 140 - 18/08/2020 20:54:33    2288123

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "So it's not safe to watch a club game outdoors but it's safer to go to a pub? Good man"
Neither is safe in my opinion but at least with a pub its the persons business and living, people play GAA as a hobbie so it can and should be cancelled fir the year

Tod (Kerry) - Posts: 31 - 18/08/2020 21:00:19    2288125

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Replying To bloodyban:  "The rest of Europe is living with Covid and not cancelling Sport. If we go by the 'safety over everything' people then we should have no sport ever. The flu kills more people than Covid...We are going to look like clowns after all this. Covid is with us for good..start adjusting and living, not running scared 24/7 . Are we looking for a special medal to be struck again like the embarrassing one for the best soccer fans at Euro whatever it was. Ireland is the Best Covid boy in the class. He doesn't even go outside his house...Heres a badge made of tinfoil.."
They did. Many cancelled or ended abruptly the 19/20 seasons of many sports and many sports who play off a calender year didnt start up
This is a seriously embarrassing post
How will we look like clowns?

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3758 - 18/08/2020 21:01:01    2288126

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Replying To Tod:  "Neither is safe in my opinion but at least with a pub its the persons business and living, people play GAA as a hobbie so it can and should be cancelled fir the year"
Nonsense. If they claim they are doing it to stop the spread then you can't cherry pick. Is Mass a business as well? Or can you explain that ? Amongst other things.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8378 - 18/08/2020 21:10:22    2288129

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The GAA top dogs going from bad to worse, a statement out demanding a meeting with the cmo in the middle of an emergency in the country because they will now not be able to make any money from matches, do they seriously think he should make time to speak with them, unreal arrogance but not surprising

Tod (Kerry) - Posts: 31 - 18/08/2020 21:43:08    2288135

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Replying To Meathball:  "This is a total over reaction in relation to outdoor sports, the majority of GAA club pitches have grass banks where at least the family members of players could sit in their cars watching games. Take away one of the few joys in life for parents to see their kids playing football without any evidence that it was contributing to the spread. People with just lose faith in the messengers.
In any case there is not one shred of evidence that anyone has caught COVID at a GAA match or training outdoors. Charlie Bird was right this morning stating the government are deliberately attacking all the wrong areas to tackle this epidemic in order to cause distractIon from the lack of leadership and proper policy to tackle Covid.
So it's ok to leave all the pubs open and it's dangerous to have people outside at a GAA match.
They make it as they go along."
There's a lot of it that they do have to make up as they go along. There's no killer disease containment plan template for any country. The buck from COVID doesn't ring NEPHET every morning and tell them 'I'll be in Limerick, Mayo and Cavan tomorrow for about a week. Just giving you the heads up there lads in case you want to lock them down.

They don't know how to react in a lot of cases but they're better being safe than sorry. The pubs thing is a bit mad, some are lax on taking contact tracing details. Guaranteed a lot of people won't be happy with the new restrictions but better to be a live and healthy unhappy person than a dead one or ill from COVID. We don't where the next cluster will be but opening schools next week doesn't sound smart. The more tests being done the more cases will arise. Hopefully short term pain for long term gain. These are qualified people making these calls. I wonder sometimes why certain things are done, but I've faith in them but not much faith in social media opinions.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7971 - 18/08/2020 21:50:48    2288136

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