Boris Johnson 8pm televised address - official match thread

[Bry Nylon]

Small number of games called off due to bellendry by players that is now socially unacceptable country wide - no more Tier confusion.

Small number suggests most games are safe

Called off suggests it's not being treated lightly.

Football really isn't the problem.

I have to say I believe football is a big part of the problem, unfortunately.
PL football is the most popular sport in the UK by miles and we now have a situation where every single PL game is being broadcast live via subscription channels at a time when one of the settings generating the highest number of cases is the private home.

As nobody can go to games and not everybody has access to SKY or BT it is inconceivable that the live broadcast of every game on these channnels isn't encouraging household mixing and consequently spreading the virus. Even if people do have access to BT or SKY I'm sure people are still gettng together to watch matches with their mates etc.

Either suspend the PL until some sort of control of the virus has been restored - or if the fixtures must go ahead, cease live broadcast. They could just put a highlights package on MOTD every Saturday night, like they used to, until we are out of this shit.

Broadcasting EVERY PL game live on subscription channels at a time when you want to discourage household mixing is massively short sighted and a perfect example of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

 

[clapham_gull]

I'm not surprised about the takeaway alcohol ban. With adjacent shops closed, I've seen many groups just meeting up for a beer under an awning.

Not as bad as the summer mind, when you often couldn't walk down the pavement for drinkers.

We've all slipped though. During the last lockdown, I was limiting my food shopping but over the last few months, I was back to making more regular trips.

Back to only when I need to now.

 

[atomised]

I have to say I believe football is a big part of the problem, unfortunately.
PL football is the most popular sport in the UK by miles and we now have a situation where every single PL game is being broadcast live via subscription channels at a time when one of the settings generating the highest number of cases is the private home.

As nobody can go to games and not everybody has access to SKY or BT it is inconceivable that the live broadcast of every game on these channnels isn't encouraging household mixing and consequently spreading the virus. Even if people do have access to BT or SKY I'm sure people are still gettng together to watch matches with their mates etc.

Either suspend the PL until some sort of control of the virus has been restored - or if the fixtures must go ahead, cease live broadcast. They could just put a highlights package on MOTD every Saturday night, like they used to, until we are out of this shit.

Broadcasting EVERY PL game live on subscription channels at a time when you want to discourage household mixing is massively short sighted and a perfect example of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

The majority should suffer because of the minority then. I wouldn't consider inviting anyone to watch my TV and don't know anyone else who would

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

He’s done a cataclysmically bad job. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been keen on Boris Johnson - there was perhaps a time when his harmless japery was a refreshing change from your typical po-faced politician, but I’ve never wanted him anywhere near number 10. I remember joking a number of years ago - “imagine if Boris Johnson and Donald Trump got into power. At the same time!”. There’s definitely been a feeling like I’ve been living in a dark comedy these past few years, and last year in particular.

I’ve always, always voted Tory. Until January of last year. I just couldn’t do it. Partly because I opposed (yet gracefully accepted) Brexit, but mainly because I couldn’t abide by a man who had manipulated and manufactured his way into the hot seat. Perhaps cleverly so, but it was manipulation nonetheless.

All that said, I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt back in March. We were undoubtedly heading into the most challenging situation since the Second World War, so the man needing cutting some slack. So, fresh start in my mind.

Then we had the herd immunity debacle, though I don’t necessarily hold him accountable for that. It was a rapidly developing situation, and if ‘the science’ changed then so be it. But the notion that they were ‘following the science’ was just that, a notion. It was just another way of saying “If we fúck this up, don’t blame us, blame poindexter over there”.

Throughout this whole charade, Boris Johnson has constantly ignored calls to lockdown to various degrees until it was way too late. They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Italy gave us hindsight in real-time.

Why didn’t we lockdown then? Why did we continue to allow thousands of foreigners in from countries known to be under siege from the virus? Why did we have the fúcking Cheltenham Festival? Why didn’t we have a circuit breaker in September, like, y’know, the scientists said. Why did we give the virus the chance to spring a variant of itself that is virtually uncontrollable?

Why? Because Boris Johnson is a popularity whore. He is terrified of making a decision which might annoy his followers, even if it’s the right one for them. He is pathologically incapable of making tough decisions until such a point he literally has no option, and even then it’s only because everyone else is doing it. I swear, if Nicola Sturgeon jumped off a bridge, he’d fùcking do it.

And now, here we are. Another bloody lockdown. I’m no longer even bothered about the personal inconvenience, or that fact the kids are going to barge in on me in the middle of a conference call, fourteen times a day asking me to buy them another game for their iPad. I’m bothered by the needless harm we have done to our economy and long-term prosperity. Let’s not forget that it’s less than a decade ago that the youth of London were literally burning their own towns and boroughs down because of how shit, austere and opportunity-less their lives where. I’m not condoning that behaviour by the way, but that’s not the actions of people whose lives are great. What about those people now?

But more than that, and I say this because I am so very fortunate not to have been financially affected (yet) by the pandemic, it is absolutely criminal (and I use that word deliberately) that so many people will now die as a result of gross incompetence and ineptitude. Quite literally millions of life years lost unnecessarily.

Anyway, best get to bed, I’ve got the school run in the morning. Oh wait, school’s out, innit. I don’t know what pisses me off more; that I have to explain to my children in the morning why they went to school this morning but won’t get to go again until March at the earliest, or that the butchering of their education was so, so avoidable.

Alas, we are fúcked.

Absolutely this with bells on. Couldn't have said it better myself.

How anyone can vote for these ****ing self serving, evil infested c*nts is beyond me. Never liked the Tories, but absolutely despise them now. Handing out dodgy contracts to mates and rushing through Brexit without much scrutiny, taking advantage of a crisis, is criminal. I really hope this blows up in their faces soon.

I think they'll get crushed at the next GE once this is over, I really really REALLY hope they do.

 

[Bry Nylon]

The majority should suffer because of the minority then.

Yes, that's what happens when you are trying to fight a pandemic and break chains of transmission. It's what's been happening since last March, in case it's escaped your attention. My kids don't have covid but they can't go to school or play football or do Parkrun or gymnastics or play with their friends. I don't have covid but I can't go to the gym, go to a pub or restaurant or theatre, see my family or take my kids for a day out. You don't invite mates or family round to watch PL football on your telly ...but plenty are. If ditching live broadcast of PL games for a few months help break chains of transmission, surely that has to a price worth paying? It isn't a silver bullet but it all adds to the basket of measures to combat a rising' R'. How much longer do you want this to go on for?

We are all having to make sacrifices to try to end this thing as quickly as possible - but as always people are happy with sacrifices so long as they aren't the one expected to make them. It's why we are still here, in just as bad a situation as we were nearly 12 months ago and why things are about to get worse still.

 

[T.G]

Because you only ever post one way in your eternal hatred of all things Tory, the message loses all credibility. A few thumbs ups from like minded folk your reward.

Political, economic or social threads draw you in like fly paper, where you say exactly the same, a thousand different ways.

Ever thought that might be because he’s right?

 

[GT49er]

Absolutely this with bells on. Couldn't have said it better myself.

How anyone can vote for these ****ing self serving, evil infested c*nts is beyond me. Never liked the Tories, but absolutely despise them now. Handing out dodgy contracts to mates and rushing through Brexit without much scrutiny, taking advantage of a crisis, is criminal. I really hope this blows up in their faces soon.

I think they'll get crushed at the next GE once this is over, I really really REALLY hope they do.

In case you hadn't noticed (or in case your sense of outrage blinded you to the facts) this country had voted for Brexit, and voted in the only government that was committed to delivering it months before Covid came galloping over the horizon.
Now, we understand some people (more than most on NSC) hate Brexit, some hate Boris (not a fan myself, tbh) and despise the Tories (again, not usually even my second choice either), but any prat who starts linking their passionate hatred of Brexit/Boris/the Tories with Covid, as if it's Brexit/Boris/the Tories that is to blame for it is just that - a prat.
It's an unprecedented crisis, with no route map available to anyone, no absolute rights and wrongs as far as government action is concerned. Some governments have done slightly better than others, some slightly worse. Some of the ones who have done slightly better have used methods that the most vociferous Boris haters would shout even louder about - rigid and strictly controlled border controls, for instance, and little or no immigration (New Zealand for example - clearly racists!) or draconian enforcement of total lockdown (some far eastern countries (obviously Fascists!))


Oh, and just one more little thing the EU have Covid too, just as bad as we do...........

 

[atomised]

Yes, that's what happens when you are trying to fight a pandemic and break chains of transmission. It's what's been happening since last March, in case it's escaped your attention. My kids don't have covid but they can't go to school or play football or do Parkrun or gymnastics or play with their friends. I don't have covid but I can't go to the gym, go to a pub or restaurant or theatre, see my family or take my kids for a day out. You don't invite mates or family round to watch PL football on your telly ...but plenty are. If ditching live broadcast of PL games for a few months help break chains of transmission, surely that has to a price worth paying? It isn't a silver bullet but it all adds to the basket of measures to combat a rising' R'. How much longer do you want this to go on for?

We are all having to make sacrifices to try to end this thing as quickly as possible - but as always people are happy with sacrifices so long as they aren't the one expected to make them. It's why we are still here, in just as bad a situation as we were nearly 12 months ago and why things are about to get worse still.

I'm more than happy to make the sacrifices. I'm no longer convinced any will work because of the high percentage willing to ignore them. I wasn't aware watching football on TV was such a massive thing that people are ignoring so would love to see the evidence that it's causing transmission rates to surge to such an extent.

Not convinced you needed to start your post in such a patronising fashion but I'm also painfully aware that everyone has given up the being kind ethos that was so good to see during the first lockdown.
For what it's worth, without kids around who like yours are missing out I doubt id be here now. I guess for me football is another of these things that's keeping me going and whether I continue sustaining that and keeping the brave face going for much longer is very much up in the air.

In response to your how much longer do I want this to go on for, it is what it is. I will continue to follow the rules and deal with it as I need to so kind of resent your suggestion that I am one of these who doesn't want to do so. I've lost so much already through this and am very much treading water to keep loved ones going, deal with a tough background investigation going on and trying desperately to stay positive.

 

[nickjhs]

Starmer - we should lock down
Unions - schools should not reopen

Johnson does neither and is reviled (and possibly kills thousands and renders schools un-openable due to staff sickness levels)

Starmer - we should lock down
Unions - schools should not reopen

Johnson does both and is roundly condemned by left wing commentators anyway.

I know what I'd prefer.

I just love it when people bitch out of context. Sure the rational thinking commentators are having a shot, but its not because of the lock down its because it took a disaster to get the Gov to listen.

 

[GT49er]

The majority should suffer because of the minority then. I wouldn't consider inviting anyone to watch my TV and don't know anyone else who would

Yes, I'm sure you wouldn't - and neither would I. But the majority suffering for a selfish minority? That's often the way. Take Covidiots for instance .... 'I don't want to wear a mask 'cos I'm against Boris, innit' - 'cos, I mean, 'cos I'm like an individual, free spirit an' all that - rules are for sad old tossers, innit'. So, more people will die, and rather than inconvenience some people, the sad old majority will just have to suck it up.
OK, so Covidiots have made things worse, but that's their human rights, innit.............

 

[atomised]

Yes, I'm sure you wouldn't - and neither would I. But the majority suffering for a selfish minority? That's often the way. Take Covidiots for instance .... 'I don't want to wear a mask 'cos I'm against Boris, innit' - 'cos, I mean, 'cos I'm like an individual, free spirit an' all that - rules are for sad old tossers, innit'. So, more people will die, and rather than inconvenience some people, the sad old majority will just have to suck it up.
OK, so Covidiots have made things worse, but that's their human rights, innit.............

Sickening really isn't it. Not really sure how much more of it I can take. Struggling more and more to stay strong for others and it feels like hit after hit. Anyway. This isn't a counselling page and I think I just need to swerve news for a bit.

 

[Justice]

Not a word about a financial package for the self employed again, 3m or so haven’t had a penny absolutely disgraceful.

 

[Nobby]

Agree it’s now bloody scary but where do you get 12% from ?

Data on admissions (and testing, ICU etc) is available here with each stat noted on when it was compiled up to - there has always been differences between various sources :

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare

The BBC website has a regional breakdown on data, including latest hospital admissions :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51768274

Since the start of this, I have been recording the Govt stats tracker in detail each day

Between August and November, around 5% of those tested were positive, it’s now at over 10% and rising steadily.

And with a with a 14 day time lag, around 7% of those positive tests ended up as admissions to hospital. That % has nearly doubled today. This trend increased about a week before the Govt announced the new variant publicly.
Also, as I am looking at National numbers, the % admissions to hospital in London and the South East could be even worse, as the tests are a National number, but we know there will be a higher proportion of hospital admissions in the South East.

So my 6,600 admissions per day in two weeks time, is a simple extrapolation of the data


The BBC stats are taken from the Govt data, but are sometimes misconstrued and downplayed by them.

Nick Triggle, the “health correspondent”, is utterly hopeless

 

[darkwolf666]

There doesn't appear to be any Grandees left. We need some educated oldies from all sides of the house to help but there's no one. Respected old politicians have all retired.

He’s done a cataclysmically bad job. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been keen on Boris Johnson - there was perhaps a time when his harmless japery was a refreshing change from your typical po-faced politician, but I’ve never wanted him anywhere near number 10. I remember joking a number of years ago - “imagine if Boris Johnson and Donald Trump got into power. At the same time!”. There’s definitely been a feeling like I’ve been living in a dark comedy these past few years, and last year in particular.

I’ve always, always voted Tory. Until January of last year. I just couldn’t do it. Partly because I opposed (yet gracefully accepted) Brexit, but mainly because I couldn’t abide by a man who had manipulated and manufactured his way into the hot seat. Perhaps cleverly so, but it was manipulation nonetheless.

All that said, I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt back in March. We were undoubtedly heading into the most challenging situation since the Second World War, so the man needing cutting some slack. So, fresh start in my mind.

Then we had the herd immunity debacle, though I don’t necessarily hold him accountable for that. It was a rapidly developing situation, and if ‘the science’ changed then so be it. But the notion that they were ‘following the science’ was just that, a notion. It was just another way of saying “If we fúck this up, don’t blame us, blame poindexter over there”.

Throughout this whole charade, Boris Johnson has constantly ignored calls to lockdown to various degrees until it was way too late. They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Italy gave us hindsight in real-time.

Why didn’t we lockdown then? Why did we continue to allow thousands of foreigners in from countries known to be under siege from the virus? Why did we have the fúcking Cheltenham Festival? Why didn’t we have a circuit breaker in September, like, y’know, the scientists said. Why did we give the virus the chance to spring a variant of itself that is virtually uncontrollable?

Why? Because Boris Johnson is a popularity whore. He is terrified of making a decision which might annoy his followers, even if it’s the right one for them. He is pathologically incapable of making tough decisions until such a point he literally has no option, and even then it’s only because everyone else is doing it. I swear, if Nicola Sturgeon jumped off a bridge, he’d fùcking do it.

And now, here we are. Another bloody lockdown. I’m no longer even bothered about the personal inconvenience, or that fact the kids are going to barge in on me in the middle of a conference call, fourteen times a day asking me to buy them another game for their iPad. I’m bothered by the needless harm we have done to our economy and long-term prosperity. Let’s not forget that it’s less than a decade ago that the youth of London were literally burning their own towns and boroughs down because of how shit, austere and opportunity-less their lives where. I’m not condoning that behaviour by the way, but that’s not the actions of people whose lives are great. What about those people now?

But more than that, and I say this because I am so very fortunate not to have been financially affected (yet) by the pandemic, it is absolutely criminal (and I use that word deliberately) that so many people will now die as a result of gross incompetence and ineptitude. Quite literally millions of life years lost unnecessarily.

Anyway, best get to bed, I’ve got the school run in the morning. Oh wait, school’s out, innit. I don’t know what pisses me off more; that I have to explain to my children in the morning why they went to school this morning but won’t get to go again until March at the earliest, or that the butchering of their education was so, so avoidable.

Alas, we are fúcked.

Except he would wait a couple of weeks, and when the tide has gone out, jump and do maximum damage!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

He’s done a cataclysmically bad job. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been keen on Boris Johnson - there was perhaps a time when his harmless japery was a refreshing change from your typical po-faced politician, but I’ve never wanted him anywhere near number 10. I remember joking a number of years ago - “imagine if Boris Johnson and Donald Trump got into power. At the same time!”. There’s definitely been a feeling like I’ve been living in a dark comedy these past few years, and last year in particular.

I’ve always, always voted Tory. Until January of last year. I just couldn’t do it. Partly because I opposed (yet gracefully accepted) Brexit, but mainly because I couldn’t abide by a man who had manipulated and manufactured his way into the hot seat. Perhaps cleverly so, but it was manipulation nonetheless.

All that said, I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt back in March. We were undoubtedly heading into the most challenging situation since the Second World War, so the man needing cutting some slack. So, fresh start in my mind.

Then we had the herd immunity debacle, though I don’t necessarily hold him accountable for that. It was a rapidly developing situation, and if ‘the science’ changed then so be it. But the notion that they were ‘following the science’ was just that, a notion. It was just another way of saying “If we fúck this up, don’t blame us, blame poindexter over there”.

Throughout this whole charade, Boris Johnson has constantly ignored calls to lockdown to various degrees until it was way too late. They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Italy gave us hindsight in real-time.

Why didn’t we lockdown then? Why did we continue to allow thousands of foreigners in from countries known to be under siege from the virus? Why did we have the fúcking Cheltenham Festival? Why didn’t we have a circuit breaker in September, like, y’know, the scientists said. Why did we give the virus the chance to spring a variant of itself that is virtually uncontrollable?

Why? Because Boris Johnson is a popularity whore. He is terrified of making a decision which might annoy his followers, even if it’s the right one for them. He is pathologically incapable of making tough decisions until such a point he literally has no option, and even then it’s only because everyone else is doing it. I swear, if Nicola Sturgeon jumped off a bridge, he’d fùcking do it.

And now, here we are. Another bloody lockdown. I’m no longer even bothered about the personal inconvenience, or that fact the kids are going to barge in on me in the middle of a conference call, fourteen times a day asking me to buy them another game for their iPad. I’m bothered by the needless harm we have done to our economy and long-term prosperity. Let’s not forget that it’s less than a decade ago that the youth of London were literally burning their own towns and boroughs down because of how shit, austere and opportunity-less their lives where. I’m not condoning that behaviour by the way, but that’s not the actions of people whose lives are great. What about those people now?

But more than that, and I say this because I am so very fortunate not to have been financially affected (yet) by the pandemic, it is absolutely criminal (and I use that word deliberately) that so many people will now die as a result of gross incompetence and ineptitude. Quite literally millions of life years lost unnecessarily.

Anyway, best get to bed, I’ve got the school run in the morning. Oh wait, school’s out, innit. I don’t know what pisses me off more; that I have to explain to my children in the morning why they went to school this morning but won’t get to go again until March at the earliest, or that the butchering of their education was so, so avoidable.

Alas, we are fúcked.

Absolutely this.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Well, yes. Most things Starmer has called for have happened a few weeks later. So, it would indeed seem as though the 'Government Line' changes to what he has been calling for - and therefore they then agree.

Both equally culpable in that regard. Starmer was calling for schools to remain open until late yesterday. It doesn’t matter though; as long as we get through this

 

[Stumpy Tim]

He’s done a cataclysmically bad job. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been keen on Boris Johnson - there was perhaps a time when his harmless japery was a refreshing change from your typical po-faced politician, but I’ve never wanted him anywhere near number 10. I remember joking a number of years ago - “imagine if Boris Johnson and Donald Trump got into power. At the same time!”. There’s definitely been a feeling like I’ve been living in a dark comedy these past few years, and last year in particular.

I’ve always, always voted Tory. Until January of last year. I just couldn’t do it. Partly because I opposed (yet gracefully accepted) Brexit, but mainly because I couldn’t abide by a man who had manipulated and manufactured his way into the hot seat. Perhaps cleverly so, but it was manipulation nonetheless.

All that said, I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt back in March. We were undoubtedly heading into the most challenging situation since the Second World War, so the man needing cutting some slack. So, fresh start in my mind.

Then we had the herd immunity debacle, though I don’t necessarily hold him accountable for that. It was a rapidly developing situation, and if ‘the science’ changed then so be it. But the notion that they were ‘following the science’ was just that, a notion. It was just another way of saying “If we fúck this up, don’t blame us, blame poindexter over there”.

Throughout this whole charade, Boris Johnson has constantly ignored calls to lockdown to various degrees until it was way too late. They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Italy gave us hindsight in real-time.

Why didn’t we lockdown then? Why did we continue to allow thousands of foreigners in from countries known to be under siege from the virus? Why did we have the fúcking Cheltenham Festival? Why didn’t we have a circuit breaker in September, like, y’know, the scientists said. Why did we give the virus the chance to spring a variant of itself that is virtually uncontrollable?

Why? Because Boris Johnson is a popularity whore. He is terrified of making a decision which might annoy his followers, even if it’s the right one for them. He is pathologically incapable of making tough decisions until such a point he literally has no option, and even then it’s only because everyone else is doing it. I swear, if Nicola Sturgeon jumped off a bridge, he’d fùcking do it.

And now, here we are. Another bloody lockdown. I’m no longer even bothered about the personal inconvenience, or that fact the kids are going to barge in on me in the middle of a conference call, fourteen times a day asking me to buy them another game for their iPad. I’m bothered by the needless harm we have done to our economy and long-term prosperity. Let’s not forget that it’s less than a decade ago that the youth of London were literally burning their own towns and boroughs down because of how shit, austere and opportunity-less their lives where. I’m not condoning that behaviour by the way, but that’s not the actions of people whose lives are great. What about those people now?

But more than that, and I say this because I am so very fortunate not to have been financially affected (yet) by the pandemic, it is absolutely criminal (and I use that word deliberately) that so many people will now die as a result of gross incompetence and ineptitude. Quite literally millions of life years lost unnecessarily.

Anyway, best get to bed, I’ve got the school run in the morning. Oh wait, school’s out, innit. I don’t know what pisses me off more; that I have to explain to my children in the morning why they went to school this morning but won’t get to go again until March at the earliest, or that the butchering of their education was so, so avoidable.

Alas, we are fúcked.

100% this. Well put. I hope people have memories longer than 4 years... these clowns shouldn't be let anywhere near government again

 

[Randy McNob]

Because you only ever post one way in your eternal hatred of all things Tory, the message loses all credibility. A few thumbs ups from like minded folk your reward.

Political, economic or social threads draw you in like fly paper, where you say exactly the same, a thousand different ways.

Yay - my first stalker

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Not trying to score any points, but CAMHS wasn’t fit for purpose long before COVID. When I took my two grandchildren to CAMHS, after referral from our GP, the first question they asked was do they self harm. They almost appeared disinterested once the answer was no... they have been under funded for a long time and it probably won’t get bettter...

Can I very gently point out that you are basing your view on very limited data. In my professional life I have seen some very different outcomes from the work done by CAMHS.

 

[blockhseagull]

Can I very gently point out that you are basing your view on very limited data. In my professional life I have seen some very different outcomes from the work done by CAMHS.

I’m sure that the people who work working CAMHS do some very fine work, however it doesn’t change that the system as a whole is horrifically broken and from my own experiences with them over 10 years they have been largely the cause of more issues than solutions.

Whilst I’m aware the people within the system are doing their upmost to help people the lack of funding means they can’t touch half the people who desperately need their help.