My daughter's just got herself a little part time job. One of the pubs down the road have bought a chip van to try & get a little bit of income (also serving takeaway draught & bottled beers!). they were looking for an assistant and they saw her post on FB looking for part time work so gave her a ring. She worked Thurs, Fri & Sat evenings - the queues were all across the car park & halfway down the road! they made a killing & are looking at keeping it even after lockdown. No more "Dad, I'm bored!" or "Dad, can I have some money!"

Chaddy, you seem to think there’s nothing to worry about as we will spend a few months BCD then we’ll get our vaccines and back we go. When told that vaccines are notoriously difficult to produce and can take years/decades, if one arrives at all, you just go ‘well I’ve seen that Oxford are working really hard and we’ll have one by September (!!!)’ or ‘we’ll see’ So even though I imagine you’ll have a whale of a time watching BCD matches 6 times a weekend for the foreseeable, what is your solution if we get to this time next year with no vaccine? And how many clubs will be left, BCD comes at a cost, it’s not just beamed into your living room as a means of altruism by the clubs, there’s a whole infrastructure to support. BCD will finish most clubs outside the top flight if it goes on indefinitely...

Congratulations! I havent tried running but we find 3 mile walks straightforward now. No gasping for breath uphill and getting faster all the time.

After 5 weeks of doing nothing but the odd walk for the first part of lockdown, I decided I needed to get back out and do something. It seems like, having 5 weeks of complete rest have done wonders for my knees, so I attempted running again. I haven't been a regular runner for a few years, I was cycling to work every day and playing football twice a week before all this. Anyway, after a difficult start a few weeks ago, I did a 5 mile run this morning. Pretty happy with that! Started off with 2.5 miles a few weeks back, so at least I have progressed.

And that’s what will be happening and that’s fine. Chaddy however is all for BCD as he doesn’t agree with trying social distancing in grounds as it’s logistically difficult and there’s no point anyway as he believes BCD is only a temporary measure as there’s every chance of a vaccine for the entire country in 3 MONTHS. It’s cloud cuckoo land stuff and in reality if we are waiting for a vaccine to let fans back them it’s going to be years BCD and therefore the end of our fantastic league structure. To get this season done, BCD is here and we’ll just get on with it, but the game is in big trouble medium term from where I’m standing. Something he’s in total denial about, largely on the word of a professor at Oxford, by the looks of it.

If you seriously believe there is going to be a vaccine any time soon you're simply being lead by the nose by the media. Do a bit of research on how long it takes to develop, test and manufacture a virus. You're in for a major shock. Putting PL football on TV has got nothing whatsoever to do with football fans. I am talking about fans who go in to the ground. Restarting the PL is nothing more than fulfilling contractual obligations to the TV companies. The way this is going football couldn't give two hoots whether or not you ever go in to a football ground again. Personally I have zero interest in watching TV football. If there is a game I want to see I go to the ground. That's what football fans do.

You can with shellac and the right skills.

Loyalty, professional football.... chuckle.

There is more chance of Brereton scoring the winner in the play off final statistically I would suggest.

This isn't for the Clubs to work out though, Paul. Imagine if they tried to make Ewood "Covid-Secure" (its the new buzzphrase in industry right now) and then half of the BBE ended up with it after a game? There'd be claims going in left right & centre. The only easy answer to getting people back inside is a vaccine but as you say, is that even possible? Society has to move on from this whole episode eventually. The balancing of risk is something to be considered carefully by the health authorities, not by our clubs. If I was running a club the only way I'd entertain letting fans back inside is if clear guidlines were issued for me to follow, and the health advice was that mass events were allowed again. Then again, we are in a fairly good position to stay 2m apart at Ewood these days and not have any of our usual attendees miss out....

If you leave this season as it is or scrap it then you also scrap prizes and punishments. You don't do 2/3 or 3/4 of a season then stop and award trophies and titles because 'Liverpool deserve it'. You only deserve a title or relegation over a full season. So either the full season has to be finished or no prizes are awarded. It matters not that a club is 2 or 20 points clear. If the season can't finish then trophies can't be given out. Harsh maybe but no more so than on Leeds, WBA, Coventry or Crewe who would all suffer the same (or should suffer the same, if a sensible, fair and uniform approach was being adopted across English football. Instead we've ended up with every man for himself, a farcical situation where some divisions are returning, some have been abandoned, some don't know and promotion/relegation all over the place. This was a job for the FA to intervene and put their feet down and decide what was happening across the board. As ever they've left it to individual clubs and competitions to decide whilst shirking their responsibilities and now we've a right mess unfolding. They clearly think they can safely/effectively finish the season behind closed doors (it won't be behind closed doors, because they've already estimated needing a minimum of 300 people there to enable the game to go ahead - can anyone out there explain to me how you get to 300 essential people from 2 teams of 11, subs and coaching/medical staff?) I also don't believe for one minute that the PL has managed to avoid any infections and has announced 0 positive tests whilst the Championship has announced numerous. What are the chances of that happening? I suspect they are trying to railroad clubs and players into resuming asap because those subscriptions need renewing and Sky are losing viewers. Clear from the QPR announcement today that clubs are barely being consulted on this and are being cajoled or forced into things they aren't particularly comfortable with. For me the most sensible approach would be to effectively close football down for 12 months, put it on ice with a view to having normality in time for the 2021-22 season. If it can come back sooner then just have regional divisions or cup competitions to pass the time.

https://mol.im/a/8374755 Genuinely considering putting in FIFA 20 sound effects. That is a bonkers idea.

"Temporary best alternative." Absolutely. The question is, is it better than than either declaring everything null andf void or finishing the season via a mathematical formula? I'd say a big "hell yeah" on both counts. Then if you take the view that the lesser of two evils is to finish the season the question is then "If possible would you like to watch it on TV?". Again I'd give that a big thumbs up and for once if media and broadcasters did the right thing and as a one off made all games free to air until the end of the season as a one off I think that should be applauded rather than viewed as part of some machiavellian plot

I don't think BCD games are necessary. I understand the argument that it can be considered the most 'fair' way to end the season but i think there's a debate to be had there. In my view, risks considered, the most appropriate solution would have been to void the whole season, wait for things to settle down over the next 6 months or so with regular reassessments and then start afresh for 2020-21 when the time is right. Something would need to be done about Bolton's point deduction but other than that there would be winners and losers. Shame for Liverpool, Leeds, WBA, but good for Norwich, Luton, Barnsley. That's life. I think if Sky didn't have English football over a financial barrel the story would be very different indeed. I don't buy this about the authorities wanting to boost morale or ensure fairness in the leagues. Its a financial decision made in no small part by those who pay the piper and their desires to see football on TV asap. I can understand why some people want football back in their lives asap and are relishing the prospect of sitting at home with it on tv every night. I'm not. IMV watching games in empty grounds through Sky is not something that i have any real desire to do. I may watch bits but won't be sat glued to the tv enjoying the 'bonanza' of Sky coverage. Those saying we can't have crowds in grounds again until a vaccine arrives - nobody seems to be considering the possibility of one not arriving. Then what? We spend the rest of our lives never going to any large gatherings or social events - weddings, birthday parties, football, cricket, festivals? Not feasible. They will have to come up with an alternative.

Our 25 year old Daughter has today informed us that she intends moving out and getting a place with 2 mates in Preston ASAP after the lockdown. Halle fuckin lujah.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11998654/at-home-with-blackburn

Not in the present circumstances, I'd say. Personally I would go down the route of trying to get in coaches, that will get the best out of what we have already got.

It may well all but burn itself out in the next few months nobody really knows not even the experts, internet or otherwise. Prepare for worst case scenario though but we might see some real daylight in the next 2/3 months although the frail and elderly or those with other issues will always have to be extra careful or stay out of harms way a good while longer.

76 goals in 190 games over the last few seasons (injuries have played a part). Worth a punt I'd say.

We're making steady progress on the Ribble Way. We did Horton to Settle last Friday and Settle to Cow Bridge today. We've seen hardly a soul walking the path on both days, 10 miles on Friday and 7 today except when we passed Stainforth Force on Friday. It's a small waterfall on the river with a swimming pool below it. There were about 100 people at or immediately around the Force.

I think if we reach a stage where the people exposed to it through their work in the health service or other jobs are immunised, along with those in the 'high risk' categories e.g. with underlying conditions or of a certain age, then in reality the vast majority of the problem would be dealt with. The vast majority of people can cope with the virus and overcome it. If a vaccine was introduced but given first to the above groups then I see no reason why the country couldn't get back to normality before receiving vaccines if they even wanted them. I was reading the other day that for the average primary school age child the likelihood of dying from Covid 19 is less than getting struck by lightning. NThat isn't to say it isn't an issue or problem but some perspective is needed. Once a way of shielding the vulnerable is found the majority should be able to have some sort of normality with or without a vaccine.

Why?, he would seem to have a loyalty problem.

Just to weigh in on the vaccine by September issue. I’m diabetic so hoping an effective one can be developed as soon as possible for everyone’s sake. But even if there is one all of the initially available doses will go to frontline workers followed by those in the most vulnerable groups, so it would likely be well into next year regardless before the rest of the general public has access to them. And that’s only if the one(s) the government has pre-ordered actually prove viable, which again is still up in the air as labs continue their testing processes and research. And out of those that would have access to it initially I’d say a large number of them wouldn’t be the first ones queuing up to get into Ewood for a game as other concerns like work/not being able to get to the ground alone if they need assistance/loss of interest/etc. would all take priority.

The Nice - America

So if she hadn’t been a virologist she could have been a politician. She covered every outcome, without committing to any of them. If there is a generally available vaccine by September, I will plait sawdust.

An opinion in an interview does not make it a reality.

The Kinks - Where Have all the good Times Gone

There won't be a reliable vaccine for years, if at all. This is why the clubs should be working now to understand how they will achieve safe attendance. If the clubs do not resolve this situation football will become a TV sport. In other words football in this country will be dead. As @Stuart so rightly says the footballing authorities reinforce with every day that passes they have zero interest in the fans or in finding ways to return fans to the grounds. Rovers should take a lead on this. There is no reason at all why the club should not work on this immediately. The management would gain significant kudos amongst the fan base and the wider game. Football has forgotten me.

That article only says teams want relegation scrapped if the season is scrapped or curtailed after an attempted restart. Which makes it all the more important every effort is made to play the season out.

Plenty of stories perhaps casting doubt over a successful resumption of the football season in this country. As @Mattyblue pointed out QPR are kicking off, Lee Bowyer was also complaining saying that 3 of his players including his best player Lyle Taylor arent willing to play. Also, many teams want relegation to be removed: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/11998347/premier-league-restart-up-to-10-clubs-want-relegation-scrapped-if-season-is-curtailed If you remove relegation then it is even more going through the motions and you may aswell just null and void it.

Though the lack of communication nicely sums up the inept EFL

This Blake's manager Mark Warburton was on the radio a couple of weeks ago and he was equally vehemently opposed to the season not being finished on the pitch and all the talk of scrapping the season. Maybe they should speak to one another and make their mind up.

The issue is that the players and staff can be regularly tested. The fans can’t. So BCD is theoretically safe. It doesn’t rule out the possibility of a positive test but the players are in a far safer position than the fans. i see this as maintaining the integrity of the competition. How else can you resolve the leagues? Fans clearly aren’t going to be allowed to attend for months and every other proposition has significant draw backs. Ultimately, what is the alternative?

How is it self centred to say that if it isn’t safe for spectators then it isn’t safe and as a result BCD is a bad idea? You seem worried about the financial impact but only for less than half of league clubs. The financial impact is worse for L1/L2 but they can’t afford to invest in weekly testing. PL and Championship clubs facing financial ruin are the ones who have been living beyond their means for years. Why do they deserve saving more? Let a Man Utd or an Arsenal go pop rather than a Fylde or other. These clubs have become junkies hooked on TV money and unable to get off it. Meanwhile others suffer instead. BCD is just a distraction and serves to prove that clubs don’t regard fans as being as important to them as TV. Sad.

It makes little sense to me. Just because the government has done it isnt a reason as to why. Is it to peddle this "boost the nations morale" farfetched nonsense mentioned previously? As if the nations habits regarding lockdown will majorly change because some behind closed doors football is on free to air TV. Surely resuming is a financial decision to ensure that clubs still bet TV money from companies such as Sky and BT.

No football is a TV sport in the way that behind closed doors football will be, no. Now it will ONLY be a TV sport. I struggle to empathise with fans who support big teams and just watch on tv as they cannot get the same degree of enjoyment from their team as we do but you are missing the point. Its not the fact as to whether a game is on TV. Even if every game was on tv, thats not the change to focus on, its having fans present or not in the ground. Say a Liverpool fan only watches on TV, and couldnt find Anfield if his life depended on it, it would still massively dampen his feeling even watching on TV as per usual if Henderson lifts that Premier League trophy in front of fans, and even the open top bus parade etc, over going through the motions to fulfill the fixtures and win in an echoey and empty stadium. It wont feel the same and neither will the run of games leading to it, and thats my point. You are somewhat accepting that it will be a worse experience because you cant attend but not fully. Go back to the run in during League 1, some of the games and tenseness, say it got to the last few games and we was right in the hunt, it is IMPOSSIBLE to replicate that feeling behind closed doors. Your comment about often not noticing fans is inaccurate on many levels. The bit that I dont think you appreciate is that its not just the fact that you are there or not there. Theres no burst of celebration when a goal goes in anymore, its very sanitised. Theres no late pressure in a hunt for an equaliser with the crowd sucking the ball into the net. Theres far less pressure. Theres no edge. Its not the same. Your point that youd prefer to watch behind closed doors on TV over nothing is a fair and valid one if you appreciate that behind closed doors football is nothing like what it was before. You can accept that even though you know and understand that its the only possible way at the moment.

I have been getting quite irritated by the 'new normal' talk and 'the world and our lives will never be the same again' dramatic stuff. I think some people just love to overdo it at times. Clearly if anyone has lost a friend or family member to the virus that is terrible and lives will be permanently affected by that, in just the same way as they would if a friend or family member died from any other cause. This is not what i am getting at. All the changes to our daily lives - work patterns, social distancing, no events, no sports, no pubs or restaurants - should be treated as very much temporary adjustments to deal with the outbreak and manage it until one of three things happens: 1) A vaccine is developed and distributed 2) The virus dies out naturally/is starved of hosts to spread 3) An effective treatment is developed or discovered which means the virus can be allowed to spread If we can't do one of these within the next 12-18 months then forget about a 'new normal' where we just have to sit at home and watch TV rather than go to the pub or have to watch Rovers on Sky for a few years. There won't be pubs, society, sport to go back to. Which might be fine for some but then there's the economic impact of that, the harm it will do to lives as a result. Catastrophic. I suspected from the moment the lockdown was announced that this pandemic, whilst a logistical nightmare for the organisers of football, would actually also be used as a quite convenient cover for a re-alignment of how supporters recieve their football in this country for years to come. Not to mention numerous other things they've been wanting to bring in. This provides the perfect opportunity and cover for them to do it with minimal trouble. Mid-season breaks, especially with Qatar 2022 on the horizon - that problem has just about sorted itself out now European Super League - expect that to escalate rapidly when they get around to dealing with next season - UEFA won't let the golden goose lie and will sacrifice domestic leagues to ensure the 'big boys' play each other. I'm reluctant to be a guinea pig in a new era of Sky/BT controlling football. The only reason it has resumed is because Sky are forcing it and can practically taste the new subsriptions coming in when it resumes. I can almost hear them coining it in now as they prepare to 'welcome' football back into our lives and 'present the show' to millions of existing and new subsribers around the UK. Are they going to give that up without a fight once the restrictions are eventually removed? Not for me thanks. I dislike watching Rovers on TV even if it isn't live. The thought of doing so whilst paying Sky to watch glorified friendlies infront of empty grounds. Think I'll sit in the garden.

@pk1875 Would you agree with this?

And that’s where you differ from most on here.

The Dubliners - Seven drunken nights

Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows

Oh there are plenty Stuart, however normally they are social media obsessed PL ‘fans’ that couldn’t find a football ground if you plonked them on Anfield Road, not ST holders that should actually appreciate what a club represents, and who should cherish it, but there you go.

Of course you hear them unless you are just being selective. It's a choice that people make and whilst it is one of my reasons for cancelling I know of quite a few who have simply said they can't afford it anymore and football has slipped down their list of priorities. You have to understand that there are differing views to yours.

You don’t, other people obviously do think it impacts the spectacle and therefore their enjoyment of a match. So, cancelling a not cheap monthly package then makes perfect sense, no?

My Sky Sports subscription has been suspended and yesterday I dang Sky to cancel it completely. The pleasant young lady asked me why and I told her that I just don't want to watch football without any supporters inside the stadiums. I also said the last few weeks have confirmed a long held view that the EPL and Championship have become ogres with money being more important than anything. The fear of having to pay back broadcasting money has perversely been dressed up as integrity - a bigger oxy moron you would struggle to find.

Apparently recorded his best ever fitness test they day the test came back positive.

First few posts are a little off and nobody has wished him well. I know its not a death sentence and he has been a liability when played out of position but this is not good news for him, his family or the club.\ Best wishes Benno.

Heard Rovers sniffing around Lynden Gooch from Sunderland

The food may have tasted nice but it’s how that food arrives at your plate that’s the problem. Beef slammed full of anti biotics, hormones for extra growth; chickens chemically washed because of the horrendous living conditions; E numbers and additives in almost everything. The taste will be amazing. The effects it can have on your body is a totally different thing. We should never, ever sacrifice our food standards for that of America’s.

Apart from it producing roughly half of our first team.