22 Days

We have seven league games in the next 22 days. I hope we are quietly building alliances with other clubs behind the scenes if we intend to stick with our Govt. guidelines principles. Can we afford, in several senses, to respond in the same way if there is another Covid case in the ranks?

After Stevenage and Tranmere's decision to play, what are our options? Some players in L1 and L2 are getting their own tests leading to clashes with EFL protocols. Do the club get some private testing done to help through the next three weeks or wing it?
Either way, I now believe we have to do what it takes to get us through the next seven games and then take stock. Meanwhile, keep the pressure on the PFA and the culture Secretary to share costs.

With so many teams in the North West (6 in the division I think if you count Bradford) chances are there are going to a few more players and staff test positive in the division in the next few weeks.

Each test costs around £150, multiply that by how many we have at the club, your talking around 5 - 6 grand a time. That's unaffordable to us to test everyone every few weeks.

Quoted from mimma

Each test costs around £150, multiply that by how many we have at the club, your talking around 5 - 6 grand a time. That's unaffordable to us to test everyone every few weeks.

Bupa charge £65 for a single test. Bradford fans suggest we get a 'group' quote and cost it against the pain and expense of postponements. Results in 3-5 days.

Quoted from Croxton

Bupa charge £65 for a single test. Bradford fans suggest we get a 'group' quote and cost it against the pain and expense of postponements. Results in 3-5 days.

i think i am correct in saying.....we are not allowed to do that and have to use the EFL system , seem to think this was raised ages ago by our board and some other clubs as it would be a cost effective way of doing it but think they hit an EFL brick wall.

Holloway has suggested that the best way to deal with it , if we are going to get investigated and potentially punished for doing it right,  is to keep everything quiet and never announce you have a suspected case and deal with it in house.

Quoted from moosey_club

i think i am correct in saying.....we are not allowed to do that and have to use the EFL system , seem to think this was raised ages ago by our board and some other clubs as it would be a cost effective way of doing it but think they hit an EFL brick wall.

Holloway has suggested that the best way to deal with it , if we are going to get investigated and potentially punished for doing it right,  is to keep everything quiet and never announce you have a suspected case and deal with it in house.

Ah so! Sounds plausible.

Quoted from moosey_club

i think i am correct in saying.....we are not allowed to do that and have to use the EFL system , seem to think this was raised ages ago by our board and some other clubs as it would be a cost effective way of doing it but think they hit an EFL brick wall.

Holloway has suggested that the best way to deal with it , if we are going to get investigated and potentially punished for doing it right,  is to keep everything quiet and never announce you have a suspected case and deal with it in house.

Send players home with a troublesome case of gastroenteritis and problem solved. Tranmere alleging they were told they may get points deducted so played despite having 8 positives. If we or anyone gets a points deduction then teams are going to start pulling fast ones.

Boston have withdrawn from the FA Cup today due to not being able to play tomorrow. Sooner or later there are going to be 2 teams due to play one another in the FA Cup that can't fulfil the fixture but waiting for the other one to forfeit first.

At some point something has to give and there will need to be some revision of the guidance.

The inconsistency is the issue at present. If it isn’t cost effective for teams to pay for tests then the league and clubs have to decide what is the best option. It seems they’ve wanted the best of both world but haven’t, as usual, factored in that some teams won’t pay or can’t pay for the tests privately.

I wonder if our stance of wanting the season to be curtailed has impacted on the attitude towards us? Do we still think that? Are we still pushing for that?

I suspect the EFL have been cautious in handing out sanctions to ensure they don’t end up in some expensive court case. However, at what point do sanctions begin to come in to force, as Holloway says, it’s pushing clubs in to a position where they will deal with issues of illness internally and won’t declare what’s the issue. This in its self is dangerous.

We all know it’s a mess and I can’t see it changing anytime soon.

As for us having x number of games in 22 games; we knew it was coming, we just have to be prepared as possible...I suspect a lot of clubs will find themselves in the same situation this season...

dont see the problem,Bingo Bob Holloway  has a squad of 167 anyway...could pick 15 different teams if he wanted to

Quoted from mimma

Each test costs around £150, multiply that by how many we have at the club, your talking around 5 - 6 grand a time. That's unaffordable to us to test everyone every few weeks.

I had a FREE test at Burgess St Testing Centre.

Results back within 36 hours.

What makes the £150 EFL-approved test any different, apart from the results taking longer and the EFL making money hand over fist on every test?

Incidentally, the result was negative for COVID, but I do have cholera, ebola, dengue fever and mad cow disease, so jobs a good 'un.

MOO