If Sam caught swine flu, he'd probably roast it and eat it
Ned filled you in on the goings-on at Blackburn yesterday, but that story is still lodged in my mind. I’m baffled and bemused that the FA isn’t taking the obvious health risks more seriously, especially considering that (no offense) Blackburn Rovers don’t have that crowded a match schedule.
I’m sure the same is true of Peterborough, the poor team that has to drive into Ewood Park and run the risk of swine flu themselves.
Or Chelsea, the team that battered Rovers 5-0 at the weekend. Big Sam, unloved as he is around these parts, managed to get a soundbite bang on the nose regarding the FA’s brainlessness:
“I would not have gone to the extent I have today [in making an outburst] but reading in the paper the Premier League said we made no request to get the game called off,” he said. “That’s just sitting on the fence – splinters up the backside as usual. They know that we went through the right procedures and that we did not call it off because we couldn’t. There was no point [trying] because back in February or March they told us we had to get a team out there no matter. It is their responsibility to consider how dangerous it might be to allow this to spread throughout football so they have shirked responsibility – not us.”
Indeed it is, Sam.
Sure, the French FA made a ridiculously late decision to call off a PSG/Marseille derby at the 11th hour due to several confirmed cases of swine flu amid the PSG players and staff, and yes, this decision set off a small riot in downtown Marseille. They were still right to postpone the game because honestly, no amount of ruthless adherence to the schedule and its revenue-generating glory is worth exacerbating a serious health issue.
Which brings us back to the FA. They made Blackburn visit Chelsea at the weekend, and now we shall wait to see if any Blues get stricken with flu-like symptoms in the coming days or weeks. The same goes for Peterborough too, a lower-league team with a fraction of the resources that big clubs have when it comes to squad size, health care or rehab facilities.
But hey, that’s the FA for you. Never stopping lunatics pitching up to buy out teams they don’t care about, and they’re certainly not going to display common sense regarding something that could become a very messy situation. As Precious Roy put it in the comments, look at not only the players but the fans too. You have one guy in the stands with symptoms, he’s in close proximity to 10-15 people around his seat. Multiply that up with several fans dotted around the stadium, and it adds up to a potential outbreak.
Furthermore, British health agencies are strongly condemning players for spitting on the pitch during games, saying that they’re the reason these viruses get spread around so much! While I agree that it’s a dirty habit, let’s take a moment for this gem:
“Spitting is disgusting at all times. It’s unhygienic and unhealthy, particularly if you spit close to other people,” said an Health Protection Agency spokesman. “Footballers, like the rest of us, wouldn’t spit indoors so they shouldn’t do it on the football pitch. If they are spitting near other people it could certainly increase the risk of passing on infections. Spitting is a nasty habit that should be discouraged – and it should be discouraged by the clubs. It’s about setting examples for young people who idolise footballers.”
I’ll agree with the bulk of this, but maybe the FA could take some blame as well in forcing teams with known, confirmed cases of swine flu to take a couple of days off? No; it’s on the players to do everything in their power to sort the problem out during the course of play. Soon, I expect edicts banning handshaking, back-patting and the sordid, disgusting exchange of unwashed, game-worn shirts after the final whistle.
Oh, FA. How I curse thee. Let’s see how much further this outbreak of EPL swine flu goes before they finally have to postpone a game or two. I’m guessing they’ll wait until almost every team has a case before doing something, because that’s how they operate: over-react when it’s way too late. After all, TV money waits for no-one.
Well, I have to agree with the health authorities on spitting. Consider how much players spit, or better, blow their nose on the pitch, and then consider how much time players (some more than others) spend rolling around on said pitch…. Blegh.
If you’re not going to suspend matches for the regular flu, why worry about doing it for the swine flu? I’ve had it this year…no big deal. At least, no worse than the standard flu.
Dirk: considering the hysteria over Swine Flu by the authorities, far more than is given to regular flu, the FA looks rather absurd in not taking any action. It’s ignorant on their part to willingly subject teams to such conditions.
Still, point taken.