Burnieman

It's not a policy statement.

Wasn't it said a few weeks back that any return to football would be staged? So I see this as the first stage. Whether the second stage will mean football this season, or we have to wait to next, who knows.

I don't think they have badly managed it. There are areas where I think they have been OTT at times and made mistakes and have introduced measures I have personally disagreed with, football being one. Look around at the alternatives in May, nadir springs to mind. However, waaay off topic.

I don't disagree with some of what you say, but when I come to put a tick in a box in May the last thing on my mind will be football.

Some things in life are far more important than football.

Tuesday 2 March 2021 The Scottish FA welcomes news from the First Minister that Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 and SPFL League One and Two can return to football activity immediately. The parameters under which that return is allowed follows discussions between the Scottish FA and representatives of each league and based on the current SPFL Premiership and Championship Joint Response Group Protocols, including a requirement to undertake PCR testing once per week. Scottish Women’s Football Premier League 2, Highland League, Lowland League, East, West & South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish Junior FA Leagues and the North Caledonian League all remain under temporary suspension and their return to football activity will be reviewed in line with the Scottish Government’s road map out of the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to liaise with representatives of those leagues in the coming weeks to establish appropriate return to football protocols. The Scottish Cup has also been given approval to resume, with all clubs in the competition given permission to participate subject to compliance with PCR testing requirements. Revised Scottish Cup fixture dates will be announced as soon as possible. The SPFL and SWF will also update on the respective league fixture schedules in due course. Rod Petrie, Scottish FA President: “We are pleased that the First Minister has again recognised the importance of football in Scotland. The decision to temporarily suspend parts of the professional game played by predominantly part-time teams was not an easy one to take. None the less, given the sharp rise in infection rates caused by new strains of the virus at the start of the year, it was the right thing to do to assist the national effort to reduce its prevalence during lockdown. “The preparatory work undertaken with representatives of affected leagues and their commitment to the inclusion of weekly PCR testing, has given ministers the confidence to permit the return of SWPL 1 and SPFL League One and Two. “While we are pleased to see the return of these leagues, there remain significant numbers unable to return to play, including the remaining levels of the professional pyramid, elite youth football, club youth football and our amateur and grassroots clubs across both the male and female game. “We are acutely aware of the desire within those levels of football to return to playing football and we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure they are able to as soon as it is safe to do so.” Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Public Health and Sport: “We are aware of the importance of football, at all levels, to many people in Scotland and I’m happy that we have been able to work closely with the Scottish FA to allow the resumption of some further football activity – starting with SPFL Leagues 1 and 2, SWPL1 and clubs still in this season’s Scottish Cup. “This could only happen alongside enhanced measures to keep everyone safe, including mandatory weekly COVID PCR tests for all players and staff. “We continue to discuss with the Scottish FA and other stakeholders to ensure football at all levels can resume as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Tuesday 2 March 2021 The Scottish FA welcomes news from the First Minister that Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 and SPFL League One and Two can return to football activity immediately. The parameters under which that return is allowed follows discussions between the Scottish FA and representatives of each league and based on the current SPFL Premiership and Championship Joint Response Group Protocols, including a requirement to undertake PCR testing once per week. Scottish Women’s Football Premier League 2, Highland League, Lowland League, East, West & South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish Junior FA Leagues and the North Caledonian League all remain under temporary suspension and their return to football activity will be reviewed in line with the Scottish Government’s road map out of the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to liaise with representatives of those leagues in the coming weeks to establish appropriate return to football protocols. The Scottish Cup has also been given approval to resume, with all clubs in the competition given permission to participate subject to compliance with PCR testing requirements. Revised Scottish Cup fixture dates will be announced as soon as possible. The SPFL and SWF will also update on the respective league fixture schedules in due course. Rod Petrie, Scottish FA President: “We are pleased that the First Minister has again recognised the importance of football in Scotland. The decision to temporarily suspend parts of the professional game played by predominantly part-time teams was not an easy one to take. None the less, given the sharp rise in infection rates caused by new strains of the virus at the start of the year, it was the right thing to do to assist the national effort to reduce its prevalence during lockdown. “The preparatory work undertaken with representatives of affected leagues and their commitment to the inclusion of weekly PCR testing, has given ministers the confidence to permit the return of SWPL 1 and SPFL League One and Two. “While we are pleased to see the return of these leagues, there remain significant numbers unable to return to play, including the remaining levels of the professional pyramid, elite youth football, club youth football and our amateur and grassroots clubs across both the male and female game. “We are acutely aware of the desire within those levels of football to return to playing football and we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure they are able to as soon as it is safe to do so.” Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Public Health and Sport: “We are aware of the importance of football, at all levels, to many people in Scotland and I’m happy that we have been able to work closely with the Scottish FA to allow the resumption of some further football activity – starting with SPFL Leagues 1 and 2, SWPL1 and clubs still in this season’s Scottish Cup. “This could only happen alongside enhanced measures to keep everyone safe, including mandatory weekly COVID PCR tests for all players and staff. “We continue to discuss with the Scottish FA and other stakeholders to ensure football at all levels can resume as soon as it is safe to do so.”

If she throws in the first three rounds after lockdown on the SG, she has both my votes.

Break out even more cigars............

If hospital numbers keep dropping by an average of only 15 a day, they should be at a very low/non-existent level of Covid cases come end of April.

I'm fairly sure that come the end of April, that the daily infection rate for Scotland will be consistently under 100 cases a day, maybe even under 50. Hospital numbers will have shrunk. It's still 7 or 8 weeks away, look at where we were 7-8 weeks ago. The vaccines are nailing (sorry, cigaring) the numbers and by 15th April all 1-9 groups will have been jagged once, and 1-4 groups will be well down the road of two jags. All adults should be done once by early June, and we should all be 2 jagged by end of August, if not before. We'll all be supping pints before too long and checking flight prices.

If we get back to a steady 30k first jag on a daily basis, then all adults will be done by end of May/early June. We should also probably have all 1-4's done twice before then as well.

It's totally off topic anyway, but isn't it just typical Scottish fitba that an issue such as displine is handled by the SFA in one league, but at the same level in another it's handled by the league themselves. The SFA continue to handle discipline for the U20 Development League but I guess they'll throw their toys out the pram again at some point, rather than getting the resource to administer all leagues/divisions in a consistent manner.

I understand that, but they backed down as far as the EoS were concerned when it was challenged. Just assumed they backed down for all tier 6 and 7 levels.

Strange, they cover tier 6 and 7 in the EoS. There is no Discipline Secty.

Why is there a need for a Discipline Secretary if the SFA do the discipline?

Cheers Pete, that certainly is food for thought. I don't have an issue carrying on the lease to term, and I like the car - although admittedly it wouldn't be my first choice these days - but by the time is due to go back it wont have done 12k.

Hmmm......interesting. I didn't think there would be any way they'd entertain an offer on it, as you say it's a no purchase option. Are there examples of this happening? Currently, WBAC says £8200 which seems stupidly cheap for what it is, although given I only have it as it was at a give away lease deal in 2018 maybe 1.6T don't shift too easily these days. the lease has 8 months to run, and I have asked for a termination quote which on past experience will be about half the monthly payments which is left, but if there is a realistic opportunity to actually but the thing at the end of the deal, well........

My wife has a SEAT Ateca, very nice it is too

Aye the 208 is a bit unique as far as steering wheel / position is concerned. Not driven one so obviously that would have to happen first to see if I liked it or not. I believe the 308 has more controls on the touch screen than the 208, which is a bit off putting.

I actually have an 18 plate Astra Elite Nav Turbo at the moment with all the toys, the only reason I have it is the leasing company were giving them away when I renewed last time. However my days of owning 200bhp cars has gone really, so to buy a long termer I'll look for something a bit more frugal but maybe still some fun. 208 GT line petrol are catching the eye, not bad priced for 17 plates from what I can see. A 308 GT line diesel also looks decent.

My first ever lease was a Seat and was impressed with it, so going to take a look in that direction, also see what Peugeot have to offer these days, have had a few in the past, inc a 205 1.9 GTI. Sigh.

So due to impending unemployment (well, come the end of May) and with the end of my current car lease this year I'm looking to dip my toe back into the world of buying a second hand car to get around rather than lock myself into another lease. There's no immediate rush as we don't need two cars whilst in lockdown and I wont be handing my lease car back for the next month or two, but it would be good to get a handle on the lie of the land these days as it's probably 8 years or so since I last bought one. Is the art of haggling on price a thing of the past if you go to a large dealer these days? I would imagine their "screen prices" are cut to the bone given how easy it is to find a similar car at a click of a button, and with the "pile them high, sell them cheap" car supermarkets seemingly multiplying there can't be too much margin? Will Covid have a negative impact on second hand prices? I have a healthy dislike for car salesmen and car dealers in general, so if I can screw money out of them then all well and good. Sadly it wont be a Mercedes like HTG (he has an image to maintain after all....) something small, under £10k, and less than 5 years old is the aim.

brightened up my Monday morning if nothing else.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/28/europe/czech-republic-coronavirus-disaster-intl/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0IxjaINPuWq0RWq5-VD1UBmb6k7WJ_32nt06HMfBAFn6dHi5ySDf1EPO0