It seems that some have decided that they will ignore UK Government statements, ignore German Government decisions, ignore repeated statements from UEFA, FIFA, the Premier League and FA and conclude that everyone else is wrong and that they are right when it comes to football returning very shortly in England.
Today, the French Government took the decision to ban any sporting events until, September 1st, a decision that will almost certainly be reversed but even if it was not it will have zero impact on English football.
Let’s start with the man whose job it is to oversee sport in the UK, the Secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden.
He said, “I personally have been in talks with the Premier League, with a view to getting football up and running as soon as possible in order to support the whole football community, but, of course, any such moves would have to be consistent with public health guidance.”
This will be achieved under the UK Government’s Project Restart’ programme, something that the most vocal know absolutely nothing about, especially journalists living in their own cocooned world.
Let me repeat who said that, the Secretary of state for Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden. Anyone else professing an opinion on whether football will return should be ignored. Why? because they are not a UK cabinet minister.
I could drag up all the quotes from FIFA, UEFA, Premier League etc but if anyone decides to ignore the very man who will make the decision then what is the point of providing quotes from the relevant football authorities.
I could bring up the estimated £1.2 Billion overall loss if the season is cancelled, I could bring up the damning response from other football authorities, La Liga as an example, to the French decision, a decision lacking any real support anywhere, even in their own country.
I could bring up the number of clubs that will go bust, there are quotes for them, in fact, the number of quotes could fill up an encyclopedia and remember, these are from the people that actually know and make the decisions not armchair pundits hazarding a guess.
Could football still be cancelled? Of course, it could, there could be a second wave and so on but as things stand right now, right this very second, the British Government has made their position absolutely clear and so have the relevant football authorities.
So, who do we listen to? Those that know nothing and pretend they do or those that do know and actually make the decisions?
I know who I choose to listen to.