East Fife

[Northernhibee]

Fined £11k for refusing to play a Tuesday night game after a Clyde player tested positive before the game.

No other Clyde player was identified as a close contact but East Fife players and management unilaterally decided to not play.

Keen to see people’s thoughts on this as we experienced similar earlier this season.

[superfurryhibby]

Fined £11k for refusing to play a Tuesday night game after a Clyde player tested positive before the game.

No other Clyde player was identified as a close contact but East Fife players and management unilaterally decided to not play.

Keen to see people’s thoughts on this as we experienced similar earlier this season.

The guy travelled on the team bus and had been stripped and ready to play, IIRC.

[Peevemor]

Fined £11k for refusing to play a Tuesday night game after a Clyde player tested positive before the game.

No other Clyde player was identified as a close contact but East Fife players and management unilaterally decided to not play.

Keen to see people’s thoughts on this as we experienced similar earlier this season.

If that's all there is to it then they were wrong to refuse to play.

The protocols in place stipulated that there was no risk, therefore it wasn't for East Fife to decide that there was.

[Monts]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56932536

[Moulin Yarns]

If that's all there is to it then they were wrong to refuse to play.

The protocols in place stipulated that there was no risk, therefore it wasn't for East Fife to decide that there was.

"He said that several of his players had expressed reservations about taking part, adding that some of his team have partners who are pregnant, while others are self-employed and did not want to risk the loss of earnings that come with a period of isolation."

[superfurryhibby]

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/international/clyde-v-east-fife-postponed-following-positive-covid-19-test-3216443

The BBC link is gash and has been edited since they put it up last night. This one has more detail and verifies that the Clyde player was stripped etc.

[Northernhibee]

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/international/clyde-v-east-fife-postponed-following-positive-covid-19-test-3216443

The BBC link is gash and has been edited since they put it up last night. This one has more detail and verifies that the Clyde player was stripped etc.

Yeah, that’s appalling that they’ve been punished for that then.

[Peevemor]

"He said that several of his players had expressed reservations about taking part, adding that some of his team have partners who are pregnant, while others are self-employed and did not want to risk the loss of earnings that come with a period of isolation."


https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/international/clyde-v-east-fife-postponed-following-positive-covid-19-test-3216443

The BBC link is gash and has been edited since they put it up last night. This one has more detail and verifies that the Clyde player was stripped etc.

A lot less clear cut then. In saying that, if the player concerned was properly distanced in the bus, changing room, etc. then maybe there weren't any cases of contact among his team mates.

[Wilson]

They failed to fulfil the fixture having dismissed the appropriate guidance. It is right that the club were fined. I have some sympathy for the players and understand their decision. You can't have teams deciding which rules they want to contravene though. If you don't want to abide by the rules then you pay the fine. Their choice.

[The dalmeny]

Was he tested by the club?, if so why wasn't the test done where the results came back before they left to go to the game?

If he went to an NHS testing service, I.e. because he had symptoms, why was he there at all?

[Peevemor]

They failed to fulfil the fixture having dismissed the appropriate guidance. It is right that the club were fined. I have some sympathy for the players and understand their decision. You can't have teams deciding which rules they want to contravene though. If you don't want to abide by the rules then you pay the fine.

I agree with this, including the sympathy.

[calumhibee1]

That’s an absolute joke imo.

[Hibs Class]

On the plus side the authorities have managed to get their house in order and deal with this far more swiftly than they did the Nathan Patterson situation :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[The Count]

If that had been the Huns we would still be waiting for a decision then say a similar fine which they would appeal.£10,000 to East Fife is equivalent to £ ????? to Rangers or Celtic.Totally unfair to a small club and there is definitely one rule for the Old Firm and another for the rest of us.We all know but can do nothing to change it.

[hibbysam]

If that's all there is to it then they were wrong to refuse to play.

The protocols in place stipulated that there was no risk, therefore it wasn't for East Fife to decide that there was.

Not strictly true, an SPFL rep (Doncaster) and the referee decided that there wouldn’t be any close contacts. For them to decide that is a shambles. Public health Scotland should have been consulted and there’s no chance that was done in 30 minutes. They’re even trying to say it was essentially bad luck that the test result came back prior to the game 😂 common sense says they should’ve postponed the game and seeked professional advice before rescheduling.

[hibbysam]

Was he tested by the club?, if so why wasn't the test done where the results came back before they left to go to the game?

If he went to an NHS testing service, I.e. because he had symptoms, why was he there at all?

He was tested for the Thursday game, not the Tuesday game - presume his Tuesday test that came back at the weekend was clear.

[Danderhall Hibs]

The East Fife manager was on the radio last night and explained their point of view - they were given a choice to play not an ultimatum and had 30odd minutes to make their decision.

If his side is accurate then it seems ridiculous to fine them - especially when there’s a free midweek to play the game (next Thursday I think).

[Peevemor]

Not strictly true, an SPFL rep (Doncaster) and the referee decided that there wouldn’t be any close contacts. For them to decide that is a shambles. Public health Scotland should have been consulted and there’s no chance that was done in 30 minutes. They’re even trying to say it was essentially bad luck that the test result came back prior to the game [emoji23] common sense says they should’ve postponed the game and seeked professional advice before rescheduling.I wondered too whether the decision to play was correct. The Covid thing obviously meant a steep learning curve for everyone and it's easy to criticise people confronted with new situations.

If as, someone said, they were given the choice then it's ludicrous that they're being fined.

[Danderhall Hibs]

I wondered too whether the decision to play was correct. The Covid thing obviously meant a steep learning curve for everyone and it's easy to criticise people confronted with new situations.

If as, someone said, they were given the choice then it's ludicrous that they're being fined.

Darren Young (manager) said it - should be on the sportsound podcast if you can get that in France?

[Peevemor]

Darren Young (manager) said it - should be on the sportsound podcast if you can get that in France?Not legally. I'll take your word for it though.

[hibbysam]

I wondered too whether the decision to play was correct. The Covid thing obviously meant a steep learning curve for everyone and it's easy to criticise people confronted with new situations.

If as, someone said, they were given the choice then it's ludicrous that they're being fined.

Common sense should take over. Just mental in a changing landscape where players want to play but also have lives to live that this decision was made by Doncaster and the match referee, and not Public Health Scotland.

To me it feels like Doncaster making a point after the teams wanting to play all these games, when the league wanted them only to play 18.

[basehibby]

Given the fear which has been programmed into the population it's a bit ridiculous to fine a football club for acting on it. Jason Leitch would be proud of them!

[gbhibby]

The powers that be have to apply the rules as part of a process. I am sure that East Fife can appeal and as before the appeals have been successful. Covid is something that nobody has encountered before. The players on both sides would not have received the vaccine so there is an element of risk. The transmission of the virus outdoors by all accounts is not as serious as indoors. There should be common sense applied here.