With Football Federation Australia expected to make an announcement today about the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, what will happen if the A-League is postponed?
Brisbane Roar sent an email to fans late on Thursday assuring them that tonight’s clash with the Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium is safe to attend.
It was a sensible piece of proactive communication, and it reminded fans that extra precautions will be taken to try and stem the advance of a disease that has brought the world to a standstill.
The NBA is suspended indefinitely, there are rumours the English Premier League will soon follow suit and this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne has been cancelled.
PSG’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund was played behind closed doors in Paris. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the vision of Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert mocking precautions three days ago by wiping his hands over a bunch of microphones in the Utah press room will haunt the NBA for years to come.
Gobert has since been diagnosed with coronavirus, with the NBA responding by shutting down the league entirely in the middle of yesterday’s fixtures.
It was a reminder that as much we’d like to joke about the respiratory ailment otherwise known as COVID-19, the disease – for which there’s currently no vaccine – has genuine real-life consequences.
Some of those consequences have been fatal. Hospitals in places like the heavily-populated Lombardy region in northern Italy have been overwhelmed by thousands of cases.
But what, exactly, are we supposed to be on the lookout for?
It was telling that the NRL allowed last night’s season opener between the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury Bulldogs to go ahead at Bankwest Stadium.
It was perhaps even more telling that the stadium was nowhere near full, with swathes of empty seats visible throughout the contest despite pre-match suggestions it would be close to a sell-out.
And empty seats might be something we have to get used to over the coming weeks, because it looks increasingly likely that whichever competitions do continue, will have to be played behind closed doors.
(Albert Perez/Getty Images)
But should they?
There are mixed messages coming from medical experts about the efficacy of staying away from stadiums, with some suggesting there’s no real evidence that turning up at a match will lead to undue chance of exposure, while others think it’s madness to take the risk.
Part of the problem, especially in a faraway island nation like Australia, is that a lack of information about what coronavirus actually is has invariably caused people to panic.
Quite why the federal government has been so slow to try and inform the general populace of the effects of the disease is something only Scott Morrison and his advisors will know.
But it now seems inevitable that the A-League campaign will be affected by the disease, just as the Socceroos and Matildas have recently been.
What will happen if that’s the case? Does the competition continue behind closed doors?
Should fixtures be postponed for a few weeks? Is there a chance a Sydney FC will be crowned champions automatically?
These are the sort of questions the FFA and the 11 A-League clubs will no doubt have been grappling with in the build-up to this weekend’s fixtures.
I’ll be at tonight’s Brisbane Roar game with my wife and my best mate, although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’ve been thinking a lot about coronavirus in the build-up to the game.
Am I just being paranoid? Or are these all questions the A-League will soon have to confront?
Post_hoc
Roar Rookie
The EPL season has to be voided, no question. :stoked:
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Watching events unfold and I think we can be thankful that we managed to get most of our season through before the lights are turned off. How much longer sport can be played behind closed doors before everything is shut down is an unkown. At this stage the question is whether a 'new normal' is in place by August/September to allow the 20-21 season to kick-off. One thing is for sure, Fox Sport are going to be short of content.
Nickisachampion
Guest
I went to a local AFL match today. Mt Gravatt Vultures vs Brisbane Lions Academy. Not quite 500 but still. I'm just gonna roll the dice and wait until the vaccine's out or I'm dead. :silly:
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
relax mate its not the end of the world,we talking about football not poitics.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
OK then, take a BEX power and a hot cuppa tea and have a good lie down.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
I think that has proven to be a myth
pacman
Roar Rookie
Kanggas2, please cease bagging our union members, aka the public service. They are the drongoes calling the shots. The politicians are basically clueless, similar to the electorates who voted them into power. PS, I used to be a union delegate.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
That's a horrible situation you had Pacman. I've been wondering how many people in places like China, Iran and Italy have died in isolation with no contact allowed at the end with their families.
pacman
Roar Rookie
Read "public servants"!
pacman
Roar Rookie
Redondo, my elderly mother was in a nursing home in northern NSW several years ago. Not in the best of health, and then the home was put into lockdown for a fortnight due to an influenza case. The family anticipated that it would be the end, and it was, and it was sad that the family were not at the bedside. So we have been here before, but not so intense. Panic is our biggest enemy, but make sure you are stocked up with Sorbent. Uneffing believable!
pacman
Roar Rookie
Very astute observations Waz, and no likes except for mine. I don't comment very often anymore.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Football Brisbane have cancelled all games this weekend due to the virus.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Jason Months (as in more than 2 months, probably more than 3 months). In other words, the Winter codes are about to experience severe disruption, as will the closing stages of the A-League.
Kanggas2
Roar Rookie
Martyn 50 is not the full quid obviously
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
this in itself, will give rise to a significant decline in health of a majority of the population
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
still irks that Avraam got 8 weeks while others get nothing
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Think yourself lucky it doesn't kill the stupid first
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Agree. Let's go to major sporting events and transmit a virus capable of killing hundreds of thousands of Australians
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
IF A=League is played behind closed doors what difference will it matter. TV coverage will still be the same. Very few spectators in the background.
chris
Guest
I hope this jolts our universities into turning back our uni's into places of learning and not a money making corporation. I mean how many olympic sized pools do they really need? They have become ghettos of foreign students who can't speak a word of English and yet gain a degree here? How is that possible?