derry

The Swedish scientist adviser rubbished the UK response. Apparently the Swedish character has helped with social distancing without trashing the economy. As we didn't continue the social distancing we'll never know but I feel it wouldn't be much different if the social distancing was strictly enforced. Londoners filling pubs that weekend didn't help.

Professor Neil Ferguson. Historically how accurate during various scenarios. 2001 As stated in a previous post 6.5m cattle slaughtered. Years later admitted he was wrong but that's not all. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh called Ferguson's models not fit for purpose. 2002 claimed that vCJD the human form of mad cow disease could kill between 50 and 50000, useless for policy makers. Additionally if it spread to sheep the death toll could rise to 150000. the total death toll to date from vJCD is just 178 2005 warning of bird flu - around 40m people died in 1918 Spanish flu outbreak. there are six times more people on the planet so you could scale it up to around 200m probably. To date WHO H5N1 avian flu has killed just 455 people. 2009 Ferguson claimed that the mortality rate from swine flu was in the range 0.3 per cent to 1.5 per cent but was most likely to be 0.4 per cent. Based on this the Government's reasonable worst case scenario suggested that Britain would suffer 65000 deaths. By the end of the year the mortality rate had been just 0.026 per cent. The UK death toll at the time was 283. In early April Swedish scientists ran Ferguson's model to try and calculate the death toll if the government avoided a lock down. By May 1st the model forecast 40000 Swedes would die. Rising to 96000 by the end of June. Sweden ignored them. Up to yesterday, no lockdown 2941 deaths. Ferguson's prediction on March 16th for UK this year 500000 would die if nothing done to curb it. About 250000 would die if the government maintained it's social distancing without a lockdown.That day Boris told us to keep out of pubs etc and other crowded places and a week later ordered the lockdown. How on earth with his record of predicting could the government even contemplate using Ferguson never mind doing what he advised.

The 100+ goal seasons of the sixties with great forwards and attacking football trumps the rest of time for me.

At the time the week before I was due to fly overnight on NYE so I was concerned listening to the doom mongers. I decided to see if there was a problem with my aeroplanes. I changed the date on the computer to January when I was setting it up preflight, surprise, surprise no problem everything worked. I just changed the date back. On the overnight flight no problems. I did the same with my desktop. It was a non event.

I was an airline captain at the time. I remember well flying in from the Channel Islands and was met at the aircraft door by the BA manager who was a season ticket holder telling me Keegan had just arrived from Germany and was off to the Potters Heron for a news conference, he had spoken to him. There were several Saints supporters amongst the ground crew there was a terriffic sense of disbelief and excitement. It was a great feeling to know at that time we were among the very few that knew that this bombshell news hadn't yet broken. There was no press or TV at the airport it really was a well kept secret. We were signing the current European footballer of the year. It couldn't happen now unless we were handed a bottomless pit of money.

Thanks Duncan, an absolutely brillant labour of love.

Just for information. All 92 clubs in all four leagues were already being televised by PL and EFL. I was able to watch any of them I fancied on Saintsplayer. Which with it's associated apps is now a really high class site. It does everything from trials, 24 hours to a year for £70 which includes thousands of films and TV series on demand. It has it's own VPN. Have a look on www.saintsplayer.com

There might be an upside if football restarts from a purely football point, players might not be so keen to use their hands and arms to hold on to opponents and revert to how the game was intended to be played before all the cheating was allowed to prevail.

I certainly will be careful and manage where, how and what I do but no bloody government is going to dictate what I can and can't do. I bet there will be millions that feel the same way. As soon as the golf courses are open I'll be back playing but I will be social distancing and avoiding crowds. With our displays over the last few years I don't even think I'll miss ditching my season ticket.

A really good history of George on the Dunfermline Athletic official website and on Newsnow

Danish supermarkets apparently have cracked the panic buying. First item say £2, second item say £100 in the bar code computer. Stopped it dead according to reports.

We're just shopping normally, Morrisons yesterday no milk and very little fresh veg, same at local co op this morning. We've got enough to cover us but it's obvious there are a lot of pillocks around. My daughter has a weekly online slot so we can get her to get us anything we need.

I'm one of the over seventies social distancing. Primarily I stay at least a couple of yards away from other people. This is happening when I pick the paper up or get petrol etc. I play golf at 0630 most mornings, just the three of us and greenkeepers on a three hundred acre course, good exercise. The golf club is being pro active, social golf only. Further more and I think it is now a general practice recommended by the EGU I think, No rakes in bunkers, No hand shakes etc, keep well apart and the clever bit, the cups now protrude a couple of inches above the surface and hitting the cup counts as in the hole so no need to handle the flag. Mobile phones allowed to phone in to the clubhouse for tea, food etc either brought out onto the terrace where the tables are miles apart or as this morning three of us in an empty clubhouse, checked when I phoned after finishing. Loads of sanitisers, normal washing, the surfaces washed down after every use. Everybody I saw are being sensible. Most of the rest of the time I'm at home. I find that this works well for me as far as social distancing goes. Yesterday Dr Rosemary Leonard in her article was recommending exercising and specifically recommended golf.

George was unique in football. Most altercations end up in handbags but in 1959/60 we were playing Newport County at the Dell Harry Harris a big fellow who went to Portsmouth and played most of his football at centre half clattered George, in the blink of an eye George who wasn't that big but gutsy hit Harris with an uppercut sweet as you like and knocked him out. Harris was carried off, George was sent off. Again in the third round of the FA Cup 1959/60 we went to First Division Manchester City, won 5-1 away against the City's best team, Paine was unplayable, Reeves 4, O'Brien. A special train was laid on to take the supporters to Manchester. The team travelled on the train, when we stopped at Southampton as he was getting off George shouted, "Where's the ****** brass band". Paine and O'Brien had perfected a crossover move ond often did it, they ran fast at each other and as they crossed over whoever had the ball transferred it to the other. It worked time after time and was impossible to counter. George was a supreme goalscorer and I remember him with pleasure. I used to bump into him first at Stoneham then later at my present club. George was a very good single figure golfer.

David Bull has done a really good tribute to George on the Official site. It didn't say when he died. He was a great player, one of my favourites. RIP George.

Everybody self isolating because of symptoms should be tested otherwise the figures are meaningless. Vallance saying over 50000 cases currently in his opinion but not checked.

EPL change the rules. 20 members no relegation therefore EFL no promotion.

On a humourous note, even at a sombre time like this. My son in law has just sent me a photograph he took at an Aldi this morning. A couple going into the shop wearing plastic shopping bags over their heads with eye slits cut. Whatever works for you.

Without the emergency services and the present restrictions regarding gatherings travelling etc the season can't be completed whatever Liverpool and the plethora of ex Liverpool pundits are lobbying for. Restrictions aren't going to get easier until this is over. I personally don't give a stuff about football and what vested interests want to happen, people are seriously ill and dying. Void the league and start a new season whenever the conditions allow normal life to resume. Football and what it wants really isn't important. When football eventually restarts all those alive will be thankful they got through this crisis unscathed.

As I thought, Isolation for 12 weeks for those with serious underlying illnesses. Still to be listed. Social distancing for everybody. Over 70s take additional care.

All emergency services will no longer support outside events so I think that's it as far as sport is concerned. Forget the self interest lives are being lost. Just void the season and start again whenever this is all through. I'm pretty sure the EPL etc won't be in a position to decide anything as it will be taken out of their hands.

If you had half a brain you'd be dangerous. The clue is in the mention of NI as there is no border also in my user name. It is likely there will be similar guidance for both the Republic and NI. If you got out more you might have understood that that is the way it is called in NI aka the six counties or even over the border.

It's all very well coming up with specific advice that most other countries aren't doing or even agreeing with, we can't even agree what is best in this country, Wales and Scotland are advising social distancing, as is the Republic, I haven't seen anything about NI. In the end I suspect it will be a request for social distancing alternatively a total hotspot lockdown leading to a total UK lockdown. I'm over 70, non smoker, as far as I know extremely healthy, virtually non drinker and have believed all my life that rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools. I will take necessary precautions, social distancing, etc. One of the issues is to do whatever is required to keep one's immune system as strong as possible, guess what? exercise is important, brisk walks etc. Sitting in a chair watching tv, doing nothing else is doing harm not good, Personally I think in the end it will be recommended guidelines for over 70s not isolation. I feel for those that are vulnerable with underlying illnesses and for those that have to help them. Up to now in this country all the deaths have occurred to people with serious underlying health problems. Everybody has to make their own decisions based on their circumstances what they do. And politicians have to get it right, having different solutions in our regions sends the wrong message and means draconian advice could well be ignored. The over 75 free TV licence issue is about to boil up again, it'll be interesting how the BBC/government deal with the fall out.

According to the experts the Covid 19 in the UK won't peak for another 10-14 weeks. that's mid June. I would think there is no possibility of the leagues continuing normally until say mid September. If the Leagues wanted to continue behind closed doors with a minimal staff present to complete the matches could be a remote possibility. The TV issue looks attractive to the fans but exposes even more people. There is no solution to members of teams being affected and other teams unaffected. Personally the only solution I can see is null and void the leagues. Pay out the available prize money on existing positions. No promotion, no relegation and just wait until the position clarifies itself as the pandemic unfolds. Start a new season with the same teams at some as yet undefined start date after the summer. Because the pandemic varies internationally I think there is a case for no club or country competition or matches until the following season. Domestic competitions only.

Valery deserves everything he gets for his poor judgement as he had plenty of time to clear rather than try and pull the ball down with Maxima bearing down on him. However the much bigger culprit is Stephens, who was ball watching and instead of dropping in behind Valery on the cover ended up with a too little too late lunge and didn't get there. When the ball was played up by Newcastle we had eight players picking up three one of them Maxima who set off from within the centre circle. Our defending was hopeless, Stephens had plenty of time to help Valery out and the other six could have picked up the other two runners. My point is I wouldn't destroy Valery now by dropping him, I'd give him another go. He won't be doing that again. What I would do is make the team watch that goal over and over again.