The Government has acted on advice from the National Public Health Emergency team and introduced a ban on all spectators at sporting events as a means of controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Up until yesterday, the restriction was on 200 people which at a typical GAA match has meant around 100-120 family and friends attending matches.
Sporting bodies including the GAA had been suggesting that a move to allow 500 fans would be a welcome boost in terms of the community and the financial elements of the return to sport.
This will be a major blow to the community aspect in particular. It is not yet known how the restriction will apply or be enforced for juvenile matches at which parents would generally be on the sideline.
The FAI issued a statement last night which said that “No spectators are permitted at any match under the jurisdiction of the FAI,” and that “only those essential to a fixture may attend as per updated protocols to be released by the FAI (today).”
The GAA’s Covid committee is also meeting today to discuss guidance for clubs on implementing the regulations.
It could be that anyone who attends has to be registered for contact tracing purposes as is currently done, or at least in the protocols for players, coaches and officials.
The reasons behind the reduction are said to include concern over groups of spectators travelling to matches in the same car. The protocols forbid carrying other teammates but there is a limit to the control a club can exert over non-playing members.
The GAA last night called for acting Chief medical Officer Ronan Glynn to show empirical evidence of how this decision has been arrived at.
As with everything most clubs have been very diligent in following the guidelines though there are unsubstantiated reports of matches with larger number of spectators and celebrations taking place among players, spectators and others after games.
It could be that there is evidence that these have resulted in a dangerous spike in clusters in the community but without that, it looks very harsh that community sport has been targetted because we have shown that we can manage numbers, even if not everyone has fully abided by it. Are we any different to others groups?
Another issue might arise with a significant number of games across all sports played in public parks with no fenced-off areas.
If the ban is applied only to a certain level of senior club games then it will be manageable. If it is applied to all games it will be a major issue for clubs up and down the country.
How do you tell a parent that they have to drive their own child to play in a game but that they are then not allowed to watch it? What makes it harder to accept is that all the parents are then still allowed to go into a nearby pub, have a drink and chat together about how maybe this whole sports thing isn’t really worth the hassle anymore.
Sport has been very strong in supporting the advice to date. We will continue to be so but when we do not understand the why, that presents a dangerous potential crack in our willingness to do so.
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