Coronavirus: All Games Off

13 March 2020
By Hob Nob Anyone?

All Premier League and English Football League matches have been postponed until at least 3 April due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

The announcement means that the following three Reading FC fixtures are immediately postponed:

All Premier League and English Football League matches have been postponed until at least 3 April due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
<br/><br/>
The announcement means that the following three Reading FC fixtures are immediately postponed:

<ul>
<li>14 March: Stoke City (Home) - Postponed</li>
<li>17 March: Derby County (Away) - Postponed</li>
<li>21 March: Brentford (Home) - Postponed</li>
</ul>

Discussion On This Story:

  Bonzodog

» 06 Mar 2020 19:04

With the DCMS department due to meet on Monday to discuss banning of mass public events. Does anyone else think they won’t see anymore football at the Mad Stad this season and the rest of the season played behind closed doors. It’s happening in Italy and they only had 11 cases 2 weeks ago.

Alternatively the matches continue without restrictions but with considerably reduced attendances.

  windermereROYAL

» 06 Mar 2020 19:43

Italy is till the first week in April at the moment, I would guess there will be restrictions here, but maybe only top flight games to start with.

  Bonzodog

» 06 Mar 2020 19:49


Can see anomaly’s here by restricting games at say Bournemouth but not at Leeds or West Brom.

  SCIAG

» 06 Mar 2020 22:07

The impression I get is that there will be no restrictions. Not only is Johnson fundamentally terrified of doing anything that might make him unpopular, but several people with his ear have said that playing matches behind closed doors is probably counter-productive as germs don't spread very well at stadiums but do spread very well in pubs.

  Lower West

» 06 Mar 2020 23:19

Outdoor events must be considerably safer than say travelling on the tube. Those most likely to be affected should self isolate as much as possible as well. Spring is nearly here. Hopefully a spell of good weather will stop it spreading too widely across the UK.

  Hound

» 07 Mar 2020 06:02

Plenty of jokes I can’t be arsed to make about our home attendances and mass gatherings
Not sure tbh - can see them closing the doors for a few games. It could spell trouble for a few clubs financially if they do I reckon

  Snowball

» 07 Mar 2020 06:41

No actual info on this but just to say I travelled to Sicily via Milan on Monday
There were just TEN passengers on our plane counting seats I think the capacity was 120-150. 2+2 seats wide.
From Milan to Catania we were on a much bigger plane (3+3 wide) and there were just 12 passengers.
Then we were told our flight back was cancelled and we would need to return much earlier (effectively losing us a day) but we managed to switch to a later flight back via Rome.
At Catania (returning) they were cancelling the vast majority of planes then packing “1 in 10” (like the Rome flight). Our flight had about 8 different airlines switched to it and must have had about 50 nationalities on it.
Going out Milan was DEAD. A guy serving in a cafe told me the airport normally HEAVES (7PM) but I doubt we’d saw 100 people in 2.5 hours. It was eerie, like a scene from a plague movie.
Temperature checks done twice!

  Snowball

» 07 Mar 2020 06:44

In Sicily everyone playing things down as much as they could but again very quiet and tourism badly hit.
Travel prices dropping through the floor. Great time to book!

  Stranded

» 07 Mar 2020 07:19



Tend to agree but issue not the stands but additional public travel to and from. Concourses etc. Still don't think they will look to ban yet though.

  Snowball

» 08 Mar 2020 22:01

Monday I went London City > Milan > Catania (Sicily)
Thursday my Milan flight cancelled, came back
Catania > Rome > London Heathrow.
I've had sore throat and a headache since mid-afternoon Thursday,

now, very "chesty" - and get tested11 AM tomorrow in Thatcham!
PS
I look after two teenage asylum-seekers and, although technically

they COULD go to school, as I haven't yet be diagnosed with novel

Coronavirus, Social Services have asked them to stay home until I

get a diagnosis either way.
JOY!

  Zip

» 08 Mar 2020 22:08



Bloody hell Snowers. Hope you get the all clear. We have held back from booking our holiday to Lucca and Bologna. Will see how things pan out but this virus isn’t going away any time soon.

  Bigtimmeh

» 08 Mar 2020 22:09

My understanding is that it is more of a dry rather than a chesty cough - hope it's ok (and that you have someone looking after the kids while you jetset to Italy!)
I think most teams are expecting some matches behind closed doors towards the end of the season, but not yet. Any restrictions on matches would have to be introduced as part of a wider package which restricts travel generally and bar/resturaunt opening hours else it would be pointless. So I think it will happen at some point but not for a few weeks...
But who knows..especially with Johnson and Cummings who tend to do their own thing anyway..

  Snowball

» 08 Mar 2020 23:14

Doc says many with it get very mild symptoms
The panic is because it spreads easily
My understanding is it “dries you up” so NOT a runny nose job.
My nose is as dry as it’s ever been even though I keep WANTING to blow it
So far the headache is the worst bit
Feels like a bad hangover
Test is a drive-thru! Nose swab and throat swab then up to seven day wait for result.
My daughter in London ordered to work from home for two weeks minimum

  bcubed

» 09 Mar 2020 00:12



How does that work?

Hope all is ok obvs

  Snowball

» 09 Mar 2020 00:54



How does that work?

Hope all is ok obvs

The idea of a drive thru is the "patient" is contained. Someone masked up (in a suit?)

comes to the car window, takes details (you can't just waltz up, you have to go through

three stages of on-line or phone analysis, then the hospital rings YOU to make an appt)
They take a nose swab and a throat swab.
Results 2-7 days (they do batches)
I'll know more tomorrow,

  sandman

» 09 Mar 2020 03:48



Given that the main person saying it will get better once the weather heats up is Donald Trump... I wouldn't get your hopes up.

  From Despair To Where?

» 09 Mar 2020 07:26

He'll be heralding global warming as the wonder cure and encouraging us to burn more fossil fuels next.

  Einstein agogo

» 09 Mar 2020 08:23


My dad lives in Thatcham and he used to smoke Raffles... i reckon he's in the risk group. Don't go round his flat and start sneezing in his face

  traff

» 09 Mar 2020 09:08

As it is the Posh MPs and Whitehall mob who will be making this decision. Fully expect all football matches to be played behind closed doors after the rugger has finished. Maybe before that as the last Twickers match has now been played and they have used their debenture seats for this year.

  Ascotexgunner

» 09 Mar 2020 09:29



I am as well. If it is it would be nice if the club could televise it for Season Ticket Holders or people who have tickets, on the website...Would be pretty simple to do.

  Green

» 09 Mar 2020 09:29


Jeez - weren't you the nobber mixed up with the Clapham Rail crash too?
You seem to be dogged by misfortune.

  Snowball

» 09 Mar 2020 09:33


My dad lives in Thatcham and he used to smoke Raffles... i reckon he's in the risk group. Don't go round his flat and start sneezing in his face

CV doesn't make you sneeze

  Snowball

» 09 Mar 2020 09:34


Jeez - weren't you the nobber mixed up with the Clapham Rail crash too?
You seem to be dogged by misfortune.
I'm a writer. I live off misfortune (unless I die, of course...)

  John Madejski's Wallet

» 09 Mar 2020 09:46

Behind-closed-doors football can fukk right off.
Just cancel the Olympics and extend the season.....

  WoodleyRoyal

» 09 Mar 2020 09:49

tell you what going to happen, i can guarantee it. we will go on a surging run get to the playoff final, we will break the playoff hoodoo and win. But no one will get to see it as it will be behind closed doors

  Snowflake Royal

» 09 Mar 2020 09:50


Don't. Even. Think. It.

  sandman

» 09 Mar 2020 09:51

What was the reason for this trip that is likely to kill us all, Snow "super spreader" ball?

  Snowball

» 09 Mar 2020 09:52



This is like "If a tree falls in a forest

and nobody hears it, did it make a sound?"
It would be utterly weird. It would feel like it didn't actually happen...

  Snowflake Royal

» 09 Mar 2020 09:57

Two questions really.
1) Why fly to the Corona capital of Europe when the country is considered high risk and you can't be too far off increased mortality rate risk
2) Isn't the incubation period supposed to be 2 to 3 weeks, which would make feeling ill a few days later unlikely to be Corona

  Snowball

» 09 Mar 2020 10:25


I have you on block, but, as this might be important...
1 When we booked there was no issue.
2 A week before flight time, we checked and was told Milan was 100% safe.
3 Milan was only a transit stop anyway (there two hours)
4 Sicily was also "safe". But they have had 2 cases I know of now.
5 Odds, even in an infected area are minuscule.
6 We would lose every penny if we cancelled
7 Life is Risk. Climbing Etna was a risk. Wandering the back-streets was a risk
8 I'm alive, excited
9 I can't die, I'm leading the Prediction League
10 PS Where do you get the incubation period from?
DOCTORS (I don't think you are one) tell me it's not yet clear what the incubation period is.
What is clear is that it's usually 7 days from first symptoms to the dodgy lung-stuff.
I am just following sensible rules
Returning From Northern Italy? TICK
Any of the following symptoms? TICK
Discuss with 111? TICK
Medics assessed you? TICK
Asked to come in for test. TICK
Chances of having it maybe 1 in 10 as opposed to 1 in 1000 for gen pop ATM
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file /www/sites/hobnob.royals.org/newsamp.php on line 138: Trying to access array offset on false
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file /www/sites/hobnob.royals.org/newsamp.php on line 138: Trying to access array offset on false
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file /www/sites/hobnob.royals.org/newsamp.php on line 143: Trying to access array offset on false
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file /www/sites/hobnob.royals.org/newsamp.php on line 143: Trying to access array offset on false


Recent News

02 May 2026
Gloomy End Of Season As Royals Finish With Defeat

20 April 2026
Summer Changes Are Afoot For Reading After Promotion Disappointment

18 April 2026
Another Team Promoted At Reading

11 April 2026
Season Over After Defeat At Doncaster

09 April 2026
Vote For Player Of The Season

News By Month / Year

May 2026
April 2026
March 2026
February 2026

Hob Nob Anyone? - Home (Non-AMP)