Better behaviour in ghost games

[Bruegel the Elder]

An article in today’s Times reports research that professional footballers are far less likely to misbehave during games played without spectators and that any emotional outbursts that do occur are notably shorter in duration. In contrast episodes of fair play (eg helping an opponent up off the ground) rose significantly.

when asked if this is a good thing, players responded that the lack of a crowd meant there was something missing from the game, a loss of meaning!

The research was conducted primarily in the Austrian Bundisliga by the University of Salzburg.

I have watched comparatively few games during lockdown as I don’t have Sky or BT so I would be interested to know if anyone has noticed these changes in the English game.

[JonColenzo]

Although there seems to be many times during recent games where commentators have to apologise for bad language but I’m sure with a big crowd and the noise this brings it would be easier to disguise more fowl language and players having a little moment. I thing a crowd helps get the players wound up, for good and bad.

Either way, games without a crowd are lifeless, boring and slightly meaningless.

 

[JonColenzo]

98,531 Deaths / 3 points ?

But don’t get me wrong, I am really missing our local football.

 

Sorry that’s probably me just being bitter and twisted, Millionaires allowed to kick a ball around whilst the rest of us have to stay indoors, obviously starting to affect me.

[Bruegel the Elder]

39 minutes ago, JonColenzo said:

98,531 Deaths / 3 points ?

But don’t get me wrong, I am really missing our local football.

 

Sorry that’s probably me just being bitter and twisted, Millionaires allowed to kick a ball around whilst the rest of us have to stay indoors, obviously starting to affect me.

For all the contempt that I hold them in, it’s not the players fault, nor even the multibillionaire owners or the incompetents at the FA. No the ringmasters for this obscene circus are Sky & BT who win every game and their local overmaster: Boris and his cohorts who, as Juvenal said some 1900 years ago “give them bread and circuses” the way to keep the proletariat under control!

[JonColenzo]

Sorry Keith you re right, was just trying to justify my “meaningless “ comment. It feels like top flight football doesn’t excite at the moment, lack of crowds, COVID on people’s minds, fake crowd noise etc etc, not enjoyable in my opinion

[Paul]

Football with out crowds is just not the same. If your one down with minutes to play and you win a corner the crowd urge every player up to try and scramble home a goal for a unlikely point. Or maybe the home side concede and the home fans urge their team on to get going again. Its all a bit pre season standard and lacks the very cutting edge we all enjoy. 

[JonColenzo]

I thought the same, some of the non-league clubs have had cracking home ties against the big boys at home, but no crowd 😔, totally defeats the romance of the cup.

[Way Of The Park]

16 hours ago, Bruegel the Elder said:

For all the contempt that I hold them in, it’s not the players fault, nor even the multibillionaire owners or the incompetents at the FA. No the ringmasters for this obscene circus are Sky & BT who win every game and their local overmaster: Boris and his cohorts who, as Juvenal said some 1900 years ago “give them bread and circuses” the way to keep the proletariat under control!

In other related news, Cheltenham Festival 2021 commences on March 16th. 

"Football, beer and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of their minds." - George Orwell

[Bruegel the Elder]

Cheltenham festival is definitely on. No horse racing has been cancelled this year due to COVID (although plenty have succumbed to the weather). However it won’t be the same without the hordes of Irishfolk that it usually attracts 🏆🏇🍾❗️

[JonColenzo]

To be sure 🍀

[Way Of The Park]

Man Utd 1 Sheffield United 2 , that's a great example of the current Premier League season. Know that these sort of results always happen in football, but would a silent Old Trafford have helped with this?

Read a piece a few weeks ago about how the emergence and brilliant form of Bakary Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe at Arsenal has been helped by the removal of the usually febrile,over critical atmosphere at The Emirates. They are known for turning on their own players pretty quickly.