Guidance issued for fans attending Goodison Park this season

"Ignore the experts!"

Full house, Messi at Number 10!

Iradiated pie at half time!

Magic.

My cock hasn't fallen off since Bill Gates took control of my DNA but, rather worryingly, I've become a dab hand on the laptop and now spend inordinate amounts of time on social media and ToffeeWeb.

God, these conspiracy theories are pure comedy gold!

Good luck to them in their decision making.

Seriously though, for those still isolating to protect a family member, I feel your pain. May we all be free soon.

Laughing my head off!! Brillliant!! 😭

On a serious note though. Does anyone know how I am supposed to prove a negative result? Bring the test result in my pocket? Show a photograph on my phone of it reading negative???

I have a supply of the flow tests but they don't come with certificates so, in terms of proving it, how am I supposed to and what method of proof is the club accepting?

Has anyone faced this before and if so, what proof did you present?

It's open to abuse, of course – it relies on people being honest and actually taking the test. I had to do this when I went to watch a golf tournament recently and my thoughts are that it'll cause a massive delay getting into Goodison… everyone on their phones sifting past Argos receipts and other junk mail to find the bloody negative test result!

York races coming up. Any rules for the people attending?

York Races Official Website:

The Prime Minister's confirmation that formal Covid-19 restrictions ended on Monday 19 July means that the remainder of the York season looks set to operate in a far more familiar, effectively “normal” manner. This includes racing at York for the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival (18-21 August) and the four racedays in September and October.

As the Prime Minister stressed, the coming weeks will require a significant degree of personal responsibility. Our recommendation is that all racegoers voluntarily do a self-administered Lateral Flow Test on the day of, or on the day before, racing for their own peace of mind. Neither proof of vaccination status nor proof of a negative test is required to gain admission; this is an aspect that all sports and venues are continuing to discuss with Government.

I think the point is the Government have more or less already said that, by the end of September, there will be rules in place for any event with more than 20,000 that makes it mandatory for double jabs and/or negative tests.

I think this is just Everton, along with other Premier League clubs, testing the position for then

So we may or may not be asked?

I appreciate the Government and any Government of the day is in a challenging position on decision making. But there is irony in that until September we can keep calm and carry on but after that we must be checked?

This is the problem with putting dates on things. Slightly light-hearted, it made me think back to my time in Afghanistan. We were instructed to start taking our malaria tablets on 1 February and then advised we didn't need to take them after 1 November.

I often wondered whether the experts had consulted the mosquitoes on that one? Clearly they didn't bite between November and February!!

Flippancy aside, I guess it's always difficult making decisions and it's ultimately a risk management exercise. It's challenging to implement rules quickly, especially in a society that has, in the main, always been governed by compliance and buy-in. And you're always going to be playing catch-up in crisis situations.

I'm happy to do what's needed to get life back to normal. But my instinct is what was mentioned above: personal responsibility and individual decision-making. The vast majority will do what is right and what is asked of them.

Thanks mate. 👍🏻

With that in mind and in the light of Delph's anti-vax stance, I wrote to DBB to ask if the requirements demanded of fans will apply equally to players and staff. A week on, I've had no reply... so it looks like the useless lump will be allowed into the stadium!

Duncan #21,

As you say, it (ie, testing) relies on people being honest. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the unvaccinated will be anti-vaxxers – based on a number of this group within my wider family, they can be less than honest over this! Each of them routinely claimed medical exemption when not wearing masks in shops, on public transport etc despite none of them having any health issues that would prevent them from doing so.

I also got one for my wife at the same time who said “I'm not going to see Everton, what do I need it for?” She was joking, I think.

I said “You never know, the Grafton might open up again and you like dancing, don't you?”

I think I saw the hint of a smile!!

Again, I've written to the club and await a response.

Masks – why the requirement for these when none are required in pubs, nightclubs etc?

I spent a very active life in the military and playing a lot of football to a decent standard. In 2017, after decades of putting "a tight chest" down to running on a cold winter morning, I had a pretty bad breathing problem and found out I was asthmatic. Bit of a shock to be honest. I now carry an inhaler.

To your point, I could have legitimately claimed exemption, but I didn't. I played the game whilst routinely watching a lot of people "complying" by wearing a face covering only that it was hanging off their chin and not covering their mouth let alone nose. People challenged to understand clearly marked one-way systems. And many who simply didn't study hard enough in maths at school to work out distance.

Sorry, it just grates me when I seen the Mayor of London making political statements about continuing to wear face coverings as if everyone has been compliant throughout.

Most have been. Most have done what is right and will continue to do so. But don't turn it political. Hollow statements, although I guess the intent is to get the majority to follow. You'll never convince everyone, not unless you go down the police state model, so I do understand that side.

I personally think the UK approach (and let's be honest, it was cross-party) from the onset was to focus on the vaccine.

Anyway, whatever I need to do to get into Goodison on 25 September and join the ToffeeWeb catch-up at the Bramley Moore, I'll follow!!

Then you're required to face your computer and repeat some numbers which have appeared on your screen as if by magic. If you haven't got a camera or mic on your computer, you're Donald Ducked. You can, of course, sit there and chant these numbers until you're blue in the face but it doesn't help.

My surgery can't help because they're snowed under with an outbreak of rickets so, later today, I have to call 119 for help... HELP!!

My surgery could have helped because they have all my details because they vaccinated me in the first place. It's clearly too easy to just print it off, charge me a tenner, and let me skip happily off into the sunset. No. Let's put some fuckin' obstacles in the way.

And for Heavens sake, don't do anything that might look like we're following England. App my arse!

I haven't seen my wider family for 18 months. (I am on the clinically extremely vulnerable list.) My partner contracted Covid in April, was off work for 8 weeks, and still can't taste anything.

Any measures that may prevent further spread of the virus should be supported. You do not have to have the vaccine. But, if you choose not to, then, as the vast majority of the population do not share your minority views, they have the right to insist that you do not put them and yourself at unnecessary risk by being in an enclosed space with them.

Democracy is based on the principal of the views and benefit of the majority, not the minority.

(Regarding York races. The crowd at a racecourse is spread out over a larger area and in more open spaces than in a football stadium, so the risk is less.)

You obviously have not attended the York race meeting. Shoulder to shoulder in the bars.

"I'm happy to do what's needed to get life back to normal."

The thing is, as the restrictions we adhere to (irrespective of their lunacy in many circumstances) get drawn out for longer and longer, they become the normal. The mindset of the majority of the population appears already to be one of acceptance that restrictions and continued loss of freedoms are here to stay.

So the answer to your question is probably No, it's not the same rules for them.

Singapore, where I live, has made the regulations rigorous – masks mandatory everywhere, trace together app mandatory for all, maximum groups currently 2 pax, safe distancing mandatory in all places including work places, mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine on entry to the country, entry approval required to visit the country. Penalties for non-compliance are massive fines and/or imprisonment.

We had the interesting case study of an expat Brit who repeatedly refused to wear a mask, including to court. He made a 'cry freedom', rambling speech to the court on Thursday and got committed to a mental hospital.

The country has had 40 deaths in total due to COVID-19. It has driven me mad in occasion, but without doubt it has kept the country safe.

I was at Wembley the other week, they checked to see if you qualified to go into the stadium, which wasn't really an issue, but then to get on the tube after the game obviously went against every rule in the covid-book. If I was worried about catching Covid, I'd be more worried about my form of transportation, rather than sitting in the stadium to watch the game.

For the sake of humanity, we definitely need to get moving again though. None of us have benefited from the last 18 months, and a lot of us are still to realise how much it's actually taken out of us, especially because the word ‘Covid' is often followed by an opinion or an argument, as I stare out of my window and look at the pissing down rain.

Haven't we all, over the past year, got used to having a face mask in our pocket and putting on when needed?

Personally, although not mandatory, I still wear one when going into shops. The same principle will apply here – it just seems sensible.

I work in the NHS as a manager and some of my staff have refused the vaccine and there's no redress, formally anyway. "Bonkers", yee say... yes it is.

I'm currently in Czechia on a medical stay; getting out of the UK was stressful and expensive, documents and PCR tests galore, they never batted an eye lid on entry to Cezchia, probably why it's on the amber watch list.

One thing: they all wear the same face masks out here, FFP2 but very few other measures in place.

In your post, you mention an app which I guess refers to an app on your phone?

How the hell did you manage to sneak a phone into Wales, mate?

Given you don't see many footballers on Mastermind and you do see them, ad nauseam, on social media, these vaccination doubts come as no surprise... Even people who you'd think should know better are sucked into this dangerous claptrap.

Would you put the 15% of NHS staff who are refusing the vaccine in that bracket?

People on the front line of NHS, watching the developments, seeing the response to the vaccine and you are dismissing thier take on it?

Phone Everton up to ask about your son and his requirements, if any. Use the Telephone Number on your season ticket. I got through pretty quickly a couple of weeks ago.

You don't have to go through the full registration process. There is an option to select Domestic for your registration. If you do that, you can go to the app whenever you need to and download a QR code to your phone that is valid for 48 hours.

As an ex-service man yourself, you'll probably see the irony in the fact that one of the anti-vaxxers I refer to who claims medical exemption is a fully fit, 40-year-old veteran who, like you, has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as doing security work in East Africa. Not sure how the anti-vaxx stance worked there!

Ray #33,

Do you have access to the MyGP app in Wales? If so, that might work for you.

Martin #34,

Excellent post.

Mark #36,

Maybe not if a name is put on that ticket (highly unlikely, I'd think) and it was matched to proof of Covid vaccination status.
Andrew #38 and Paul #41,

I suspect you're both right.

And you seem to be under the impression that they are all medical staff, but for those that are it should absolutely be mandatory if they want to keep in close contact with patients, many if not most of whom will be extremely vulnerable to the effects of Covid.

Most of us do what we've always done. Take the advice and guidance. Understand the gravity of the situation and do the right thing, even if not all agreeing with it.

We do have to learn to live with this, just as we have with other illnesses. I am sympathetic, I have been compliant, but quite honestly, I've had other family health issues this year that have made me slightly bitter about the attention this has received while other longer term and more enduring issues have been parked to the side. That's another conversation and I don't wish to dismiss or disrespect anything.

Anyway, we're here to talk Everton. If I have to show I'm vaccinated (I am) to get into Goodison, I'm more than happy to do so. As I will do so when I travel to Rome later this month, Berlin in September and go to watch Schalke in the Autumn!

Seeing what response to the vaccine?

Quantification?

I was at a memorial 2 weeks ago for a dear friend who got blown up & killed aged 34. He was literally in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Life is life. Enjoy it while it lasts.

And try (try) to enjoy Everton!! I'm booked into the Atlantic Tower for 25 September and hopeful my nephew has a shift in McDonalds on the Speke retail park as he has me named as being able to use his season ticket if he doesn't go!!

Any fans who are not Official members can apply to join at the same time as purchasing tickets for this game.

Life is life, always gets me thinking about the greatest player that's ever lived imo, Danny. I'm over 50 now, and often ask myself why do so many things always take me back to football!

Because football is the consistent escape in our life! I used to try and explain to my poor wife, when I walked on the pitch, everything else went away. I just had to focus on football. Nothing else.

She shakes her head at me. She follows football and Villa, but she's not a stupid Evertonian like me!!

Revealed: wide variations in Covid vaccination rates among NHS Trusts

Villa not really football then?

After having operations as a child, where I was held down by doctors so they can administer an injection, I have not been able have a needle anywhere near me, to such an extent I don’t have injections at the dentist, I let them do what they have to do.

4 times I have booked my first dose, 4 times I’ve queued up, 4 times I’ve broke out into absolute panic and flash backs of being held down as a child and I’ve ran off.

There is no help out there for those who are severely needle phobic.

What happens to us!

If some survey has said 15%, my guess is that the figure will be much lower, as most of them will have seen, or been involved in, the battle to save people's lives.

Every nurse and doctor that I've spoken to have made it abundantly clear that this virus is a killer and it is a long and nasty time in a ventilator for those that is has affected badly. For those that survive, they could well suffer for months with after-effects.

The wife was taken aback at our sheer desire to do football and how much it meant to us when she met the family and moved to Liverpool. Probably shocked, I would say.

The alarm bells were ringing early. When she came to my Army barrack room, my friends had posters of Sam Fox and other Page 3 girls of the 80s on the wall. I had Kevin Sheedy on the wall and a framed picture of Graeme Sharpe next to my bed.

She likes football but thought I was odd. She still does. After 29 years, she's finally stopped asking who I love the most. Everton is a different type of love. I told her that then and I tell her that now. Don't compete or make me choose!!

Careful Brian, you’ll have the Taffia on to you. You’ll find a sheep’s head on your bed…,
John, Martin, thanks for your help, Mygp might have done the trick🤞🏻

It would be baaaaad for you!

Try: https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/resources/patient-information/all-patients/overcoming-your-fear-of-needles.pdf

Ive tried all sorts, hypnotherapy, counselling, distraction techniques etc.

They’ll have to sneak in my house while I’m asleep and do it.

We've never excluded those who can't or won't be vaccinated for other things, so it's an interesting subject.

The vaccine has not even achieved a license to date.
Purely experimental at the moment.

People who choose what they put into thier bodies is surely simply that. "Thier choice"
Each to thier own, I wont force my opinion on you, please allow me the same courtesy.

What about the civil rights of all of those decent people who they will be putting at risk every day? Why don't you give a toss about them?

And I just want to point out I don't include somebody like Emma above in this. Her situation is a long way off the civil rights/conspiracy theory crackpots.

The crackpots are the clowns spouting dangerous conspiracy theories and harping on about their own civil rights without giving a toss about anybody else.

What bracket would you put me in?

Different matter – I have two anti-vaxx nieces who are happy to fill their faces with botox and have "boob jobs" – can anyone explain that one!!!

Tom #76,

I think you'll find that, whilst vaccination does not stop transmission in all cases, it does significantly reduce it. As we all know, no vaccine is 100% effective.

I'd love to help as I know what it's like. I still never like it but I can handle it now.

The sad thing is, you seem to think that you have achieved something against society by not having a vaccine and you should be lauded for some sort of quest against social injustice.

You and your emotion again.

"The sad thing is you seem to think that you have achieved something against society by not having a vaccine and you should be lauded for some sort of quest against social injustice."

More emotional posting. Can you not just post your reasoning behind you accepting the vaccine?

Tom, you have every right to choose not to have the vaccine and I fully support that right.

I also support the right of businesses, establishments etc to choose to refuse you admission.

I suppose, with a lot of choices we make in life, there are consequences.

I – like the vast majority of society – had the vaccine because it's the right thing to do.

I often wonder how many of the people who come onto pages like this or social media sites and claim they haven't really have but they love a bit of attention.

My own take on it is that you will not need a Covid passport to enter a football stadium. They will cajole and threaten in an attempt to make more young people get vaccinated in the run-up to September. Then pull the plug on it.

That's very possible. They'll probably work on the premise that enough people have been double-jabbed to reduce the risk of infection down to manageable levels or even less.

Those that can then attend without any vaccine would pose less of a risk anyway due to the greater numbers who have been.

People have gone to jail for their principles, been sacked for their principles, been turned on by friends and family for their principles, died for their principles.

If you refuse to have a vaccine on principle, then it's hardly a great sacrifice to miss a football match, or not go on holiday abroad. Boo hoo and all that.

"I actually don't see what it's got to do with this thread."

Can I, gently, suggest you scroll to the top and read what this thread is about

Thats the way its headed in my opinion.

Reading a report today that in some UK postcodes only just slightly over half of the poulation have been double jabbed.

And that's saying nothing to the outstanding brilliance of the scientists who have made the vaccine happen.

But no, we have still have to listen to the anti-vaxxers and their self-righteous posturing. I find their utterly shameful arrogance disgusting.

Can I equally gently suggest you do the same. This thread is about the requirements to go to the match. It's not about whether it's fair to discriminate against anti-vaxxers.

Eric

Please could you leave the stuff about the Holocaust at the door. Do you know what - missing a match is hardly the same as the mass murder of six million innocents, so the comparison is just a touch offensive.

Good points, Michael. I'm just pissed off that the flavour the thread headed in has reared its ugly head again.

It's like Groundhog Day!

For decades, there have been restrictions in visiting certain countries where you are not allowed in unless you can prove you have been vaccinated for a myriad of diseases, and you either have the jab or you don't go to these countries. Many clubs used to and may still insist you wear a tie to get into their establishments; again, you either comply or you don't get in.

So I don't see how it invokes anybody's liberty – they are given a choice to abide by the rules of establishments or countries, or don't visit them.

I've was once turned away from a nightclub for having an offensive girlfriend!

I thought she was tidy myself.

Good sport too. Not many girls'd get the bus home on their own while their boyfriend went to a nightclub.

In all honesty, it would be my worst nightmare, and I don't know is my only answer. I genuinely feel for your daughter.

There is an MP, can't remember his name, now who publicly said he was severely needle phobic too, and is waiting for a tablet to be produced until he can get vaccinated.

I agree. But some people aren't interested in real evidence. They just look for the numbers which support their views and ignore everything else. There is no arguing with most of them. For example, pointing to the small proportion of front-line workers who have refused the vaccine rather than the majority who have taken it. All of the front-line workers among my family and friends are frustrated if not angry about the huge amount of time, resources and emotional energy being directed at people who have refused the vaccine. In my view, it's absolutely scandalous.

As others have said, I broadly agree that a person should have the right to refuse the vaccine. I just don't think these people should be allowed to put others at risk. Hopefully, places like Goodison will keep a strong stance for as long as possible. Sadly, selfishness always finds a way to survive.

I imagine that 'People like Emma' [72] would love to have a vaccine and I sympathise with them, but for people like yourself I have no sympathy, as a selfish stance could endanger others. I appreciate that the main reason for having the vaccine is for self protection, but it also lessens the risk of spreading this horrible virus, in my opinion a small sacrifice.

Would I feel comfortable that unvaccinated people are barred from Sports or any other public venues?
No. Would I be concerned that maybe 10% of my fellow spectators were unvaccinated? No.

I get in the car everyday in the full knowledge that probably a quarter of the other drivers on the road are either incompetent or plain dangerous. Does that stop me getting in the car? No.

Serious slippery slope time for this Country. The indoctrination process is well advanced now.