Page 146 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

144
www.raptcassociation.org.uk
FOOTBALLERS FIT TO FIGHT
RAPTC ASSOCIATION NORTH EAST BRANCH
The world of football generally exists in a bubble where the game goes about its business with little consideration to what is going on outside the borders of the sport. This sense of detachment has helped it to endure through turbulent times and remain a constant feature of everyday life. It takes something truly serious for top level sport to be put on hold and, in March 2020, as the full magnitude of the global Covid-19 pandemic became obvious, it was unanimously decided to suspend all elite professional football and the English season was suspended indefinitely. Football fans used to organising their lives around the regular rhythm and rituals of matches were left with the option of scouring TV channels for replays of old games or the likes of FC Slutsk taking on FC Smolevichi-Sti in the Belarus Super League, the only European league still playing football by late March.
After 3 months with no football it was unanimously agreed that the Premier League, Championship League and FA Cup competitions would restart with the first full round of fixtures being played behind closed doors on the third weekend of June. It was also decided to end the English League One and Two seasons early. To alleviate the absence of spectators at matches it was announced all 92 remaining matches would be televised and what followed was a manic six week blitz of Premier League drama with the season finally drawing to a close on 25th July 2020. Throughout this period of turmoil and disruption, Premier League clubs continued to pay the players wages in full as the contracted players were available to play. Yet players were criticised in the media of being greedy and not pulling their weight in the crisis. The media expectation was not that they should take a wage cut but that the players should donate at least part of their salaries to charities connected with the National Health Service.
The start of the 2020-21 Premier League season was delayed until September, a consequence of the previous season’s conclusion being postponed due to the pandemic. As was the case at the end of the previous season, there was limited or no attendance at matches other than each team’s staff and personnel. The potential for some fans being allowed to return to stadiums in low-risk areas was fleeting with two further lockdowns eventually necessitating all matches to be played behind closed doors. In February the Prime Minister announced that large football stadiums might be allowed to reopen on 17th May 2021 with a maximum of 10,000 spectators.
For millions of football enthusiasts, playing, watching and debating the game with family, friends and colleagues is an integral part of life and a key element of our cultural fabric, but we have lived without it before. Many commentators had dramatically compared the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the country and society to that of the Second World War. So it will come as little surprise to learn that the last time football took a back seat was indeed on the outbreak of World War Two. Interestingly though the impact was not as wide spread then as with this Covid-19 crisis and there were significant and varying differences in how the authorities responded. Even with war against Germany seemingly inevitable, the 1939-40 season kicked off on 26th August 1939 and more than 600,000 people attended a full programme of 44 games. Despite Germany invading Poland on Friday 1st September the Saturday fixtures still went ahead. It was on Sunday 3rd September 1939 that Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany and an immediate ban was imposed on the assembly of crowds. This resulted in the Football League competition being brought to a halt and the FA declaring that all football except that organised by the Armed Forces would be suspended indefinitely. The threat of air attack and introduction of conscription made it impossible for
The Football League War Cup Final 8th June 1940 at Wembley
professional football to continue as normal. All players’ contracts were suspended and like many thousands of others, professional footballers were effectively out of work. Following a meeting between the FA Secretary Stanley Rous and the General Officer Commanding Home Forces, the FA and football clubs offered the use of their grounds, facilities and amenities to the Armed Forces for recreational purposes and this new cooperation became the basis of wartime football. Competitive inter-service and inter-unit football matches were encouraged throughout the Armed Forces. In addition to forging links across units and improving physical fitness, such games were seen to provide a much needed form of entertainment for troops stationed in the area. With the permission of local police numerous friendly matches also took place between various clubs and Army XI’s helping to raise invaluable funds for wartime charities.
After consultation with the Home Office the FA agreed to allow a revised programme of both friendly and competitive matches confined to local and district groups to take place as long as it did not interfere with national service and the general war effort. It was considered that playing and watching football would be extremely beneficial in keeping troops fit, active and entertained and might also help support recruitment. The FA replaced the Football League and FA Cup with new competitions called the Football War League and the Football League War Cup. Because a 50 mile travel limit had been imposed, League clubs were initially divided into regional areas to facilitate games. Amidst concerns of large crowds being potentially targeted by enemies, spectator numbers were limited to a maximum of 15,000. The new War Cup competition of 137 games, including replays, was condensed into just nine weeks with West Ham United beating Blackburn Rovers
Dave Smith