After the long wait, last Wednesday we were treated to a goal-line technology malfunction, a very slick Manchester City and a typically slipshod Arsenal (David Luiz included). So some things don’t change. But what about the spectator noises? I watched the Man City/Arsenal game with the crowd noise on for the first part and then off for the rest of the game. I found both experiences to be unnerving. The crowd noises sounded just like canned audience laughter in TV shows where there’s no actually audience. The “silent” version seemed like a reserve game with two people and a dog. I suppose it’s what we’ll have to get used to before proper crowds can come back.
What struck me about the Championship results on Saturday was the number of away wins, six, compared to the one home win. That seems to me to be out of proportion. Is the lack of a crowd unwittingly helping the away side?
There’s talk of allowing some spectators into matches as long as the social distancing measures in force at the time can be maintained. Certainly one metre will make that easier than two, but it will still pose difficulties at “pinch points” such as entrances and gangways. But surely some spectators are better than none. What do you think?
Rev Alan. Club Chaplain
clubchaplain@scunthorpe-united.co.uk
