Nomads v Dinamo Tbilisi at Racecourse - players test positive - game still on

[Rob]

https://www.the-nomads.co.uk/news/article.php?id=1051 statement out just now.

"Ahead of Thursday evening's UEFA Europa League fixture against Dinamo Tbilisi, the club would like to make an official statement regarding the game.

On Tuesday night our entire playing squad, coaching staff and operational staff undertook the mandatory COVID-19 testing, as stipulated by UEFA, and as a result, three senior players have tested positive with an additional player showing symptoms of the virus.

Throughout our return to play, we have adhered to all of the regulations and recommendations put in place by both FAW and UEFA. The health and safety of our staff and players is our absolute priority at all times and every single decision and action that we have taken reflects this.

As a result of the positive tests, all affected players have been put into self-isolation with immediate effect.

Following communications with Public Health Wales, UEFA and the Football Association of Wales today, we have followed all of the steps in the Return to Play protocol and every recommendation made to the club throughout each phase of our return to competitive football.

By diligently following the advice of the relevant authorities, and putting extensive measures in place, we've been given the go-ahead to continue with hosting the game at The Racecourse. It'll be an enormous challenge for the club to take on the Georgian Champions with just 14 available players but we will give it our all regardless.

Following pre-season we had already accumulated a number of injuries as George Horan sustained a pulled hamstring and Aeron Edwards had broken his hand. These compound an already difficult situation for the club.

[Red Light]

Nomads down to the bare bones !

What an ongoing nightmare - such a shame that when they get the chance to play in Europe and at the racecourse that their squad is so depleted and no crowd can watch the game.

As for Covid - this will unfortunately, in my view, just be the start - when players at clubs in our league programme start going down in groups of three we will be quickly thrust into a regular pattern of postponements and fixture congestion.

Anyway, good luck to the Nomads tonight.

[BillEBadass]

Real bum luck for the Nomads - would love to have been able to support them especially at the home of Welsh football.

I still have nightmares about playing, against the wind and rain, up the slope at the old Half Way ground as a junior, I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Good luck Nomads, you have a mountain to climb.

[Hometown Unicorn]

Big shame. Nomads seemed the best chance of a Welsh league side progressing after TNS embarrassed themselves yesterday.

[Ryans the man]

How can this game go ahead? surely all the players would have been training together. To get 3 or 4 testing positive then highely likely others could come down with symptoms and it gets passed to opposing team or officials?

[Red Light]

Originally Posted by BillEBadass

Real bum luck for the Nomads - would love to have been able to support them especially at the home of Welsh football.

I still have nightmares about playing, against the wind and rain, up the slope at the old Half Way ground as a junior, I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Good luck Nomads, you have a mountain to climb.

BillE - happy memories of the Half Way ground - all covered in xxxxxx houses now.

The only thing that hasn't changed is the tide in the still Dee comes in twice a day !

A Friday night under the floodlights at Deeside Stadium is very enjoyable though - nice little club - a stand with a roof and decent food & drink.

If ever we get back to normal perhaps an opportunity to take in a fixture - we also have Flint Town United just down the road who again have a tidy set up and a smashing little social club on the side of the ground.

I'll be rooting for Nomads - what a fantastic job Andy Morrison has done - although I don't hold out much hope for them but at least they are competing in a European tournament which is significantly more than the vast majority - shame yet again that Deesiders have been denied the chance to see them on home soil - they are not allowed to play European ties at Deeside.

[Kiddy Dragon]

Utter madness to carry on with the game.

[Ryans the man]

correct kiddy - I just don't understand how the Welsh FA and UEFA have given permission???? shocking

[Red Light]

What's the alternative option ?

Postpone the game ? play it sometime in the future and hold up the competition ? will the situation change ? my view it's just going to get worse.

3 players test positive and have been sent away and self isolating - the rest either carry on with life or do the same.

3 Flintshire schools have closed down in the last week or so due to Covid - teachers can't get tested / schools will run out of teachers - mass lock downs again in both education and football - do we accept it and fold over or try to battle on ?
Just saying and throwing the debate open because I really can see this as the tip of the iceberg - I have little confidence that if I paid out for a 10 match season ticket book I would get to see the games - we are still owed refunds from last seasons ST's and the Barrow match - for the first time we are now heading for winter and Covid - each day that passes more and more people will be spending their time indoors as weather gets cooler and colder. You rarely hear of anyone getting flu in summer do you - but the winter is another matter.