" AN OPEN LETTER FROM CARDIFF CITY, SWANSEA CITY & MORE "

The following is a joint open letter that has been sent to First Minister Mark Drakeford today by Cardiff City Football Club and associated elite Welsh sports clubs and bodies.

7th December 2020

Dear First Minister,

We are writing as executives and senior representatives of rugby, cricket, horse racing and football – the elite stadium sports in Wales.

Sport is a fundamental part of life in Wales. It puts our nation on the global stage and provides communities across Wales with a sense of belonging and identity. We form part of an an industry that employs thousands of people across the country, our contribution to the Welsh economy, employment and well-being is significant, but this is now at risk.

We urge Welsh Government to reconsider its approach to the socially distanced return of fans to our sports grounds by embracing the current Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) guidance known as “SGO2” and withdraw the variant “SG02W” which has been requested by Welsh Government.

On Monday 30th November, an in-person and virtual meeting was held at Cardiff City Stadium to consider the socially distanced return of fans to our stadia. It was attended by Welsh Government and representatives from WRU, FAW, the Welsh regions, Glamorgan cricket, horse racing and Welsh professional football clubs as well as SGSA, EFL and SAG. The meeting noted the publication of the SGSA guidance known as SG02, which is generally based on a social distance of one metre plus mitigations. The SGO2 guidance was issued following extensive consultation, it has underpinned the detailed planning for the return of fans to English stadia from 2nd December, and indeed has been widely acclaimed and shared by the SGSA with countries around the world.

Taking a more cautious approach, the Welsh Government asked the SGSA to prepare a version of SG02 based on a social distance of two metres. A draft (SG02W) has been received and circulated, but not published. We as a group of national governing bodies and senior clubs urge that this draft be withdrawn and that the Welsh government also embrace the highly regarded SG02 version and subsequently allow test events to be run using this guidance with events taking place as soon as possible.

We say this because while SG02 reduces expected attendances to between 25% and 35% of capacity depending on concourse densities and stadium layouts. The Welsh version would further reduce capacity to under 10% a level which in effect closes our businesses to the public indefinitely.

At the meeting, all sporting organisations were extremely disappointed by the lack of prior consultation and the entrenched position adopted by Welsh Government officials during the meeting left us full of concern. The situation is grave; the lack of a clear roadmap for the return of spectators in Wales poses the real risk of bankruptcy for our sports.

We manage highly regulated stadia, which are overseen by the SGSA who issue our licenses and Safety certificates in conjunction with our respective Safety Advisory Groups (which includes local authority, building control and the emergency services). We respect the need to return when it is safe to do so and acknowledge the need to follow science, yet highlight the reluctance of Welsh Government to look at a “managed and engineered solution” not present in the retail, construction, transport or hospitality sectors. SG02W will be a significant roadblock that does not offer us a pragmatic or sustainable solution and believe in order to move forward it is essential to have a transparent and collaborative approach with Welsh Government combined with Public Health Wales. This will ensure as a collective, we are able to produce a clear roadmap for meaningful pilot test events and the safe return of fans to sporting grounds and events.

You will also be very conscious that Welsh sports fans are watching what is happening over the border. The clamour for the return of fans to supporting their clubs and national teams can only now continue to increase as the governing bodies and sports clubs suffer without direction or a viable road map in a time when their finances are crumbling before them.

For a nation that is small in size, Wales punches well above its weight in sporting terms; we want to work with Welsh Government to ensure the survival of our people, clubs, businesses and the future of sport in Wales.

So, as we stated at the beginning of this letter, we call on Welsh Government to withdraw SG02W and embrace the published SGSA guidance SG02, commit to transparency on the science and a collaborative approach between the sporting bodies, senior clubs, Public Health Wales and Welsh Government in order to provide a clear roadmap for meaningful pilot test events and the safe return of fans to sports grounds.



Steve Borley

Executive Director – Cardiff City Football Club

For and on behalf of:

Steve Phillips – CEO, WRU

Jonathan Ford – CEO, FAW

Hugh Morris – CEO, Glamorgan Cricket Club

Julian Winter – CEO, Swansea City FC

Gavin Foxhall – Director of Operations, Newport County

Mark Jones – Managing Director, Dragons Rugby

Richard Holland – CEO, Cardiff Blues

Philip Morgan – COO, Scarlets

Andrew Millward – Managing Director, Ospreys Rugby

Phil Bell – Executive Director, Chepstow and Ffos Las Racecourse

Jeannie Chantler – General Manager, Bangor on Dee Races

Mark Williams – Executive Director, Wrexham AFC

Todd Kelman – Managing Director, Cardiff Devils

Lol Drakeford wont make his mind up until someone tells him what his opinion is.

Lets wait and see now if the daily covid infection rate goes down.
If it doesnt then we know it's not resturants / cafes / pub where infections were taking place.

If you arent happy with Drakeford then remember next May you have a chance to make a few changes and not vote for him.
But most in Wales tend to be pre programmed to vote Labour regardless of how long theyve been in power or hr their performance

[Swansea Bay health board director Dr Keith Reid said the local health system will be "overwhelmed" if cases continue to rise at the current rate.

The health board said 700 hospital staff off sick while there were 800 new cases reported in the last two days
Caes on the rise elsewhere in Wales. No chance.

Uni and schools is big cause
no social distance plain and simple and now households rammed together drinking.

Supermarkets are a joke too. Monkey heads round here too dull to follow floor signs for directional shopping.

Theres another lockdown coming.

Theres another lockdown coming.

I agree with you.

As soon as the 5 day Christmas break is over (if not before) it'll be back to closing non essential shops and all pubs, restaurants etc with a new "firebreak" which will last until at least Easter.

In the meantime leaving home to have the vaccine will be "essential travel" for those who choose to take it up.

There will be no cinemas, concerts, indoor entertainment, sporting events etc until the summer at the earliest would be my guess.

Glamorgan cricket have probably got a better chance of fans in their ground before we do.

Nice letter they've sent but absolutely no chance that Drakeford or his successor Gethin (who will get in because people in Wales will vote labour no matter what happens) will allow any spectators in grounds this season.

Theres another lockdown coming.

indeed...and they work so well...

Theres another lockdown coming.

indeed...and they work so well...

However they work theres a 6 wk lockdown coming.

[Swansea Bay health board director Dr Keith Reid said the local health system will be "overwhelmed" if cases continue to rise at the current rate.

The health board said 700 hospital staff off sick while there were 800 new cases reported in the last two days
Caes on the rise elsewhere in Wales. No chance.

Begs question why are 800 off ? Appreciate on front line but surely majority have not cought it on wards otherwise be lot more patients with it than there is...other authorities don't seem to have a problem like theres...
before anyone has a go at me I work with patients without a mask most of time

Theres another lockdown coming.

indeed...and they work so well...

However they work theres a 6 wk lockdown coming.

Yes it will be coming sooner than you think,
enjoy Christmas,
lockdown will be starting 27th

The Welsh government are making a huge mistake shutting pubs all it’s doing is driving youngsters into houses. I spoke to a couple of young lads in there mid 20’s today and asked them have they been to any house party’s and they said they went to one Friday and Saturday. Yes this is irresponsible but youngsters will try as you may carry on gathering in big No’s inside. From what I have seen the work pubs and restaurants have put in they are probably one of the safest places you can be in. Some of the photos I have seen of shopping Iles streets unbelievable. Drakeford will lift the restrictions for 4/5 days over Christmas and all the youngsters will move back into the pubs the rates after Christmas will probably be the highest we have seen. I would add if he opened the pubs so youngsters can congregate in a safe environment then anyone caught having house gatherings they should come down hard on. I was young once and this time of year you won’t stop the youngsters gathering so let them get together in a controlled environment. They need to reopen the restaurants and pubs now it’s the best option.

Theres another lockdown coming.

indeed...and they work so well...

However they work theres a 6 wk lockdown coming.

dont see it.....opposition to them has grown and you cant just keep doing something that has the opposite effect to whats intended.... at some point you have to be able to point at evidence other than countries that locked down longer and harder but have higher death rates.....

Theres another lockdown coming.

indeed...and they work so well...

However they work theres a 6 wk lockdown coming.

dont see it.....opposition to them has grown and you cant just keep doing something that has the opposite effect to whats intended.... at some point you have to be able to point at evidence other than countries that locked down longer and harder but have higher death rates.....

It wasn't an opinion mate,rather a statement.

Theres another lockdown coming.

indeed...and they work so well...

However they work theres a 6 wk lockdown coming.

dont see it.....opposition to them has grown and you cant just keep doing something that has the opposite effect to whats intended.... at some point you have to be able to point at evidence other than countries that locked down longer and harder but have higher death rates.....

It wasn't an opinion mate,rather a statement.

they could well have it their heads but it wont happen...

CARDIFF CITY FC

Tuesday 8th December 2020



Club Statement | 08/12/2020


CEO Ken Choo:


Further to the joint open letter issued to First Minister Mark Drakeford yesterday (7th December 2020), Cardiff City Football Club would like to clarify its position on the points raised and the matter in hand.


Cardiff City Football Club has been speaking to the Welsh Government since early August (when infection rates were relatively low) in an attempt to reach agreement to run test events that would form the framework for the return of fans since to Cardiff City Stadium.

We felt that the August release of the Sports Ground Safety Authority’s (SGSA) supplementary guidance (SG.02) for the socially distanced return of fans provided a pathway and the return of supporters in relatively low numbers was possible. We, along with other clubs, also highlighted that the Welsh Government’s test event programme was wholly inadequate for stadia due to the fact that there were there were little, or no learnings, venues could take from an outdoor event at Theatre Clwyd or a triathlon at Pembrey Country Park (where 100 persons were present).

In September, the Club was made aware that the Welsh Government had asked the SGSA for a Welsh variant of the supplementary guidance that moved SG.02 from an optimal position of 1m plus mitigations to 2m. The variation (SG.02W) increased concern, as it presents a fundamental roadblock to the return of fans.

We highlighted in correspondence on 24th September that if SG.02W (the Welsh variant) was published, that Cardiff City Football Club would likely remain behind closed doors until SG.02 method 1 can be adopted or until money runs out and drastic action has to be taken. Many clubs shared the same concerns, and a meeting was held between stakeholders and the Welsh Government at Cardiff City Stadium on Monday 30th November. Again, there was no pathway offered by the Welsh Government and no acceptance that an engineered and managed solution could be provided to mitigate the risks.

Stadia are highly regulated and intensely managed environments. The options of core customer selection, a requirement to complete a health questionnaire and the need to agree to a supporter code of conduct are achievable in such environments. Awareness programmes for supporters, sanitisation and the wearing of face masks are additional mitigations.

Further to this, our proposal in reference to Cardiff City Stadium and its operations automatically maps and includes postcode management, real time health questionnaires and data collection of email addresses and contact details. Nobody would enter the stadium or occupy a seat without us having this valuable data to hand. We believe that this is better than any track and trace system in current operation.

The above is simply not possible in the retail, construction, transport or hospitality sectors that are being allowed to function without such restrictions as those imposed on the Welsh elite sports industry.

Cardiff City FC Executive Director & CEO, Ken Choo, said: “Whilst the health and safety of the public will always remain the top priority for all of us, we believe the above information warrants the Welsh Government to reconsider its approach to the socially distanced return of fans to our sports grounds. I therefore call on the Welsh Government to withdraw SG.02W and embrace the published SGSA guidance SG.02.

“We ask them to commit to transparency on the science and work on a collaborative approach between the sporting bodies, senior clubs, Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government in order to provide a clear roadmap for meaningful pilot test events and the safe return of fans to sports grounds.

"I would like to personally invite ministers to visit us at Cardiff City Stadium to further discuss the measures we have in place for the safe return of fans in line with the original SG.02 guidance."

Uni and schools is big cause
no social distance plain and simple and now households rammed together drinking.

100%

Cardiff University (like its Swansea neighbour) are fighting an uphill battle stopping many of those in their residences from having 'full house' parties every weekend

The abuse given to university security and the police when they are called is disgraceful!

Fuelled by drink, youthful bravado and other party stuffs, these are supposedly the cream of tomorrow's crop