Chronicler of Chiswick

In this part of the world, the local Agricultural Society has just cancelled the Oswestry Show that was due on 1st. August. That would appear to indicate that they're expecting the restrictions to continue into at least July as they obviously have to allow for preparation time. I'm now in the 'season will have to be abandoned' camp.

How reliable do people think that the 'Hull Daily Mail' is?

Interesting to see the Roosters there. I remember when this cropped up in the pre NRL days (when they were Eastern Suburbs) there was talk of culling them due to their inner city location with relatively small catchment area and their lack of junior clubs.

Interesting to see Wayne Millington coaching Peckham in the friendly as he was our lone try scorer in our 72 - 6 hammering by Whitehaven in September '86. We didn't mind that much as it was the first game in yet another of our (in)famous comebacks (and it was a nice day for a trip to Cumbria as well). By the way he, and several of the team that day, were playing on amateur forms so it didn't stop them playing for their regular clubs in the London League,

Rugby League has apparently been on the verge of collapse since August 1895 and yet we still somehow manage to totter on. Of course the game will survive!

It all depends on how long the shutdown goes on for. I can't see the closed door scenario being allowed, although if soccer goes ahead (which I suspect it won't) then we might continue. No, if this continues into mid July or even August then this season will have to be dumped and we start again next year, albeit with probably far fewer clubs.

To be pedantic the term they're using is 'pause' and that they'll restart the subscription automatically when things start returning to normal (obviously by their definition!). It means that people can avoid the penalties charged on cancellation, if appropriate. Can be done on their website.

Nice flowers, but JD, where was the model dalek!?

With Welsh and Scottish schools now closing and an announcement about England imminent, given that the Scots are talking about not reopening until the Autumn which may well extend across the whole country sport could well be in the same boat meaning that this season (in all sports, not just us) will have to be aborted altogether. Not a happy prospect.

I don't see how they can stop paying wages without breaking their contractual agreements, which in a way is worrying even for the big clubs if we have to go a long time without gate receipts (this obviously happens if games are played behind closed doors).

Yep. If we shut down now and re-started on the first weekend in July that would mean a sixteen week gap. With that long a break we'd have to start from scratch - work that out.

Talk in the papers today of the epidemic not peaking until June, which would just about do it for this season. The chairman of Tranmere Rovers said on BBC breakfast this morning that today's postponement was going to cost his club around £300k in total, which gives an idea of what our leading clubs could have to suffer.

Pity there's probably no chance of winkling Craig Bellamy out of his beloved Melbourne, he'd be the man to turn Hull into the RL powerhouse that they're obviously capable of being under the right leadership.

With the NRL going behind closed doors from next week and Leeds now with coronavirus in the camp, I wonder if we're in for a suspension of the season which would give plenty of time for a rational, well thought out appointmen……………. sorry, forgot that this is sport in the UK (not just RL).

Wigan by 24.