What are people's views on this?, i.e. calling games off when the pitches are perfectly playable but either the surrounding area is deemed "not safe" or else the opposing fans can't travel.
Bit of a joke in my view. Never used to happen, but sadly it's symptomatic of the world we live in now. If it's snowy/icy then you need to take care or else you might slip over - that's just nature. Why it has to be someones "fault" if you do is beyond me.
Read those comments from that Norweigan fella and was also speaking to a client in Austria today and it would appear that the rest of europe are having a bit of a chuckle at us - AGAIN!
If you're worried about falling over in the snow then don't go out, but if that's the way you think you'd best not chance going up or down the stairs indoors either then - far too dangerous!
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You are correct they didn't used to call games off for this reason, but there are now a lot more cars on the road and let's just play the game in a couple of months under lights
;-)
For example I was told not to try to get into work yesterday for my own safety which was very nice I have to say, but to be honest I probably could have done without TOO much risk.
If you went back 60-70 years I think some of our ancestors might have been rather scathing about our lack of hardyness these days.
Life isn't a playstation game. If global warming is as bad as they predict our generation and later ones will have to learn to deal with a whole lot more than 8" of snow.
Old man rant over I can see the other side of it but everything in life carries some element of risk.
:-)
why dont the police ban everyone from leaving their house then same scenario.
one way round it is every supporter should be made to sign a disclaimer or have as part of T&C's of sale when purchasing season tickets/ match tickets saying we will not sue club/council/police if i'm dumb enough to slip over.
alternatively the fucking police etc can treat people like adults and let them make their own mind up . if ya think too dodgy DONT GO
I remember when there was sheet ice on the terraces at the old ground, we are becoming a nation of box ticking H&S bed wetters.
Did not agree with the West ham called off years ago, It is Winter people it snows. In August it will be too hot I suppose.........
The saving grace is that they did it early enough to save people like me a wasted journey.
Absolutely. We have become a nation obsessed with risk and how to avoid it. This mentality has spread its tendrils into all areas of life.
My sister is a teacher and I asked her why her school was closed. She said it was mainly due to the risks of children falling over in the snow.
I made the exact point that you make GH and she acknowledged this.
She also said that some staff couldn't get to work. I wonder how many actually couldn't get there or how many, knowing the default risk avoidance mentality that pervades just take advantage of that.
Here is an example of the silliness at schools which is one of the reasons they close them:
Before Xmas when we had the first bad(ish) snow here during day. I had just started on a journey to Cambridge when my wife called from work to say that there was a good chance my daughters school would be closing early due to the weather. I rang the school and listened to a recorded message telling me the school was shutting at 1.00pm. I turned around and went back to pick up my daughter. When I got there no other parents were waiting. I spoke to the Head who said that they had decided to put out that message but only parents who had rung the school would have heard it.
I asked what they were doing about the other parents/children. She said they hadn't decided yet. A few minutes she asked the Secretary to start ringing parents to come an collect their kids. I asked what would happen if they can't contact some parents. She said they never manage to contact everyone so the staff will need to stay.
This was so obvious but these are people running school who can't see the wood for the trees. So its much easier for them (and thats what they have done subsequently) just to shut the school!!
In bad weather, ticket revenue goes down because fewer people are willing to go out and take those risks (their call, as you say) or don't want to sit for two hours in the cold and away fans aren't going to make the long journey in big numbers. Also, some people who have a long distance to travel will decide during the week not to go to the match because they expect the referee to call it off.
Season ticket holders aren't going to turn up in big numbers either, so the number of people going through the turnstiles will be down. That in turn hits sales within the ground. They might decide that they can make more money from a midweek match instead.
And that's all without mentioning that emergency services and police should be protecting the general public in weather like this, not at football matches.
Apart from that, if members of staff cannot get in then you have a problem with allocating 30 kids roughly per missing teacher and supply cover may not be easily available either.
So I know what you are saying and you are largely right but to be honest at Primary school level children missing a day to experience a bit of snow is probably nothing to fret about in the great scheme of things. At secondary level it is different especially with exams going on.
As for staff keen not to go in, yep that's probably true for a few (including me!) but far from all. I genuinely could not get in on Thursday, and Friday was a judgement call made by the Head as we had cover for me.
I will be making the journey tomo from Maidstone to Bexley.
Our school has remained open throughout as have nearly all Bexley schools. We have heard lots about the closed schools but not the ones that remained open often in tricky conditions.
Wouldn't mind at all if West Ham's captain were to make himself available! Great idea March.
Quite a few schools in Bexley did not open. My wife's school did not the biggest Bexleyheath.
Purpose built new school, Car park was ice laiden, approach pavements were ice laden.
As a former governor I would open up the school's I think we have become a victim of the alleged
'we could get sued' mentality. The pavements around the school are not the responsibility of the school , and most schools are trusts/ self determined. The local authority has a limited influence now days.
If the school is cold, wear a jumper!. I remember thick ice at Bloomfield for days, and can remember walking across Woolwich common up to my knee caps for my mock GCE's, and sitting there with wet trousers, and it was Math's perhaps I should sue the school because it was the only GCE I did not get! . The fact that I was crap at the subject was probably the fault of the school as well!
Of course the staff and children have to be safe, but as a society what sort of message is this sending out.! With personnal freedom comes responsibility. The same message that said no competitive games in case we fail perhaps!
Perhaps if you fail you may think that you should try a little harder. or develop other skills, not just give up.
Just come back from Thamesmead, kids sliding down the slope by the roundabout, having a great time, if they hurt themselves, or get a wet backside they will know the consequences of there actions'. Do we ban this!, or do we close the schools so that they go and do this activity. Never understood the idea of teaching miles away from a school, a bit like going 15 miles away to a school because you think it is better. Perhaps as a parent you should go to a local school and try supporting that school, and encouraging and supporting your school and the teachers. Some schools are poor, but not all schools, and as parents try and do something constructive.
I have no idea why Bexleyheath school closed, but there is definitely a worry in teaching about health and safety and the fear of a lawsuit if a child so much as falls over and grazes a knee in some cases. Years ago it would be an accident, now it involves risk assessments and possible litigation if we have missed something that poses a "risk".
And my understanding is now teachers are personally liable in these cases not the school.
As for teaching locally, I have lived and taught in Bexley/ Greenwich all my teaching career bar the last 3 years when I moved further out. So I know the area where I teach very well.
I run a language resource with SEN pupils, and sometimes you want to stay where you know your children and staff well.
Seems fair enough to me.
It became a trust this September, all in rather a rush, as it had failed it's OFSTED, ( again) and was taken into special measures It now is in partnership with BETHS and another school as it's status can be assured across all three schools. As I am sure you are aware the Greenwich Thomas Tallis ruling was largely used to allow Greenwich pupils to apply for Bexley schools. The schools selection proceedure therefore became even more devisive as the selection exam ( 11 plus) meant that pupils who failed to get into local ( 3 mile radius) schools had a difficulty in some areas in getting into schools, Blackfen being a good example. I stopped being a governor because I felt I could not support the Bexley Education system that underpinned this selection process.
The devisive tests, non verbal/verbal reasoning could be coached by private tuition, yet the creative and other subjects were not recognised in preference to English and Maths and Science.
The fact that recent results in English and reading have not improved as off the last HM report seems to have failed. As a teacher of SEN I am sure you support the theory that children should not
be discarded at 11 because of an exam, some of whom have not been well prepared for. I support schools of mixed ability and schools of excellence, but not based on the ability of the parents to
'bus' there kids into an area that has a perceived better school. I also think that teachers should live in the community that they teach in, to identify with the needs of the community and children.
The practicalities of working locally are also more obvious at times like this, or when there is trouble with transport, another poor policy in Bexley. IMO.
So why live in Bexley! Good question, and something I intend not to do for much longer!
The exception on this is where local authorities cannot provide specialist teaching that individual children might need.Then out of borough placements are required often at huge cost. But don't get me started on that one!
As for the 11 plus am I right in saying few authorities outside Bexley still use this?
Have to say glad I moved further out. Apart from anything else, you get to see a bit of snow ;-)
I used to be Group Insurance Manager for a large multi-national company. We had many locations throughout the UK. Did we refuse to admit staff or visitors when there was snow on the ground? Of course we didn't. I guarantee I would get calls each snowy day from site managers asking what to do. My advice was always to use common sense, clear pathways to and fron car parks. If possible and resources permit, clear car parks, don't close and don't worry! People would mention acts of god and naturally occuring phenomina. Yes in law snow untreated is classed as natural and thus the land owner cannot be held liabile for people being injured on their premises, however it is not commonsense to leave pathways uncleared. I was prepared to stand by commonsense and our Public Liability Insurance.
To be honest what annoys me is the fact that I had to cancel my business planned on the day because of muddle headed nonsense. There should be a lead given by National and Local Governments. At present the decisions are left to the local Heads who do not have the knowledge of the law, or who set the narrow needs of not upsetting the staff above the wider needs of the community.
But it's a little unfair to say the Heads only consider the narrow needs of staff above the wider community.
Most of the ones I've met are most unlikely to give teachers' needs/moans etc any higher consideration than they are reasonably due.
And business plans went up the wall all over the place. My planning to get the kids to design and build a Lego box girder bridge went completely out the window ;-)