THE Isle of Wight is blessed with having two top notch goalkeepers — brothers who play professionally for league clubs — but how have they coped with lockdown?
Simon Moore, 30, is at high-flying Premier League Sheffield United and has just returned to training, while his brother, Stuart, 25, is at MK Dons, who sit in mid-table in League One, and is looking hard at his future having recovered from injury.
Both were brought up through the youth ranks at Brading Town Football Club, once managed by their dad, Phil, a former goalkeeper himself.
Both were asked about how they are coping with life as professional footballers in lockdown:
How have you been coping with lockdown (the positives and negatives) and what effect has it had on you not knowing what will happen to the remainder of the season?
Simon — “The weather has been the best part of it, but it’s been hard from a footballing point of view, not knowing when we’re going to get started.
“We had three-week fitness programmes, with the aim of being back in action at the end of April, but now the difficult thing is not knowing when when we’re going to be back.
“It’s like doing a really tough pre-season — then doing another.
“We are back training now, working in small groups. What a way to spend my 30th birthday!
“During lockdown, we’ve just been trying to keep the routine as normal as possible.
“If there’s a set date to come back, you could plan from that, but it’s all trial and error because no one has been in that position before — not just in the football world, but the world in general.”
Stuart — “It’s nice to be back on the Island, staying with mum and dad. I’m lucky to be home. You can’t beat it being on the Island.
“Like a lot of the lads at MK Dons, I’m out of contract at the end of the season. We all want to know where we’re going to be.
“With the season going on potentially finishing, or not starting until later, there’s a lot of worry.
“Everyone is dealing with it differently. I know a lot of the lads are struggling with it, while some are getting on with it really well. Boredom is probably the biggest thing.
“I have weekly Zoom meetings with my team-mates and speak to a lot of the lads every day, but I miss the social ties — going out for a bit of food with them, or a coffee. It’s really odd.
“However, lockdown probably came at a good time for me.
“I broke my finger in training earlier in the year, which turned out worse than I thought.
“When coronavirus came about I still wan’t back in full training. I’m just about getting back into it.
“I’ve been trying to keep myself as fit as possible — running, cycling and doing strength work as much as I can.
“The club has set us all body weight programmes and I’ve found it alright. I’m staying really positive with it.”
What have you been doing to keep yourself properly psyched, fit and keeping your skills up during this time?
Simon — “As far as keeping my goalkeeping skills and sharpness is concerned, I do a lot of footwork drills and have some cones I use for footwork movements, as well do a lot of stretching to remain supple for when we come back.
“I am definitely missing the ball handling side of it. It’s the one thing you can’t replicate — the training and the pace of shots faced.
“I’ve seen people using machines which fire balls out. It looks pretty good and something I am looking into getting.”
Stuart — “A lot of what I do is ball handling, so it’s very difficult to train on that side of it.
“But I’m lucky dad was a goalkeeper, so he has been throwing me a few balls in the back garden.
“When I get back to the club, I’m going to have to do quite a lot of work.”
What do you understand to be the latest situation as far as a plan to carry the season on is concerned?
Simon — “We could be back in two weeks, or back in two months — we just don’t know.
“We’re the same as the general public.
“I look on BBC Sport for updates.
“I want the season to get finished. It’s the way forward and the only fair way to do it.
“Time is of the essence though, because the longer it goes on, the more difficult it’s going to be to start next season.
“At the moment, lockdown remains, so in the football world, it changes day by day, and our training programmes change all the time.
Stuart — “When we’re able to return is all down to the government.
“The problem is, how do we keep everyone safe? We have the best part of 30-odd players in our squad.”
What do you predict will happen to the season, should stringent social distancing measures continue as they are?
Simon — “If games had to be played behind closed doors, it wouldn’t be the same, no matter what anybody says.
“The fans make football and the atmosphere in the ground.
“But if we, as professional footballers, have to play with no fans there, but can bring some joy to people watching on television, then we will do it.
“As long as it’s safe to do so, I think people would be more than happy to get things going and get it played — but it’s out of our hands.
“We’d love to get playing and get back to normality.
“Playing behind closed doors would be like playing a reserve game.
“I’ve played in stadiums behind closed doors — reserve games with 30,000 capacity seating.
“It’s very quiet and eerie. You would miss that buzz from the fans and their emotion.”
Stuart — “You can’t self-distance during a game, so it’s going to be interesting.”
How would you feel if the season was scrapped or decided by some points per game calculation or by some other means?
Simon — “I’d be really gutted if the season was scrapped.
“I really do want this season to end in every league possible. It’s the only fair way to do it. There will be a lot of uproar and implications if it doesn’t finish.
“The lads have done fantastically well this season and it would be a huge disappointment if they don’t get their reward from that — but it has to be safe.
“There are more important things going on in the world — people’s safety is first and foremost.
“The teams at the top of their leagues will be really disappointed if it was scrapped, having worked so hard to get where they are — particularly the ones trying to get into the Premier League.
“It’s going to be tough financially for many clubs — particularly those further down the football pyramid, who rely on fans. They’re the ones who will take the biggest hit.
“It shows how big an industry football is. It brings a lot of entertainment and talking points.
“The whole world has really missed football.”
Stuart — “If the season is scrapped, I know a lot of people who would be upset with that, but I honestly wouldn’t mind.
“It’s getting to the point now where if it goes on much longer, we won’t be too worried. We are mid-table and pretty much safe.
“I would like to get some clarity about the season and I just want to get my future sorted out.
“No one knows what’s going on. With no one able to work at the club and many of them being furloughed, I can’t really speak to anyone.”
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