Allan Prosser: Are we willing to accept medical apartheid for watching sport?

Difficult though it may be to believe, the British government approach to allowing the crowds back has been characterised by vagueness, ambiguity and misdirection

CLEAN SHEET: A man dressed as a ghost stands in the stand prior to the UEFA Europa League match between Linzer ASK and Manchester United in Linz, Austria, on March 12.

Nearly a quarter of a century ago a mid-ranking Hollywood thriller was predicated on the notion that society will divide into pre-determined “haves” and “have nots” because of the genetic susceptibility of a person to various forms of disease and illness. The sheep will be separated from the goats by eugenics and biometrics.

Much of the plot of Gattaca involves the moral challenges of testing and certification and the problems of possessing the wrong kind of DNA. So far, so cyberpunk. Plenty there to enthuse molecular biologists and bio-ethicists. Not so much for ticket holders on Hill 16, or the Kop or the West Stand at Thomond.