The Ipswich manager has said in a SSN interview that his squad have been tested for Coronavius six or seven times since July. In the Premier League tests are carried out twice a week. Lower league football is being used to prop up the illusion that football is safe to continue in the UK, even in Tier 4 areas. This is a disgrace. Politics and profit at the top put before the safety of lower league players and their families. Some are already calling for a "circuit-break" two week pause in the EFL seasons. If lower league squads really are being tested only once every three weeks or so, it simply is not safe for football to continue at that level. The EFL says it is looking at strengthening its testing regime. Yeah, right.
Charlton's testing must be more comprehensive I guess .... two players were tested positive and isolated quickly so the rest of the squad could continue playing .... I wonder if the EFL will recognise that some clubs are making better efforts at testing than others?
There are now SIX Boxing Day fixtures off in League One. All due to positive virus tests. The future of the 3rd tier season is now under serious threat. Two games off in the Championship, Four in the National League (5th tier) for the same reason, though curiously None in League Two.
And I thought I'd seen it all. What gets into the minds of some modern footballers? I think I need counselling now
Breaking news: Monday Night Football ... Everton v Man City is OFF Postponed a few hours before kick-off due to more positive COVID19 test results among the Man City squad. Several players there tested positive on Christmas day. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55468576 I think Liverpool is in Tier 2, so sympathise for the 2,000 Everton fans who've been looking forward to being at this game. It's a good thing there are no away fans travelling these days. The number of postponed games is rising. And some at short notice.
Seven games are now postponed from tomorrow's League One fixture list. That level of postponements cannot be supported for more than another couple of weekends. Unless Clubs can get that figure down to maybe just 2 out of any given 12 after that point, the season isn't viable. Why are so many players and staff testing positive? Are most of them being slack about the rules? That seems unlikely to me. This new variant must be much easier to catch - so easy that normal hand washing, 2m distancing and mask wearing is not effectively preventing the spread of it.
Assuming your reference is to the Premier League Elfs, there have been three or four postponements so far I think. The highest profile one was probably last night; Everton V Man City. I'm sure the Prem and the Government are hoping they can keep the Premier League rolling along at any cost, for financial reasons first and morale reasons second. One of the things many football fans will remember most sharply from the March lockdown was all football being cancelled. Even if they have to sacrifice the Lower Leagues (and in extremis the Championship) the authorities will defend the Premier League even more zealously than keeping schools open in my view. I can see their worry, especially as in their eyes the Premier League is 99% of the value of all English football and fans of other Clubs don't really matter. But I don't share their concern about public morale this time around. This new variant Coronavirus is frightening enough to put morale out of the picture as far as I'm concerned. It's got me very wary (to the point of being scared) of even going to the supermarket. I'm close to not giving a stuff if there's no football on TV in a few weeks time.
