EFL scrap Covid tests on the day of matches to stop late call-offs after anger among all 72 clubs Alan Nixon THE EFL have scrapped Covid tests on the day of a game to stop late call-offs. This move is coming into force immediately after several matches were left in the balance by a wait for checks that have led to postponements. EFL players will no longer be tested for Covid on a matchday unless they are showing symptoms There has been anger among the 72 clubs and the EFL that this has led to fans going to matches and being left frustrated by results that lead to games being shelved. Blackburn fans had to jump back on the supporters' coaches on Boxing Day - after already arriving at Hull's stadium before the official cancellation at 12.56pm, two hours before kick-off. So under the new protocols, no player will be tested on a matchday unless he is showing symptoms. It is a decision backed by the medical experts too who do not think there is any risk involved by avoiding the ‘on the day’ tests. On Boxing Day, just nine of the 32 scheduled matches in the EFL went ahead, including just two out of ten in the Championship. It was a similar tale on Wednesday. There were supposed to be 28 games across the Championship, League One and League Two. However, 19 were postponed with nine of the 11 in the fourth tier cancelled. And on Thursday morning, Tranmere announced their game at Salford on New Year's Day was off because of a Covid outbreak within the Rovers squad.
I’m not sure if this a good thing….if players are positive they could spread it during the game, thus making the problem bigger at the next round of testing. Or am I missing something obvious???
I guess it depends what risks players are exposed to between their last test (probably the day before) and the match kick off. Sitting on a bus and hanging around in a hotel room. That said, my first reaction was the same as yours!
It's purely be an attempt by the EFL to stop themselves looking so amateurish with cancellations on the day of games. They really don't give a toss about anything but their image. Players/coaches health etc...... Sod that
There has to be some common sense approach. It was reported today that 90% of our cases are now omicron which pretty much every scientist agrees is much milder than alpha/delta. Throw in the vaccines too, it appears to be a cold for most. The lads are still tested every day I think so I don't see the issue. I'm sure many will disagree but I don't see why the players are being tested at all unless they have symptoms
In which case….what’s good for the players is good for the crowd…if you only have omicron….you are welcome to the match day experience?!
It’s a bit back to front if the only day they don’t have to test is on a match day. The EFL are really struggling with all of this. What happens if a club can’t get its players tested?
Pretty much, yes. Regardless of the covid passports etc, there will still be hundreds of people attending each game with omicron. You can't stop omicron, that's been obvious from the beginning, we tried to slow it whilst our scientists could learn more but the results look very good. Throw in the UKHSA has admitted that the only 30-35% of the hospital admissions number we're given have actually gone into hospital because of covid & why we need restrictions is questionable. If people are jabbed, I don't see the need for matchday restrictions
What? There's approximately 400 people going into hospital a day because of covid or 1 person per every 3 hospitals in the UK. According to the fear mongering, that number was supposed to be much higher by now as Omicron has been in the UK for pretty much a month yet the number of people on ventilators is actually marginally lower than it was a month ago
Yes, but as I mentioned above only 30-35% of those are actually admitted because of covid. If you go to hospital for an ingrown toenail but test positive for covid they include you in the numbers & completely skew the data. Of the 11,898 people in hospital 'with covid' only 31% (3,688) went into hospital because of covid.
Idiotic and short sighted. So now instead of 2-3 players testing positive on the day of a game we'll have 20-25 players testing positive on the Monday.
How is it? They're still tested almost daily, and you'd imagine that they'd test on a Friday afternoon/evening ahead of a game on a Saturday to stop any major outbreaks. It's a far better situation than us cancelling a game on 2 hours notice, messing up loads of fans when the vast majority of our lads are asymptomatic and would be fine to play if they had the regular 'common cold' instead.
It really is a difficult one, whatever you do, you can't win. If they continue to test match days and say 2 players test positive, then the chances are that most of the team will have to isolate anyhow. Then the match is called off at late notice so thousands of supporters have traveled, putting them at risk of infection apart from the financial cost and inconvenience. I assume they will be checked late on the day before a game, then the match can be called off if necessary. I think it's not ideal, but it's the best of a difficult situation.
"Almost daily". If there's any players playing who are positive, sharing a changing room with them, huddling at corners with them, and then spreading it to your team is far, far more likely now. It's not a better situation than us cancelling a game on 2 hours notice because these are extraordinary times and if that's what's needed to be safe, then that's what's needed. A far more sensible solution would have been 6/7am testing the morning of games with results required by 8am to make a call on games.
