Let’s embrace new rules
FRANK TO BAN HUGS
FRANK LAMPARD is ready to lead a clampdown on goal celebrations by ordering his players to practise new routines in training. The Chelsea manager is willing to ban group hugs to implement the Premier League’s crackdown.
As league chiefs hold a series of meetings with captains, PFA reps and managers to reinforce a strong message that they must observe stronger protocols, Lampard, left, is ready for change. He confirmed he will have a look at doing a “dry run” for different routines on the training pitch ahead of games. Maybe they could move with the times and copy the NFL’s Zay Jones, who mimed dispensing hand sanitiser to his Las Vegas Raiders team-mates.
Or could it be the famous Aylesbury Ducks might be landing at Stamford Bridge if Chelsea score?
Who can forget those celebrations in 1994 when non-League Aylesbury scored against Kingstonian in the FA Cup and the entire team got down on their knees and waddled.
Or even Jimmy Bullard’s infamous celebration at Manchester City when he pretended to tick off his Hull team-mates in 2009 as a light-hearted dig at his manager Phil Brown.
Lampard’s side go to Fulham tomorrow evening and he said: “We practise social distancing as much as we can in the training ground. On the pitch it can be difficult at times clearly, because you have to train and get close to each other.
“But every moment you possibly can and in training, the instinct or the moment shouldn’t grab you as much.
“You see a lot of these group hugs now when they win a five-a-side so that will be something we’ll look at.”
The Premier League has urged captains to look at celebrations, with the point being made that when football returned last June they were quite muted.
But now they have slowly crept back.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane managed to tone down his celebrations after scoring against Fulham on Wednesday night.
Referees have started talking to captains pre-match to urge them to stop mass hugs after goals.
Players insist it will be difficult and there is a degree of understanding from the Premier League, who see pre-organised and practised group routines as worse than spontaneous hugs.