Oxford chief calls for tougher punishments for teams who break coronavirus protocols
OXFORD United manager Karl Robinson has called for harsher sanctions for clubs that break coronavirus rules,
writes WILL ROONEY.
Pompey are the latest side to be hit with Covid cases in League One, with Jack Whatmough and two other senior players testing positive.
It means the Blues’ fixture with Swindon on Boxing Day has been plunged into doubt.
Ipswich, Sunderland, Bristol Rovers and Peterborough also have positive cases in their respective camps – although the EFL has no current plans to suspend the season.
Oxford were due to play Bristol Rovers last Saturday but the clash was scrapped.
Robinson told the
Oxford Mail: ‘When you have people who travel on coaches and stay in hotels when they know they’ve got Covid, at some stage points (deductions) have to be put in front of managers if they do the protocols wrong.
‘If I have a meeting with everyone in one room and someone tests positive, that’s my fault.
‘If we have every single player in the gym at one time, that’s my fault.
‘We’re in different dressing rooms, we sit in different seats and everyone’s sociallydistanced while they’re eating.
‘Our training protocol has to change because of how close people are for a period of time. We’re constantly checking that.
‘We spend money on testing the second someone has a little cold and there’s other teams that don’t and get away with it.
‘The fine will come next season – something has to change.’
Meanwhile, Rovers manager Paul Tisdale will keep social distancing ‘to the extreme’ when they return to training tomorrow.
The Gas have had several positive cases, causing games against Charlton and Oxford to be postponed.
All players have been following government guidelines and self-isolating.
Pompey are due to play Rovers on December 29 but that game is also in doubt.
Speaking to the Bristol Post, Tisdale said: ‘It was three or four (positive tests) and like I say, we’re waiting on a few more tests.
‘No-one, fortunately, has been very ill, but a positive test is a positive test.
‘What we have done is follow every protocol.
The whole club is locked down, nobody’s been in and nobody’s been to the training ground or to the Mem.
‘Everybody has kept their distance and we’ve done all the cleansing and fogging to clear all the offices.
‘We’ve done everything we’ve needed to do, and we’re all very keen to get back on Wednesday.
‘We will probably keep our distance to the extreme on Wednesday and the training days leading up to Boxing Day as well. We will go beyond what we need to do just to keep our distance and prevent it happening again.’