Roy’s OK with fan virus ban

ROY HODGSON says he is not worried about over-70s being banned from football grounds to combat the coronavirus – despite being 72 years old himself.

Palace manager Hodgson celebrated his one-year contract extension at Selhurst Park with a 1-0 win against Watford yesterday.

But he must now await the outcome of talks between the Premier League and Government ministers tomorrow about measures to stop the deadly virus bringing football to a halt.

One measure under consideration is to ban over-70s from grounds because they are more at risk from serious infection, but Hodgson said: “I must say it’s not something that concerns me much.

“I presume that they are thinking of ways to protect us, because from what I have heard and read it’s the people who are older who most at risk.

“But I feel very healthy, certainly the things I do at the club are going to keep me a lot healthier than the average guy, especially the average guy who spends a lot of his time on the Tube every day.

“Of course what we are doing at the moment is our level best to make sure that we respect all the guidelines.

“We have cleaners going round the training ground all the time. We have disinfected everything, we have handwashes everywhere, the players are no longer shaking hands or hugging each other.

“We’re doing all the things that are there to be done – but at the final analysis we’re in the hands of the Government who will make the decision on behalf of the country.”

The threat of matches being played in empty stadiums is now a real possibility with Government and health officials desperate to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Hodgson added: “I wasn’t aware it was the elderly people spreading the virus – I just thought we were the ones at risk from it!”

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