Quay deny boss ‘turned blind eye’ to Covid

CONNAH’S Quay Nomads boss Andy Morrison has insisted the Welsh champions did not break any Covid-19 protocols during their Europa League clash with Dinamo Tbilisi.

Morrison caused eyebrows to be raised when he claimed he had “turned a blind eye” to players complaining of feeling unwell before the 1-0 defeat at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Others he said had complained of upset stomachs and headaches just before kick-off.

That all came the day after three Nomads players had tested positive for Covid-19 in the runup to the game and a fourth was also ruled out of the match.

A club statement read: “In a post-match interview Andy Morrison used the term “turned a blind eye” which has unfortunately been misconstrued to mean as a club we ignored Covid regulations.

“We would like to go on record and say this is categorically untrue and that what the manager was referring to was a number of players who may not have played had we had a fully fit squad.

“Morrison clarified this, indicating a number of players had suffered from isolated prematch upset stomach and headaches likely down to nerves due to being thrust into the starting line-up.”

Headache and diarrhoea are listed by the World Health Organisation as Covid-19 symptoms, but Morrison said all his players involved in the Tbilisi clash had tested negatively for coronavirus.

“There were players who, whether it was nerves or what, were just not themselves. Everyone who was in that changing room could only have been there if they had passed a Covid test and gone through all the protocols,” said Morrison.

“They wouldn’t have been in there if there was something wrong with them. Bala Town, who were beaten 2-0 in Belgium by Standard Liege, and The New Saints, who lost on penalties in the Faroe Islands against B36 Torshavn, also saw their European campaigns come to an end. Now all three will turn their attentions back to the JD Cymru Premier League.