O’S WANT THE USA CURE FOR COVID DELAYS
EXCLUSIVE
LEYTON ORIENT chairman Nigel Travis is praying today’s clash with Port Vale will go ahead – and end an astonishing 35-day wait for a league fixture.
The O’s last four League Two matches were postponed at the request of their opponents because of Covid.
And Travis has revealed the club will need to fork out additional funds to bring in extra players to cope with the demands of playing more than half a season in just over three months.
Orient have dropped to mid-table thanks to no games this side of Christmas bar an FA Cup defeat at Stoke.
Travis (below), a 71-year-old businessman, said: “At the moment there’s no concern about the Port Vale game being off. But one thing I’ve learnt throughout all this is never say never.
“It’s incredible hard for us. Our manager Kenny Jackett (above) has had to make sure training is very intense. We need to keep the players interested too.
“In normal times we’d try to get a friendly but in Covid times you don’t want too many squads mixing. It does hurt our cash flow.
“Christmas games usually bring in high attendances but those games will now be played later in the season.
“Will the fans have the money to go to these games crowded together?
“I feel sorry for not only our players and coaches but also for our fans. Fans have bought tickets for games, they don’t necessarily get refunds.
“We’re planning for lots of games in a short space of time. We’re assuming there will be more outbreaks and postponements, we’re probably going to bring in more players than we would have done and that costs money.”
Travis is based in America and believes the EFL should adopt the Covid strategy of US sport to avoid postponements.
He said: “We think something needs to be done and have made a suggestion to the EFL, who are thinking about it.
“In America you don’t get NFL and NBA games called off because there is more flexibility in their squads.
“We have suggested that if there is a Covid problem you can sign up to two players on loan for a couple of weeks from only one league above maximum and you can’t pay a player more than the average salary in the squad.
“The NBA have a 10-day rule and some sides have had five players in just to play the game. This won’t go away. We will have to live with it and find ways to accommodate things. That’s the lesson.”