Premier League plays down rise in Covid cases as Sam Allardyce calls for pause
Despite increasing pressure, the Premier League and Football League have played down concerns the season may have to be put on hold because of the sharp rise in coronavirus cases, which has led to nearly 50 matches being postponed since Christmas.
But the mounting scale of the problem was illustrated on Tuesday when the Premier League announced a record 18 positive results among players and staff from tests conducted last week – including five at Manchester City, whose game against Everton was called off on Monday.
Fulham’s game against Tottenham on Wednesday is also in doubt after Scott Parker’s side reported a number of cases. Sheffield United’s match at Burnley went ahead despite the Blades recording a “number of positive coronavirus tests”.
On Tuesday night – following West
Brom’s 5-0 defeat by Leeds – Sam Allardyce called for the season to be suspended. “Everyone’s safety is more important than anything and when I hear variant virus transmits 70% quicker we can only do the right thing which would be to have a circuit breaker,” the West Brom manager said.
“I’m 66 and the last thing I need to do is catch Covid. Probably players will overcome it but it’s more difficult for someone like me, so I’m very concerned for myself and football in general. We had one positive this week, it seems to be creeping around no matter how hard we try. If [a circuit breaker] helps let’s do it and let the season run a little longer when we get through it.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was less worried after seeing Manchester United move up to second in the Premier League table. “We as a club and group of players have been really good with following rules,” the manager said. “I can’t see the benefit in having a circuit breaker because when will we play the games? We all know this year is so different but if you just stop more games that’s not going to make a big change. When would we then finish the season? It may make longer.”
There are growing fears the FA Cup third round will be hit by multiple postponements when all 64 clubs are tested next week, especially with Britain having 53,135 new Covid infections on Tuesday – a record number.
The Premier League and EFL said there have been no discussions over whether to pause or suspend the season. The Premier League also stressed that it recently doubled the testing of club players and staff to twice a week – and that only a tiny number had been positive.
In a statement, the Premier League insisted it continued to have “full confidence in its protocols and rules, and the way in which all clubs are implementing them”.
The Football League, too, is adamant the season will continue. However it is now investigating why there has been such a sharp rise in cases among its clubs after nine more matches were postponed on Tuesday night.
The EFL has also urged clubs to take another look at their safety protocols to ensure players and staff do not congregate in small spaces indoors, and to see whether they can hold more meetings remotely. Clubs have also been asked to use more coaches for away games to lessen the chance of the virus spreading.
However the Rochdale’s club doctor, Wesley Tensel, said it was important the EFL sees the “bigger picture” and halts the campaign.
Tensel, who is also a GP, said: “That is my feeling as a doctor. As a football fan I don’t want it to stop. But I am trying to see the bigger picture. A lot of people have been affected this year.
“Footballers travelling around the country are not causing spikes in different tiers but they can still pass it on to their loved ones because the football bubble they are in bursts every time they go home. There are consequences outside the pitch.”
A government source confirmed there are no plans to change the guidance for elite sport. However as cases continue to surge, the football calendar is likely to be further hit.The EFL does not test its players regularly but relies more on them reporting symptoms and on contract tracing. But from next Monday it will begin its next wave of mandatory testing on players in the Championship, League One and League Two, while the FA will also pay for tests on clubs in the third round of the FA Cup – potentially flagging up more Covid cases and causing more postponements.
Chelsea are still waiting to hear whether their Premier League match against Manchester City will take place on Sunday. Their FA Cup tie against Morecambe the following weekend is also in doubt after the League Two club was forced to call off their next two matches. League One clubs Doncaster Rovers and Rochdale have been forced to postpone their next two and three games respectively, while there have also been cases at Sunderland, Peterborough, Ipswich and Millwall.