Bradford City v Harrogate Town is Yorkshire's first Boxing Day game called off because of Covid-19

Bradford City's Boxing Day match against Harrogate Town has been called off because of ongoing Covid problems in the Bantams camp.
CALL-OFF:Valley Parade will not be hosting a Boxing Day game as plannedCALL-OFF:Valley Parade will not be hosting a Boxing Day game as planned
CALL-OFF:Valley Parade will not be hosting a Boxing Day game as planned

Derek Adams's side postponed Saturday's trip to Carlisle United because of the number of infections they are suffering, and they have now given noticed they will not be in a position to send a team out against their North Yorkshire neighbours on Boxing Day.

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A number of Bradford first-teamers were put into 10-day isolation periods after testing positive in PCR tests on Friday.

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A meeting has been called for Tuesday to discuss the Football League's approach to the latest coronavirus outbreak which saw 25 matches postponed at the weekend. Games are already starting to be called off, though, with three Boxing Day fixtures, including Cardiff City's Championship clash at home to Coventry.

Some would like to see the entire Boxing Day programme called off to buy time for more players to get vaccinated or boosted, and for the latest wave of infections to ease, but others are of the view that those games which can be played, should be.

Last season's wave around this team called Rotherham United to postpone Championship games and left them with a backlog of fixtures which probably made the difference between staying in the division and the relegation that followed.

For Football League clubs, far more dependent on gate receipts for revenue than their Premier League counterparts with multi-billion-pound broadcast deals to fund them, the Festive programme is incredibly important to their tight finances.

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Bradford would have been expecting one of their biggest crowds of the season for the game. Their average League Two crowds this season are an impressive 15,408 - almost twice that of the next team (Swindon Town) and nearly seven times Harrogate's average.

A new date will be arranged in due course, and refunds cannot be issued until then, say the home club.

Harrogate are in action on Tuesday night, at Tranmere Rovers in the last 32 of the Football League Trophy. The winners host Carlisle in the new year.

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