Hull City and Bradford City compensated after Grimsby Town fail to follow Covid-19 protocols

Grimsby Town have been handed a suspended £4,880 fine and ordered to pay Hull City and Bradford City compensation after calling matches off for Covid-19 without having followed proper protocols.
By Stuart Rayner
Published 12th Jan 2021, 16:45 BST
REARRANGED: Bradford City's Billy Clarke plays against Grimsby Town in December. The original September date was rescheduled because of a Covid-19 caseREARRANGED: Bradford City's Billy Clarke plays against Grimsby Town in December. The original September date was rescheduled because of a Covid-19 case
REARRANGED: Bradford City's Billy Clarke plays against Grimsby Town in December. The original September date was rescheduled because of a Covid-19 case

The Mariners are thought to be the first club in England punished for breaking rules pertaining to the pandemic.

In September they called off League Two matches against the Bantams and Cheltenham Town, plus a Football League Trophy group game against Hull, after player Jack Curran tested positive.

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They have been billed £13,000 by the League, to cover the cost of the investigation and reasonable costs incurred by their three prospective opponents.

An investigation found social distancing rules had not been followed, forcing more team-mates than necessary to self-isolate.

Players shared cars to training and were allowed to congregate in communal areas at their training ground. Then-manager Ian Holloway reportedly told investigators he played darts with some of his players.

Grimsby also failed to conduct an adequate risk assessment by a suitable specialist before re-opening their training-ground kitchen.

Had the protocols been followed, it is thought only two players would have had to isolate for 14 days.

Related topics:Covid-19Ian HollowayLeague Two