‘Carry on playing’ urges Carlos Corberan as Covid causes fixture havoc

League One sides Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster Rovers were amongst the teams to call matches off yesterday after outbreaks. The Owls had been due to host Accrington Stanley, whereas Rovers were due at Lincoln City.

The day after Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur were ordered to play last night’s scheduled Premier League match despite both requesting a postponement because of infections, it did indeed fall by the wayside.

At the time of going to press it had been confirmed that Manchester United’s Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion, West Ham United v Norwich City, Southampton v Brentford, Watford v Crystal Palace and Everton v Leicester City will also not go ahead as planned this weekend. Cardiff City v Derby County, Coventry City v Stoke City, Millwall v Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers v Swansea City and Reading v Luton Town in the Championship, plus five League One and three League Two games were postponed, with others in doubt.

Barnsley’s Championship match at home to West Bromwich Albion is expected to be played this evening after no positive tests amongst the Oakwell squad yesterday.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has called for the entire Premier League weekend programme and next midweek’s League Cup quarter-finals to be postponed as a “firebreak”, but Corberan takes the opposite view.

“When you see a game called off it’s a pity for football because everything looked like we were recovering, especially in England with the vaccinations and the feeling that the situation was under control,” he said.

“I think it’s important for the (mental) health of everyone to try to play games over this period.

“When a game is cancelled it’s not positive because it’s something we want to avoid.

“Football is a very healthy habit for people so it’s always important we continue playing.

“I am not a specialist so everything I say is just my opinion. I cannot tell you what is the right thing (to do).”

The Premier League released a statement yesterday saying: “While recognising a number of clubs are experiencing Covid outbreaks, it is the league’s intention to continue its current fixture schedule where safely possible”.

The Boxing Day programme is very lucrative for English football, especially in the Football League where clubs are far more dependent on gate receipts. Delaying games would also have implications for a congested fixture list.

The Football League – which has revealed a survey taken last month showed 25 per cent of its players had no intention of getting vaccinated and only 59 per cent had two jabs – outlined the circumstances matches can be postponed in.

Previously clubs were left to exercise their own judgement then pay for an investigation into whether circumstances were legitimate. Now, in line with the Premier League, it has said any team with 14 available players including a goalkeeper can play. They can come from the club’s registered squad list, any Under-21 players not on the list who have played in the league this season or any other contracted player not on the list but eligible to play. 

Speaking before the announcement, Rotherham United manager Paul Warne argued it was wrong to be proscriptive.

“We don’t have an Under-23s, we have a youth team but they’re not physically ready to play in the first team so if we had six or seven out and a few injuries, we would definitely struggle to get a team out,” he argued. “However at Charlton, Ipswich or Sheffield Wednesday, they’ve got 40-odd pros, Under-23s, for them to get a game called off is completely different. It’s different for every club, I don’t think one shoe fits all.”

In contrast to last season’s postponements there is now the added complication of stewarding availability at clubs who from this week have to test fans in all grounds with capacities above 10,000 for proof either of double vaccination, or a negative coronavirus test.