How Yorkshire’s football clubs are tackling Plan B and Covid-19 rules

Whilst fans face extra disruption next week, having to show vaccination passports to gain entry to grounds holding more than 10,000 people, for the players the “new” restrictions largely mean a return to methods they were using earlier in the pandemic, although there are some additions.

The postponement of two Tottenham Hotspur games, at home to Rennes in Thursday’s Europa League and a Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion scheduled for tomorrow, shows the Omnicrom variant is already having an effect on the domestic game. Covid-19 postponements hurt Rotherham United badly as they unsuccessfully fought Championship relegation last season, and cost Harrogate Town their place in this season’s League Cup.

With so many games in December, the prospect for fixture chaos is considerable. Spurs’ situation has already highlighted the ridiculous over-congestion of the fixture list. Although the next stage of the Europa League is not until mid-February, UEFA rules say Thursday’s game must be played this month, which will not be easy as they have a League Cup quarter-final, plus league games against Leicester City, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Southampton.

Sheffield Wednesday manager and asthmatic Darren Moore suffered an especially unpleasant bout of the virus in the spring, so it is no surprise he is a strong advocate of increased measures.

“As a football club we’re following the guidelines and it’s almost a little bit of a step back to phase one,” he said. “It’s masks around the building, spacing players out, only having a select few in and out of the canteen at mealtimes and not keeping them in any rooms for long or keeping it will ventilated when they are in. In team meetings players are wearing facemasks at all times.

“After this weekend the rules really step up but this week we’ll try and tighten things up and do all we possibly can here. We’re no different to anybody else in society trying to combat this virus.”

The changes took hold at Huddersfield Town yesterday.

“Friday was the first time we couldn’t do the usual things before training: all the pre-hab, all the pre-training we usually do as a team,” revealed coach Carlos Corberan, who will be without Danel Sinani because of the virus in today’s early Championship kick-off at home to Coventry City.

“It’s just a case of adapting. If we don’t perform well, it’s because we’re not doing enough things well on the pitch.”

The stricter Football League has advised its clubs to group players on the team coach according to vaccination status or virus history and said goalkeepers should effectively not train together. The league does not want players and coaches sharing hotel rooms or car journeys and has told clubs on the practice pitches “arm’s length is a good guide”.

It could even deprive the tabloid press of one of their December staples: stories of debauchery, fighting and humbug managers cancelling parties. Despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying on Monday they can still go ahead, the Premier and Football Leagues are less keen.

In keeping with most Premier League clubs but in contrast to the vast majority of those in the leagues below, Leeds United have continued to conduct pre- and post-match press conferences over Zoom this season and coach Marcelo Bielsa says the vigilance of his squad – which has seen Junior Firpo, Mateusz Klich and Jack Harrison contract Covid-19 this season – has not wavered.

“The processes to prevent them being contaminated are already out there,” he said. “We abide by them to the letter of the law. We hope there won’t be any new people contaminated within the Premier League.”

Doncaster Rovers have asked all supporters over the age of 11 to wear facemasks indoors at the Keepmoat Stadium for today’s League One game against Shrewsbury Town, although it is not required in their seats.

Moore can take comfort from the fact he and his Wednesday players are in the best possible hands.

“We’ve got a doctor here who’s an expert who advised the EFL on their protocols so who better to listen to in terms of our strategy going forward?” he said.