Topic: The Impact of COVID 19 on Sport...

[Egyptian36]

Rafa saying they have a number of players out and can't field a team but game going ahead.

Same number of cases as Leeds yet Everton request was rejected.

[The North Bank]

It seems that closing the training ground is a bigger factor than number of COVID positives. Just from seeing which requests to postpone have been accepted or denied so far.

[Perkinsonian]

The World Leagues Forum (WLF) has written to FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to say that players will not be released for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) until January 3.

National leagues v. FIFA and CAF's sheer greed and stupidity? Nice conflict is brewing.

[SamLad]

National leagues v. FIFA and CAF's sheer greed and stupidity? Nice conflict is brewing.

The "work the players 365 days a year" mentality has to stop.
Guardiola mentioned a player strike today ... could  come to that.  They're not totally unheard of, certainly in N American sports.

[rafathegaffa83]

The "work the players 365 days a year" mentality has to stop.
Guardiola mentioned a player strike today ... could  come to that.  They're not totally unheard of, certainly in N American sports.

Bit easier to accomplish in North American sports as they rarely have to deal with equally competitive leagues in other countries.

[Dave McCoy]

Bit easier to accomplish in North American sports as they rarely have to deal with equally competitive leagues in other countries.

Not really sure what difference that would make.  The reason the player strikes work or don’t is the strength of their unions, not the ability to go play elsewhere.  The baseball players union is notoriously good while the rest of the leagues it varies and their work protections reflect that.

[Fromola]

The "work the players 365 days a year" mentality has to stop.
Guardiola mentioned a player strike today ... could  come to that.  They're not totally unheard of, certainly in N American sports.

I don't know why players don't use their leverage more. They need a better union.

[Kekule]

Same number of cases as Leeds yet Everton request was rejected.

Is it not down to vaccination status/contacts?  If you’re vaccinated you don’t have to isolate after coming into contact with someone who’s tested positive.

If Everton have a higher number of vaccinated players then they have fewer players needing to isolate and therefore a greater number available players.  If Leeds have more unvaccinated players then more need to isolate and aren’t available for selection?

I don’t know, no-one does, as the Premier League still haven’t made the rules particularly clear. I’m just speculating.

[Barneylfc∗]

Is it not down to vaccination status/contacts?  If you’re vaccinated you don’t have to isolate after coming into contact with someone who’s tested positive.

If Everton have a higher number of vaccinated players then they have fewer players needing to isolate and therefore a greater number available players.  If Leeds have more unvaccinated players then more need to isolate and aren’t available for selection?

I don’t know, no-one does, as the Premier League still haven’t made the rules particularly clear. I’m just speculating.

Leeds are 100% vaccinated

[Medellin]

Everton vs Burnley off then..

[RJH]

Apparently Billy Gilmour played for Norwich vs Villa despite having a 39 degree temp.

Presumably tested negstive for Covid, but still absolutely ridiculous.

[Dave McCoy]

Apparently Billy Gilmour played for Norwich vs Villa despite having a 39 degree temp.

Presumably tested negstive for Covid, but still absolutely ridiculous.

Wait, 39 degrees he'd be frozen stiff.  Was he a corpse? How did he even play? Oh you mean Celsius.....

[Medellin]

Gerrard the latest to test positive,misses Villas next 2 games.

[Tommy_W]

Sounds like Spurs v Palace is gonna be off tomorrow now too. Outbreak in the Palace squad.

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Sounds like Spurs v Palace is gonna be off tomorrow now too. Outbreak in the Palace squad.

Probably still got 13 plus a goalkeeper

[Dougle]

The panic is mostly about hospitals coping through winter, which they struggle to do anyway thanks to the health service being cut to the bone for years. Added to all the front line staff having to isolate.

Spot on mate.

[UntouchableLuis]

Sounds like Spurs v Palace is gonna be off tomorrow now too. Outbreak in the Palace squad.

Spurs are having a great time aren't they? Don't play for a few games, have a nice break, put full strength out vs us and get the officials to ignore a blatant red card for Kane because he's an English darling. Then have their boxing day game off so they're nice and fresh again.

Fully expecting Leicester to get twatted by City then claim some covid cases so they don't have to play us until they get their full defence back.

We'll probably be about 9 behind City with 3 games in hand they squeeze in between our cup semi.

[SamLad]

Fully expecting Leicester to get twatted by City then claim some covid cases so they don't have to play us until they get their full defence back.

I've been saying that since the game ended on Wednesday night.  I'll be amazed if they don't weasel their way out of it.

[GreatEx]

Integrity of the sport's completely gone out the window. Some teams get games called off, some are forced to play with decimated squads, some are left 4 games adrift, AFCON and Nations League squeezing the margins ... How typical that the one team unaffected by all this happens to be the one with all the money, despite having players gallivanting around in nightclubs.

[Nick110581]

Sounds like Spurs v Palace is gonna be off tomorrow now too. Outbreak in the Palace squad.

This is still on by looks of it.

[TepidT2O]

Looks like homeboy just got a migraine

It's a lot easier to plan entrances and depatures of 27,000 people compared to 54,000 and so on.

It’s the pubs and restaurants they go to before and after. The cars buses and trains they share.  Half the numbers doesn’t make that that much easier

[Tommy_W]

This is still on by looks of it.

Yeah, sounding like the Premier League have turned down Palaces request

[Nick110581]

Yeah, sounding like the Premier League have turned down Palaces request

Not helpful for match going fans.

[swoopy]

CPFC have just tweeted that the game is on. Could be an interesting lineup / score.

[rafathegaffa83]

Not helpful for match going fans.

Yep. Farcical stuff

[TALBERT]

This is farcical stuff

Looking at today’s matches in England’s top 4 divisions

Prem - 9 scheduled 3 cancelled (Palace game looks like it maybe uncompetitive)

Champ - 10 scheduled 8 cancelled (2 cancelled TV games as well)

League 1 - 10 scheduled 7 cancelled

League 2 - 12 scheduled 9 cancelled

Out of 41 games currently 14 are still on

[Dim Glas]

This is farcical stuff

Looking at today’s matches in England’s top 4 divisions

Prem - 9 scheduled 3 cancelled (Palace game looks like it maybe uncompetitive)

Champ - 10 scheduled 8 cancelled (2 cancelled TV games as well)

League 1 - 10 scheduled 7 cancelled

League 2 - 12 scheduled 9 cancelled

Out of 41 games currently 14 are still on

Just saw the Hull - Blackburn game was postponed with just 2 hours to go as well, it is a farce, and taking the piss out of fans.

[Phineus]

Leeds Villa game called off for 28th too now.

[TALBERT]

Leeds Villa game called off for 28th too now.

Might as well just postpone Leeds Burnley on the 2nd

[Nick110581]

Wolves called off match with Arsenal.

Predict Leicester ask for our match to be canned.

[disgraced cake]

Would be a fucking joke if ours got called off on Tuesday. Leicester should have to play.

[Nick110581]

Would be a fucking joke if ours got called off on Tuesday. Leicester should have to play.

Teams are taking the piss with it now.

Palace had a full side out yet asked for match to be off.

[smicer07]

The league is a joke now. Its not a level playing field at all. Either everyone plays or nobody does, it's ridiculous.

[disgraced cake]

Teams are taking the piss with it now.

Palace had a full side out yet asked for match to be off.

Can see Leicester licking the ol' doorknobs tonight 

Absolutely no doubt in my mind that they'll try and get it cancelled tonight or tomorrow

[Mister Flip Flop]

Pathetic stuff now. The whole thing is a farce.

[Pistolero]

Some serious pisstaking going on...the recent rise in on-pitch shithousery that we've seen in the Premier League is now being replicated off it...

[rafathegaffa83]

There are so many corrective measures the PL could implement to provide transparency and instead they'll do fuck all. Not during this season or next. They are all down at The Winchester with a cold pint waiting for it to blow over. At the current rate some club is going to end up having to squeeze in 4+ extra games at the back end of the season, or the PL is going to have to extend the season beyond its current end date

[The North Bank]

Wolves called off match with Arsenal.

Predict Leicester ask for our match to be canned.

Thanks Wolves.

Somehow Arteta mustve known, going full strength today with another game kicking off in 40 hours. Wolves had a full week rest so this wouldve been the right time to play us. Weve got 5 players with Covid too.

[Nick110581]

They should be able to fit in matches still but it’s far from a level playing field.

[TSC]

Caught Tuchel’s post match interview on sky.  Despite the result he wasn’t happy about the farcical Covid situation and was critical of the premier league in that respect.