The new variant of Covid

[Boletus Edulis]

Our Boxing Day game is still going ahead as it stands. We have no positive Covid's after yesterday's round of testing and MK can currently fulfil the fixture as well.

Did the club publicly state that everyone was clear yesterday? if so, that is good communication.

 

[Luke Imp]

Did the club publicly state that everyone was clear yesterday? if so, that is good communication.

Yep.

"The Imps have enhanced protocols around the Soper of Lincoln Elite Performance Centre to minimise the risk of players catching or spreading Covid-19, with no positive tests returned on Monday."

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Yep.

"The Imps have enhanced protocols around the Soper of Lincoln Elite Performance Centre to minimise the risk of players catching or spreading Covid-19, with no positive tests returned on Monday."

Good, Merit Slip for you, wish all clubs did this, including us.

 

[K-Win]

We've still got Covid issues in-house, so our Boxing Day game with Oxford is already off. Hopefully we'll be clear for the game after that.

 

[Laker]

We've still got Covid issues in-house, so our Boxing Day game with Oxford is already off. Hopefully we'll be clear for the game after that.

Our game at Wycombe on Boxing Day is off due to Covid in our squad. First time we’ve had an outbreak since the pandemic began - we’ve done well to get this far to be fair.

 

[coronakopite]

Our game at Wycombe on Boxing Day is off due to Covid in our squad. First time we’ve had an outbreak since the pandemic began - we’ve done well to get this far to be fair.

And it was only one positive case.

The need for self isolation due to contacts is what took squad numbers below 14.

It's going to happen again and again for most clubs in the coming days and weeks.

 

[Luke Imp]

Our CEO had a brief appearance on a fan podcast yesterday and he was saying the EFL are pretty firm now that the game will go ahead if there are 14 players available, including one GK (sounds like the EFL have been a little grey on it up until now) and available players are classed as any player who has made one appearance this season, even for 10 seconds at the end of a match from the subs bench.

Pre-game testing has to be done two days before a game to enable enough time for any LFT's to be followed up with PCR's but even if then, positive LFT's can still mess up match day anyway. That's where it becomes slightly difficult for away sides who stay overnight because whereas a home side might be able to call on a couple of players if they lose them, an away side won't travel with many in reserve (most a 19th man, I suspect).

EDIT - He also said that, although both Burton and MK had Covid issues last week, it was actually Burton who called that game off, which is why theirs at Wednesday is already off but ours isn't.

 

[WhiteRussian]

We have opened the stadium as a walk in vaccination centre and pictured our player(s) having booster jabs. OK it's a bit of a PR piece and doesn't say actually how many of our players are vaccinated but every little help I suppose.

Dons get boosted

MK Dons players and staff visited the new vaccination centre at Stadium MK to receive their booster jabs.

www.mkdons.com

I personally agree with continuing to play with anyone available as long as fans are allowed in the stadium. I'd rather see the kids given a go than not play. If fans are banned and matches are played behind closed doors then it should be reviwed. I was amazed no clubs folded last time, whether they will all survive another closed season? Who knows.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

We have opened the stadium as a walk in vaccination centre and pictured our player(s) having booster jabs. OK it's a bit of a PR piece and doesn't say actually how many of our players are vaccinated but every little help I suppose.

Dons get boosted

MK Dons players and staff visited the new vaccination centre at Stadium MK to receive their booster jabs.

www.mkdons.com

I personally agree with continuing to play with anyone available as long as fans are allowed in the stadium. I'd rather see the kids given a go than not play. If fans are banned and matches are played behind closed doors then it should be reviwed. I was amazed no clubs folded last time, whether they will all survive another closed season? Who knows.

I find this very interesting. The hospitality part of Home Park has been a major NHS centre doing vaccinations since late Jan. I am not sure how many have been jabbed there, but the last I remember months ago is was over 250,000. The players train at Home Park, I.e. next to a vaccination centre and we have never done such an obvious photo shoot. It does make me wonder why?

 

[masi51]

I find this very interesting. The hospitality part of Home Park has been a major NHS centre doing vaccinations since late Jan. I am not sure how many have been jabbed there, but the last I remember months ago is was over 250,000. The players train at Home Park, I.e. next to a vaccination centre and we have never done such an obvious photo shoot. It does make me wonder why?

The UniBol Stadium has also been used for a vaccine centre from early this year yet 14 players and 4 staff have currently got covid including Evatt who has had both jabs.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Keepmoat, oops the Eco power Stadium, nah Keepmoat has also been used as a vaccine centre

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Keepmoat, oops the Eco power Stadium, nah Keepmoat has also been used as a vaccine centre

Have Bolton and Donnie at any point done a photo op with their players being jabbed?

 

[masi51]

Not as far as i am aware,but Evatt said earlier this week that the mind set in players has started to change.

 

[robsta1101]

Wimbledon v Charlton is now off, due to COVID cases in the Charlton squad.

 

[gary]

We've only played 20 league game's.What with Charlton calling the game off on boxing Day .The season should be extended in the lower leagues for a couple of weeks.

 

[gary]

Wimbledon v Charlton is now off, due to COVID cases in the Charlton squad.

It's funny how both Portsmouth and Charlton have called game's off against us when they have much bigger squad's than ours! It could just be a coincidence!!

 

[Millerbri]

Having played Cambridge last Saturday, it's a worry that they have had enough cases to be able to postpone future games.

Latest report from Paul Warne is that we are all ok but who knows what can happen before Sunday.

Accrington still saying it's on and we have sold just over 2000 tickets so it would be great if we can get it played.
Always enjoy our trips to Accrington (apart from the cold and the wind and the rain on that open terrace).

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Have Bolton and Donnie at any point done a photo op with their players being jabbed?

Nope, not even sure if they’ve had one even though the ground was used to give them

 

[Boletus Edulis]

We've still got Covid issues in-house, so our Boxing Day game with Oxford is already off. Hopefully we'll be clear for the game after that.

So if we play on the 29th, would you say being inactive for several weeks is good or bad for you. Fresh or rusty?

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Nope, not even sure if they’ve had one even though the ground was used to give them

Seems fishy doesn’t it that three clubs with NHS vaccinations on site do not have players shouting from the rooftops about it. That said one of our very well connected ITK people said they got an explicit answer to the question how many players vaccinated. The answer was just under 90%.

 

[Laker]

Having played Cambridge last Saturday, it's a worry that they have had enough cases to be able to postpone future games.

Latest report from Paul Warne is that we are all ok but who knows what can happen before Sunday.

Accrington still saying it's on and we have sold just over 2000 tickets so it would be great if we can get it played.
Always enjoy our trips to Accrington (apart from the cold and the wind and the rain on that open terrace).

Don’t hold me to this but I don’t think it’s transmitting between teams - opposing squads are generally kept apart at games inside and it doesn’t really transmit outside, especially when people aren’t sitting/standing right next to each other for a sustained period. So I’d expect you to be unaffected by our cases.

Anyway our game against Doncaster on Thursday 30th has also been called off. No game now until 2nd January. We’ve played more than most teams so this should equal things out a bit, just hope we don’t see many sides below us picking up wins and closing the gap too much.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Don’t hold me to this but I don’t think it’s transmitting between teams - opposing squads are generally kept apart at games inside and it doesn’t really transmit outside, especially when people aren’t sitting/standing right next to each other for a sustained period. So I’d expect you to be unaffected by our cases.

Anyway our game against Doncaster on Thursday 30th has also been called off. No game now until 2nd January. We’ve played more than most teams so this should equal things out a bit, just hope we don’t see many sides below us picking up wins and closing the gap too much.

Sounds like that was the case for the old variant but the new sounds highly contagious, we had no cases the morning of the Saturday game when we played a team hit by an outbreak, 2-3 days later now most of our squad has it, dont see how else so many so soon after that game could have got it otherwise.

I can see 0 games being played on Boxing Day, if players meet up with family over the Christmas period then I can see a lot positive tests on the morning of the games, apparently tomorrow all clubs have to do a full set as it is 2 days before the game, so imagine more will go tomorrow.

Like someone has mentioned, it would make sense to have just extended the season by another week or so, meaning most teams could have a week break now, which given the fact so many are already off then allow teams to rearrange fixtures with more dates available, could see teams play 3 games a week at this rate.

 

[masi51]

Sounds like that was the case for the old variant but the new sounds highly contagious, we had no cases the morning of the Saturday game when we played a team hit by an outbreak, 2-3 days later now most of our squad has it, dont see how else so many so soon after that game could have got it otherwise.

I can see 0 games being played on Boxing Day, if players meet up with family over the Christmas period then I can see a lot positive tests on the morning of the games, apparently tomorrow all clubs have to do a full set as it is 2 days before the game, so imagine more will go tomorrow.

Like someone has mentioned, it would make sense to have just extended the season by another week or so, meaning most teams could have a week break now, which given the fact so many are already off then allow teams to rearrange fixtures with more dates available, could see teams play 3 games a week at this rate.

Foreign coaches and managers have diluted both national cups and over the next week or so will be very vocal on having a winter break.
Getting games called off is a stealth way of bringing this to fruition in the near future.

 

[K-Win]

So if we play on the 29th, would you say being inactive for several weeks is good or bad for you. Fresh or rusty?

We were top of the form table before Covid hit so I reckon it's probably a bad thing as we've lost momentum. That may be offset by freshness of the players, though. Hard to tell really as we've not been in this situation before.

It's funny how both Portsmouth and Charlton have called game's off against us when they have much bigger squad's than ours! It could just be a coincidence!!

Our squad size this season is smaller than I can ever remember. The Cowleys tried to prioritise quality over quantity in the summer, which has left us regularly playing people out of position to plug gaps. I think you need at least 14 players available, including a keeper. As I understand it the 14 players have to have played in the league a certain number of times this season? (Can someone correct me if wrong?)

We've lost out on bumper Boxing Day crowd receipts so if we are pulling a fast one, it has cost us financially, and will probably affect our January transfer dealings.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

We were top of the form table before Covid hit so I reckon it's probably a bad thing as we've lost momentum. That may be offset by freshness of the players, though. Hard to tell really as we've not been in this situation before.


Our squad size this season is smaller than I can ever remember. The Cowleys tried to prioritise quality over quantity in the summer, which has left us regularly playing people out of position to plug gaps. I think you need at least 14 players available, including a keeper. As I understand it the 14 players have to have played in the league a certain number of times this season? (Can someone correct me if wrong?)

We've lost out on bumper Boxing Day crowd receipts so if we are pulling a fast one, it has cost us financially, and will probably affect our January transfer dealings.

See the post from LukeImp on this page. You need 14 players, with at least 1 keeper and within those 14 you can include anyone who has made an appearance (whether it be just a minute sub appearance).

Just been announced we now have 2 positive cases. Still hopeful of game on.

 

[Laker]

Sounds like that was the case for the old variant but the new sounds highly contagious, we had no cases the morning of the Saturday game when we played a team hit by an outbreak, 2-3 days later now most of our squad has it, dont see how else so many so soon after that game could have got it otherwise.

I can see 0 games being played on Boxing Day, if players meet up with family over the Christmas period then I can see a lot positive tests on the morning of the games, apparently tomorrow all clubs have to do a full set as it is 2 days before the game, so imagine more will go tomorrow.

Like someone has mentioned, it would make sense to have just extended the season by another week or so, meaning most teams could have a week break now, which given the fact so many are already off then allow teams to rearrange fixtures with more dates available, could see teams play 3 games a week at this rate.

There were around 90,000 reported cases per day (probably more in the region of 120,000 when you consider a symptomatic or untested) in the country at the point we announced our game was off. The likelihood is it came from outside both camps rather than players mixing on a pitch when players pass each other for a second or two at a time. It is more infectious, yes, but my understanding is it doesn’t pass like that.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

See the post from LukeImp on this page. You need 14 players, with at least 1 keeper and within those 14 you can include anyone who has made an appearance (whether it be just a minute sub appearance).

Just been announced we now have 2 positive cases. Still hopeful of game on.

Just listened to the interview with Appleton, we currently have 14 outfield players and 2 keepers available

 

[Millerbri]

Rotherham United can confirm that the club has chosen temporarily to cap the capacity of AESSEAL New York Stadium at 9,999 meaning that supporters will NOT have to show Covid-19 certification to gain entry to our first team fixtures.

With our capacity already reduced to 10,600 as a result of the ongoing bridge repair works on Don Street and having only welcomed a crowd of 10,000 or more on two occasions this season, the club has taken the decision to temporarily limit our capacity to 9,999, meaning those attending AESSEAL New York Stadium will not be required to show relevant covid-related documentation on arrival.

Nevertheless, it is our responsibility as a cornerstone of the local community to remain vigilant and set an example when it comes to limiting the spread of the disease.
We will, therefore, be continuing to enforce measures including the requirement to wear a mask (for anyone aged 11+) whilst in any indoor areas – including concourses and hospitality lounges – unless eating or drinking, or where medically exempt.

Good practice for limiting the spread of the virus will also be encouraged including messaging around the regular washing and sanitising of hands, social distancing from others (where possible) and not attending fixtures prior to which you feel unwell or are showing symptoms of the virus.

The club has extensively discussed the above matter and also studied the remaining home fixtures in 2021/22, and with the exception of any potential future cup ties, believe that it is unlikely that we will surpass crowds of 9,999. In the event that a league fixture looks likely to reach or exceed the capacity of 9,999, the club will reserve the right to reduce the away attendance or revisit this matter entirely and introduce a Covid certification scheme.

Following the recent announcement, the club have taken the time to update policies in place to ensure your safety when attending matches on both the terraces and in hospitality areas.
We would encourage you to familiarise yourself with the Supporters’ Code of Conduct and the Hospitality Code of Conduct which can be found below ahead of any upcoming home fixtures:

 

[Bobbin']

It's funny how both Portsmouth and Charlton have called game's off against us when they have much bigger squad's than ours! It could just be a coincidence!!

We’re both so petrified of playing Wimbledon lol

 

[gary]

We’re both so petrified of playing Wimbledon lol

We’re both so petrified of playing Wimbledon lol

Never said you were.All I'm saying is that's it's easy for club's to manipulate the COVID situation.Lets be honest the EFL are unlikely to investigate the club's calling game's off.