Numerous Boxing Day football fixtures have unfortunately been called off with teams having players testing positive for Covid-19.
Lately, EFL and non league clubs have multiple matches postponed over the festive period which is a blow to all associated with the sides.
Over the last few days we have seen statements issued with a member of the various teams contracting the virus, meaning that fixtures can’t be played with players self-isolating.
English Football League and a few National League clubs have had to call off multiple of their forthcoming fixtures, meaning some will not be playing again this year.
Rochdale’s League One match at Blackpool had been the latest Boxing Day fixture to be called off due to fresh coronavirus cases, that was until Doncaster’s game against Accrington was postponed on Saturday.
Rotherham’s Championship match against Middlesbrough on Boxing Day was also postponed on Wednesday because of more confirmed Covid-19 cases.
Sunderland’s next three Sky Bet League One fixtures against Shrewsbury Town (Saturday 19 December), Blackpool (Tuesday 22 December) and Hull City (Saturday 26 December) have been suspended.
Millwall and Ipswich Town‘s next two league fixtures have been postponed following coronavirus outbreaks at both clubs.
Millwall were due to face Bournemouth away on Boxing Day before hosting Watford at The Den on December 29. However, both matches have now been postponed until a later date.
Swindon Town’s Boxing Day trip to Portsmouth has been postponed following five cases of Covid-19 among Pompey’s squad.
Peterborough have confirmed that the club’s next three League One fixtures have been postponed following a positive Covid-19 test within the squad.
Posh, who are 5th in the League One table, were set to host Ipswich on Saturday, but that match will now be rearranged, with the trip to Gillingham on Boxing Day and the visit of Charlton on December 29 also being postponed.
Chesterfield have had three games called off and the club “placed in full isolation” after positive tests for coronavirus were returned by the National League side.
Yeovil Town have also seen their game against Boreham Wood postponed tonight due to the outbreak. They recently had a game against Notts County called off for the same reason.
A huge number of leagues in the English football pyramid have stopped temporarily and now there are calls in the EFL to stop football, for a few weeks.
Players in the top flight have been tested on a weekly basis since the start of the 2020-21 season. But testing at the six clubs currently in a tier four area will now revert to the level used during ‘Project Restart’ in June.
Increased testing will be expanded to top-flight clubs in lower-tier areas from January.
The EFL has also confirmed it will be “reviewing and strengthening” Covid protocols over the Christmas period “to help minimise transmission risk”
Revised protocols are likely to cover time spent in any indoor environment being kept to an absolute minimum, the use of gyms, changing and catering facilities and multiple coaches or individual car use being recommended for travel to matches.
Guidance will also stress the need to limit social contact with anyone outside of a household bubble over Christmas.
The EFL has competition-wide testing at different times throughout the season with the next round scheduled for the week commencing 4 January.
Portsmouth have also reported positive results and are retesting their squad, while League Two side Exeter City said that although one player and one member of staff had tested positive, the club were “preparing for the upcoming festive fixtures as normal”.
POSTPONEMENTS:
English Football League
Bournemouth v Millwall
Middlesbrough v Rotherham
Blackpool v Rochdale
Gillingham v Peterborough
Portsmouth v Swindon
Sunderland v Hull
Doncaster v Accrington
National League/North/South
Bromley v Sutton
Boreham Wood v Barnet
King’s Lynn v Notts County
Solihull v Chesterfield
Kettering v Brackley
St Albans v Hemel Hempstead
Dulwich v Welling
Ebbsfleet v Dartford
Hungerford v Havant & Waterlooville
Tonbridge v Maidstone
Oxford City v Slough Town
Concord Rangers v Billericay Town
Braintree Town v Chelmsford City
Other Non League
Atherton Collieries v Radcliffe
Bamber Bridge v Lancaster City
Buxton v Matlock Town
FC United of Manchester v Ashton United
Gainsborough Trinity v Grantham Town
Morpeth Town v Scarborough Athletic
South Shields v Whitby Town
Stafford Rangers v Nantwich Town
Stalybridge Celtic v Hyde United
Witton Albion v Warrington Town
Bishop’s Stortford v Brightlingsea Regent
Belper Town v Sheffield
Carlton Town v Ilkeston
Chasetown v Sutton Coldfield Town
Cleethorpes Town v Market Drayton Town
Leek Town v Glossop North End
Newcastle Town v Kidsgrove Athletic
Spalding United v Wisbech Town
Stamford v Loughborough Dynamo
Stocksbridge Park Steels v Frickley Athletic
Worksop Town v Lincoln United
Brighouse Town v Tadcaster Albion
Dunston v Workington AFC
Mossley v Ramsbottom United
Pickering Town v Marske United
Pontefract Collieries v Ossett United
Soham Town Rangers v Bury Town
Blackstones v Bourne Town
Fleet Town v Alresford
Irchester United v Whitworth
Bexhill United v Hailsham Town
Wem Town v Wolves Sporting
Cadbury Heath v Bitton
Newton Abbot Spurs v Bovey Tracey
Stoke Gabriel v Brixham
AFC St Austell v St Blazey
Stanway Rovers v FC Clacton
Halstead Town v Coggeshall United
Highgate United v Racing Club Warwick
Porthleven v Helston
Great Yarmouth v Norwich CBS
Harleston v Mundford
Foxhole Stars v St Stephen
Odd Down v Shepton Mallet
Bishops Lydeard v Cheddar
Wincanton Town v Sherborne Town
Sandbach United v Barnton
Ashby Ivanhoe v Atherstone Town
Swallownest v Parkgate
Elmore v Crediton United
Sidmouth Town v Honiton Town
Torpoint Athletic v Millbrook
Torrington v Torridgeside
Dobwalls v Bodmin Town
Launceston v Callington Town
Ruan Minor v Lizard Argyle
Bishop Sutton v Wells City
Holsworthy v Ilfracombe Town
Rosudgeon v Marazion
St Dennis v Sticker
Devizes Town v Calne Town
Bishopthorpe United v Riccall United
Rufforth United v Cawood
– All Wessex League is off
– All Southern Combination is off
– All Somerset League is off
Scotland
Morton v Inverness
Dumbarton v East Fife
We previously reported that English football is potentially set for introducing a ‘circuit breaker’ as clubs give their approval towards it. Click on the next page to find out about that.
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