What the government’s announcement means for English football as regions discover lockdown fate

What tier is your team in? Matt Hancock addresses the nation as regions discover lockdown fate, it’s confirmed on the 30th of December.

We knew before the announced that Tier 4 was to be extended to millions more up and down the country, with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announcing that ‘we have to take further action’.

Up to two thirds of England may be put in Tier 4 after Covid cases rocketed recently – the highest daily rise since mass testing began.

He told Sky News: “We are facing a very significant challenge in the NHS right now.”

“There has been a significant rise in the number of cases – the highest number of cases recorded yesterday, 53,000 cases.

“We are going to have to take further action. I’m going to set that out the House of Commons.”

He addressed MPs at around 3pm – after the Brexit votes in the Commons.

He added on Radio 4: “The new variant means the suppression of the virus is also much harder. That is why we had to introduce Tier 4.

“I’ll be setting out the further extensions we are going to have to make to Tier 4 to the House of Commons later today.

“Absolutely it is necessary to take further action precisely because of the challenges we are facing right now.”

Already nearly half of England are in the top Tier 4 – with an extra six million people moved there from Boxing Day.

He added that Tier 5 wouldn’t be necessary right now, but could be a possibily in the future.

Areas with the highest infection rates outside of Tier 4

Burnley, Tier 3, 465.6 cases per 100,000
Eden, Tier 2, 458.2
Pendle, Tier 3, 390.8
Northampton, Tier 3, 366.9
Hartlepool, Tier 3, 365.1
South Northamptonshire, Tier 3, 354.5
Carlisle, Tier 2, 348.7
Oadby and Wigston, Tier 3, 347.3
Lincoln, Tier 3, 344.4
Sandwell, Tier 3, 337.3

Regions up and down the nation discover the latest lockdown fate.

Matt Hancock says the NHS is under stress – as his department issues list of areas moving to Tier 4 from the beginning of tomorrow.

The Midlands, North East, parts of the North West and parts of the South West among those escalated to Tier 4, with almost all remaining areas escalated to Tier 3.

It means three quarters of the country will be under the toughest Tier 4, Mr Hancock says.

Areas that will be covered by the Tier 4 rules from tomorrow are:

• Leicester City
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Northamptonshire
• Derby and Derbyshire
• Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
• Birmingham and Black Country
• Coventry
• Solihull
• Warwickshire
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
• Lancashire
• Cheshire and Warrington
• Cumbria
• Greater Manchester
• Tees Valley
• North East
• Gloucestershire
• Somerset council
• Swindon
• Bournemouth
• Isle of Wight
• New Forest

Areas that will be covered by the Tier 3 rules from tomorrow are:

• Rutland
• Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin
• Worcestershire
• Herefordshire
• Liverpool City Region
• York and North Yorkshire
• Bath and North East Somerset
• Devon, Plymouth, Torbay
• Cornwall
• Dorset
• Wiltshire

PREM TO EFL CLUBS AND THEIR TIERS (TO BE UPDATED)

Premier League

Arsenal – Tier 4
Aston Villa – Tier 4
Brighton – Tier 4
Burnley – Tier 4
Chelsea – Tier 4
Crystal Palace – Tier 4
Everton – Tier 4
Fulham – Tier 4
Leeds United – Tier 3
Leicester City – Tier 4
Liverpool – Tier 4
Manchester City – Tier 4
Manchester United – Tier 4
Newcastle – Tier 4
Sheffield United – Tier 3
Southampton – Tier 4
Tottenham – Tier 4
West Brom – Tier 4
West Ham United – Tier 4
Wolves – Tier 4

Championship

Barnsley – Tier 3
Birmingham City – Tier 4
Blackburn Rovers – Tier 4
Bournemouth – Tier 4
Brentford – Tier 4
Bristol City – Tier 3
Cardiff City – spectators are not permitted at any sporting events in Wales
Coventry City – Tier 4
Derby County – Tier 4
Huddersfield Town – Tier 3
Luton Town – Tier 4
Middlesbrough – Tier 4
Millwall – Tier 4
Norwich City – Tier 4
Nottingham Forest – Tier 4
Preston North End – Tier 4
Queens Park Rangers – Tier 4
Reading – Tier 4
Rotherham United – Tier 3
Sheffield Wednesday – Tier 3
Stoke City –Tier 4
Swansea City – spectators are not permitted at any sporting events in Wales
Watford – Tier 4
Wycombe Wanderers – Tier 4

League One

Accrington Stanley –Tier 4
AFC Wimbledon – Tier 4
Blackpool – Tier 4
Bristol Rovers – Tier 4
Burton Albion – Tier 4
Charlton – Tier 4
Crewe Alexandra – Tier 4
Doncaster Rovers – Tier 3
Fleetwood Town – Tier 4
Gillingham – Tier 3
Hull City – Tier 3
Ipswich Town – Tier 4
Lincoln City – Tier 4
MK Dons – Tier 4
Northampton Town – Tier 4
Oxford United – Tier 4
Peterborough United – Tier 4
Portsmouth – Tier 4
Plymouth Argyle – Tier 3
Rochdale – Tier 4
Shrewsbury Town – Tier 3
Sunderland – Tier 4
Swindon Town – Tier 4
Wigan Athletic – Tier 4

League Two

Barrow – Tier 4
Bolton Wanderers – Tier 4
Bradford – Tier 3
Cambridge United – Tier 4
Carlisle United – Tier 4
Cheltenham Town – Tier 4
Colchester United – Tier 4
Crawley Town – Tier 4
Exeter City – Tier 3
Forest Green Rovers – Tier 4
Grimsby Town – Tier 4
Harrogate Town – Tier 3
Leyton Orient – Tier 4
Mansfield Town – Tier 4
Morecambe – Tier 4
Newport County – spectators are not permitted at any sporting events in Wales
Oldham Athletic – Tier 4
Port Vale – Tier 4
Salford City – Tier 4
Scunthorpe United – Tier 4
Southend United – Tier 4
Stevenage – Tier 4
Tranmere Rovers – Tier 3
Walsall – Tier 4

The Premier League is not discussing the possibility of a circuit break to halt the season amid a rise of cases in the game.

West Brom manager Sam Allardyce has called for the season to be stopped temporarily to try to reduce the number.

“When I listen to the news the variant virus transmits quicker than the original virus [so] we can only do the right thing which is have a circuit break,” Allardyce said after his side’s 5-0 defeat by Leeds.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer however doesn’t see how that would help the game.

“I can’t see the benefit in having a circuit break, whatever it’s going to be called,” Solskjaer said.

“Because when are we going to play the games? We all know this year is so difficult, but I don’t think stopping the games is going to make a big, big change.”

With regions up and down the nation discover the latest lockdown fate, let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

 

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