Brentford game postponed

[Stranded]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ReadingFC/status/1348955384946503680

Unfortunately, the game with Brentford this weekend has been postponed as a number of Bees players and staff need to self-isolate following positive COVID tests

The fixture will be rearranged in due course. We wish everyone concerned @BrentfordFC a safe and swift recovery.

Shame the 14 “fit” players rule doesn’t apply in league games

It may have to soon - they've already changed the rules on number of subs mid-season so wouldn't surprise me if that changes too.

[Hound]

If the cases start coming down they won’t consider it

Tbh if it was going to happen I think it would have by now. Not sure suspending it for a couple of weeks would make much difference to the pandemic but will cause a lot of headaches to the leagues

They really should crack down on the silly celebrations, hugs and stuff though

You under estimate the rashness of the government, they’re considering tightening the restrictions further at the mo and they are not happy with the COVID breaches in football whatsoever. Think it’s more of a moral decision whether to stop than anything else, if I recall correctly back in the spring/summer they said they didn’t care about getting ill themselves, for some they were more bothered about potentially passing it onto household members particularly Troy Deeney with his baby son being vulnerable.

Ha I certainly don't underestimate that

Its certainly possible. But I think at the moment the public are happy enough for it to stay on. The PL are desperate to stay on.

I suspect there will be some push to be much stricter over the guidelines for the next few weeks, and then come Feb, hopefully we'll start seeing a drop in cases, and hence they'll have missed their moment to stop it.

[Jagermesiter1871]

So much for a oxf*rd bubble. Cancel the oxf*rd season now. It's a disgrace that footballers are being given such concessions and exemptions from the Covid rules but clearly aren't capable of upholding their side of the bargain. At the same time you have small businesses going bust because they get no such exemptions. It's disgusting.

[Sutekh]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ReadingFC/status/1348955384946503680

Unfortunately, the game with Brentford this weekend has been postponed as a number of Bees players and staff need to self-isolate following positive COVID tests

The fixture will be rearranged in due course. We wish everyone concerned @BrentfordFC a safe and swift recovery.

Shame the 14 “fit” players rule doesn’t apply in league games

It may have to soon - they've already changed the rules on number of subs mid-season so wouldn't surprise me if that changes too.

But you shouldn’t really do that halfway through it as it’s unfair on teams in the same division that have previously had games postponed for that reason and subsequently played the rearranged fixture. But then this is football authorities so who knows.

[Hound]

:lol: So much for a oxf*rd bubble. Cancel the oxf*rd season now. It's a disgrace that footballers are being given such concessions and exemptions from the Covid rules but clearly aren't capable of upholding their side of the bargain. At the same time you have small businesses going bust because they get no such exemptions. It's disgusting.

hmm, its a couple of players. I expect on the whole they are probably far more compliant than most 20-30 year olds

Can see the argument for stopping it, but not because of some outrage brought about by a few idiot players misbehaving

And it is a huge business. Even without crowds its a lot of people's employment. its also a hell of a lot of people's entertainment and thing to look forward to atm, at a particularly depressing and miserable time. Take away that and you've got a lot more very bored people.

[Sutekh]

If the cases start coming down they won’t consider it

Tbh if it was going to happen I think it would have by now. Not sure suspending it for a couple of weeks would make much difference to the pandemic but will cause a lot of headaches to the leagues

They really should crack down on the silly celebrations, hugs and stuff though

You under estimate the rashness of the government, they’re considering tightening the restrictions further at the mo and they are not happy with the COVID breaches in football whatsoever. Think it’s more of a moral decision whether to stop than anything else, if I recall correctly back in the spring/summer they said they didn’t care about getting ill themselves, for some they were more bothered about potentially passing it onto household members particularly Troy Deeney with his baby son being vulnerable.

Ha I certainly don't underestimate that

Its certainly possible. But I think at the moment the public are happy enough for it to stay on. The PL are desperate to stay on.

I suspect there will be some push to be much stricter over the guidelines for the next few weeks, and then come Feb, hopefully we'll start seeing a drop in cases, and hence they'll have missed their moment to stop it.

Good luck with hoping, bet we’ll be stuck in this until Easter when the annual virus season starts subsiding.

[Hound]

You under estimate the rashness of the government, they’re considering tightening the restrictions further at the mo and they are not happy with the COVID breaches in football whatsoever. Think it’s more of a moral decision whether to stop than anything else, if I recall correctly back in the spring/summer they said they didn’t care about getting ill themselves, for some they were more bothered about potentially passing it onto household members particularly Troy Deeney with his baby son being vulnerable.

Ha I certainly don't underestimate that

Its certainly possible. But I think at the moment the public are happy enough for it to stay on. The PL are desperate to stay on.

I suspect there will be some push to be much stricter over the guidelines for the next few weeks, and then come Feb, hopefully we'll start seeing a drop in cases, and hence they'll have missed their moment to stop it.

Good luck with hoping, bet we’ll be stuck in this until Easter when the annual virus season starts subsiding.

stuck with a number of the restrictions yes, but the cases, or at least hospitalisations and deaths will go down long before easter I'm sure.

[Zip]

If there was a League suspension it would be nigh on impossible for some teams to fulfil fixtures by end May. In the National League the season finishes later the EFL but even allowing for that Dover still have 36 League games to play.

[SCIAG]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

[Sutekh]

If there was a League suspension it would be nigh on impossible for some teams to fulfil fixtures by end May. In the National League the season finishes later the EFL but even allowing for that Dover still have 36 League games to play.

If the leagues were suspended then the Euros might need to be moved again - perhaps filling the summer gap in 2022 left by the idiocy of awarding Qatar the World Cup finals.

If it did get really bad perhaps the entire domestic season should simply be cancelled before too many teams become adrift in the various relegation places.

[Hound]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

the one down side i see of this is with whats at stake, are they going to not test/hide test results and requests to self isolate etc?

[Sutekh]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

If that did happen and postponements were for Covid reasons and there were no obvious breaches of regulations by the club concerned then it should be 1 point each.

[Hound]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

If that did happen and postponements were for Covid reasons and there were no obvious breaches of regulations by the club concerned then it should be 1 point each.

thats so open to abuse

[lewesroyal]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

the one down side i see of this is with whats at stake, are they going to not test/hide test results and requests to self isolate etc?

This is why the league need to be in charge of the administration of the testing/notifying. Would remove this option

[SCIAG]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

If that did happen and postponements were for Covid reasons and there were no obvious breaches of regulations by the club concerned then it should be 1 point each.

Yeah no. They should have to do what a club would do if they have an injury crisis and field U18s if necessary.

[Stranded]

Shame the 14 “fit” players rule doesn’t apply in league games

It may have to soon - they've already changed the rules on number of subs mid-season so wouldn't surprise me if that changes too.

But you shouldn’t really do that halfway through it as it’s unfair on teams in the same division that have previously had games postponed for that reason and subsequently played the rearranged fixture. But then this is football authorities so who knows.

I think if the options are either a rule change or not ending the season then you will see the former brought in. It is already a little bit of a lottery as to if games get played on not anyway. Rotherham played a game with most of their squad out because they were worried about punishment from the EFL, so you could argue this season is already unfair - it is anything but a level playing field this season.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Need to start making teams forfeit fixtures that they don’t fulfil. It’s not fair but it is better than the alternative. It should have been the case all season.

If that did happen and postponements were for Covid reasons and there were no obvious breaches of regulations by the club concerned then it should be 1 point each.

Yeah no. They should have to do what a club would do if they have an injury crisis and field U18s if necessary.

Don't agree - this is a pandemic and different. imagine this forum if Colin got in the play offs at our expense because Boro had beaten Preston and Rotherham U18's.

[Zip]

If there was a League suspension it would be nigh on impossible for some teams to fulfil fixtures by end May. In the National League the season finishes later the EFL but even allowing for that Dover still have 36 League games to play.

If the leagues were suspended then the Euros might need to be moved again - perhaps filling the summer gap in 2022 left by the idiocy of awarding Qatar the World Cup finals.

If it did get really bad perhaps the entire domestic season should simply be cancelled before too many teams become adrift in the various relegation places.

Good observation regarding shifting the Euros to next summer with the World Cup Finals not taking place until very late in the Autumn.

[SCIAG]

If there was a League suspension it would be nigh on impossible for some teams to fulfil fixtures by end May. In the National League the season finishes later the EFL but even allowing for that Dover still have 36 League games to play.

If the leagues were suspended then the Euros might need to be moved again - perhaps filling the summer gap in 2022 left by the idiocy of awarding Qatar the World Cup finals.

If it did get really bad perhaps the entire domestic season should simply be cancelled before too many teams become adrift in the various relegation places.

Good observation regarding shifting the Euros to next summer with the World Cup Finals not taking place until very late in the Autumn.

That summer is already shorter than normal to make room for the World Cup. Players already had to play through last summer. If we make them play through this summer (to finish the season) and next summer (for the Euros) then there will be further issues with injuries and fatigue with players not having had a planned break for over three years in the build-up to the World Cup.

[Jagermesiter1871]

:lol: So much for a oxf*rd bubble. Cancel the oxf*rd season now. It's a disgrace that footballers are being given such concessions and exemptions from the Covid rules but clearly aren't capable of upholding their side of the bargain. At the same time you have small businesses going bust because they get no such exemptions. It's disgusting.

hmm, its a couple of players. I expect on the whole they are probably far more compliant than most 20-30 year olds

Can see the argument for stopping it, but not because of some outrage brought about by a few idiot players misbehaving

And it is a huge business. Even without crowds its a lot of people's employment. its also a hell of a lot of people's entertainment and thing to look forward to atm, at a particularly depressing and miserable time. Take away that and you've got a lot more very bored people.

I would hope they would be more compliant. They're being afford massive concessions which allow them to continue to earn their multi millions, exemptions that none of their peers are being afforded. They're setting an awful example and are a massive risk for causing outbreaks. Not sure keeping it going because people are a bit bored washes.