Morecambe 0:2 Coronavirus
Reality and hopes for normality collided last night as Morecambe Football Club announced the postponement of its next two scheduled league games due to an outbreak of Coronavirus at the club. An official statement announced:
“The Club has today informed the EFL and their opponents that it will not be able to play its next two games following an outbreak of Covid-19.
Morecambe were due to play Bolton Wanderers away on Tuesday 29th December and Bradford City away on Saturday 2nd January. The decision follows detailed conversations today with both Club and EFL medical staff. The Club informed the EFL that they would be unable to fulfil the fixtures following recent positive Covid-19 tests and the requirement for players and staff to self-isolate for 10 days as per EFL and Government guidance in order to mitigate against the risk of further infection. Football Secretary and Director Mick Horton said ‘It is very disappointing that we have had to make this decision but the welfare of our players, staff and opponents remains the number one priority and following detailed conversations with the relevant authorities we have also decided to close our training ground for 10 days as well. On behalf of the Club I wish all those affected a swift and speedy recovery.’’’
The postponements come at a time when the club had won its last four league games and were fitth in League Two. With the COVID-19 pandemic actually worse right across Britain than it has been at any previous point, the situation at Morecambe will inevitably be replicated at many other football clubs across the nation. On BBC Radio 5 Live this morning, for instance, Rochdale’s Club Doctor Wes Tensel had this to say about the dual postponements also being faced by the team whose health welfare he is responsible for:
“It’s a very challenging time: the virus is increasing sharply and it is affecting everyone so at Rochdale and all football clubs, the players are in what we call a bubble. But obviously, they have to go home – it’s not a proper bubble where they are just together all the time. They’ll go home; they’ll have partners, some who work in the NHS or wherever who can obviously pass the virus onto them especially with this potential new strain which is more transmissible. They can then bring that into the club so what we have to do – what all the football clubs have to do – is try to make it as COVID secure as possible and control the factors that we can control. We have to try our best with social distancing; masks and things like that but inevitably there will be cases that will occur away from the clubs and that will be brought back into the club situation and that seems to be happening up and down the leagues at the moment. The EFL initially tested quite frequently but that was stopped a while back. There is a plan for the fourth of January for widespread testing at the club due to people being off over Christmas – having that period where people could go and see the family probably wasn’t the wisest thing – not just in terms of football but for the general spread. I have spoken to the Rochdale players and a lot of them were with their families; with family members who may have other co-morbidities or they may be old so obviously they are now concerned if there is a possible spread within the club: has that now gone on affecting their families? A lot of it is wider than just football but the players are first and they and their families (are) my concern as the team doctor that they are all well. Obviously, (for) the Premier League Players it’s a different world compared to where we are in League One. It’s not the same at the lower levels. These guys could potentially lose their playing career if they get COVID and they can have heart conditions; there are significant issues that can occur: it’s not we’ll just get a cough and cold – which a lot will do – but it can affect people with long COVID. It is an illness which a lot of the public do downplay and that in a sense makes it spread because not everybody is doing what they should be doing.”
Wise words indeed. Back in September, Morecambe’s Manager Derek Adams added these insightful thoughts of his own:
“On the pitch, nothing much changes. The game is played the same way but we want supporters to be back as quickly as possible because they’re missing getting out and meeting people and seeing football matches. But we’ve got a virus which is going round the world at this moment in time that is very hard to deal with and until we find a vaccine, then we are going to be under these restrictions for a long time to come. There’s no doubt we want supporters back as quickly as possible: we need them back but only in a safe environment not just for us but for themselves – and for the whole nation.”
If only he was in charge of the country and not just the team…
