Last season we all, or certainly most of us, were frustrated by a rule that allowed Peterborough to sign a goalkeeper when their first team keeper was injured. There was no doubting it was inside the rules but there was equally no doubt the rule was ridiculous – despite having a fit keeper with experience in other leagues, they were able to sign an emergency keeper because of their reserve’s lack of EFL experience. When I spoke to a friend who is close to the Peterborough board, they confirmed it was a deliberate use of the rules which had saved them a fortune in wages (by not having to pay a reserve goalkeeper all season).
I fear we are at risk of a similar rule affecting this season.
There is an obvious need to ensure football doesn’t become a super spreader of the Omicron (or whatever comes next) variant. Safety and sensibility have to be the first things on the list, of course. And the rules regarding daily testing and keeping players away from photo shoots etc seem reasonable, if unfortunate - it will be especially sad that players won’t be able to attend the local hospitals and children’s events. But if it keeps everyone safe, it has to be done.
My worry is the ability of a club to postpone fixtures at very late notice based on Lateral Flow results. The EFL have said that if 14 players (including at least one goalkeeper) from the first team squad plus any other younger squad members who have played for the first team are fit, the fixture should be played. However, this is only applicable if players have covid. The wording of the ruling is that, if players are injured, you need to get by as well as you can but, if it’s covid, get down to 14 and you can postpone. For example, in a squad of, say, 25, six leg injuries, two shoulders, a concussion, a blister and two suspensions and you’d have to fulfil the fixture. But if one of the players then also tests positive for covid (by lateral flow) then the game can be moved. Moved away from the busy Christmas schedule to January, when new players have been signed and everyone is back to full fitness. I believe the secret to failing a test is to drink lots of citrus before taking it…
I can see no reason to treat Covid any differently from any other injury. Of course, the EFL argument is that clubs might risk NOT admitting a player had Covid and so failing to self-isolate and making them play. Well, that would be a breach of the law of the land, not the law of League football and therefore rather more serious. You’d have to hope people wouldn’t do that.
But why should a team be able to move a fixture because five of their first team have covid if the others have tested and are clear? What is the difference between that and, say five players with knee injuries? I think the idea of a minimum of 14 fit players is a good one and should be used for the rest of the season with medical records requestable by the EFL to satisfy themselves that the player really does have a dislocated shoulder, broken toe, covid or flu. However, if a club DO have 14 they should get on with it and do their best.
Peterborough used a rule last season, by their own admission, to their advantage. That mustn’t be allowed to be repeated this season.
