Re: Postponements

By David B14/3/2020 10:57Sat Mar 14 10:57:24 2020In response to Re: Postponements

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The Essex Senior League called off three fixtures yesterday (Friday) morning when players at three clubs reported they were self-isolating or exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. By the evening two more clubs said they had players in the same situation, so two more matches were off. Sadly, today, the last three scheduled matches were also called off and those affected clubs’ midweek games have already been called off.

There has been an awful lot of comment on the prevarication by various sports’ governing bodies and the Government, most laughably the situation last weekend with the Saracens player released from the England squad because he had travelled through Hong Kong after compassionate leave in the South Pacific. The Government’s advice at the time did not require self-isolation or quarantine, so Saracens played him at the weekend, pointing out that they were following that advice.

This is a very disturbing situation, unlike any we have encountered in peacetime. There have been specific event or sport mass postponements – Diana Princess of Wales’s funeral, foot and mouth epidemics, etc – but this goes way beyond this. Who knows, in three or four weeks time, we might be able tor resume matches; alternatively, this season will end with uncompleted fixtures.