Football’s busiest period couldn’t have come at a worse time

The Premier League has resisted calling off an entire round of matches but positive cases within clubs have seen a raft of postponements, writes Ben Burrows

Tottenham Hotspur played Crystal Palace on 26 December (Getty)

It is one of the cherished traditions of the football calendar that fans look forward to the most, with a slew of matches keeping them warm over Christmas and new year.

Boxing Day, with its packed schedule, remains one of the few untouched relics of a past era, with teams up and down the country all playing on the same day, a rarity in the modern, TV-centric game.

But the truth is, as the Omicron variant of coronavirus continues to wreak havoc all over the country, the last thing football needs right now is more matches.

A rising number of positive cases within the sport has resulted in a raft of postponements in recent weeks, affecting some of the country’s biggest clubs, such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Premier League resisted calls to cancel an entire round of matches this week, and is pushing on despite concerns from players and managers over their safety.

It was hoped a so-called “circuit break” could help teams bring their individual situations under control, but, with more pressure to fulfil fixtures than ever before, the league continues even as the likes of Scotland – who have brought forward their winter break in line with new government measures around attendance – take action.

How many fans in England will be able to watch the mountain of games in person remains to be seen. Those involved in football are desperate to avoid a return to behind-closed-doors matches.

There are far more important things than sport, of course. What’s best for wider society is everyone’s primary concern. It is a difficult time, with no easy way out for any of us.

Just like everything else, football isn’t immune to the virus and the damage it can cause.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sport editor