All league football in England suspended due to coronavirus
All professional football fixtures in the Premier League, Women’s Super League, Championship, League One and League Two have been postponed until 3 April “at the earliest” amid growing concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
In the East Midlands, fans of Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Lincoln City, Grimsby Town, Burton Albion and Mansfield Town will now face a barren few weeks as the sport attempts to get to grips with the outbreak.
The decision was made after it emerged that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi have tested positive for the virus.
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis revealed he had been “visited” by the virus earlier this week, and three Leicester City players are currently self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms.
A statement from the EFL said: “The FA, Premier League, EFL and Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship have collectively agreed to postpone the professional game in England until 3 April at the earliest.
“This action, which will be kept under constant review, has been taken due to the increasing numbers of Clubs taking steps to isolate their players and staff because of the COVID-19 virus.
“The postponements include all matches in the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as all Academy and youth team fixtures.
“In addition, clubs are being advised to suspend indefinitely all non-essential activities which include, but are not limited to, player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings.
“Whilst the EFL Board has continued to take the advice and guidance offered by the Government and its health advisors, emerging developments mean now is the time to implement football’s contingency plans in response to the crisis.
“A further update on these plans will be given post an EFL Board Meeting next week.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, but the EFL must prioritise the health and well-being of players, staff and supporters while also acknowledging the Government’s national efforts in tackling this outbreak.”
Non-league Notts County’s fixtures are currently expected to go ahead as scheduled.
Correction: The headline on this article originally read “All league football in the UK suspended due to coronavirus.” However, at the time of publication a number of fixtures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were still scheduled to take place. It has since emerged that all elite fixtures in Scotland have in fact been postponed.
