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As I sit on the empty train heading in to London, face mask on, I do the regular social media check. I open up Instagram, and I’m greeted with a picture of the beautiful Villa Park.
The caption?
“Aston Villa can confirm that today’s Premier League fixture with Burnley has been postponed due to an increased amount of positive Covid-19 test results within our playing squad.”
You have to spare a thought for the travelling away supporters of Burnley, making their way to Birmingham for a pre-Christmas football match. And the home fans too. In fact many football fans now travel from across the country, even the world, to watch their team play at home and away.
Sadly the postponement was inevitable. It is the sixth of this weekend’s 10 scheduled Premier League matches to have been called off due to positive Covid-19 tests.
Today’s announcement came just under three hours before kick-off, leaving (at the time of writing) only one Premier League game to be played today. All eyes on Elland Road to see if that takes place.
Unfortunately this cancellation opens up the talks of suspending the season while we battle the Omicron coronavirus variant currently spreading at a seemingly ever increasing rate. For what it’s worth - I think the time is right to pause the Premier League.
Yesterday it was revealed the managers within the top division of English football would meet on Monday to discuss upcoming fixtures and whether they should be played. The Christmas and New Year period within the game has always been a topic of debate within the sport, as teams often play more matches over the two week period than normal. And with cases on the rise and games being postponed to prevent further outbreak it’s only common sense to now suspend the season for a brief period of time.
Indeed Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted he wasn’t against the idea, but said he “doesn’t see 100 per cent the benefit” of stopping the league.
We can talk about the symptoms of the Omicron variant all day long. Just this week one of the South African doctors who alerted people to the new strain, Dr Angelique Coatzee, told Dan Wootton on GB News that there is no need for panic when it comes to Omicron. But the decision for the Premier League to put the season on hold would not be pushing the panic button.
'The majority of your people are going to get Omicron... Do they need to panic? No, please don't.'
— GB News (@GBNEWS) December 16, 2021
Dr Angelique Coetzee, Head of South Africa's Medical Association, believes the Omicron Covid variant 'can help us' out of the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/m1RU48JDuL
A brief circuit-breaker suspension would allow the Premier League officials to reasses the situation in the new year before matches could return - and to open stadiums. None of that behind closed doors stuff again, thanks.
After three consecutive days of record-breaking positive Covid tests, it’s in the interest of football fans, players, staff, officials and - in reality - the population to pause the Premier League.