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      Premier League announce first clear round of coronavirus tests this season with ZERO in nod new protocols work

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      PREMIER LEAGUE covid testers have recorded their first clear week this season.And League bosses believe they are proving the game is close to winning the battle against the virus.
      There were just ZERO recorded coronavirus cases in the latest round of Premier League testing
      Over the past week, two rounds of testing, comprising 2,787 samples of players and staff across the 20 clubs, found no positives.
      Just over half of those – 1,472 – took place between Monday and Thursday, with a further 1,315 samples taken between Friday and Sunday.
      But will all of the tests coming back with negative results, Prem chiefs were delighted to be able to announce the outcome.
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      The latest results represent clear evidence of the success of the Prem’s medical steps as well as the declining numbers of Covid cases across the country.
      League chiefs feared serious problems around the turn of the year as a number of clubs recorded significant outbreaks.
      Manchester City, Fulham, Aston Villa and Newcastle were among clubs hit badly by dressing room outbreaks, forcing matches to be postponed including some just three hours or so before the scheduled kick-off.
      League chief executive Richard Masters was forced to law down the law to clubs and players following well-publicised lockdown breaches, including the Christmas party attended by players from Spurs and West Ham.
      At the peak of the problem over the Christmas period there were 110 positive results between December 21 and January 17, including a record 40 between December 28 and January 3.

      That saw the Prem introduce tougher “enhanced protocols” and testing twice each week, with the extra measures immediately taking effect.
      Since the start of February, there have been just 21 positives from nearly 30,000 tests.
      But last week was the first seven day spell since the final week of last season in July without a single positive in either testing period.

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      Every Premier League team WILL have game in front of fans this season but away supporters BANNED amid Covid-19 pandemic

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      THE Premier League are pushing back their penultimate round of fixtures so every team can play a home game in front of 10,000 fans – but without away supporters.It is understood the 37th round of games will now take place on May 18-19.
      Manchester United and the rest of the Prem will have one opportunity to play in front of their own fans at the end of the seasonCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
      The Premier League will welcome back crowds in mid-May, meaning, amongst other things, that fans will once again can see any VAR decisions first handCredit: AFP or licensors
      That is the day after the third stage of the government’s Covid-19 roadmap is planned to start.
      The Prem has told clubs of the decision to move the round of fixtures – but public confirmation of the plans are not expected until broadcast arrangements are in place.
      Lockdown restrictions are set to ease on May 17, allowing outdoor venues to hold 25 per cent of capacity or 10,000 people, whichever is smaller.
      There was concern that this would mean half the teams in the Premier League would be allowed to play in front of their fans for the final day of the season – while the other half would not.
      Pushing back the second-to-last round of games means every club will be afforded the chance to play at their own ground in front of 10,000 supporters.
      The Prem had also wanted away followers allowed back for the final two rounds of fixtures.
      But some clubs were worried about social distancing and long trips.
      And in the end the Prem put off the issue of away fans returning until next season.
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      The hope then is that crowds will be back as normal for the 2021-22 kick-off in August.
      Police forces are understood to be anxious to know when that decision will be confirmed.
      But it is thought unlikely that any announcement will be made before the end of the current campaign.
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      Premier League urges Boris Johnson to back Covid vaccine passports to pack out stadiums this summer

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      THE Premier League has written to Boris Johnson to back vaccine passports to pack out stadiums this summer.The footy body and other major sports groups including the England and Wales Cricket Board, Wimbledon and the RFU told the PM and other party leaders ‘Covid certificates’ are needed to ditch social distancing in stadiums.
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      The Premier League has written to Boris Johnson to back vaccine passports to pack out stadiums this summerCredit: AP:Associated Press
      The letter says all the sports “can see the benefit that a Covid certification process offers” in order to fill out stands.
      But they warn: “The final approach must not be discriminatory, should protect privacy, and have clear exit criteria.”
      The letter was sent to the PM, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer and the Westminster leaders of all the other parties.
      It said that if certificates fail and attendance are capped for the foreseeable it will “be insufficient to end sport’s Covid financial crisis.”
      From May 17 venues will be allowed to have limited numbers of fans back in grounds – up to 10,000 in bigger stadiums.
      The FA Cup final on May 15 is a pilot mass event and will see 20,000 spectators return to watch live action.
      Ministers announced ‘Covid-status certificates’ will be required later this year to stave off further waves of the virus.
      They are expected to be based on vaccinations, recent tests or natural immunity.
      Sports chiefs from the English Football League (EFL), the FA, the Lawn Tennis Association and Silverstone Circuit also back the proposals, saying in the letter: “It is important that we have certainty as soon as possible on the form this guidance will take so we can plan efficiently and effectively with many big sporting events scheduled for late June and onwards.
      “The return of fans will give a huge boost to millions who enjoy a day out at a sporting event with their friends and families and be of great benefit to the economy.
      “It is right that every possible action is considered to secure this outcome as soon as possible, but only for as long as an unrestricted return is considered unsafe to fans, matchday staff and the wider public.
      “This includes investigating how a Covid certification arrangement could reduce and then safely remove the requirement for social distancing.”
      Boris Johnson has been told that ‘Covid certificates’ are needed to ditch social distancing in stadiumsCredit: AFP

      They also reiterate that certificates should never be used for grassroots sports.
      A Government spokesperson said: “We welcome the constructive approach from major British sports as we explore how testing Covid certification and other steps can help get more fans back into stadiums and other large events safely.
      “We want as many fans as possible to be able to enjoy a great British summer of sport, safely.”
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      Real Madrid star Raphael Varane tests positive for coronavirus hours before Liverpool clash in Champions League

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      RAPHAEL VARANE has tested positive for coronavirus hours before Real Madrid face Liverpool.The Los Blancos players were checked on Tuesday morning ahead of tonight’s clash.
      Raphael Varane will miss the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool with coronavirusCredit: Getty
      And the club confirmed in a statement the result for their Frenchman.
      Varane – a transfer target for Manchester United – was named in Real Madrid’s 21-man matchday squad for the match on Monday afternoon.
      But he will now be forced to sit out of the first-leg quarter-final clash at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
      It also puts his availability to face Barcelona in a crunch El Clasico on Saturday night into major doubt.
      Zinedine Zidane is without both of his first-choice centre-backs against the six-time champions.
      Sergio Ramos was ruled out after picking up a calf injury during the international break.
      That meant he could not continue his rivalry with the Reds and specifically Mo Salah following the 2018 Champions League final.
      Dani Carvajal is also out meaning it is expected to be a back four of Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho and Ferland Mendy.

      Jurgen Klopp has plenty of defensive woes of his own with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip long-term absentees.
      Ben Davies is yet to feature for the club with on-loan Ozan Kabak expected to partner Nat Phillips in defence – although Fabinho could be dropped deeper to fill in.
      Kick-off in Madrid is at 8pm – 9pm local time – with the game live on BT Sport 2.
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      Man Utd will be without Eric Bailly in coming weeks after Solskjaer confirms defender tested positive for coronavirus

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      MANCHESTER UNITED defender Eric Bailly will be out of action after testing positive for coronavirus.The 26-year-old has not returned to the UK after contracting Covid while on international duty with Ivory Coast.
      Man Utd defender Eric Bailly will be out in the coming weeks after he contracted coronavirus while on international dutyCredit: Getty
      United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was speaking after seeing his side snatch a 2-1 victory against Brighton thanks to Mason Greenwood’s headed winner.
      The Norwegian gaffer said: “He won’t be with us for a little while.
      “He went away with the Ivory Coast and tested positive for Covid.
      “He’s not back in the country yet.”
      It is just the latest setback for Bailly after failing to nail down a regular starting spot at United.
      The defender joined United in 2016 from Villareal, but a combination of injury and poor form have seen him regularly on the sidelines.
      And losing Bailly isn’t the only bit of bad news for Solskjaer.
      The former Molde boss fears forward Anthony Martial could be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
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      Solskjaer will be without Eric Bailly for a whileCredit: Getty

      The 25-year-old was forced off with the problem while playing in a World Cup qualifier for France against Kazakhstan last week.
      And while national team boss Didier Deschamps played down the severity of the injury, Solskjaer has now confirmed it is in fact much more serious than was first reported.
      The Man Utd boss told MUTV: “Unfortunately, he sprained his knee with France.
      “It’s always when they go away on internationals… you can keep your fingers crossed and hope they come back fit.
      “Paul has played in all three games, 30, 60, 90 minutes, so that was a boost for us.
      “Losing Anthony for what might be the rest of the season is very disappointing, especially when reports from there [France] was that it wasn’t anything serious but it looks a bad one.”
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      Real Madrid’s Marcelo under investigation and faces fine after appearing to break Covid rules on four-hour Valencia trip

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      REAL MADRID star Marcelo is under investigation after appearing to breach Covid-19 travel restrictions by leaving the Spanish capital to travel to the beach with his family.The Brazilian left-back left himself facing a four-figure fine by publicising a photo showing him relaxing in the sun at Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, a four-hour drive from his home.
      Real Madrid star Marcelo shared a picture on his Instagram page showing him relaxing under the sun with his familyCredit: Instagram
      He was pictured relaxing with his actress wife Clarice Alves and their two children Enzo, 11, and Liam, five.
      The Real veteran, who signed for the Spanish giants from Fluminense in 2006, captioned the holiday snap: “Sunny Sunday in Valencia”, prompting an immediate like from team-mate Casemiro.
      One of the footballer’s 46 million followers reacted to the photo, which showed Marcelo and his family with no facemasks on and in apparent breach of restrictions preventing travel outside of Madrid without a justified cause: “It angers me that famous people like you rub our faces in it.
      “You can leave Madrid but poor people like us can’t.”
      Another added: “Rules and regulations are put in place for something, not so that people with money can do what the hell they want.”
      A third raged at Marcelo: “Do you think you’re better than the rest and lockdown shouldn’t apply to you?”

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      There was no immediate comment from the footballer to the criticism he received.
      Regional government health chiefs in Valencia confirmed they had initiated proceedings which could lead to fines for breaching Covid-19 travel restrictions.
      Local reports said the total fine could be up to €2,800 (£2,392) – consisting of four fines of €600 (£513) for any travel breach and four fines of €100 (£85) for going without facemasks.
      Marcelo, who reportedly earns over £20,000 a day, shouldn’t have too many problems paying up if he and his family are hit with a fine.
      The footballer was given time off during the international break and is expected back for training at the start of this week along with other players that haven’t been called up.
      The Covid-19 restrictions currently in place in Spain prevent travel outside of peoples’ home regions. The few exceptions include travel for work or humanitarian reasons.
      Facemasks are mandatory in public places. In the Valencian region, which covers the city of Valencia as well as towns and cities further south like Benidorm and Alicante, bars and restaurants have to close at 6pm.
      More than 75,000 people have died from coronavirus in Spain since the start of the pandemic. The total number of Covid-19 cases currently stands at more than 3.2 million.
      In the Madrid region nearly 15,000 people have died.
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      National League dishing out punishment to Dover Athletic shows more incompetence in football’s hall of power

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      THE EFL and FA need to take a long, hard look at the credibility of the National League – and it is high time for the Government to start regulating football.Spare a thought for Dover Athletic, docked TWELVE points for next season and fined £40,000 by the bright sparks who run football’s top two tiers outside the EFL.
      Dover Athletic’s picturesque Crabble ground is located in the village of River – but the club will be docked 12 points at the start of next season
      What could their crime be? Running up huge debts they can ill afford and trading while insolvent, which is illegal under Company Law? No.
      This small, well-run club on the Kent coast had the sheer audacity to not do that. To not rip up their model of prudence.
      To not join other clubs in taking out a huge loan that they could be paying off for a decade.
      Faced with the real prospect of doing what football was supposed to be frowning upon after seeing what happened to clubs like Bury, Blackpool, Bolton and countless others, they instead joined thousands of other businesses in the real world by furloughing their staff.
      Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler and his players were put on furlough in February – almost two months after grant support to National League clubs from the Government ended – and they indicated to the powers-that-be that they could resume playing only once they had funds to afford it.The league however charged them with not having “just cause” to stop fulfilling their fixtures and after finding the club guilty expunged their results from this season’s records. The team had only contested 15 games when they ceased playing.
      What made the sanction stink was that clubs were given assurances by the National League that if fans were not allowed in beyond December, the grant support would continue. Goalposts were moved and suddenly it was no longer grants but loans.
      In Dover’s case, they would have needed to take out £450,000 – and, for a small club, that is a big deal.
      I happen to know Dover Athletic well as a proud Man of Kent.
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      Jim Parmenter is the Dover chairman who put his whole playing squad on furlough when government grants that were promised beyond December did not materialise
      Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler manages the Kent port team

      As a kid, I used to climb over the fence behind the River End stand at their Crabble ground with a couple of school friends when our pocket money didn’t cover the turnstile fee.
      Aged 19, as a fresh-faced sports reporter for the East Kent Mercury, I covered their matches home and away.
      It’s a great little club that relies on its community and volunteers, like so many in the lower leagues.
      Chairman Jim Parmenter, who I’ve known for the best part of 25 years, is a local businessman who has a decent amount of money to support the club but cannot just bankroll it without any funds coming through the gates.And his own business – a fruit and vegetable importing company – has been hit hard by the pandemic too.
      When he took over a debt-ridden club 16 years ago, they were hours from being liquidated.
      He promised that they would never be put into that position again while he was running the show.
      And without paying out what they cannot afford, they have climbed three divisions, built a new clubhouse, a new, environmentally sustainable stand and opened an academy.
      Dover also won their status as an FA Chartered club.
      The National League’s disciplinary panel that heard this case was supposed to be independent.
      But former FA head of football administration Graham Noakes and FA judicial panel members Peter Barnes and Alan Hardy have all been closely involved with football.
      SunSport’s Justin Allen (right) with Dover chairman Jim Parmenter, director Steve Parmenter and veteran club secretary and local legend Frank Clarke (left) enjoy a pint together
      Parmenter and Ian Wright pose for the camera when Dover and their directors were taken to meet the Crystal Palace legend by SunSport ahead of their 2015 FA Cup third-round tie
      Back in the days when fans came through the turnstiles but without them Dover were expected by the National League to take out a £450,000 loan to finish their season
      And, while there is no suggestion they have done anything wrong, they do not sound very independent to me. Shouldn’t it have been composed of business experts and lawyers?
      Their justification of the sanction is also crazy. Dover submitted compelling evidence, backed by lawyers and insolvency practitioners (people who actually know what they are talking about) that carrying on their season was not viable.
      But the panel, although saying they had regard to the financial information provided and respecting the responsibility of the club’s directors under Company Law, could not have one of its clubs doing things correctly.
      No, because 22 other clubs decided to run up debts, Dover were expected to, as well. Even though, it’s against the league’s own rules.
      The other finding was that the club had received a basic award payment of £70,000 for the season and “were significantly benefiting from not completing the season compared to the other clubs that continued”.
      Again, the club are simply being punished for not joining the rest.
      The National League also says Dover’s actions went against the “integrity” of the competition.
      What tosh. Some clubs have furloughed high-earning players and replaced them with cheaper ones, which is against the government’s furlough rules and some are fielding significantly weaker teams than what started the season.This whole mess, as I wrote in recent weeks, could have been avoided by postponing the season until spring and finishing it when fans are likely to be back.
      As for the Government, why could they simply not have allowed grants for struggling clubs like Dover to continue until the summer? They are having to pay out on the furlough scheme anyway.
      This whole sorry episode – along with those of the other 15 clubs in the sixth tier charged with non-fulfilment of fixtures – is another example of gross incompetence in football.
      Even during a global pandemic, not an ounce of common sense has been shown with those in football’s corridors of power far removed from the real world.
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      Premier League in talks to allow 1,000 away fans in for last two rounds of fixtures before return to full capacity

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      PREMIER LEAGUE clubs will urge the Government to allow up to 1,000 away fans among the crowds for the last two sets of matches this season.Top-flight club bosses have agreed to switch the planned penultimate set of matches into the final midweek of the campaign, after the May 17 date set by PM Boris Johnson for crowds to return.
      Premier League clubs have asked the Government to allow 1,000 away fans in for the final 20 matches of the seasonCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The fixture swap means each Premier League club will have one home game in front of supporters, with the number capped at the lower figure of 10,000 fans or a quarter of the ground’s full capacity.
      But it was envisaged that only home supporters – in virtually all cases season ticket holders who have been locked out, apart from a handful of lucky supporters, since last March – would be allowed through the turnstiles.
      And at yesterday’s meeting of the 20 ‘shareholder’ clubs, it was agreed to ask the Government for a change of policy that would allow visiting fans to attend.
      The final set of fixtures includes a potential relegation decider between Fulham and Newcastle, with the capacity set at 4,000 supporters while Craven Cottage is still a partial construction site.
      Other matches in the penultimate set of games include a possible top-four clincher between Chelsea and Leicester.
      Meanwhile, the set of midweek games originally scheduled for May 11 and 12, including Chelsea versus Arsenal and Leicester at Manchester United, will be shunted back to the following weekend.
      Whether the Government will green light supporters travelling the length of the country to watch games is less clear.
      But the top-flight clubs feel it is worth making their case to help generate a ‘real’ atmosphere when crowds return.

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      Elsewhere, the clubs agreed next season will begin on the weekend of August 14, allowing the EFL kick-off to take centre stage – alongside the Community Shield – the previous weekend.
      But the decision to end the season on May 22 means the 2022 FA Cup Final will share top billing with the penultimate round of Premier League matches, rather than having a standalone date at the end of the campaign.
      Clubs are keen to create a better atmosphere with a section of travelling supporters inside groundsCredit: PA

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