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Players Given 10 Days Off
Monday, 16th Mar 2020 10:19

The Town squad have been given 10 days off with the season having been suspended until at least April 3rd.

The Blues’ players were at the club on Friday for training and ahead of the trip to Bristol Rovers for Saturday’s match until the EFL confirmed the suspension of fixtures due to the coronavirus.

They were subsequently sent home and told to report back in 10 days' time, in line with most other clubs. Off-field staff are continuing to work from Portman Road.

The players have not been told to self-isolate and no one is understood to have contracted the coronavirus.

While the Premier League and EFL are currently suspended until April 3rd, it appears all but certain that the hiatus will be much longer with some reports even suggesting it could last until September.

Increasingly, it appears that the football authorities may be forced to cancel the rest of the 2019/20 season and declare it void, much to the frustration of clubs closing in on titles and promotion.

Top sports lawyer Richard Cramer, speaking specifically about the Premier League, says that in the unlikely event of matches restarting next month then the campaign could be saved.

"If they get the games going by the beginning of April, I think we should be all right," Cramer told Sky Sports News.

"But if we go through to May or June, it's almost inevitable - it's almost the equivalent of what happened in the world wars - that the season just has to be cancelled and they start all over again.

"It's obviously devastating for the likes of Leeds United and West Brom. Those clubs are on the verge of promotion. Also Liverpool, obviously.

"It's not a great thought, but they will have to abide by what the majority say and what decision is eventually made by the board of directors."


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ITFCsince73 added 10:31 - Mar 16
No doubt Evan's has contractors in the stadium working 24/7 starting the long awaited refurb/improvement works.
I'm looking forward to seeing progress at the next home match. As I'm sure many others are before thinking of renewing season tickets.
8

ITFC_Cotton added 10:52 - Mar 16
They've earned it!
4

SamWhiteUK added 10:52 - Mar 16
On the bright side, we might get a second chance to get promoted at the first attempt!
13

Smithy added 10:54 - Mar 16
They've had the majority of the last 6 months off anyway
8

essextractorboy93 added 11:50 - Mar 16
I actually do see the season being completed in the summer. I don't see how it cant be, obviously next season and the season after that would have to be adjusted.

It is easy to award Liverpool the Premier League title but the difficult aspect is promotion/relegation and European places because of the huge financial aspects. I think once the situation has settled down, however long that takes, the leagues should resume, complete the current season and then reassess how we return to the normal footballing calendar.

Of course certain clubs and teams will be unhappy whatever the outcome is but for now there can be no football. Stay safe people!
1

ArnieM added 12:11 - Mar 16
Will we notice any difference ?
0

monty_radio added 12:21 - Mar 16
Rotation gone mad!
1

dirtydingusmagee added 12:48 - Mar 16
bless em they need it, theyve given everything this season , really everything ,really really everything , yes theyve given everything.,theyve been brulliant.
6

Billybobblue added 12:50 - Mar 16
Hopefully some of our key players will return from injury with the additional time off.
2

baldman added 12:52 - Mar 16
Sam white made me chuckle good one
0

MaySixth added 12:52 - Mar 16
UTTERLY DELUDED

"If they get the games going by the beginning of April, I think we should be all right,"
0

Ipswichbusiness added 13:01 - Mar 16
Keep the bu@@ers training; they might even learn something!
4

runningout added 13:06 - Mar 16
Will take 5 months minimal
1

stringtheory added 13:09 - Mar 16
Well, that dovetails well with my season as a supporter, things had fizzled out before time with me too. After near on fifty years supporting town (turning up for games) I've finally had enough of watching our slow decline (we may not have reached the bottom). Like most sports, the game of football has been degraded by money, or should I say the massive inequality in it's distribution. The distribution of wealth amongst clubs is more unequal than it has ever been and the sums involved are eye-watering. What hope is there for Town or the other fifty-odd small town clubs - ditch any morals left, tart yourself up and let any glory-seeking, egotistical oligarch, despot, oily prince or money launderer know that you're up for grabs and that you can run rings around your dad (EFL). That may give you, in the short term, the £50-100 million needed for a realistic push. But. Is that any way to live?
Marry for money or for love?
My support of ream of a rich Town has ended for now but I'll always be a fan.
1

Carberry added 13:44 - Mar 16
The owner has been self isolating for the last 10 years
10

planetblue_2011 added 14:06 - Mar 16
It would bring an ok end to a dismal season and hopefully benefit from this for the next season, if it happens. Still bad circumstances for the football season for clubs in the promotion race & winning the title.
1

dirtydingusmagee added 14:58 - Mar 16
Maysixth , it could be April 2021 ! this aint going to go away anytime soon.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 15:02 - Mar 16
WHEN ,this clears up we could find some clubs have folded, we may even be one of them .
1

JewellintheTown added 15:22 - Mar 16
10 days off! Why? Better be at Statutory sick pay levels of £94.25 per week then!
Lazy beggars need to play catch up, not relax down. They're more than 10 days from a skills and effort point of view behind all the other players from other teams in the league but would at least show willing to battle on to the fans if they still trained to keep on top form at least.
I'd be ashamed to not to spend 10 days sharpening up instead of it as a bonus holiday.
Of all the people who shouldn't need time off, "top level" sports men should be best of health to handle any potential risks including club doctors and medical support.
Pansies.
-1

IpswichToon added 16:00 - Mar 16
Some idiots really don't understand what is going on right now. The players haven't been given a holiday for 10 days, they've been told to go home and self-isolate. That way anyone contracting the virus doesn't spread it to the whole team in the event that the season resumes in April, which is looking incredibly unlikely.

We'll be lucky to even start the next season on time.
-1

r2d2 added 16:38 - Mar 16
Ipswich Toon. If you read the article properly you will see that they have not been told to go home and self isolate. So therefore the dross that is our team may as well have been in on the training ground learning a thing or two about how to play the game.
1

ricardo55555 added 16:42 - Mar 16
Bet the inbreeds up the road can't believe their luck.
2

philpott2 added 20:34 - Mar 16
Well that's hardly a surprise, no players at Ipswich have it ...... The last time any Town players got anywhere near an opponent was well before we'd heard of Covid-19!!
And they play like complete strangers to each other, so obviously no chance of the squad getting too close and contracting / sharing it...
1

Doctor_Earman added 00:32 - Mar 17
Knowing how injury-prone our players are, most of them will probably contract the virus at some stage.
1

bobble added 00:45 - Mar 17
maybe the FA will let town play again on april fools day,,,,,,,cannot think of a better day for them to return
1


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