Boss Paul Lambert is one of six members of the playing and coaching staff to have tested positive for Covid-19 with Town’s home game against Northampton on Boxing Day and the December 29th trip to AFC Wimbledon in doubt as a result.

All the first-team squad and staff were tested before training on Friday morning after one player had reported symptoms with the club receiving the results this evening and subsequently making the EFL aware.

“We will be closing the training ground for now in line with guidelines until we have spoken in detail with the EFL about the way forward,” general manager of football operations Lee O’Neill told the club site.

Town have adhered to a strict regime at Playford Road since the squad returned to training in August with communal areas such as the canteen and changing rooms remaining closed.

Players are changing at home before driving to the training ground and showering at home.

The Blues’ game away at Peterborough was postponed today after a Posh player tested positive for Covid-19 with three others reporting symptoms.

Photo: Matchday Images

stevieiriswattii added 21:53 - Dec 19 Jeez, best wishes to all.
26

ScottCandage added 21:56 - Dec 19 Oh man, hope all are well. Nothing else matters right now.
23

belgablue added 22:02 - Dec 19 Blimey - get well soon all.
19

ringwoodblue added 22:07 - Dec 19 Really bad news for the gaffer and the other lads who have tested positive. Best wishes and get well soon to all of them.
23

matty81 added 22:08 - Dec 19 Can see the season being mothballed soon.
5

coolcat added 22:10 - Dec 19 Not good news. Hope they all make a speedy recovery.
16

LWNR2013 added 22:21 - Dec 19 Not a great day one way or another. Best wishes everyone.
12

ArnieM added 22:23 - Dec 19 This current wave of CoVid seems far worse than that of original virus way in March doesn't it. Get well soon all ITFC staff ....
13

Suffolkboy added 22:26 - Dec 19 Everybody just take the greatest care ; no risk taking ,be aware of all that's going on around and know every supporter is wishing you well ! COYB
17

cooper4england added 22:40 - Dec 19 Daniel72: prick
14

StirlingArcher added 22:41 - Dec 19 @Daniel72 - you need to use sheeple, scandemic and false positives more. You're conspiracying REALLY badly
4

Saxonblue74 added 22:45 - Dec 19 Stay safe. It will be a miracle if this season runs its course.
5

Countryboyblue added 23:10 - Dec 19 Get well soon gaffer and the rest of the guys. Rest up and come back stronger. 💪🏼
5

timkatieadamitfc added 23:14 - Dec 19 Cooper and Stirling- apologies voted wrong way
0

TimmyH added 23:18 - Dec 19 Virus really seems to be accelerating now and Suffolk is only tier 2, hopefully all they'll get is the symptoms and nothing more.
5

shakytown added 23:19 - Dec 19 Hope everyone is going to be ok over there as we have been very lucky here in New Zealand. Look after each other and stay safe and well for xmas even its a quiet one.
5

dangerous30 added 23:30 - Dec 19 Yes speedy recovery to everyone affected
2

Bert added 23:58 - Dec 19 Not what anyone wants to hear and best wishes to everyone. With more and more community testing taking place, the figures will rise but not everyone will have symptoms. The real problem is the big rise in hospitalisation. What is unclear is what precautions the staff at ITFC are taking in the community as this must surely be the reason for the positive tests within the club. Same pattern has occurred in secondary schools. Does football matter ? Yes, but everyone's health and well-being more so.

2

Marcus added 00:07 - Dec 20 We're in Tier 2 now but not for long. Don't see the liberty of Tier 2 as an excuse to be laid back, that's what's accelerating things. It seems inevitable we will be in 3 or 4 before the end of the year. Please stay safe. Consider YOURSELF as a silent carrier at all times, that keeps everyone safe. Especially those of us who are vulnerable - who wants to accidentally kill or debilitate someone? Only those lacking any level of empathy. Stick to your households and support bubbles, don't do anything silly this Christmas. There's a life of Christmases ahead that will be more normal. Please don't deprive that for someone more vulnerable than yourself.

7

Europablue added 00:26 - Dec 20 I hope everyone gets well soon, if they are even ill. It's not very concerning to hear fit young people getting a virus that is almost no threat to their life. As some have said previously regarding Peterborough, it might do us some good to have a few games off and get some of our players back from injury. It's a bit concerning to think that some people see Tier 2 as giving you liberties, as far as I know there is no Tier 0, where you have all the pre-covid liberties. How recently have people been considering themselves to be silent carriers? If you have that attitude you won't enjoy considering how many people you have "killed" in past flu seasons.

2

Esseeja added 00:50 - Dec 20 Can we just not anymore? Businesses of ALL kind need the money to survive and we all want it to end, why can't we just have a month-long lockdown, the tiered system is literally a slow killer to businesses.
0

KiwiBlue2 added 01:17 - Dec 20 Masks, physical distancing and regular washing of hands will arrest the spread. Good luck everyone.
-2

KiwiBlue2 added 01:21 - Dec 20 The government should have emulated NZ and had a three week lockdown at the outset. The best economic solution is the strict health one. Businesses can be rebuilt but lives lost cannot be restored. I hope to hear better news from the UK in the near future but in the meantime your best protection is masks, physical distancing and regular washing of hands.....
5

bobble added 04:22 - Dec 20 the british government had a choice at the beginning of the outbreak and chose rampant infection and death, and open markets and borders ,over elimination and freedoms and safety like other states.
2

KiwiBlue2 added 06:54 - Dec 20 Yes and look at the sad results. Here the government has tried to put human life ahead of money. Life in NZ apart from the overseas travel/border situation has been like normal for many months now with crowds at sporting matches, bars etc. The 2 weeks isolation for people coming in is provided in 4 or 5 star hotels with meals and was for the first several months free. Some mischief makers who would most likely put money before life have have been critical of the airport quarantining however our government has held firm on it. The result has been only 25 deaths with ages largely ranging between the mid 60s and 90s. With regard to the economy our 3rd quarter GDP figures have rebounded to the levels that they were at this time last year. I am setting this out not to be smug but to say that there was a way of minimising the amount of death and I am sorry that the UK has fared so badly with particular concern for my daughter who lives there and the good people who follow ITFC.

9

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls