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Lincoln Match Postponed
Thursday, 30th Dec 2021 12:24

Town’s New Year’s Day game at home to Lincoln City has been postponed at the Imps’ request due to Covid cases at Sincil Bank.

Lincoln’s game at Rotherham last night had been called off and so Saturday’s postponement comes as little surprise.

An EFL statement regarding the game reads: "Lincoln City informed the EFL that it would be unable to fulfil the fixture at Portman Road due to a number of positive Covid-19 cases in their squad.

“In light of the increased transmission rate of the Omicron variant, the EFL will now review the circumstances surrounding the postponement.

“In addition it will assist affected clubs throughout this challenging period to help them mitigate against the risk of infection amongst players and staff, while ensuring their obligations to the EFL regulations are maintained. A rearranged date for the fixture will be confirmed in due course.”

Imps chief executive Liam Scully told his club's official site: “We had hoped, under new guidance, to have players returning to the squad after completing a reduced self-isolation period.

"The new rules would have allowed them to come out of self-isolation with a negative lateral flow test after seven days, unfortunately the tests remain positive which means we cannot fulfil the fixture.

“Those who have tested positive will have completed their self-isolation periods in time for our next fixture at home to Oxford United on January 8th which we expect to go ahead as scheduled.”

Speaking after last night's match, manager Kieran McKenna was preparing as if the Lincoln fixture would take place.

“Yes, 100 per cent,” he said. “Obviously we want to play the game. Lincoln have been in touch and they want to play the game as well. They’re saying that they’re keen to get it on, so we’ll prepare the game, we’ll be ready but at the moment with the way the world is everything’s one day at a time.

“We have to prepare the game as if it’s going to go ahead and hopefully it does. That’s what we’ll be ready for.”


Photo: Steve Waller



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boroughblue added 12:26 - Dec 30
So you're saying they don't have 16 players fit in the club? Starting to think it's a bit of a cop out for clubs to just call off games to wait until players come back from injury.

Very disappointing, was a chance to kick on and try and get some momentum in front of another big crowd.
27

Cloddyseedbed added 12:35 - Dec 30
Be interested to know how many cases of Covid they have out of a squad of 27 players.
14

Stewart27 added 12:37 - Dec 30
Stupid, pathetic tin pot little club. Should be ashamed of themselves.
-14

RobITFC added 12:40 - Dec 30
EFL really need to grow a pair and stop teams postponing games when they have enough squad players and not include "injured" players as a reason to postpone. Lincoln probably watched us last night and thought ermm no thank you!!
9

Karlosfandangal added 12:47 - Dec 30
FA Cup 4th round for the replay
1

jas0999 added 12:48 - Dec 30
It would sadly appear that clubs are hiding behind covid to get matches postponed. Can Lincoln not field a team? Really. It's very disappointing. This appears to be an easy way out for clubs now.
13

grinch added 12:52 - Dec 30
Can't be helped nit all Clubs gave same resources as Town will cut them some slack. Also allows Walton to return and more time on training ground either a good coach to resolve some of our problems again build on last night's game
5

johnwarksshorts added 13:03 - Dec 30
Let's get real here. I think if we were in their position we would have done the same.
6

billlm added 13:08 - Dec 30
Boroughblue, it's excactly what their all doing, hard to stop the spread of Omicron these days, but if you have enough players you should be playing,
3

ArnieM added 13:11 - Dec 30
Oh what surprise, not!
0

ringwoodblue added 13:13 - Dec 30
I know it's disappointing when games are postponed but we are still in a pandemic with case numbers soaring so it's hardly a surprise.

I say use the time effectively to give the players more coaching time and instil the new ideas and methods the McKenna is introducing.

However I think the season should be extended to allow for all the postponed fixtures to be accommodated.
3

dirtydingusmagee added 13:19 - Dec 30
it was clear a good while ago this season was going to run into trouble. The amount of games called off will continue to mount up, and then there will be difficulty completing the season in a reasonable way and time. EFL are not famed for dealing with such problems .
5

Facefacts added 13:21 - Dec 30
Lincoln still operate as if they were a non league club, have a small squad. The rules for call offs favour the smaller clubs, Gillingham included. Nothing to be done about it. Get well soon.
5

hadleighboyblue added 13:21 - Dec 30
Would be interesting to know how many of these supposed covid cases have taken the time to be vaccinated .

Does the club have to provide evidence of these cases to the EFL. , it seems to be too easy to get games called off

I


0

itfctim added 13:23 - Dec 30
Different circumstances, but how did the EFL insist that Bolton had to play virtually their youth team, to fulfill fixtures???
18

TimmyH added 13:36 - Dec 30
Really going to be stop start until the end of the season with gaps between games which in all truth will be hard to build any momentum...
2

LegendofthePhoenix added 13:37 - Dec 30
I can understand that smaller clubs may find it hard to put out a strong team and we need a bit of balance here. But AFC Wimbledon made some very good points about these postponements. If the fixture list cannot be completed there needs to be a far better mechanism than what was done in 20/21. No one should have to play more than 4 times in a 14 day period, and if that can't be achieved then the club that requested the postponement should be awarded a loss. That would prevent teams requesting games are called off unless absolutely necessary.
6

LegendofthePhoenix added 13:38 - Dec 30
or 19/20 even
0

grinch added 13:45 - Dec 30
Totally different to Bolton they brought it on themselves by living outside there means it was there own fault Covid is not a clubs fault same across all industries at moment with impacts so give these teams a chance if Town had 8 players out due to Covid I am sure people would be saying don't play like supporters were saying during international call ups think of everyone not just insular please
-4

ArnieM added 13:51 - Dec 30
Why don't the EFL grow a pair, shoe dome bloody leadership and postpone ALL fixtures for a period of time , say 2 /3 weeks . These clubs need to get their CoVid rules and jabs in line with the majority of clubs that are managing things better. Social distancing , getting jabs etc is not about money is it. Just common sense.

I think these clubs need to prove these players have CoVid . Or it's just a bloody free for all, and basically cheating until they have their injured players fit again ( which is what this is mostly about ?)
-1

Cloddyseedbed added 13:56 - Dec 30
Oh well every cloud, at least it gives McKenna time to explain the offside rule to Bonne.
15

Taricco_Fan added 14:04 - Dec 30
Clubs are exploiting the COVID situation to buy time for injured players and/or simply to get a short winter break. EFL must investigate. There needs to be clarity over the number of cases/injuries and the number of players available before a game is called off.
7

ArnieM added 14:08 - Dec 30
Cloddyseedbed: I wonder if it's simply that Bonne just doesn't read the game as well as he should / could do? Not something that is easily coached either is it .
2

jong75 added 14:16 - Dec 30
Unfortunately, i think clubs will use this to their advantge. If clubs have squads of 25, are you sure they cant field a team to play? I think we have to give credit to our club with the measures thay have put in place, such as taking the team on 2 coaches to away games.
3

Cloddyseedbed added 14:30 - Dec 30
ArnieM. They could try drawing lines on a board or showing him videos maybe. I thought most of us learnt the offside rule either at school or watching football on telly! Well boys did anyhow! ;)
1


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