The EFL has dropped the requirement for clubs to test their players on a matchday as they seek to reduce the number of postponements.

Ten EFL games scheduled for the New Year weekend have been called off due to Covid cases with Town's home match with Lincoln among them at the Imps' request.

“Over the past week, it has become clear that the requirement for matchday testing has caused significant concern and uncertainty at clubs as well as seriously affecting supporters,” an EFL spokesperson told the BBC.

“The league revisited the matter with its medical advisors and, after careful consideration, which included dialogue with a significant number of club doctors, it was determined that the requirement for matchday testing would be removed, except for those individuals who display Covid symptoms.

“Daily testing will continue on non-matchdays with clubs following updated red protocols which remain our biggest protection against the transmission of Covid.”

Photo: Contributed

buzbyblue added 17:52 - Dec 31 Yet more proof the EFL are more interested in the money that the welfare of the players
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buzbyblue added 17:53 - Dec 31 *than the welfare of the players
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FramlinghamBlue added 18:10 - Dec 31 Excellent decision - stop the testing - stop the worry.
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ButchersBrokenNose added 18:35 - Dec 31 The EFL just lost all authority. I honestly cannot believe this. This is the kind of stunt you see in China or Russia, not England. "Covid cases are out-of-control and we're having to cancel too many games. How do we address these rising numbers? Stop testing! Brilliant!" They don't have the players' or the fans' welfare at heart. They're running a business and care only about the bottom line. We (the club, its players and we fans) would do well to remember that going forward.

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Reusers_Tash added 18:42 - Dec 31 I wish people would just use common sense in reacting to this. Is anybody who is vaccinated tested daily at their workplace whether they are showing symptoms or not? I doubt it. Why not just stop life altogether. There has to be a balance or there will be nothing left to enjoy and just remember COVID is likely going to remain around and that for just about every virus, as it mutates from the original strain and becomes more infectious it also becomes less lethal so it still has hosts to survive in. Sports here in the US are taking exactly this approach so no not “China” or “Russia”.

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FramlinghamBlue added 18:46 - Dec 31 Player welfare is the biggest red herring! This mild variant is not a reason to call off games!
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churchmans added 18:55 - Dec 31 Finally some sense from the EFL
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Mark added 19:13 - Dec 31 I think they should test and remove players with Covid, but only allow clubs to cancel matches if they have a serious outbreak as too many games are being cancelled at the moment for a small number of cases. Clubs should use their fully squads including young players to fulfill fixtures.
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wokingblue added 20:29 - Dec 31 A serious outbreak of common sense has hit the EFL. Hurrah!! Players are fit and under 30. This variant is mild. A covid free world no longer exists so let's get on with life and take advantage of probably the best vaccination program in the world.
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Bradleyblue89 added 00:56 - Jan 1 More players off from actually having symptoms (albeit mild) makes this a stupid decision. Imagine us losing points because we can't field a team because a number of them are symptomatic. Framingham Blue it sounds like you've let your personal view of your own best interests overcome the logical view. I for one will be fuming if we miss out on the play offs because we lose points or we can't field a team.

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ArnieM added 01:09 - Jan 1 EFL are as much use as a chocolate tea pot .
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Monkey_Blue added 01:19 - Jan 1 This is moronic!! Reminds me of Trump saying the US wouldn't have so many COVID cases if they didn't test so much. Sticking their heads in the sand. 😡😡😡
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stevieg added 08:12 - Jan 1 Sense prevails thank god
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gpstracker added 08:43 - Jan 1 Complete lack of common sense by EFL.
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jas0999 added 09:05 - Jan 1 They need to get the balance right. Too many games have been postponed. Severe outbreaks of covid should result in postponement, but sadly that doesn't appear to be the case everywhere. How many times are we now hearing covid AND injuries? Newcastle have postponed their last two matches. Doesn't appear to be an uncontrollable outbreak of covid. It would seem their two best players limping off against Man United is a key driver! This shouldn't cause a postponement.

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Help added 09:10 - Jan 1 Okay so let me understand this correctly. The EFL has stopped match day testing to lessen the number of matches postponed. How many matches have been postponed because of players testing positive on the day of a match, none. Games have been postponed in advance to give everyone as much notice as possible. It is the daily testing that is causing the postponements, not the matchday testing. This really changes very little. And before some of you respond, this is the EFL not the premier League.

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davidsc1971 added 09:53 - Jan 1 Help has this spot on. Negligible change off of this as weekday testing should pick up the vast majority of cases anyway. The club's protocols should also be protecting the players and staff as much as possible anyway. No-one tests for flu when you go out and arguably it's just as dangerous as Covid now the vast majority of us are vaccinated. We all need to get on with it really or we'll all spend the rest of our lives stuck indoors. This small change maintains a balanced approach to the overall risk to the community

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tractorboybig added 10:33 - Jan 1 SHOWS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO RUN ENGLISH FOOTBALL ARE NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE .
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Lightningboy added 11:55 - Jan 1 Spot on @ Reusers Tash. Everybody needs to get a grip.
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gosblue added 12:52 - Jan 1 My mate is a Burnley fan and travelled to Villa before the game was called off an hour before kick-off. I know that's the prem but this decision by the EFL may help prevent late postponements. Besides, I haven't read anywhere that they have banned match day testing; they are just no longer compulsory as I understand it.
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blues1 added 13:16 - Jan 1 Gosblue. Read the story properly. They have done away with matchday testing in order to stop late postponements. So yes, while lube could still test their players if they wished, they couldn't then postpone the game should players test positive which could actually leave teams short of players on the day. Makes no sense whatsoever at a time when cases are soaring, hospitalisations and deaths increasing.

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blues1 added 13:21 - Jan 1 Davidsc1971. Where have u been? Covid is no more dangerous than flu? Really? Flu kills on average around 10-11,000 a year in the UK. Covid has killed "directly", 150,000+ in the past 2 years. And led to 20,000+ other deaths from people not being able to get treatment for cancer and the like. Wake up.
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blues1 added 13:25 - Jan 1 Help. There's actually been a few games called off just hours prior to k.o.
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Europablue added 14:10 - Jan 1 Monkey_Blue It is stupid to say that you will have fewer cases if you just don't record them, but you will have fewer recorded cases. We don't need to record fewer cases, we need to have a mature conversation about whether it makes sense to isolate healthy and asymptomatic people and how much risk we are willing to accept. Football is part of life and we should be adjusting to do what we used to do and have no awareness of cases of diseases while taking reasonable precautions. We don't need to be constantly testing and football matches should be going ahead when players are asymptomatic.

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rgp1 added 14:34 - Jan 1 Blues1 u would make a good propaganda officer! 150000 thousand covid deaths! Check the figures it states death for ANY reason within 28 days!
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