EFL to investigate as Covid-19 hits Portsmouth rivals and sees Oxford United clash with Crewe postponed
and live on Freeview channel 276
The game between Pompey’s League One rivals was called off with Crewe duo Ryan Wintle and Omar Beckles testing positive for coronavirus, and the latter travelling to the Kassam Stadium as part of David Artell’s squad.
U’s boss Karl Robinson was unaware of the situation until 1.30pm with the decision made at 2.25pm to postpone, and the Oxford Mail report the EFL are now to look into what unfolded.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRobinson told the Oxford Mail: ‘Last week we had a laugh and a joke over the sanitiser, but this is not a laugh and a joke.
‘This is taking people’s lives and putting them at risk.
‘I spoke on Thursday calling for more help, but this is going to keep biting us on the bum.
‘If we’re asked to go and perform, somebody has to take responsibility for blanket testing, consistently.’
Artell explained the EFL informed the clubs they had to make the call over postponing the game and doesn’t expect any repercussions.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe told BBC Radio Stoke: ‘Oxford, probably quite rightly said we don’t want to expose our players to that, which is fully understandable, because they don’t know how many are infected on our bus.
‘The EFL were saying they couldn’t call the game off, we had to.
‘My understanding is there won’t be any sanctions for us as a club, or Oxford for taking the stance they’ve taken. I think it’s a sensible decision.‘I think it’s a reflection of what happens if you don’t test.’
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
Thank you for reading this story. The News has launched a new subscription offer which gives you unlimited access to all of our Pompey coverage.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdYou can subscribe here to get the latest updates from Fratton Park, transfer news and expert analysis from our team of Pompey writers.
Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism on your behalf for our city.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.