Tranmere hit back at ‘factually inaccurate’ statement released by EFL

On Oct 12, 2020

Tranmere Rovers have taken aim at the English Football League over a ‘factually inaccurate’ and ‘misleading’ statement they released about the club’s Covid situation.

Rovers lost six players due to a Coronavirus outbreak ahead of their game with Salford City at the weekend.

Two unnamed Tranmere players returned positive Covid-19 results, which in turn resulted in four other players having to self-isolate.

That, coupled with injuries and an international call-up, left Rovers boss Mike Jackson with only 10 first-team players available for selection for the game at the Peninsula Stadium.

This meant a number of youth team players were drafted in for the 2-2 draw, but the club hit out at the EFL’s handling of the situation in a statement released on Sunday morning.

But an EFL statement in response to Tranmere’s claimed the statement was ’extremely misleading for supporters of both Tranmere Rovers and other clubs across the EFL’.

However, Rovers have now hit back at those claims and expressed their disappointment in the EFL’s ‘selective and inaccurate presentation of the facts’ around the situation.

“Tranmere Rovers FC is disappointed in the EFL’s factually inaccurate, and therefore misleading, statement regarding the Covid situation at the Club,” a statement released from the club on Monday night read.

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“The EFL state that Tranmere contacted the EFL once last week with a specific query relating to U21 players. In fact, the Club spoke to the EFL specifically about the first team Covid situation with reference to the Salford City fixture every day last week (as the picture was evolving), and on more than one occasion on some days.

“We were advised by the EFL that in the event that we did not play the fixture there would be an investigation which could lead to disciplinary charges. We note that the EFL have confirmed this is indeed the process which would be followed.

“The sanctions that can be applied for failing to fulfil a fixture include both fines and points deductions. At no point did the EFL give us any cause to believe that sanctions would be unlikely to be applied. Indeed, on 6th October, the EFL put in writing to us: “… we need to try to do everything we can to ensure this fixture…