PFA needs to ‘show its face’ in fight against Covid as EFL chiefs pile pressure

EFL chiefs are putting pressure on the PFA to make money available to fund additional Covid testing for players in order to arrest the spread of the virus among clubs.

There is increasing concern over the rising number of cases within the Championship, Leagues One and Two, with a raft of postponements in recent weeks.

On Tuesday nine matches were called off in the EFL because of coronavirus and the latest club to fall victim to a Covid outbreak is Fleetwood Town, who’s next two League One games are postponed.

Coventry City decided to undertake weekly Covid testing of players on a voluntary basis

The Lancashire side join a number of clubs that have been severely affected in recent weeks, including, Rotherham, Sunderland, Rochdale, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Hull City, Doncaster, Peterborough and Bristol Rovers.

Chairmen and chief executives have called for more tests plus some financial support to pay for them and they would like to see the PFA helping out.

‘Ultimately, it’s their members,’ said Dave Boddy, chief executive of Championship side Coventry City. ‘They would be protecting their members.

‘The world is in crisis and the industry needs support. The PFA have the finance to do it.’

Coventry chief executive Dave Boddy said weekly testing helps control spread of  the virus

Unlike the Premier League, where testing has been mostly once per week and is moving to twice a week in January, EFL clubs are only required to test players and staff periodically and when somebody shows symptoms.

Next week, there will be a full round of testing in the EFL with players and officials at all 72 clubs being checked. The Football Association will pay for the tests of non-Premier League clubs still in the competition, but the rest will have to pay for themselves.

Clubs are braced for a significant number of positive tests.

Sportsmail reported on Wednesday that Rotherham United, Plymouth Argyle and Cambridge United were all keen to see the PFA fund more tests.

Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling praised his players approach Covid protocols

Coventry decided to test each week on a voluntarily basis and they believe that has helped them contain the spread.

‘It has made us more aware,’ said Boddy. ‘If you are not testing, you don’t know. We have had a case and we got him out immediately.’

While a number of Championship clubs do test on a weekly basis, many in the lower leagues do not and cannot afford to do so given the financial difficulties caused by nine months with no fans and almost no income

One round of testing would typically cost between £3,000 and £4,000.

The EFL has a protocols in place to control the spread of coronavirus including periodic testing

The PFA has helped fund audits of training and matchday protocols in the EFL and Sportsmail understands there has been conversations between the union and the EFL over the cost of testing, but it is yet to lead to financial support. 

The PFA is understood to be open to further discussion.

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