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Playing with the Coronavirus

workplaces are being closely scru nised in how they safeguard their employees
and customers.

The FA’s guidance wants Clubs to promote the use of masks in crowded indoor
se ngs, as well as sugges ng the implementa on of a tes ng policy for players
and staff, 48 hours prior to any fixture. A study undertaken by Cognisant Research
with 13 Western League players around Christmas 2021, highlighted the
importance of the managers role in players matchday rou nes and whilst Club
Chairman and Covid Officers can have important parts to play, it’s essen al for all
three to be working together to reinforce the importance in adhering to matchday
Covid protocols, designed to keep players safe.

Football is no different to any other aspect of society in that spectators and
par cipants demonstrate a spectrum of different a tudes towards Covid, from
genuine concern about the impact of the virus to a belief that it simply nothing to
worry about. That is why it’s important influencers like Club Officials, coaches and
senior players to be proac ve in ensuring that everyone in the game is behaving
responsibly. One of the key challenges iden fied by the Cognisant study was the
contradictory nature of some of the Governments Covid advice. The idea that you
can mark a player at a corner, but not share a car with them a er the game, or limit
who goes into a changing room, only to share a crowded bar or nightclub with the
very same teammates.

That is why it’s important to remember that someone else is making these rules
and the FA and the Clubs are doing their best to enforce them. Clubs looking to
maintain Covid protocols should facilitate an open discussion on the measures
they wish to maintain, allowing players to discuss what they consider to be
reasonable and providing them with an opportunity to buy-in to a common
approach, even if they may have personal reserva ons concerning their validity.

The future of the 2021/22 football season s ll hangs in the balance, with concerns
about a winter surge, not to men on any fixture disrup on caused by the Bri sh
weather. We can all do our bit to help minimise the spread of the virus and football
is no different. Spectators, coaches and players all have a part to play in keeping
our beau ful going each week, this is a challenge that unites us all, but we will only
succeed if we work together.