Prem bosses fear they could be BANNED from using unvaccinated players as Government launches new Covid crackdown

PREM club bosses fear they could be BANNED from playing unvaccinated players under the new Covid crackdown.

The Government confirmed it is introducing the Covid Plan B in response to the threat posed by the Omicron variant.

That will mean fans needing to show ‘vaccine passports’ to enter grounds from next Wednesday.

But across the Prem there are growing concerns that players who are not double vaccinated may fall foul of tighter guidelines.

League chiefs announced in October that 81 per cent of Prem stars had received at least one vaccination, with 68 per cent double-jabbed.

Those numbers are understood to have risen appreciably in the past six weeks, with some clubs pushing hard for players to take their booster shots as well.

But despite Government guidelines that suggest unvaccinated players should only have to test negative in order to be allowed to play, club chiefs are concerned that there could be tougher restrictions.

The clubs have noted how the NBA in the United States wanted a vaccine mandate for basketball stars, with Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets still banned from even training because of the Covid requirements in New York state.

And in Germany’s Bundesliga, unvaccinated players who test positive or are forced to isolate – including Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich – have had their salaries docked.

There is currently no suggestion that the Government envisages a clampdown on the activities of unvaccinated players.

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They will be required under the published draft of ‘Plan B’ regulations to ‘test regularly if they are not fully vaccinated’ in their status as ‘members of the workforce’.

Club and fans were relieved to hear that while they face restrictions from next week, there will not be a blanket ban on unvaccinated supporters.

Prem bosses had been worried by the draft regulations which stated: “In certain settings, mandatory vaccine-only certification could be introduced for all visitors aged 18 or over.”

But in his Plan B announcement, which will apply to all sporting events with crowds of more than 10,000, PM Boris Johnson stated that supporters able to show negative tests will also be granted access – at least for now.

The clubs have been preparing for the possibility of vaccine passports for months and even offered to be ‘guinea pigs’ for trials of the concept when the country was emerging from the first and second lockdowns, as a way of ensuring money could still come through the gates.

Prem chiefs calculated that 18 months of no or significantly reduced crowds cost clubs a collective £2billion, with Spurs and Manchester United missing out on £6m in revenue every home match day without supporters in the ground.

If I was a supporter, I’d want to sit next to somebody I know had been vaccinated and gives me the best chance of not contracting the virus.

David Moyes

West Ham boss David Moyes appeared to back tougher rules. He said: “We don’t want any more Covid. There have been too many deaths throughout the world. 

“If I was a football supporter, I’d want to go and sit next to somebody who I know had been vaccinated and gives me the best chance of not contracting the virus.

“The crowds are so important to football.

“People have a right to make their own choices and I respect that. 

“But it’s something now which we would seriously have to consider.”

SunSport revealed there are increasing fears of another total lockdown being imposed in the coming weeks, although that is not on the agenda at this stage.

But fans could also face temperature tests at checkpoints before getting to their entry turnstiles and the new mask rules are expected to apply for all indoor areas of grounds and potentially even for fans at their seats.

That will cause issues for stewards who will be under pressure to enforce any new restrictions, especially if there is a public backlash against the edicts.

Clubs are braced from a backlash and potential issues from fans who are told they cannot take up seats they have paid for without proof of double vaccination or immune status.

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