‘Football doesn’t really matter, it needs to stop’

Dean Ashton has joined calls for all football in England to be halted in response to the rapid rise of coronavirus cases.

A third national lockdown came into effect this week after confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 60,000 for the first time, while Wales, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland also under lockdown.

On Friday, London mayor Sadiq Khan even called a ‘major incident’ in the capital, saying the spread is ‘out of control’.

And yet, elite football has been given the OK to continue, despite a worrying rise of cases throughout the ladder.

A number of games in the FA Cup third round this weekend have been affected after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at several clubs, with Shrewsbury vs Southampton being postponed.

There has been a sharp rise in cases in the Premier League, with 40 positive coronavirus tests recorded in the last week alone, while there were also 112 cases in the latest round of testing in the EFL.

Newcastle are one of the clubs severely affected by the virus, having been forced to close their training ground last month which forced the postponement of their Premier League match at Aston Villa on December 1.

Magpies boss Steve Bruce has spoken candidly about his team’s struggles with COVID, with a number of his players suffering long-term issues after fighting off the virus.

Bruce has said it is ‘morally wrong’ for football to continue during a national and global pandemic.

And Ashton agrees, with the former Premier League striker calling for the action to stop.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Saturday, he said: “Let’s get it right – football doesn’t really matter!

“It doesn’t, not in the situation we’re in with people losing their lives and players starting to see the real effects of the virus and players struggling to get back playing from this virus.

“I think that’s what we have to understand, that as much as we love it, as much as we want the schedule to be kept and make sure we have the Euros this year etc… FORGET ABOUT IT!

“If it becomes as serious as it seems like it’s becoming, then the authorities need to start making plans to have a bigger break if it’s needed.

“Just like the first lockdown, they took a huge break to ensure the safety of the players and the players’ families, and it seems like they are getting to that stage again now.

“The authorities have to forget about the scheduling nonsense and think about the realities of what is actually going on in life.

“Of course,  it would be incredibly sad if we didn’t have football, but I think the reality of the situation needs to start kicking in at some point.”