Coronavirus-hit Leyton Orient say forfeiting match with Tottenham would send wrong message over testing
Leyton Orient chairman Nigel Travis has said it would be an incentive for football clubs to avoid testing their players for coronavirus if their League Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur is not rescheduled.
Orient believe the match should be rearranged, rather than cancelled, after the fixture was called off due to a significant number of their players testing positive for coronavirus.
EFL regulations state that any team which is unable to fulfil a fixture will have to forfeit the game, but the two clubs remain locked in discussions as Orient push to find a new date for a fixture that is worth £150,000 in profit to the League Two side, who are set to lose £2.5 million this year.
It is hard to see any potential dates to rearrange the match in the coming weeks, though, with Tottenham already in the midst of a remarkably intense run of fixtures that Jose Mourinho has described as a “total joke”.
The announcement that the game would not be played as scheduled was only made at 4pm on Tuesday, two hours before the planned kick-off time. It is understood the delay was a result of Orient’s ongoing attempts to have the game rescheduled.
“Leyton Orient have followed all the guidelines and have done the right things,” Travis told Sky. “If we don't play the game and we're forced to forfeit it, it is a demonstration that doing the right thing doesn't work.
"It is an incentive for people not to test, and that will only create a worse situation in the football world and in the UK at large. I would encourage everyone to think this through and allow us to play the game. We need to see some flexibility and Spurs were set to play four games this week anyway. With a flexible schedule, we can get this game played.”
The match was due to be the first of two midweek games this week for Tottenham, who travel to face Macedonian side Shkendija in the Europa League on Thursday.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the EFL said talks are continuing over the unusual situation, with no final decision yet made on whether the game will be rearranged or not.
“Discussions are ongoing between the relevant stakeholders in regards to the implications of the decision not to play tonight’s game and a further update will be provided in due course,” the EFL said.
“Leyton Orient, the EFL and the relevant authorities are conducting a thorough review of the club’s Covid-19 secure procedures with the view to reopening the stadium and training ground as soon as possible.”
The winners of the match were set to play the winners of the third-round tie between Chelsea and Barnsley. That tie is due to take place next week, meaning it would have to be delayed if Orient’s game against Tottenham is rearranged.
Pushing the fourth round game back further will present more complications as both Chelsea and Tottenham have European commitments after the upcoming international break.
