The Premier League announced earleir today that Tottenham’s match against Arsenal would be postponed and rescheduled at a later date, with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust issuing an immediate response.
The THST were keen to point out the repercussions late fixtures changes are having on Tottenham fans, as many have to leave hours or days early to make it to the stadium.
As such, when the Premier League only announced postponements within 24 hours of the kick-off, it leaves many supporters stuck in limbo.
The THST also commented on the integrity of the Premier League if matches can be called off for the reasons Arsenal gave.
The Gunners were without players due to AFCON duty, suspension, loan moves and injuries, with only one player actually having tested positive for COVID-19.
Tottenham also issued an official statement of their own, claiming they were surprised by the Premier League’s verdict and the reasons behind the postponement.
The Supporters’ Trust statement read as follows: ‘The postponement of the North London Derby just over 24 hours before kick-off once again raises questions about football’s attitude to fans, and the integrity of the competition.
‘We’ve always said we appreciate the current challenging circumstances, but the fact remains that fans had already made arrangements to travel and some have incurred substantial costs. There are now significant issues around ticketing for the Club and fans to resolve.
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‘While our remit doesn’t extend to on-pitch matters, we have to express some surprise at the justification given by the Premier League for the decision reached. Postponing this match appears to be as a result of squad management decisions and injuries rather than COVID-19.
‘We will update with more information on ticketing and other practicalities as soon as is possible.’
Spurs Web Opinion:
This is a complete abuse of a rule that was introduced to help teams with COVID. Arsenal just wanted to play the NLD when they have certain key first-team players back from injury and AFCON. I guess all you have to do is fake injuries to get a postponement these days.
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