Boxing Day fixtures: Full list of EFL games postponed due to Covid and if Premier League could be affected

The English Football League (EFL) have said they plan to “continue with fixtures where it is safe to do so” as a number of Boxing Day fixtures were postponed due to Covid outbreaks.

At the time of writing, 10 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two have been called off, as Reading and Peterborough confirmed their second-tier clash was among those affected.

Cardiff and Coventry also announced they will not be playing each other on 26 December as scheduled, along with Stoke City and Barnsley.

While as it stands, the Premier League’s full fixture list is set to go ahead, the top flight has not been immune from a significant rise in positive tests. In the most recent round of fixtures, meanwhile, six of the 10 games had to be postponed, with all but one – Leeds’ 4-1 defeat to Arsenal – off on Saturday.

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Here is the full list of Boxing Day games that have been postponed so far:

Championship

• Barnsley v Stoke City
• Cardiff City v Coventry City
• Reading v Peterborough United

League One

• Bolton v Morecambe

League Two

• Bristol Rovers v Sutton United
• Bradford City v Harrogate Town
• Exeter City v Swindon Town
• Newport County v Forest Green Rovers
• Northampton Town v Walsall
• Stevenage v Crawley Town

“We will continue to work with clubs, authorities and other agencies to monitor the Covid-19 case rate and be prepared to respond accordingly, yet for now the view remains that we can continue to deliver games safely where clubs have sufficient healthy personnel in place, on and off the pitch,” EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch said earlier this week.

“With club mitigation measures, the mass adoption of booster jabs and Covid certification now required for larger crowds, we are sure many fans will continue to feel confident in attending matches over the Christmas period and we look forward to welcoming them.”

Following the rise of the Omicron variant, clubs across the football pyramid have increased testing measures. Whereas previously, all players and staff were required to undertake a Lateral Flow Test twice weekly, these are now performed daily, with additional PCR tests taken twice a week.

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The Premier League’s protocols have encouraged clubs to enact further measures such as wearing face masks indoors and social distancing where possible. Even so, the most recent round of the league’s Covid tests found 90 new positive cases – the highest of the season so far.

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed a range of new measures in Scotland which mean that from Boxing Day, matches will once again be held behind closed doors for at least three weeks. While Wales has announced similar restrictions, there are – as it stands – no such rules being introduced in England.

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