Gillingham Football Club have announced that their League One clash with Ipswich Town set for Boxing Day has been postponed due to Covid.
The game has been rearranged already after Covid cases in the camp caused the postponement along with Saturday’s home clash against Crewe Alexandra.
A statement from the club issued on Wednesday afternoon reads:
“The club’s Sky Bet League One fixture versus Ipswich Town on Sunday 26th December has been postponed.
We informed the EFL that we would be unable to fulfil the fixture at MEMS Priestfield Stadium due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases in the squad.
The game will now take place on Saturday January 8, 2022, 3pm kick-off.“
Earlier on Wednesday, chairman Paul Scally admitted that he thought the game would be in doubt citing a number of cases still within the playing squad, but also behind the scenes.
He said: “We’ve got six injured players who would otherwise be starting, we’ve got five players with Covid who are isolating and we’ve got one player and two members of staff who potentially have Covid, tested yesterday and are waiting for PCR tests.”
“Apart from that, we have a number of staff, matchday staff, stewards, catering staff who have called off because they are either isolating of they don’t want to come and be in public places at this moment in time.”
“You can’t play with seven players, that’s for sure. It is a real problem and we are all in a bit of a quandry in life at the moment, what to do, what not to do, what to do for the best, how to keep people safe.”
“From a personal point of view, I feel a little bit uncomfortable asking fans to come into the stadium if they feel uncomfortable in doing so and I think a lot of people will be looking twice at that even if we were able to play.”
“I will talk to the manager this morning to see if anything has changed and I will talk to the Football League, but my guess with the number of players injured and the Covid players, you can’t put them straight into a football match when he’s come out of a Covid situation.”
“It’s not looking good for Boxing Day right now, but like I say, I will talk to the League later today.”
Without the game on Boxing Day now, Gillingham’s next League One clash will be against local rivals Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Wednesday 29th December.