Coronavirus Latest Update
Coronavirus and football
Cheshire FA continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice provided by the Football Association and the Government.
Any decision to continue playing or to postpone respective competitions is a matter for each league as autonomous bodies within the game.
All County Cup Competitions will be postponed until the 3rd of April.
Can teams choose not to perform the RESPECT handshake before matches?
Yes. As a precautionary measure, we are advising against handshaking. Given the current situation, shaking hands is an unnecessary risk, and an easily avoidable one.
Individuals can choose whether they want to shake hands or not. This is entirely at the discretion of each individual player. No player or collection of players can be forced, via regulation, or any other practice (i.e delayed Kick Off) to shake hands.
Leagues and competitions may choose to issue a statement to all clubs advising that teams are not expected to shake hands at this time.
Should teams or individual players decide not to shake hands or opt for an alternative method this should be conveyed to the match referee by the team Manager and/or Captain before the teams enter the field of play.
What happens if a club is unable to field a team due to player’s testing positive for coronavirus or having to self-isolate?
Clubs are advised to inform their respective league(s) or competition(s) as soon as they become aware of any of their players having to self-isolate or indeed contracting Coronavirus. The government guidelines for self-isolation should be followed.
If any club or team that is affected by the virus (i.e. has a player, coach, parent or significant other linked to the team have to go into self-isolation) can request a 7 day period of grace from the league on health grounds. It is then at the discretion of the league how this is managed. All relevant leagues and the CFA should be alerted at the earliest opportunity.
It is up to Clubs / Teams if they wish to train or not. We recommend all clubs contact their training / playing facilities to find out if they are still open and operational.
What if the Situation Changes?
We are actively monitoring Government advice in case the situation changes and additional measures become necessary. As a matter of good practice, we would recommend that Leagues and Clubs adopt the same approach.
Further updates will be added to this page as appropriate.
County Cup Competitions?
We are postponing all County Cup Competitions until the 3rd of April.
What about Cheshire FA Courses?
Further updates will follow.
Getting the Latest Government Advice
Read the latest information about the situation in the UK, along with guidance for what to do if you think you’re at risk.
Go to NHSUK/coronavirus for information about the virus and how to protect yourself. Use the 111 online coronavirus service to check if you need medical help.