Dyche suggests footballers should get vaccine priority

Burnley manager Sean Dyche has provoked debate by suggesting that if footballers were fast-tracked for Covid vaccinations, the huge costs spent on testing could be returned to the health service.

Dyche’s Burnley have had a small number of positive tests in recent weeks, but with the new strain of the virus believed to have infiltrated the Premier League, leading to a record number of cases, there are fears it could soon jeopardise the competition.

And with testing increasing to twice a week for all players and staff, Dyche believes it may be more cost-effective to replace those tests with jabs saying, "I appreciate some people will be surprised by that comment and people will say: 'Why should footballers get vaccinations?' But, if the testing diminishes, that money could be used for a much better cause.

"Football then also remains a competitive industry rather than what might end up as a skewed industry because of players missing from games. It's a common-sense view."

Dyche, who clarified football should obviously come after key workers and the vulnerable also said "Is there a timeline where they can fast-track to that period? Logically, it would be better putting the funding that is put into testing into the system to encourage more vaccinations.

"That money could be used more wisely, I would suggest, to get it out there quicker to the vulnerable and beyond."

The Premier League has so far seen four matches postponed this season due to the pandemic, including Burnley’s tie with Fulham last weekend, with the problem also far worse in the lower leagues.