QPR skipper Grant Hall joins growing list of players who fear return is unsafe after birth of daughter
Posted Friday, May 22, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk
QPR captain Grant Hall has joined a growing camp of players who think it is too dangerous for football to return.
Watford striker Troy Deeney is refusing to train while Danny Rose slammed Project Restart as “b*****ks”, with Raheem Sterling and Tammy Abraham also expressing concern.
QPR captain Grant Hall has joined a list of players unhappy about the return of football due to coronavirus
Championship club QPR return to training on Monday, six days after Premier League players went back.
Hall, 28, has just become a father to a baby girl.
And he told SunSport: “Troy has refused to go back because he’s worried about his son’s health. Rightly, he’s putting his safety in front of football.
“It’s hard to see how football can return. It’s not just us as players, we must worry about our families.
“We’ve been told we’re getting tested twice a week and once that gets rolling you’ll see players diagnosed with Covid-19 like we did on Tuesday with the six from the Premier League.
“It’s getting to the point where football must get moving if we’re to finish the season, but it’s got to be safe and I see it as difficult to make safe.”
Hall is a new father and fears for the safety of his baby
The defender believes the Government contact tracing trial must be up and running before sport can return.
Hall said: “We need that in place and successfully working before we can play again.
“At least with that you can see who has had the virus in the community around you and your family.”
Players are only being allowed to train in groups of five and must obey social distancing rules.
Hall said: “It’ll be odd — they’re trying to agree when it’s best to bring contact back into training because you can’t have football without contact.
“It’s all trial and error but I question the safety.
“Until a vaccine is available, I don’t see things getting back to normal and they’re talking about a second wave.”
QPR yesterday gave 1,200 bottles of hydration drink iPRO to frontline NHS staff at Hammersmith Hospital.
Hall said: “This virus might be around for a long time, so until there’s a vaccine we could see matches behind closed doors until then.
“I don’t see how fans will be in stadiums for at least the rest of this year and possibly beyond. You can’t socially distance thousands of fans.”
The top two tiers of German football returned behind closed doors at the weekend.
Hall watched Bundesliga highlights on TV and admitted: “It looked like a sci-fi movie with no fans in the stadiums and subs sitting wearing face masks at a social distance.
“It was eerie. Football isn’t the same without fans.”
Hall is one of 1,400 footballers out of contract at the end of June.
And with that in mind, this Mental Health Week has never been more important within the sport.
Hall suffered problems himself, turning to alcohol while suffering from a long-term knee injury,
He said: “There’s no point worrying but wages will not be what they were.
“The most important thing is to talk to someone if you’re not feeling OK.
“I had a major problem but once I spoke about it, it was a huge weight off my shoulders.”
The birth of his daughter with reality TV star fiancée Chloe Goodman has brought much-needed joy.
He added: “She was born a couple of weeks ago and, because of the lockdown, my missus and I have managed to make her a nursery.
“When we get to the other side of this, all of us will appreciate life differently to how we did before.”
Photos
More»
Eugenie Bouchard sends fans wild in barely-there bikini
Friday April 19 2024
Paige Spiranac shows off underboob in new racy snap
Friday April 19 2024
Ex-Barcelona WAG strips completely naked
Thursday April 18 2024
Your Say