Hodgson would sit out games amid coronavirus fears

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson says he would accept any government ban on over-70s attending football matches as a means to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Such a move is reportedly one of the measures being considered ahead of a meeting between the UK government, sports governing bodies and broadcasters on Monday – where staging events behind closed doors if the situation with the virus worsens is set to be on the agenda.

Hodgson, 72, would fall foul of such a move but would have no qualms about falling into line.

"I'll wait and see what happens and it's not something that concerns me," he said after Palace beat Watford 1-0 to move up to 11th in the Premier League on Saturday.

"I presume they'll be doing that to protect us. I've read that it's the people that are older that are most at risk but I feel very healthy. Being at the club will keep me a lot healthier - more so than the average guy who spends a lot of his time on the tube.

"But we are doing our level best at the club to respect all the guidelines - we have cleaners going around disinfecting the training ground, we have hand-washes everywhere and players are no longer shaking hands or hugging each other."

 

March 7, 2020

There have been 209 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, with two deaths part of a global toll of 3,569.

"We're doing all the things that are there to be done," Hodgson added.

"But in the final analysis we're in the hands of the government, who will make a decision on behalf of the country.

"We live in a democracy and we're law-abiding citizens. I'll have to abide by that when the time comes but I've never felt healthier or happier.

"At a time where people are asking questions, I'm in the best possible place."

Former Liverpool and England manager Hodgson signed a one-year contract extension at Selhurst Park on Friday.