Express & Star

Health comes first for Walsall boss Darrell Clarke

Walsall manager Darrell Clarke has urged football to take a back seat during the coronavirus crisis.

Published

Fixtures are currently postponed until at least April 30 – although the suspension is expected to be extended as the UK fights off the pandemic.

Although Clarke is missing the football calendar and wants it back as soon as possible, he insists it is ‘selfish’ to consider anything but people’s health at this time.

“It’s very difficult as a manager to talk about football at the minute, he said.

“I do think that we were on a good run and this has spoilt it, but I think that then becomes very selfish.

“Football will restart eventually and we will be looking to hit the ground running.

“It is a difficult time for everybody and certainly football lives in a bit of a bubble world because sport is important for people.

“It’s no more frustrating than not being able to manage players and not being able to train and go about our daily business, but it’s currently the same as anybody else in their walk of life.

“Certainly I am missing it but it’s selfish to think like that because there are a lot of people dying at the minute and in the world there are a lot of people who are very ill.

“We all miss our football, but the main thing is the safety of everybody. We need to make sure we are giving as much support to the NHS as possible. Something like this can really bring a country together.

“There are a few people being selfish at the minute and not doing what the government wants them to do but we’ve got to have saving peoples lives at the forefront of our mind.

“The health of everyone is so important at the minute and that has got to be the focus.

“Football will restart, we can’t wait for it to restart but we want to make sure everyone is fit and healthy first and foremost.”