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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jonathan Gorrie

Tottenham Supporters’ Trust question ‘integrity’ of Premier League competition after Arsenal postponement

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) have released a statement condemning the Premier League’s decision to postpone Sunday’s North London derby against Arsenal.

On Friday, Arsenal requested for the game to be played at a later date and that was officially ratified by the League on Saturday afternoon as they cited “a combination of COVID-19, existing and recent injuries and players on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations” as reasons for why they took the decision.

Leading pundit Gary Neville, who urged the League to reject Arsenal’s request on Friday, labeled the decision as “wrong”.

Writing on their website, the THST said: “​The postponement of the North London Derby just over 24 hours before kick-off once again raises questions about football’s attitude to fans, and the integrity of competition.

“We’ve always said we appreciate the current challenging circumstances, but the fact remains that fans had already made arrangements to travel and some have incurred substantial costs. There are now significant issues around ticketing for the Club and fans to resolve.

“While our remit doesn’t extend to on-pitch matters, we have to express some surprise at the justification given by the Premier League for the decision reached. Postponing this match appears to be as a result of squad management decisions and injuries rather than COVID-19.”

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