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Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion have donated food that had been prepared for their Premier League games this weekend - which were called off because of the coronavirus outbreak.
All professional football matches in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all been postponed until April due to the rising threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision follows that of Spain, Italy, France and Netherlands, who have all confirmed that fixtures will be suspended as Europe struggles with the spread of COVID-19.
A joint statement was released by various governing bodies in England on Friday about the postponement.
The FA, Premier League, EFL and Barclays FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship have collectively agreed to postpone the professional game in England until 3 April at the earliest.
This action, which will be kept under constant review, has been taken due to the increasing numbers of clubs taking steps to isolate their players and staff because of the COVID-19 virus.
The postponements include all matches in the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as all academy and youth team fixtures.
In addition, clubs are being advised to suspend indefinitely all non-essential activities which include, but are not limited to, player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings.
Whilst the EFL board has continued to take the advice and guidance offered by the Government and its health advisors, emerging developments mean now is the time to implement football's contingency plans in response to the crisis.
A further update on these plans will be given post an EFL board meeting next week.
This decision has not been taken lightly, but the EFL must prioritise the health and well-being of players, staff and supporters while also acknowledging the Government's national efforts in tackling this outbreak.
With games cancelled, a number of clubs have decided to make the most of the food they had planned to sell to fans.
Villa made the choice to donate a total of 850 packed lunches to a number of homeless charities and shelters.
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| Photo: @avfcofficial |
The West Midlands club were due to face fourth place Chelsea, who had young attacker Callum Hudson-Odoi test positive for coronavirus on Friday.
Meanwhile, Brighton also announced food originally purchased for the hospitality lounges and retail kiosks for their postponed match would be donated to the city's homeless community.
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| Photo: @OfficialBHAFC |
The move comes after Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas called on communities not to forget food banks and homeless charities during the coronavirus crisis, instead of panic buying.
Graham Potter's side were meant to tackle Arsenal, who themselves have had manager Mikel Arteta diagnosed with coronavirus.
The coronavirus has seen most top-flight competitions around the world suspended for the rest of March with question marks over how respective seasons will be finished.
The outbreak has also resulted in the cancellation of many other high-profile sporting events, including the London Marathon, Champions League, The Masters, Europa League, Women's Super League and several F1 Grand Prix.
