Steve Parrish offers illuminating views on Premier League postponements

As one of the most open-minded people in the Premier League, Steve Parrish has long been a voice of reason. Among the many oligarchs and superrich that own the teams in the Premier League, Crystal Palace have often been seen as a renegade voice. Without the huge funds and the PR clout of other clubs, though, Parrish has often been one to go on the offensive. Whether it has been the European Super League debacle or other major incidents in his time in charge of the club, Parrish has always looked out for the Eagles and their fans.

In a recent interview on BBC Breakfast, the Palace supremo was asked about the current opinion on the Premier League suspensions that feel imminent. Many clubs are calling games off due to the sheer number of players testing positive for COVID-19. Having long been a voice of reason about how the league should go about both postponements and restarts, Parrish offered an interesting insight into how Palace are viewing the situation.

On BBC Breakfast, it was put to Parrish about potential postponements. However, he provided his own view on the matter, saying: “We are hopeful we can get through this period. We are aware of what is going on in wider society,

“It’s not entirely down to us in terms of what happens [with the league being postponed]. We haven’t had the level of postponements yet that would give us real cause [to pause the league]. We would rather get games over with that we can, while we can.

“I would be against that right [stopping the league] now but obviously we have to see how things develop.”

Parrish clear about need for more vaccinations among players

Parrish was also asked on his views about player vaccinations. Though many clubs have been clear that many of their players have been vaccinated, others have been less transparent on the issue. Many clubs have stuck to the rhetoric that it is the choice of the players, but Parrish was a little bit more open on what he thinks, saying: “We would like all players to be vaccinated,” he added. “I’m vaccinated, my kids are vaccinated. We obviously think it’s the right thing to do for individuals and in society to get us back to normality.

“Players are no different to people in society in that age group – some people have their own views and concerns. We have a very high vaccination rate – I think – in the Premier League for the age group that players are compared to rest of society.

“But there are players who have concerns – medical issues which mean they can’t get vaccinated in the same way, or just individual or family concerns. We have to work through those and do our best.”

As ever, the Palace co-owner has long been seen as someone who fans can rely upon to offer an honest verdict on current situations. His insight here, then, has been taken as a positive by the majority of fans.