Leyton Orient has been engaging its followers amid the coronavirus outbreak by launching a ‘FIFA 20 Quaran-team’ tournament.
The O’s took to Twitter on Sunday to announce the knock-out competition, which planned to pit fans or players from 64 clubs against each other to find out who reigns supreme at the football video game, and was later expanded to 128 teams due to great interest.
The tournament aims to raise £50,000 to help English Football League (EFL) clubs struggling to stay afloat during fixture postponements, as well as for mental health charity MIND and the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fundraiser
‘Quaran-team’ is the latest in a string of ideas by football clubs’ social media teams to keep fans entertained in the absence of football, following the Premier League and EFL suspending all professional matches until April last week.
? SAY HELLO TO YOUR CONTENDERS!
Here is the full list of 128 teams competing in the #UltimateQuaranTeam Cup!
Represented:
??????????????????????????????????? ???????? ?? ??
The draw will take place on *Wednesday* now – more info to follow.
Who's do you make as the favourite then? ?
— Leyton Orient (@leytonorientfc) March 16, 2020
Meanwhile, Orient and Watford swapped real for virtual to simulate their postponed games against Bradford City and Leicester City respectively on the Football Manager video game.
The O’s then went one further by launching their tournament, stating that ‘Quaran-team’ participants must play as the club they support.
This announcement wasn’t met with joy by all. Stockport County had initially opted in to the tournament but were automatically ruled out on the basis that their team aren’t part of FIFA 2020.
Orient’s tournament has gained interest from Premier League clubs – with Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend nominating himself to take part – while entrants from further afield swelled the ranks of the tournament to 128 teams by Tuesday.
Sides such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton could face opposition from Germany’s Hamburg SV or the Netherland’s Fortuna Sittard, with the current logistical difficulties of travel across Europe negated by the tournament’s virtual nature.
Orient will hope their tournament keeps fans happy in the midst of five postponements and the postponement of League Two fixtures until early next month. The O’s are still scheduled to travel to Scunthorpe United on the 4 April, but it is highly likely that the fixture will also be postponed.
The O’s will only return to action once the Football Association announces that it is safe for professional football to take place once again.
