Premier League football and other elite sports have been warned the new coronavirus strain could trigger a wave of cancelled matches and tournaments in the UK over Christmas and the New Year. Top-level sport was told to expect a surge in Covid-19 cases from the 70 per cent more contagious variant of the virus, which on Saturday led to London and the South East of England being plunged into a new tier of restrictions and ruined the festive plans of millions of Britons. This month there had already been a growing spate of positive tests within football and rugby, leading to several fixtures being postponed or called off, including Newcastle United s Premier League match against Aston Villa.