Chiefs weighing up their options on Prem restart
FOOTBALL leaders, police and Government have held further talks to explore “a range of options” to restart the season, which could reopen the possibility of the Premier League campaign being completed on a home-and-away basis.
A number of clubs have signalled their opposition to the idea of playing out the season at neutral venues, arguing it has too much of an impact on the integrity of the competition.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said there was “ongoing dialogue” on the subject and now the UK’S national football policing lead, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police, said “positive” discussions had been held.
Roberts said: “Following a positive meeting between police, Government and football, we will be jointly exploring a range of options to identify a way forward, which minimises any risks to public safety and unnecessary pressure on public services, but facilitates a sensible restart to the season, to support the economic and morale benefits associated with the sport.”
It is understood clubs were told at the league’s shareholders’ meeting on May 1 that the only way to restart the season in a way which satisfied the Government and the police was to play at up to 10 neutral venues to be decided.
Clubs such as Aston Villa, Brighton and Watford had come out against it. But Roberts has previously warned that playing the remainder of the season in the Premier League and the EFL entirely on a home-andaway basis would “present challenges” to the emergency services.
He later called on those questioning how fair it was to “get a grip” amid a pandemic where thousands of lives have already been lost.
He says any return must be done in the safest way possible.
But yesterday’s news of ongoing conversations indicates no final decision has been reached.
The Government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy document, published on Monday, states sports events behind closed doors could return in England as early as June 1, but “large-scale social contact” was to be avoided.
Masters said opposition to the neutral venues idea was not only concentrated on the clubs in the bottom six, who stand to lose the most from the season restarting on that basis.
He said clubs wanted the existing relationship between them and their supporters to be taken into account.
“Some of our clubs would argue that in relation to policing their own fans they have a good relationship with them, and that they encourage their own fans not to turn up outside their home venues while they’re playing behind closed doors, and they’re in a better position to control that, but it’s not a matter of convincing, this has to be a decision that’s come to mutually,” said Masters.
Some of our clubs would argue that in relation to policing their own fans they have a good relationship with them. Richard Masters