Good times are here again for football fans as the UK government has given the English Premier League the green light to restart the season from June 1, 2020.
Football in the UK was suspended indefinitely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 30,000 lives and impacted thousands more.
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Premier League clubs have committed to finishing the season in some shape or form with plans for matches to be played behind closed doors at neutral venues already drawn up.
The league has maintained that any move to bring the game back must be in line with government protocol with latest guidelines.
Under the measures, set out by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, as part of his “roadmap” out of lockdown, sport will be permitted to be broadcast from behind closed doors from the start of next month at the earliest “while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact”.
The announcement comes as part of step two of the five-step plan alongside additional moves to allow more children back to school, the re-opening of some non-essential retail and the use of more public transport.
The Premier League’s plans to restart are not without their problems, however, as it is understood that the use of neutral venues remains one of the key contentious issues with the bottom six also anxious to have relegation taken off the table in the event the season cannot be completed.
Brighton, Aston Villa and Watford have been vocal critics of the proposal saying removing home advantage will have a damaging effect on the integrity of the league.
The issue of player safety also remains paramount with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger just two of a number of players to speak out publicly about their fear around returning to the field.
