Sky News: News Coronavirus: Government supports plans for f

Sky News:

Coronavirus: Government supports plans for football to return


Last Updated: 14/05/20 5:51pm


Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, says the government is "opening the door" for football to return in June.

Dowden hosted a meeting with football authorities on Thursday and says: "We all agreed that we will only go ahead if it is safe to do so and the health and welfare of players, coaches and staff comes first.


"The government is opening the door for competitive football to return safely in June. This should include widening access for fans to view live coverage and ensure finances from the game's resumption supports the wider football family.

Return to professional football will need to be 'slow and measured'

Asked when football games can return, Prof Van Tam says this can only happen in small steps, the first of which is a return to "safe training still observing social distancing".

"Plans are taking place at quite some depth to be able to do that," he says. "We will have to see how that goes before it is time to think about moving on to competitive football matches."

He says we have be "slow and measured" in allowing a return of competitive football.

Return to professional football will need to be 'slow and measured'

Asked when football games can return, Prof Van Tam says this can only happen in small steps, the first of which is a return to "safe training still observing social distancing".

"Plans are taking place at quite some depth to be able to do that," he says. "We will have to see how that goes before it is time to think about moving on to competitive football matches."

He says we have be "slow and measured" in allowing a return of competitive football.

Government confirm Premier League CAN return in June as long as the safety of players, coaches and staff is guaranteed - with plans in place to 'widen access to live coverage' and some games to be shown for FREE


Government has opened the door for the Premier League to resume in June

Minister Oliver Dowden confirmed agreement if safety can be guaranteed

He also outlined it is up to football bodies to finalise plans for football's return

There may also be moves to make some games free to air to widen access

The UK government is "opening the door" for the return of professional football in England in June, the culture secretary has said.

Oliver Dowden said Thursday's meeting with the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League was "positive" and "progressed plans" for the sport to resume.

That could see Welsh clubs such as Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County and Wrexham, who play in the English league system, return to action.

Cardiff manager Neil Harris said his players are "desperate" to finish the season but admits they have concerns over a potential return to playing.

"We want to get back out there for the integrity of the game and also the opportunity to finish the good work we had put in before the season came to a halt," said Harris.

"But I will be clear, we want to do it in the safest possible environment so if the protocols and testing is in place, and the players and staff aren't at risk, then we can't wait to get going again."

However, the Welsh clubs involved must wait for the Welsh Government to issue guidelines on the return of elite sport in Wales.

League One football fails to agree end to season

Football clubs in League One have failed to agree whether to end the season early after talks today with the English Football League.

The 23 clubs, which are in the third tier of English football below the Premier League and the EFL Championship, will meet again on Monday.

BBC Sport understands there is a general acceptance among clubs in both League One and League Two that resuming the current campaign is impossible because of a lack of money.

But on Thursday six clubs said they had "no desire for voiding the season, points-per-game scenarios or letting a computer decide our footballing fate".

Newport County's season set to end

The football season looks to be over for Newport County after League Two clubs agreed to bring an early end to the 2019-20 campaign.

After an indicative vote by the clubs, the table is set to be decided using a weighted points-per-game method, while the promotion play-offs would go ahead as usual.

But any move still needs to be ratified by the English Football League and the Football Association.

Michael Flynn's Newport team were 15th in the table with 10 games remaining when the season was halted in March because of coronavirus.

Watford manager warns of 'threat' to returning football players

Watford manager Nigel Pearson has warned against the Premier League returning too soon.

On the day that the German football season reopened for business, Pearson told the Times that players' lives could be in danger if matches were restarted too quickly during the coronavirus pandemic .

"God forbid we have a fatality," he told the Times. "People are closing their eyes to the threat."