Government ‘open the door’ for Premier League to restart in June

Representatives from the Premier League, English Football League and Football Association met with the government once again

The government have “opened the door” for the Premier League to return in June.

Representatives from the Premier League, English Football League and Football Association met with the government once again on Thursday as they seek a way to bring the game back having been suspended indefinitely in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic since March.

Clubs are working towards a mid-June start date and should there not be a further spike in cases of the virus between now and then have the green light to do so from 1 June as part of prime minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of the lockdown announced on Sunday.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden says parties engaged in more “positive” talks ahead of what they hope will be a safe return of the players to the field.

“Today’s positive meeting I hosted with the football authorities progressed plans for the resumption of the professional game in England,” he said.

“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.

“It is now up to the football authorities to agree and finalise the detail of their plans, and there is combined goodwill to achieve this for their fans, the football community and the nation as a whole.

“The government and our medical experts will continue to offer guidance and support to the game ahead of any final decision which would put these plans into action.”

There has been significant progress in negotiations after the FA told all clubs on Monday that the campaign must be decided on “sporting merit”.

While that has removed some obstacles and effectively ensured the majority of clubs will agree to come back even if it is at neutral grounds, the main issue is now the players.

Premier League captains are keen for much more details on the next steps, which involves full group training, after more discussions on Wednesday.

The primary concerns are contact in training, as well as the risk to family members, and players with conditions like asthma.