Top flight football has been halted in France and Holland for the rest of the season. Should coronavirus be allowed to kill the English season, too? Or should our football clubs follow the German example and get ready for a re-start?
There is a plan for training to begin in earnest on 18 May, with kick-off behind closed doors on 8 June, subject to government approval. But there has been a major row between clubs about staging games in neutral grounds, and many players have expressed doubts about the health risks involved in going back on the pitch. Even if football fans are kept out of stadia and away from the players, this is still a contact sport, after all.
The government view seems to be that the national game is needed in order to raise the nation’s morale. Oliver Dowden, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, said: “I personally have been in talks with the Premier League with a view to getting football up and running as soon as possible in order to support the whole community”. But the Premier League remains cautious: “The priority is the health and safety of players, coaches, managers, club staff, supporters and the wider community. The League and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with Government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers”.
Personally, I think English football should ‘void’ the season. The players’ and officials’ safety ought to be the absolute priority. If only one person catches the virus and dies as a result of having played professional football, that would be one too many.
