Premier League to finish season with home and away fixtures ‘where possible’
Some matches that are deemed ‘high risk’ by police could yet be played in neutral venues but it is the league’s intention to fulfil the fixture list as originally intended
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Your support makes all the difference.The Premier League have confirmed they intend to finish the season with home and away fixtures “where possible”.
The league revealed on Thursday that the 2019/20 campaign will resume on 17 June following the suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
All 92 remaining matches will be shown live on television with supporters still not yet allowed to return to stadiums.
Some of those matches that are deemed ‘high risk’ by police could yet be played in neutral venues but it is the league’s intention to fulfil the fixture list as originally intended.
“The Premier League’s ambition is to complete all of our remaining fixtures this season home and away, where possible,” a statement on Friday read.
“We are working with our clubs to ensure risks are assessed and minimised, while co-operating with the police at a local and national level.
“Discussions with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and UK Football Policing Unit have been positive and are continuing. We are prepared for all outcomes and have a neutral venue contingency.”
The matches which have been requested to take place at neutral grounds are Manchester City vs Liverpool, Manchester City vs Newcastle, Manchester United vs Sheffield United, Newcastle vs Liverpool and Everton vs Liverpool.
An earlier police statement also added that “the game in which Liverpool could secure the league title” should also be moved, but this may end up needing to be more than one match if the Reds did not clinch it at the first attempt.
Deputy chief constable Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police, the UK’s football policing lead, said: “Our discussions with the Premier League throughout this process have been positive, with a shared focus on the priority of public health.
“As such we have reached a consensus that balances the needs of football, while also minimising the demand on policing.
“The majority of remaining matches will be played at home and away as scheduled, with a small number of fixtures taking place at neutral venues, which, contrary to some reports, have yet to be agreed.
“The views and agreement of forces which host Premier League clubs have been sought and where there were concerns, the Premier League has been supportive in providing flexibility in arranging alternative venues where requested.
“This plan will be kept continually under review to ensure public health and safety and a key part of this is for supporters to continue to respect the social distancing guidelines, and not to attend or gather outside the stadiums.”
Earlier chief executive Richard Masters revealed the biggest remaining concern for Project Restart is a change of course in the virus which could lead to the competition being suspended again.
Masters said for that reason it was crucial that clubs had agreed on a plan for what would happen if the season had to end early before games resume.
However, he would not be drawn on whether an unweighted points-per-game model, as is being proposed to clubs in the EFL, would be used.
“We need to have plans in place so that we go into the start of the season knowing that if it can’t be completed, what then happens,” he told Sky Sports.
“(But) I’m not going to give away any of the details of the private discussions we are having with our clubs.”
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