Boris Johnson gave no direction to the Premier League
In his prerecorded address to the nation on Sunday night on the next set of social distancing measures, UK PM Boris Johnson never addressed the issue of the resumption of professional sport.
Indeed, the Prime Minister only mentioned the word ‘sport’ once, allowing families to exercise in a group.
“From this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise”
In his national address, PM Boris Johnson says people in England will be able to sit in the park and play sports with members of their householdhttps://t.co/XQK3OxhTTG pic.twitter.com/fnOWwya57x
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 10, 2020
Naturally, Johnson’s comments on playing sport with families was mocked on social media.
“You can even play sports, but only with members of your own household,” says Boris Johnson, forgetting that not everyone has sired an entire cricket XI.
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) May 10, 2020
Premier League plan to restart on June 12
Yet, on Monday morning, reports are swirling that the Premier League plans to restart on June 12. That’s 32 days away.
The Telegraph report that the UK government have given the “green light” to Project Restart:
The Premier League has been given a huge boost with Government sources confirming that plans are on track for professional sports to return in June.
On Monday the Prime Minister will reveal in Parliament further details of his roadmap to get out of lockdown, with a government paper on elite sports expected to be published on Tuesday.
These will give the green light for professional sports to return next month, including the Premier League’s planned resumption on June 12, subject to safety conditions being met and coronavirus infection rates not rising.
Government to give green light to June 12 Premier League return but it comes amid growing club opposition to neutral venues | @JBurtTelegraphhttps://t.co/iqz6c4mb8U
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) May 10, 2020
How concrete is this June 12 start date?
There are reasons to be skeptical about pinning too many hopes on Premier League football being played on June 12.
Firstly, Boris Johnson made it clear in his Sunday address that all the plans on easing social distancing measures are contingent on the Covid-19 reproduction number staying below 1.
Secondly, while the UK government are keen for football to resume, there are reports that 8 Premier League clubs could vote against Project Restart.
A third consideration is whether the Premier League would be better advised to prepare for a later start date.
As detailed in the Times, “club sources are questioning whether it is realistic for matches to resume from June 12, with full-contact training potentially some weeks away.”
The devil is in the details
Perhaps the biggest criticism of Boris Johnson’s speech on Sunday was the lack of details regarding the UK’s plans to ease social distancing measures.
If you’re going to make an address to the nation on prime-time Sunday night TV, you’d better make it worthwhile, Prime Minister @BorisJohnson. Don’t waste our time with yet more vague platitudes & mixed messages – we need leadership not flannel. pic.twitter.com/lXwzPCqcEQ
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 10, 2020
Similarly, many are criticising the Premier League’s plans to restart arguing that too many key issues regarding the health and safety of players remain answered.
On Sunday, after Brighton confirmed that one of their players had tested positive for Covid-19, Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said:
One of the things we’ve asked the Premier League for is a complete plan of all of the stages of returning to play.
Critically, there’s still no clear directive about what the Premier League will do if a player falls ill once the competition resumes.
Will that be game over for the Premier League?
The details are set to be forthcoming. The Guardian report:
It is understood that government guidance on the return of professional sport, from a working group led by the UK Sport chief executive, Sally Munday, is still being written.
The (Premier) League’s medical protocol remains unfinished but a draft is expected to be presented to clubs for their consideration before further discussions with the League Managers Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association (on Monday).
A great dump of Govt documents coming this week on how unlockdown works. Guidelines on public places and schools tomorrow, plus the roadmap itself. Social distancing for businesses from BEIS on Tuesday. Why not just publish the lot at once and end the questions? It’s unclear.
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) May 10, 2020
Questions still to be answered…
Here’s a quick rundown of some other issues which still need answers as football plans to restart in England.
Player contracts: Many players are set to become free agents on June 30th. Will these players sign extensions?
Training protocols: Clear instructions are needed on how footballers are to train while social distancing.
Neutral venues: Which stadia will be approved? And could 8 clubs revolt, ending Project Restart there and then?
Quarantine plans: Will footballers need to be isolated from their families until the Premier League season ends?
‘The problem is that you have to isolate the players’ 🏡
🗣️ @Steve_Crossman, @GuillemBalague & @HLNinEngeland discuss the return of football in all countries 🇪🇸🇮🇹
Join us ⬇️
🎧⚽️ https://t.co/xFmxYJVKId#bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/jvnHO5X3Ud— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) May 10, 2020
Waivers: Premier League players may need to sign Covid-19 health waivers before being allowed to train. Will anyone do that?
Premier League clubs ask players to sign Coronavirus charter, sparking legal concerns https://t.co/jYdxz6T8TO
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel81_DM) May 7, 2020
Also see: Best Netflix, Amazon & YouTube football documentaries & movies to watch during coronavirus isolation
9 best football documentaries to watch on ESPN+ during COVID-19 quarantine
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