CHIEFS PLAN FOR GETTING FANS BACK IN
THE Premier League has taken the first steps towards allowing fans into matches.
As clubs rubber-stamped Project Restart and now prepare for next week’s opening round of fixtures behind closed doors, official discussions over the return of spectators are already under way.
Premier League officials, along with executives from other major sports, have met with Government and medical representatives to start exploring the feasibility of letting supporters back into grounds.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said he even hopes that stadiums will be “10 or 15 per cent” occupied by the end of the Spanish season.
Considering the UK is behind Spain in the fight against the pandemic, that might not be a realistic target for the Premier League.
But even if fans do not get into Premier League grounds before the end of this campaign, the news that it is being officially discussed lessens the prospect of the 2020/21 season being played behind closed doors.
The conversations also give the FA hope of having some sort of crowd for the FA Cup Final on August 1.
Allowing some spectators to return would be entirely dependent on Government permission and on the Premier League’s smooth restart.
The final, minutely detailed protocols were presented to the clubs and have been given full backing.
Players will have to present an electronic medical passport – which shows their Covid-19 test history – and be temperature-checked before being allowed into venues.
The no-spitting, no-nose clearing, no-handshaking, no hugging and no high-fiving guidelines have been reiterated to players, managers and backroom staff.
There will be drinks breaks during the middle of each half, but players will have to have their own individually labelled bottles.
Getting to and from matches has formed a big part of the protocol discussions and, for any journeys of significant distance, the Premier League is encouraging clubs to travel by plane.
Some clubs have already looked into chartering larger planes for journeys and the Premier League has been in touch with airport officials to smooth through the passage of their teams in transit.