Top flight ploughs on... but for how long?
Why Premier League are desperate to keep show on road
There is a broad consensus among the 20 Premier League clubs that the show must go on despite the Omicron wave spreading through the country.
There has been the odd complaint from clubs about unfair treatment from the Premier League regarding cancellations and private moans about poor vaccination rates at other clubs.
But many of the top-flight executives who signed off the league’s emergency protocols on Tuesday still bear the scars of the suspension last year.
That was imposed on them and most think it would be foolish to shut down again unless it becomes impossible to stage any matches.
The first lockdown in March 2020 created a football crisis, triggering bitter rows on rescheduling matches, curtailment, points-per-game, neutral grounds, broadcast rebates, medical protocols and financial aid for the lower leagues.
So there are good reasons why most of those involved want to avoid a repeat . . .
FIXTURE CONGESTION
The best argument for shutting down, which some regard as a pragmatic step required to equalise a fixture list that has already seen Tottenham fall three games behind some of their rivals, can also be used to champion the cause of carrying on regardless.
There is a small space in the existing calendar for clubs to play their postponed games — in the planned winter break between January 23 and February 7, for example, or by snatching the weekends at the start of January and February currently filled by the FA Cup third and fourth rounds.
But scheduling an additional break and losing dozens more matches now would remove all room for manoeuvre. There is an acknowledgement that a lop-sided fixture list and forcing clubs to play games with weakened squads does compromise the sporting integrity of the competition.
SHORTENED SUMMER
The interrupted 2019-20 season finally concluded with the FA Cup final on August 1 following the success of the meticulously planned Project restart.
But the Premier League were insisting yesterday that they regard May 22 next year as their ‘hard-stop’, with the Cup final to take place the following week.
This lack of slack has been exacerbated by next year’s midseason World Cup in Qatar, which has resulted in the start of the 2022-23 Premier League season being brought forward a week to August 6 with the eFL kicking off even earlier.
So the scope for extending the campaign is extremely limited.
UeFA will not give up the dates already allotted to the Nations League without a fight, with england due to play four matches in June.
WHEN TO RESTART?
WhiLe it is easy to say that the Premier League should stop to slow transmission, it is far more difficult to state with any confidence when it would be safe and practical to resume.
Most clubs accept they are likely to be hit by an Omicron outbreak at some point, but many of them will experience different waves and cycles, so a simultaneous break for all may not actually solve the problem of mass postponements and late cancellations.
Spurs, for example, appear to have their cases under control and were able to reopen their training ground fully after a five-day shutdown on Tuesday, whereas other clubs have yet to report any Omicron infections.
Preventing clubs with a clean bill of health playing games over Christmas makes little sense.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
There is confidence at all clubs that the spread of the virus will be brought under control once Project restart protocols have been reintroduced.
All club personnel must report a negative lateral flow test in their car before they can enter the training ground, so new cases should be quickly identified. Players and coaching staff are also taking additional PCr tests the day before matches.
While there is acceptance that such measures will be effective, it is unclear how long they will take to work.
BROADCAST REBATES
The Premier League were forced to hand back £223million to main domestic rights holders Sky Sports and BT Sport during the first lockdown, despite the fact they were both given additional matches to broadcast live when the season finally finished behind closed doors. Any suspension now would incur further significant losses.
Neither broadcaster will want holes in their schedules — particularly when the majority of « the country are stuck at home.