Professional sport in England could resume behind closed doors

Top-level sport in England could restart behind closed doors from June 1 but spectators may not be able to attend venues until a vaccine is found.

The UK Government’s road map for exiting the lockdown imposed to limit the spread of coronavirus was published yesterday afternoon, setting out the conditions under which various activities can be safely carried out.

Step two of the road map, which cannot begin any earlier than June 1, includes “permitting cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact”.

This will only be possible though if sufficient progress is made in limiting the spread of the virus between now and then, but the document, entitled Our Plan To Rebuild: The UK Government’s Covid19 Recovery Strategy, says that “organisations should plan accordingly”.

It is less clear when supporters will be able to return to venues.

The document talks about venues such as cinemas and hairdressers reopening in step three – no earlier than July 4 -– but states: “Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to reopen safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part.

“Nevertheless the government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as the data and information at the time allows.”

Page 21 of the document warns that opening of venues such as sports stadia “may only be fully possible significantly later depending on the reduction in numbers of infections”.

Events involving international travel – such as football’s Champions League and Europa League, could be affected by the government’s planned introduction of an enforced 14-day quarantine period for arrivals to the UK, except for those from countries “on a short list of exemptions”.

The Premier League’s clubs were meeting yesterday to continue their discussions around Project Restart.

They had been planning for a return to action no earlier than the week beginning June 8.

There will be no toplevel cricket in England or Wales until July 1 at the earliest, after a decision from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The British Horseracing Authority had hoped under its “best case scenario” planning to be back in action before the end of May, with two high-profile cards scheduled at the end of the month before the Guineas meeting at the beginning of June.