Virus chaos could cost British sport ‘hundreds of millions’

Coronavirus threat to major events in calendar Premier League games and Olympics at risk

British sport is facing a potential hit of hundreds of millions of pounds after medical experts warned the Premier League and a host of domestic competitions were on the brink of coronavirus chaos.

Contingency planning has intensified throughout the week for organisers of the most high-profile events, including the London Marathon in April and even Test cricket matches in June.

Even though UK infection numbers still stand at just 19, the Government is edging closer to considering the biggest suspension in the sporting calendar during peacetime. Doctors say widespread infection is an inevitability and concern among sporting bodies was raised further yesterday after the Swiss government banned large events of more than 1,000 people.

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, warned on Thursday that it was “just a matter of time” before the virus spread within the UK, adding that “the kinds of things” you consider cancelling are mass gatherings. His comments set off alarm bells yesterday in the City because almost all major sporting events in the UK are underwritten by Lloyd’s of London or the broader London commercial insurance market.

The potential cost to British sport – which could include the cancellation of Premier League matches – is estimated at “hundreds of millions” by one broker, who asked not to be named because his company provides cover for two major domestic competitions. “Postponement is one thing, but potential cancellation of several major competitions would be much more,” the source added. “Perhaps edging close to a billion in total insurance cover.”

With the prospect raised of football matches around the world being held behind closed doors or cancelled, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said yesterday that global health had to come first.

“The health is beyond anything and that’s why we have to look at the situation and hope that it will decrease,” he said. “At the moment it looks like it is still increasing. If games have to be postponed or played without spectators, then we have to go through that.”

The Premier League says it is taking a “watching brief ”, but should the Government order cancellations of matches, there are no legal guarantees that Liverpool would be crowned champions come May. There is also no guarantee the bottom three clubs would be relegated, although such scenarios remain unlikely at this stage. Dr John

Ashton, the former director of public health for the North West, told The Daily Telegraph that the Premier League should be considering radical decisions to help contain the spread as stadiums were such breeding grounds for contamination. “Maybe an answer would be to suspend European matches until later in the year and let domestic competition continue quickly before it kicks off,” he said.

A major outbreak of the virus in northern Italy has already taken a toll on sporting events in Europe this week, with the Ireland-italy Six Nations match postponed. The competition was facing further turmoil yesterday as it emerged pupils of St Edward’s School in Oxford, where the England rugby squad have been training, had been ordered to stay at home as a precaution after returning from a trip abroad.

Athletics has also been badly affected and in Tokyo tomorrow only elite runners will be permitted to run the city marathon. Responding

to concerns that the same decision could be made by Britain in April, a spokesman for the Virgin Money London Marathon said: “We are monitoring closely the developments relating to the spread of coronavirus and noting the updates and advice given by the UK Government, the World Health Organisation and other public bodies. With two months to go before the event on Sunday 26 April, we will continue to monitor the situation.”

Bookmakers now rate the prospect of the Tokyo Olympics being cancelled at 60 per cent, despite assurances from organisers. Adrian Thomas, a director at insurance broker Aon, said such a decision would cost billions globally. The International Olympic Committee takes out about $800million (£630million) in protection for each summer Games, which covers most of the roughly £1 billion investment it makes in each host city.

No British athletes are believed to have caught the virus, but Chris

Froome and Mark Cavendish are among a star-studded field of cyclists in lockdown in Abu Dhabi after the UAE Tour was cancelled.

Footballers both in Britain and abroad have expressed safety concerns to the Fifpro union in protest that they could be forced “to perform in high-risk environments”. The Covid-19 outbreak is “bigger than football”, Fifpro said, as it urged authorities to act “responsibly” in terms of cancelling games.

Steve Bruce, meanwhile, said his Newcastle players would not be shaking hands, while Tottenham’s Son Heung-min will be forced to self-isolate for two weeks when he returns from South Korea.

In cricket, while the first Test of the summer is not until June 4, counties began meeting yesterday to plan for what to do if big sporting events were cancelled. A Test is worth on average £8million to the host club on top of the broadcast value to the England and Wales Cricket Board.