A green light... but questions remain
THE Championship has been given the green light from the UK Government to return behind closed doors from June 1 - but there are still big questions over whether Cardiff City and Swansea City will be able to resume their respective campaigns.
Football has been on hold since mid-March due to the coronavirus crisis but the intention has always remained for the 2019/20 campaign to be concluded when it was deemed safe to do so.
And, as per the latest guidance from Westminster, matches will be able to be played for broadcast, stating: “Cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.”
There’s a growing expectation on both sides of the border that English clubs will be given approval to return to training ahead of a resumption in early June.
However, with lockdown restrictions a devolved issue and with the Welsh Government only modestly amending its lockdown measures - to permit unlimited exercise, allow garden centres to reopen and giving the green light for libraries and household waste recycling centres to open again it is not yet clear what impact such an announcement will have on this side of the border.
A source at Swansea has told WalesOnline the club has sought clarification from the Welsh Government on what will happen next, with both Welsh teams currently unable to return to training or play matches under current guidelines.
Both the Swans and Cardiff are hoping an EFL meeting today will help to offer some much-needed clarity.
Even in England, there is still plenty to be decided before matches can take place - with questions remaining on the safety of the players and staff required for televised matches to take place.
The second part of the statement could also be key, “avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact”, as it seems to make it clear that there can be no risk of fans gathering outside of stadiums.
That could put more weight behind the Premier League’s plan to use neutral venues, which has been vocally opposed by a number of clubs, and could cause issues for the EFL, who were planning for home stadia to be used.
It presents a significant obstacle for both leagues to overcome over the course of the next week, when key meetings are taking place, and it is worth noting there is no confirmation that players will be allowed to return to group training - which is required before matches can be played.