Man Utd, Man City unite to help Manchester foodbanks
Premier League eyes June return: Report
LONDON: Manchester United and Manchester City have joined forces to donate a combined £100,000 ($117,000) to help local foodbanks affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Collections are normally made at home games for both Manchester giants by fans’ groups supporting foodbanks, but football in England is suspended until at least April 30 due to restrictions on mass gatherings due to coronavirus.
“We are proud of the role our supporters play in helping local food banks and recognise the increased strain likely to be placed on these charities by the impact of coronavirus,” the clubs said in a joint statement. “At a time of challenge for our community, we are pleased to come together with our fans to help vulnerable members of society in a City United.” The donation will support the Trussell Trust’s 19 foodbank centres in the Greater Manchester area.
United have been taken steps to try to alleviate the burden on their staff and supporters during the crisis. The Red Devils have vowed to pay 3,000 casual staff even for the remainder the season even if matches at Old Trafford are forced behind closed doors or cancelled.
And fans who travelled to Austria for the Europa League last 16, first leg against LASK only for the game to be played behind closed doors at late notice were given a £350 ($415) payment towards travel and accommodation. Britain ramped up its response to the pandemic by ordering pubs, restaurants, cafes and gyms to close.
Meanwhile, English Premier League is tentatively targeting a resumption on June 1 with a view to completing the season over six weeks before making an August start to the 2020-21 campaign, the Sunday Telegraph reported yesterday.
The report said the sketchy plan was a “best-case scenario” aimed at mitigating the heavy losses clubs are sustaining as they continue to pay wages while football remains shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On March 13, all elite level soccer matches in England, including the Premier League, were suspended until April 4 with that stoppage subsequently extended until April 30. The postponement of the Euro 2020 championship for a year, however, has cleared space in the calendar for domestic competitions to finish if the public health situation allows.
Player contracts, some of which end in June, could be an issue although world governing body FIFA has said it is looking into possible ‘dispensations’. Under the plan being considered, the Telegraph said, the Premier League and FA Cup competitions would be resumed with matches played behind closed doors.
The 2020-21 campaign would get underway after a short break on Aug. 8, the report said, allowing the league to fulfil its commitments in the second season of three-year broadcast deals worth 9.2 billion pounds — Agencies