Khan opposed to resumption in London

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says it is “too early” to contemplate Premier League football happening in the city.

The English top flight is working towards a plan to finish the 2019-20 season at neutral venues, although the league’s chief executive Richard Masters says there is still an “ongoing dialogue” with government and police, amid opposition to the proposal from a number of clubs. A restart date no earlier than 12 June is being kept in mind.

Khan has now come out against the idea of playing matches in London at this stage, the city badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

His spokesperson told the Evening Standard: “Sadiq is extremely keen for the Premier League and professional sport in general to resume. However, with the country still in the grip of this crisis and hundreds of people dying every day, he believes that it is too early to be discussing the resumption of the Premier League and topflight sport in the capital.

“As a Liverpool fan, Sadiq wants the Premier League to return, but it can only happen when it is safe to do so, and it cannot place any extra burden on the NHS and emergency services.”

It is understood eight to ten “approved” venues had been put to the clubs as the only safe way to complete the season.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police, the UK’S national football policing lead, had told clubs debating the fairness of neutral venues to “get a grip” in a situation where thousands of people have died.