British Police want at least six Premier League matches and any Liverpool title clincher to be played at neutral venues when the season resumes in a bid to avoid supporters gathering outside stadiums.
Premier League chiefs have set June 17 as the date for the top flight to restart following the coronavirus delay. All of remaining 92 matches are expected to be played behind closed doors with broadcast guaranteed. A home and away basis at clubs’ usual stadiums is expected to be followed.
However, police are concerns about the issue of hardcore fans potentially flouting physical distancing rules by congregating wherever their team play.
With Liverpool two wins away from clinching their first English title for 30 years and other relegation and European qualification issues to be decided in the remaining 92 fixtures, there is potential for police resources to be stretched if matches draw crowds outside grounds.
Police bosses have spoken to the Premier League about games they consider especially tricky and the matches they requested to take place at neutral grounds are Manchester City v Liverpool, Manchester City v Newcastle, Manchester United v Sheffield United, Newcastle v Liverpool and Everton v Liverpool.
“Our discussions with the Premier League throughout this process have been positive, with a shared focus on the priority of public health,” said Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police.
“As such we have reached a consensus that balances the needs of football, while also minimising the demand on policing. The majority of remaining matches will be played, at home and away as scheduled, with a small number of fixtures taking place at neutral venues, which, contrary to some reports, have yet to be agreed.”
Sporting integrity
Liverpool could even clinch the title as early as the first weekend of the restart if Manchester City lose to Arsenal and they beat Everton.
The police statement added that “the game in which Liverpool could secure the league title” should also be moved, although that may end up needing to be more than one match if the Reds did not clinch it at the first attempt.
There had been complaints from some clubs towards the bottom of the table, including Brighton, about the impact of playing at neutral venues on sporting integrity.
Individual police forces were asked which games concerned them and clubs will hold further discussions on whether to proceed with the season on this basis when they meet again on June 4.
Other games that could be moved reportedly include Tottenham v West Ham, Liverpool v Crystal Palace, West Ham v Chelsea, Liverpool v Aston Villa, Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Liverpool v Burnley, Tottenham v Arsenal, Liverpool v Chelsea and Crystal Palace v Tottenham.
It has not yet been decided where neutral games would be staged.
“The views and agreement of forces which host Premier League clubs have been sought and where there were concerns, the Premier League has been supportive in providing flexibility in arranging alternative venues where requested,” Roberts said.
FA Cup
The FA Cup final is set to take place on August 1 after the English Football Association announced provisional dates to finish the competition on Friday. The tournament was halted before the quarter-finals because of the pandemic, but organisers hope to complete it alongside the Premier League.
The four matches in the last eight will be played over the weekend of June 27 and 28, with no decision reached yet on whether these will be played on a home-and-away basis as normal or at neutral venues.
Leicester take on Chelsea, Newcastle face holders Manchester City, Sheffield United play Arsenal and Norwich meet Manchester United.
The semi-finals will be played on July 11 and 12, with the intention being for those matches and the final to be played at Wembley as usual.
All the ties will be behind closed doors.
The news will be a boost to the FA from a financial perspective, with its chief executive Mark Bullingham warning in April of the governing body suffering losses of up to £150 million ($184 million) as a result of the disruption caused by the health crisis.
“The competition has been an integral part of the English football calendar for nearly 150 years, and we’d like to thank the Premier League executive and clubs for their support in scheduling the remaining matches during this unprecedented time,” Bullingham said on Friday.
“This has been a difficult period for many people and while this is a positive step, the restart date is dependent on all safety measures being met. The health and well-being of players, staff and supporters remains our priority.”
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