Sports across England are exploring resuming behind closed doors at “bio-secure” venues in the coming weeks.
Football, cricket, rugby and horse racing are among the sports that are hoping to return to action in the coming weeks, and have already accepted that they will only do so behind closed doors, and with a limited number of people allowed to work at the events.
Nottingham Forest’s season is currently suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no clear sign of when, or indeed if, the campaign will resume.
Prior to the suspension, the Reds occupied fifth place in the Sky Bet Championship table and battling to secure promotion to the Premier League.
According to a report in The Times , sporting authorities are considering plans that would involve testing all players, officials and media for COVID-19 in advance to games and races taking place.
They are also looking into so-called “bio-secure” environments that would be sealed off from the outside world, with only people who were virus free or had immunity allowed into the bubble.
But sporting authorities would only be allowed to return if the government removes its current ban on mass gatherings.
“It’s the idea of almost trying to keep a bubble around a team and broadcasters and everyone else for a long period,” Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, said yesterday about the search for bio-secure venues. “That is a complicated scenario.”
Both the Premier League and EFL have already revealed that they are keen to finish the current football season when it is deemed safe to do so.
And according to the report, the British Horse Racing Authority is believed to be preparing to put on races at a limited number of courses as soon as the lockdown ends, with Lingfield Park and Newcastle the front-runners to stage meetings.
Premiership Rugby is also considering hosting a series of games at one stadium to reduce the number of different people, such as camera crews, needed to work there. TV cameras could also be operated remotely, the report claims.
