The Premier League has expressed its disappointment at the government’s decision to cancel the proposed return of fans to sporting events from the start of next month, and warned of its ‘devastating impact’ on the football community.
Plans were in place to bring about a phased return of supporters to stadiums from October 1, initially at significantly reduced capacity, and some test events had already taken place both in football, such as Brighton’s preseason friendly against Chelsea, and beyond, in sports such as cricket and racing.
However, a rise in coronavirus cases has seen Prime Minister Boris Johnson announce an increase in restrictions across the country in a bid to curb the spread of the disease, including the shelving of those plans.
The Premier League said that the guidelines it had put in place would have meant fans were “as safe or even safer than at any other public activity currently permitted” and pointed to the successful schemes piloted in other European countries such as Germany.
“The Premier League notes the Government's announcement today and while the health of the nation must remain everyone's priority, we are disappointed that the safe return of supporters to matches has been postponed,” the statement said.
“Football is not the same without attending fans and the football economy is unsustainable without them.
“Last season, Premier League clubs suffered £700m in losses and at present, our national game is losing more than £100m per month. This is starting to have a devastating impact on clubs and their communities.”
No new date has been set for a possible reintroduction of fans, though Mr Johnson told Parliament on Tuesday that the new restrictions could last as long as six months.
The statement continued: “While there is a current pause in a date for fans returning to sports venues, the Premier League and our clubs will not slow down in our preparations for providing safe, bio-secure environments.
“We will continue to work with Government to bring supporters safely back into grounds as soon as possible.”
