Boris Johnson Gives Go-Ahead For Premier League Season To Resume Next Month

The Premier League could resume behind closed doors as early as June 1 after the Government gave the green light to restart the season.

A 60-page roadmap was unveiled by the Government on Monday afternoon in which various protocols were outlined including the return of professional sport.

And, as part of his plan to bring the UK out of lockdown, Boris Johnson has stated that sport will be permitted to be broadcast from behind closed doors from the start of next month at the earliest.

Under phase two of the Prime Minister’s coronavirus plan, which cannot begin any earlier than June 1, the document confirms they will allow “cultural and sporting events to take place behind-closed-doors for broadcast while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.”

The news is a welcome boost for the Premier League, who held a meeting with their 20 clubs on Monday but, when the news of the Government’s plan emerged, there was no comment from the top flight.

But the document entitled ‘Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy’ says that “organisations should plan accordingly”.

Page 21 of the document warns that opening of venues such as sports stadia “may only be fully possible significantly later depending on the reduction in numbers of infections”.

Events involving international travel – such as football’s Champions League and Europa League, could be affected by the Government’s planned introduction of an enforced 14-day quarantine period for arrivals to the UK, except for those from countries “on a short list of exemptions”.

The Premier League’s clubs are meeting on Monday to continue their discussions around Project Restart. They had been planning for a return to action no earlier than the week beginning June 8.