Representatives of the Premier League, FA and the EFL held positive talks with the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, police and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority in a meeting on Monday that concluded with the Government pledging to look again at allowing clubs to complete fixtures at their own stadiums, according to MailOnline.
While the Government had earlier been recommending playing the 92 remaining top-flight matches at neutral venues for safety reasons, it now appears there’s been a change of heart following lobbying from the Premier League.
The new position augurs positively for the league Championship, who are seeking to complete their own season but lack the resources to commandeer other stadiums at neutral venues.
The Government will take the final decision based on advice from the 13 police authorities containing Premier League grounds, but Sportsmail has learned that several forces have already indicated support, indicating that they have no issues with matches being played at their original venues, as long as a number of safety criteria can be met.
One of the main reasons for the neutral-venue proposal was a fear over fans turning up en masse outside matches to be played behind closed doors. However, Sportsmail has been told that as long as clubs can provide assurances to their local constabularies that they will draft in enough stewards to ensure the two-metre social distancing guidelines are adhered to, completing the season on a home and away basis is not viewed as an insurmountable obstacle.
Should the clubs also be willing to foot the bill to pay for the officers required, playing matches at their original venues would be possible. In another indication of the changing mood, the Government have held talks with the Premier League about using managers and players to urge fans not to show up at grounds and to stay at home, as all games will be televised.
Government sources have insisted that there was never a fixed view at Westminster about the need to stage all games at neutral venues, but there has undoubtedly been a change of emphasis following a rebellion from several leading Premier League clubs at their shareholders’ meeting on Monday.
This change of position was reflected in a statement released yesterday by the country’s senior football police officer, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts, who said:
“We will be jointly exploring a range of options to identify a way forward which minimises any risks to public safety and unnecessary pressure on public services, but facilitates a sensible restart to the season, to support the economic and morale benefits associated with the sport.”